Secular curriculum for Kindergarten

[MellowYellow]

What subjects did you do?

 

What curriculum did you use?

 

Thanks!

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Oak Meadow K is what we used. It's a lovely, artsy, nature-oriented, secular program. We inserted our own faith; very easy to do, or not.

[Ellie]

The only Official thing I did with my 5yo was Spalding (very gently, for about 6 weeks).

 

If I wanted something official for arithmetic, I would consider Mathematics Made Meaningful, although this is more my style (no formal arithmetic). Everything else would be field trips, library/read-alouds, and lots of free time.

[Aoife]

We will be using sonlight and we are quite secular homeschoolers. I did a lot of looking around and decided that it was the best choice and is quite easy to do secularly. The "bible" section is separated so you just simply skip it.

[Satori]

I'm going to be lazy and just link you to the page where I listed our secular Kindergarten curriculum.

 

[NanceXToo]

Oak Meadow K is what we used. It's a lovely, artsy, nature-oriented, secular program. We inserted our own faith; very easy to do, or not.

 

I'm going to be using Oak Meadow K in the fall with my son, as well. I'm really looking forward to it. I did Oak Meadow 4 with my 9 y/o this past year and loved it, so I'll be doing OM5 with her and OMK with my son.

 

OM is secular though like Cindie said you can always add your own religious studies if you had any desire to.

 

It's very hands on- arts and crafts, nature, story-based, music and movement etc.

 

It's also much slower paced in the earliest years, doesn't push heavy academics- so the OMK program is really more like a preschool program- but I like that about it, personally. (The curriculum does eventually become more age/grade comparable to other curricula but always stays more hands on and creative than many others, which I also love about it).

[fairytalemama]

We're using Rightstart A, OPGTR, and Getty Dubay Italics A for purchased curriculum.

 

Then, we're doing read alouds from the Ambleside Online Year 0 list, the Sonlight K list, and the Hillsdale Academy K list (the link to download that curriculum is here --- http://www.hillsdale.edu/academy/academics/curriculum.asp ). The read aloud list I put together for my family is here:

http://enchantedschoolhouse.blogspot.com/p/2010-2011-kindergarten-read-alouds_21.html

 

We're also trying to have a rhythm in which we do art one day, craft one day, baking one day, games or an outing one day, and storytime at the library another day. I'm artsy/crafty so I'm coming up with my own projects for those days. And finally, LOTS of outdoor play time!

 

We used Oak Meadow K for K4 and we liked that too.

[Teachin'Mine]

We didn't start home schooling until 1st grade, but we used the Core Knowledge books and the one for Kindergarten is excellent. It can be used as the - well core - and then it gives you lots of books to use to supplement. You'll need to add math books too - we just used a variety of workbooks at the lower levels and they worked great. We also used the Comprehensive Curriculum books for easy workbook pages too.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

I don't know much about it but perhaps Moving Beyond the Page? They have a 5-7 and a Pre-K program .. literature based (they say their 5-7 program is for gifted 5yos, regular 6yos .. so the Pre-K program is worth a look if the 5-7 doesn't look like a fit). Looks interesting if that style resonates with you and your little one.

[Lolosoli]

For K we use Math U See and Explode The Code. In addition to that I use the workbooks you can buy at Walmart and grocery stores.

[HollyDay]

Sing Spell Read and Write

[brehon]

Everything else would be field trips, library/read-alouds, and lots of free time.

 

:iagree: I've never used a formal curriculum with my K'ers. I do use OPGTR for phonics -- slowly, gently, and at each child's pace.

 

Math is basically a K'er playing w/an older sibling's manipulatives and the baking we do together.

 

History, science, etc is the K'er (and younger) coloring a map or other color page while older kids are actually doing the lesson.

 

If one of my K'ers wants to learn to write, I'll help them with their letters. This only ever for a couple of minutes per day.

 

I think some of the best "preparation" for school is doing puzzles, tangrams, finger painting, read-alouds, zoo/museum/park times, playing outside, et al. In other words, generally unstructured free time. You can, of course, spend money on a formal curriculum for your K'er. I just want to encourage you that you don't have to. Your normal daily life/routine (especially if this is your eldest we're talking about) is perfect. :)

[Wheres Toto]

Since we started young with no pressure, I wanted low-cost and secular. For kindergarten we used:

Explode the Code

Progressive Phonics (free online)

MEP Math (free online)

I also used What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know to get ideas for unit studies for Science, History, Art and Music and used mostly free resources from the internet and library books to flesh it out.

 

We are sort of starting first grade next year and we're still doing ETC, PP and MEP and are adding SOTW1, AAS, BFSU and the RS Abacus.

[Aurelia]

Right Start math

ABeCeDarian reading

Handwriting Without Tears

Five in a Row (LA, art, science, social studies)

Moving Beyond the Page 5-7 (LA, science, social studies)

Kinderbach (piano) and Discoveries in Music

La Clase Divertida (Spanish)

 

 

We skipped the FIAR titles that were religious and only did 2 concepts of MBTP. Either one would be sufficient, but I found MBTP after we had started FIAR and wanted to try it.

