Starting School Year at odd times???

[originalkat]

I tend to think in terms of traditional school years. However, my dd just turned 5 and is finished with her Pre-K stuff. She is ready and waiting for her school books (which should be arriving soon). I got Singapore EB and McRuffy Phonics and Reading K. SHould I just start her Kindergarten year in March? Do you start you school year at traditional times (Aug/Sept) or something else? Help Please! I dont know if I should start now or wait???

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

At that age I would say go for it! Kids at that age tend to forget alot during long breaks! Go through kindergarten , then when she finishes that do unit studies with books from the library (with practicing math facts) until 1st grade (once kindergarten is finished... that will be a ways off) then you will be suprised how well she does!!!!! Give her short breaks when needed!

[NancyNellen]

We school year round, so we move into new books when we're ready, regardless of what time of year.

[Classically Minded]

I don't go by the public school "school year" - we do year round schooling and when we finish one level in a certain subject, we go to the next. The great thing about homeschooling is you go at your child's pace.

[skueppers]

You might think of it this way:

 

You're not starting her "Kindergarten Year" at an odd time -- her "Kindergarten Year" can still begin in August or September. You're just offering her a curriculum appropriate to her ability, which happens to be labelled "Grade K". This is one of the benefits of homeschooling! You can move at her pace, rather than worrying about what everyone else her age is doing.

 

If you sent her to school, wouldn't her ideal school offer a differentiated curriculum that met each child at their actual working level, rather than forcing all of the children to move along at exactly the same pace?

 

My daughter won't be starting her "Kindergarten Year" until August/September. But we work regularly with materials that would typically be thought of as "Kindergarten curriculum."

 

Today, for example, we did our second lesson on telling time using the Math Mammoth Clock worktext, she did Miquon lab sheet A-15, and we did half of lesson 50 in the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading.

[~Kirsten~]

That's exactly how we officially started in May last year! When my daughter turned 5, she announced that she was, at last, a kindergartner. Period. Now she's talking about how when she has her birthday, she'll be a 1st grader. :D

 

Anyway, for us it wasn't a big deal either way. We're planning to school year-round as it is, and we're in this for the long haul (or as long as is reasonable and productive for all of us). My plan for next year is to break out our official 1st grade subjects of SOTW and Biology in May/June. We'll probably save a new art program until fall, just so that there's something new and exciting for "back to school" time as well. We're already moving through math and language arts at her pace, so we'll just replace those with the next level as we finish.

 

Oh, another added benefit, for us, was we started slowly in May, gradually adding subjects so that neither of us felt overwhelmed. It made me feel much more confident by the time fall rolled around. HTH!

[christielee7278]

That's exactly how we officially started in May last year! When my daughter turned 5, she announced that she was, at last, a kindergartner. Period. Now she's talking about how when she has her birthday, she'll be a 1st grader. :D

 

/QUOTE]

 

My k'ner said the same thing when he turned 5!! :lol: He was SO excited and expected k work to begin ON his birthday!

[robsiew]

We've done what many of the other posters have done. My 4 y/o has been doing K work since Sept. My 6 y/o first grade work in most areas. It's just how they've happened to progress. They know they officially move up a grade in the fall (to keep it easy where grade level is needed) however, when they are ready for the next level in something we just move on no matter what time it is. As you get used to homeschooling more, those "lines" that you were ingrained with in PS will fade. Remember, grades are merely for organization of huge groups of children. They really mean nothing... even in the PS.... kids work at all different levels there too!

[Ellie]

I don't see any point in waiting until August if she's ready to start the work now. However, you will want to follow your state law as far as registering or whatever. IOW, as an example, if you were in California, she wouldn't be compulsory school age until the year that she's 6 by December 2, and you'd file an affidavit that October. If you were in NC, you'd file a notice of intent on her 7th bday.

 

Also, when it's necessary to give her an Official Grade Level (for Sunday school, for example), I'd go by whatever the cut-off date is in your state. So, in Texas she'd be in first grade the year that she was 6 by September 1.

 

Clear as mud?:) The rule is that you teach her according to her ability, but when it's necessary to indicate Official Grade Level, do the grade she'd be in if she were in school (and yes, you should know that).

[MissKNG]

I start the next grade level with the PS schedule just because it will be easier reporting wise. But I don't make my big girl wait until the start of the new school year to continue to the next level of work.