georgialee Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 This is DS's Kindergarten year, though he's at the older end (turned 6 in the beginning of October). This is my first year homeschooling and I didn't realized until after I had the materials that we're doing more 1st grade than K, but DS is doing well so far. We follow HOD LHFHG with some substitutions. Here's our schedule: History - 5x a week Bible - 5x a week Read aloud - 5x a week MUS Alpha - 5x a week (one lesson per day) SWR - 3x a week (on days we don't do handwriting since he has to write in the journal) Handwriting - 2x a week Thinking skills - 2-3x a week Reading - 5x a week (he reads a reader out loud to me) Doing all of this only takes him an hour. He'll do artsy type stuff throughout the day but I don't count that in the hour. Should I add more? He gets easily frustrated with reading and writing so though we do them every day, I cannot push him to do more at this time. He is great at math, absorbs history readily (we already read more than the HOD schedule) and likes the Bible stories (I'll read as many of them as he wants plus what is on the HOD schedule). When not doing our hour of school he plays with his 4 yr old brother... it's constructive play which is good for both of them, obviously... especially the younger one since he isn't really intersted in school yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I wouldn't add much. I think kids that age need play time more than they need more academic time. But you might add a little or you might consider skipping a few things, like only doing some of the problems in math so he can speed ahead and little and get to more challenging things. Or maybe swapping one or more of your programs for something slightly more challenging. Just my take, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunD Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I usually flew through my schoolwork, and I can tell you, I did not want more of it. I wanted harder work. Maybe he needs to add some thinking to different subjects (memory work, narration, etc) or speed through MUS to get to more challenging math concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Thanks for the suggestions :) We were flying through MUS (up to lesson 14 a couple months into the year) but I started going back to make him do all the lessons so now we're working through review on lesson 10. I felt like I was doing something wrong, lol. I'll start skipping some of the review from now on. I think I will add memory work in. We memorized a poem in the beginning of the year but it fell by the wayside when we went to HOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 This is DS's Kindergarten year, though he's at the older end (turned 6 in the beginning of October). This is my first year homeschooling and I didn't realized until after I had the materials that we're doing more 1st grade than K, but DS is doing well so far. We follow HOD LHFHG with some substitutions. Here's our schedule: History - 5x a week Bible - 5x a week Read aloud - 5x a week MUS Alpha - 5x a week (one lesson per day) SWR - 3x a week (on days we don't do handwriting since he has to write in the journal) Handwriting - 2x a week Thinking skills - 2-3x a week Reading - 5x a week (he reads a reader out loud to me) Doing all of this only takes him an hour. He'll do artsy type stuff throughout the day but I don't count that in the hour. Should I add more? He gets easily frustrated with reading and writing so though we do them every day, I cannot push him to do more at this time. He is great at math, absorbs history readily (we already read more than the HOD schedule) and likes the Bible stories (I'll read as many of them as he wants plus what is on the HOD schedule). When not doing our hour of school he plays with his 4 yr old brother... it's constructive play which is good for both of them, obviously... especially the younger one since he isn't really intersted in school yet. Not that kindergarten needs to be a tremendous grind that goes on for hours . . . but it did take us a lot longer to do things like Bible or history. I'm not sure how you can get done just the 5x a week stuff in a total of an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Well, we're following the HOD schedule. So History is reading about a page in the history book, a corresponding bible story and then discussion/review (so Bible & History are combined according to the HOD schedule). We do a memory verse... read it three times, repeat. One chapter from our current read aloud (Adventures of Reddy the Fox at the moment). One lesson from MUS Alpha. SWR - I dictate 10 words for him to write in his journal and we go over phonograms. Handwriting is a page in the handwriting book that comes with HOD. 2 pages in the thinking skills book... It's only one page according to the schedule but I increased it b/c it was too easy. Last thing is he'll read aloud a reader of his choice (or my choice... depending). I feel like it's well rounded but it still only takes an hour. I feel that HOD LHFHG is too easy for him, but it is age appropriate and I just bought it so I'm not willing to just give it up. Am I doing something wrong that it's only taking an hour? He is not the typical K'er that wastes time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Is there a science in there? You could add that with some hands-on experiments. Those can take forever and are lots of fun while he is learning. I'd probably add in FLL 1 too, it is not taxing, all done orally, and develops language skills, including poetry memorization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Is there a science in there? You could add that with some hands-on experiments. Those can take forever and are lots of fun while he is learning. I'd probably add in FLL 1 too, it is not taxing, all done orally, and develops language skills, including poetry memorization. Oh! We do the science that comes HOD which is 2x a week I think and then we also add in the Magic School Bus kits. They usually do the experiments with DH and I didn't count that time. (We only do the experiments when DS requests ones b/c most are still over his head a tad). He does watch The Magic School bus every day to introduce him to different concepts. If he has questions we'll expand on that with books from the library. What is FLL (sorry... I don't know all the abbreviations yet)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Creek Academy Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I am one of the few non HOD fans here. It is too light. My young Pre-K could EASILY fly through LHFHG. All of the kids would always have to be 1-3 levels up to make HOD work for us. I would re-think the HOD before anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I have never spent more than an hr w/any of Kers regardless of their abilities. I'm on my 7th one now and I would not go back and change anything w/any of them. K is a time for feeling complete success and loving whatever it is you are doing. THose are my only 2 requirements out of K. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I wouldn't add anything unless he's asking for it. One hour is plenty for K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 FLL = First Language Lessons I only suggest adding it because it was very helpful for us to have a structured way to teach some basics I really should have been teaching through life - memorizing your address, how to address & mail a letter, titles of respect like Mr. & Mrs. (even though no one in our circle uses these anymore), poem memorization, and some basic parts of speech. You don't need to add it by any means, but ds liked it and it was fun and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I think that an hour a day is good amount for a Kindergartner, but it seems like not much depth could be achieved by covering so many subjects in one hour. It looks like each day covers six subjects, which is only ten minutes per subject. If that's working for you, great! If you feel like it's not enough, though, I wouldn't add more subjects (except science, which I didn't see on the list), but I would delve deeper into the subjects you're covering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I have one 1st grader and twin Pre-K'ers, and they all sail through whatever I line up. :001_huh: My two cents? Don't load up on seatwork just yet. Young children learn more with just the right amount of focus on academics, regular chores, daily quiet/nap time, tons of read aloud & audiobooks, conversations, and freedom to play, play, PLAY! Something "clicked" in me about halfway through last year (oldest daughter's K year). It was that my focus was on lining up and working through all the right curriculum. ;) Her focus was on loving LIFE. :001_wub: I adore that kid. She teaches me so much. :001_smile: Also -- and I don't see this mentioned much -- but there is something in your teacher-student relationship with your son that begins to find its shape this year. Enjoy the young boy your son is, and worry less about his role as a "student." That will grow, in time. No one can love him like you do. That is the truest heart of homeschooling. Learn about yourself as a teacher who is also a parent. Are you calm, encouraging, and loving? Are you critical, nervous, and impatient? Teaching your own will reveal so many lovely little things about yourself. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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