Jump to content

Menu

Need some help with my K5er


Mommee & Baba
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ok so we're going to be entering our 3rd week of school and I've got it all scheduled, filed and ready...but now I'm thinking I didn't give my DD5 enough to do.

 

We begin school at 8:30am and she's done at 1pm. This includes her lunch and her break.

 

She's doing...

Reading

Science

Math

Penmanship

Copywork

Language Arts

History

 

And still she's begging for more work. I don't want her to move ahead too far in some of the subjects as we do those together with her older sister but should I give her more math or reading or throw in something else?

 

I was thinking of Draw, Write, Now?? but know NOTHING about this program. I thought it'd be fun. But is that too much or should I just throw in more puzzles for her to do, computer games her age and file folder games?? I'm just at a loss here with her. She loves school and soaks her work up so fast...that maybe instead of giving her one math lesson each day let her try 2 this coming week to see how it goes? What do you mama's think?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest TheBugsMom

I have one that begs for school all-day-long. It is hard trying to keep up with her needs. I do it with copywork, workbooks, map/picture tracing, solo games, and such.

 

The schedule you have looks full. Does she know how to write her letter? If her fine motor skills need work, add in a Kumon cutting book. If she likes to write, have her copy a sentence from one of her books. My dd liked copying her non-school books. Add some computer time...spelling words or copy work are some things she can type on the computer. teach her sewing skills, knitting, crochet, or needlepoint are also good. Chess is something she can begin now.

 

Have her start a nature journal. Show her how to do rubbings and flower pressing. Give her an art book and have her find things in the picture. Buy her her own art supplies and let her create the pictures she sees or her own creation.

 

Personally I would not double up. One it will get very expensive down the road (I went through 6 boxed curriculums for my dd for pre-k and k and never satisfied her hunger for more school). We go at a lesson a day in each main subject and add in extra enrichment 'school' to fill the "more school" demand.

 

I am sure the moms here will have some real good advice on how to handle the child with an unending need to learn more. I am interested it what other ideas they will have too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you tried starting a foreign language program? DS takes both Mandarin and Spanish and practicing daily takes about an hour.

 

Also, you might want to look at music lessons. DS just started beginning piano. He is required to practice 30 minutes daily - split into two 15 minute sessions.

 

These two things, along with required silent reading, adds another couple of hours to our day and keeps him busy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm so glad that doubling up wasn't something suggested..dh and I were thinking she'll have nothing left to do next year...lol!

 

Well I purchased a couple Kumon writing sentences books...and now I think the cutting, pasting and folding might be worth a shot too!

 

She LOVES doing education comp games...and dh and I are saving up this year to begin a foreign language...either later this year or early next year...

 

I think that maybe once the bouncing toddler mellows a little I'd be more than willing to toss in a board game to end our school day with too..but right now he's just waking up when our school day is ending...

 

She can use more practice on her letters....and numbers as far as writing goes. Hmmm.

 

Thanks mama's!! I think I have a couple more Kumon books I want to pick up! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sounds like she has plenty of "school" work to do. I might consider putting together some sort of "busy box" for her with fun and educational items that she can pick and choose from after her regular work is done. I might put together a larger box (yours) and a smaller box (hers), so that you can rotate things in and out every few weeks to give her some variety.

 

I think Draw, Write, Now would be a fun thing to include. The drawing lessons are simple enough for a focused five year old, and she can decide for herself whether or not she wants to copy the accompanying sentences. (While my kids occasionally wrote out the sentences, I thought they were fairly insipid and didn't encourage it much.)

 

Other things you might include... Origami paper and a simple origami book. (Some are very complex, so take a look before you drop something in her box -- you might want to use library books for this and just cycle them every few weeks.) Clay or some other modeling substance. Simple logic books (Mindware, Prufrock, and Critical Thinking Press all have materials for her age). ThinkFun Jr. type hands-on logic puzzles (like RiverCrossing Jr or Rush Hour Jr). Craft supplies. Maze books. Postcard-sized art reprints set up with some activities like those in Child-Sized Masterpieces. Yarn and a crochet-hook so she can learn to make pot-holders to give as gifts this Christmas. Building supplies of various sorts. Tricky Fingers game.