[easygoer]

We're doing a CM-inspired schedule with:

 

I See Sam readers

RightStart B

Literature from the AO year 0 and 1

 

History from the Core Knowledge sequence

BSFU

 

and once weekly art, music, and I hope to use AO's ideas for nature study.

[Scrub Jay]

We start Kinder in the Fall although that's really by name - we're all ready doing several "subjects" right now.

 

Kinder:

 

RightStart Math A

Nature Study

Copywork

Narration

Composer Study

Artist Study

Prehistory

Religion (not religious studies but learning about various religions, I am using this book as a spine)

 

I am thinking of adding BFSU in the new year depending on our schedule (I work 4 days a week.)

 

My daughter already reads well so no phonics instruction but we will have time for read alouds of chapter books, etc to continue working on that.

 

We are eclectic with a big emphasis on Charlotte Mason and also some classical education flavoring thrown in. :) Definitely a fan of short lessons, ala CM.

Edited June 19, 2010 by KathleenSLP

[Just Robyn]

Things I have used: SSRW, Saxon K/1, Math Mammoth, AAS

 

We have OM K now which I am using with my youngest and it is wonderful so far.

 

Here is a list of things my most recent K'er used. Our focus in Kindergarten is on reading/writing. Math comes in second, and science and history are just for fun.

[MyFourSons]

I would also recommend Handwriting Without Tears.

 

www.preschooleducation.com has free ideas for arts and crafts and activties regarding different themes, many of them are seasonal. They also have songs and fingerplays. Any of these ideas would be appropriate for Kindergarten or preschool and are secular.

[shinyhappypeople]

I'm planning to use McRuffy K for Math and either Phonics Pathways or Progressive Phonics.

[Farrar]

We just finished K. We were loose about most things, but we did:

 

*Handwriting Without Tears (the kindergarten workbook and program are great)

*Starfall, the BOB books and a variety of phonics games for reading (we're going to do Explode the Code for something more formal for 1st)

*every single Magic Schoolbus science kit (and lots of supplementary picture books) for a "science sampler"

*Story of the World Vol 1 as a read aloud with lots of extra stories, coloring and art projects

 

For math, we read books and played with cuisenaire rods and abacuses and so forth, plus integrated it into our daily lives. Overall, we weren't super formal about anything, except maybe handwriting. I also really recommend the Peggy Kaye books - Games for Writing, Games for Reading and Games for Math as nice starting points for a playful kindergarten.

[kalanamak]

I used EB for math

Pre-ETC for language, the ETC

Plaid Phonics B (did A at K4)

plus the phonics cards for SWR

ZB K and 1

Every picture book I could get my paws on, and especially pre-history and the ice age, finished the read with reading aloud Maroo of the Winter Caves

Every Body Has A Body

Mudpies to Magnets

Vox Music Master's audio CDs with the stories of the composers

Child Sized Masterpieces

 

Audio: Island of the Blue Dolphins was his favorite

Video: David Attenborough: Life of Birds was his favorite

[funschooler5]

We didn't start home schooling until 1st grade' date=' but we used the Core Knowledge books and the one for Kindergarten is excellent. It can be used as the - well core - and then it gives you lots of books to use to supplement. You'll need to add math books too - we just used a variety of workbooks at the lower levels and they worked great. We also used the Comprehensive Curriculum books for easy workbook pages too.[/quote']

 

We're using Core Knowledge (the Kindergarten book is the only one I've ever used with my kids, it's wonderful!), Miquon, Singapore Earlybird Math, and Handwriting w/o Tears. Also lots of read-alouds!

[JennyD]

>*every single Magic Schoolbus science kit (and lots of supplementary picture books) for a "science sampler"

 

How did this work out? I am looking for a low-key but reasonably organized science curriculum for my K'er next year.

[Bayt ul-Hikmah]

> I am looking for a low-key but reasonably organized science curriculum for my K'er next year.

 

 

Have you seen Elemental Science's new K program? I haven't used it, but am thinking about it for when my youngest is K age.

[Snowfall]

Have you seen Elemental Science's new K program? I haven't used it, but am thinking about it for when my youngest is K age.

 

Oh, now I'm drooling over that! I already have BFSU (I love it, but we don't use it often because I'm disorganized and have trouble deciding what lesson to go to next) and REAL Science Life. Oh, and RS4K Pre-Level 1 Chemistry. I was going to do the RS4K, then the REAL...now I want THIS! :001_huh: I'm out of control. (But it's only $15!!!)

[JennyD]

No, I hadn't seen that -- thanks very much for the link!

 

We live in a no-pets apartment in the middle of New York City, so I'm looking for something that's hands-on but doesn't emphasize, say, digging up worms in the back yard.