 

Just pick 3-4 things each week to go in her box, and rotate them every couple of weeks.

 

Personally, I'd avoid too much computer time at this age. I just don't think it's helpful in the long-run, and I think there's ample evidence that too much screen time too early can be harmful. So I'd keep that more limited...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the suggestions you've already gotten sound great. If you go with a "busy box" option, you could include single-player games like Rush Hour Jr., Kanoodle/Lonpos, Mighty Mind/Pattern Blocks, and LUK. Mazes and dot-to-dot puzzles could be fun, too. And what about Hidden Pictures?

 

Edited to add: You could also add drawing to your program. My daughter can spend countless hours drawing.

Edited by skueppers
Added idea about art, hidden pictures
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Def. want more "fun" and "hands on work".....A Kumon workbook coop is going on right now and I just got her some fun cutting, pasting, tracing, mazes and craft workbooks for her.

 

She LOVES playdoh. I'm gonna get some playdoh made up this coming week and toss that in her workbox as well and give her simple cards that have a house on it and other fun things..she loves art and other crafts but craves direction! My oldest dd is more of a creative play child and loves using her imagination more so than using simple direction.

 

I also purchased some felt animal craft kits from walmart by Family Fun and will start putting these in her workbox more during the week instead of only Fridays.

Edited by mamaofblessings
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I purchased a couple Kumon writing sentences books...and now I think the cutting, pasting and folding might be worth a shot too!

! :D

 

I have a bunch of things printed and ready to go from the http://www.dltk-kids.com/ website. Those are simple crafts my big girl can sit and do on her own...she likes cutting, pasting, coloring, drawing things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm teaching my 4yo how to finger-knit. If she can count this as "school" for "art/craft", it will take a good amount of time and she can make pretty cool stuff :) So instead of drawing, cutting, etc., you could work on some crafts that take longer, go on for more than 15 min - if you think that would be of interest to her. (finger knitting, making a pot holder, basket/placemat weaving, etc.)

 

hth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think def. adding more of a "skill" to her school day would be wonderful and beneficial! I'll ask her which she'd like to do and go from there.

 

I spent this mornings wee hours printing off free TLS, DTLK and Enchanted learning pages that are Following Directions, Connect the Dots, Color by number. Mazes, Finger Painting the Alphabet Letters, Tracing and Drawing and cutting and pasting. All very similar to what the Kumon books offer but I have the ink and paper to print. I just filed them into organized and labeled folders in my filing system...I also added the alphabet letter finger painting, coloring and alphabet maze to her daily workbox until the first week of October. Then I'll do something else with her. I think this will be much more fun for her too. Also I've got a simple craft to go along with each letter of the alphabet...like today she's completing a collage picture like an "Artist" would for the letter "A"...then tomorrow we've nabbed the paper plate bumble bee craft idea and will do that..and so on...

 

Today I started the day like we normally do with Calendar time but then we transitioned into a fun coloring book making activity. I think lastyear with all the hands on and crafts I did the kids loved it alot...this year I was so focused on scheduling, filing and workboxes that I forgot that it still needs to be FUN! So I think each morning I will have something fun to start our day off and end it with a board game or hands on activity. :)

 

Posting this question about my middler really has made me see how book school we were becoming..and although I LOVE our curriculum...there is life outside the books to have fun and make it school too! :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

then tomorrow we've nabbed the paper plate bumble bee craft idea and will do that..and so on...

 

:p

 

Did you see the part where it suggests to put a cardboard strap under the plate to make it a puppet? We are finishing it today and will add the strap!

 

PS. it sounds like you got a lot ready! That's great!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about enrichment -type activies:

 

*Weekly bread-baking and other kitchen activites. She might also like to learn to knit.

 

*Daily times for games such as Boggle/Scrabble/Hang Man. We play these as a 'team' when children are small. Playing checkers, chess, Mancala, card games etc are also ways to get excited about math and strategy.

 

* Twice weekly Magic School Bus DVDs

 

*Open Art Studio a couple of times a week where nothing is planned. She is set free to her art shelves. My kids loved stickers, hole punch, various types of paper/texture, yarn, stamps and stamp pads, various clays, rolling pin, water colors etc. Calling it Open Art Studio is not the same as saying "Go play with your art supplies", I've found.

 

*Audio books and poetry. This a great way for her to do some memory work on her own.

 

I also found that my children liked to do this themselves. We have (now for my 5 yr old nephew)/ had a basket of picture books with their corresponding cassette tapes (gathered from library sales and used book stores) that was always out and available. A simple CD/Cassette player (they still do make them. We just replaced our older one with a $30 one from Best Buy) is easy enough for a child of that age to learn to use.

 

*Sketchpad/notebook combo where she could draw her ideas and later dicate stories to you about them. She could also do this as a nature notebook. Her wirting ability probably doesn't quite match her ability to create stories in her mind. Having you wirte them down can be very satisfying to a child.

 

*Baskets of manipulatives to use as she wishes. Counting bears, shells stones, gems, and other such items.

Edited by LibraryLover
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you see the part where it suggests to put a cardboard strap under the plate to make it a puppet? We are finishing it today and will add the strap!

 

PS. it sounds like you got a lot ready! That's great!!!

 

I didn't see that!! I must add a strap into her little kit I madeup for her :) She's gonna love this. Yesterday she did the letter "A"..with the craft and the maze and LOVED it and was asking if she will have a new one each day...so def. a huge hit!!

 

What about enrichment -type activies:

 

*Weekly bread-baking and other kitchen activites. She might also like to learn to knit.

 

*Daily times for games such as Boggle/Scrabble/Hang Man. We play these as a 'team' when children are small. Playing checkers, chess, Mancala, card games etc are also ways to get excited about math and strategy.

 

* Twice weekly Magic School Bus DVDs

 

*Open Art Studio a couple of times a week where nothing is planned. She is set free to her art shelves. My kids loved stickers, hole punch, various types of paper/texture, yarn, stamps and stamp pads, various clays, rolling pin, water colors etc. Calling it Open Art Studio is not the same as saying "Go play with your art supplies", I've found.

 

*Audio books and poetry. This a great way for her to do some memory work on her own.

 

I also found that my children liked to do this themselves. We have (now for my 5 yr old nephew)/ had a basket of picture books with their corresponding cassette tapes (gathered from library sales and used book stores) that was always out and available. A simple CD/Cassette player (they still do make them. We just replaced our older one with a $30 one from Best Buy) is easy enough for a child of that age to learn to use.

 

*Sketchpad/notebook combo where she could draw her ideas and later dicate stories to you about them. She could also do this as a nature notebook. Her wirting ability probably doesn't quite match her ability to create stories in her mind. Having you wirte them down can be very satisfying to a child.

 

*Baskets of manipulatives to use as she wishes. Counting bears, shells stones, gems, and other such items.

 

Just lastnight I printed off fun activity workbox labels and am using them on the workboxes as well. Now my dd's have a puzzle, audio book listening, board game and computer time added to their workboxes as well as a nice big label that says 15min break! I want to put some more together like the sewing one for my oldest dd who handstitches...and find a couple other ones.

 

I've added the board game label to the workbox set and I'm excited about this one because lastnight after dinner they wanted to play Guess Who and LOVE it..that's the best $1.99 I've spent at a thrift store!

 

We have TONS of crafting supplies and NOT enough craft time..I think putting together an "Art Studio" would be PERFECT for the BOTH of them!! Gonna work on this today and introduce it to them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...