K and first grade mistakes

[mhaddon]

I thought maybe all of us that have been through K and first could share all our insight and mistakes we have made with those starting out :)

 

Ok mine: I tried to place too much emphasis on history and science because I felt they were lacking so much in public school that I burnt us out quickly and frustrated my son. Therefore we are now behind in reading and catching up in math.

 

The expensive, teacher intensive programs are nice, but with three younger kids was just not realistic. Choose based on your family size, not someone else's.

 

Reading, writing, and math. Most important. The rest is icing on the cake. Really.

 

You don't have to do school every day. Take a break and go for a walk :)

 

Buy lots and lots of supplies while they are in sale in the fall and stock up heavily! You will go through twice as much glue, crayons, etc. as what you think.

 

Don't sit your K child down with a handwriting book and expect them to form everything perfectly after you walk away... if anything in K and first you really need to sit next to them when they are learning to form letters or you will have bad habits to break. And then it takes even more time :(

[momtoamiracle]

I'm just finishing up my K year.

 

I'd say if your child is having a bad day, don't push it. and if you ARE following a curriculum, don't try to meet it's criteria every day. We've done K12 and I've learned that it is ok to not do the whole lesson that day. So what if it takes you three days to do one lesson. You'll both be happier going at the child's pace.

 

 

 

I agree with the above poster - I never left my k'er to do work on his own. I was right with him at all times. I didn't push his handwriting too much, since he's a young K'er I figured it would come with time.

 

 

We do history and science but it's only twice a week, so it is a treat when we do it. Only math and reading are every day.

 

K and first do not need to take a lot of time. Don't worry if you read about kids reading at 2nd grade level when they are four years old. Don't push your child before they are ready, yet provide enough challenge so that they do not get bored and they do expand their minds and imaginations. It can be a tricky balance but you learn what that is with time.

 

 

Take your time and enjoy it!

[chepyl]

Go with your child's focus and attention span. I tried to push through everything I had planned for k, we had some.roigh days. Once I learned to stop when he was done, or tale a day off when he needed extra pastime or when I was exhausted, things went much better. We finished more than what I intended! Same thing this year. If I need to clean the house, we take a day off. The next day is much more productive!

 

Teach reading first. Don't worry about history and science while teaching reading. We did a little of each, but mainly just reading books from the early reader section. We did not attempt a full curriculum until he could read ;) We still learned a lot of science, history, and geography; it was just all from books he could read to me.

 

Math is much easier to teach through games. Some of our favorites are Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrabble, and now math Bingo!

[mhaddon]

I agree. If things are clean and organized I'm less stressed and school goes more smooth.

[FairProspects]

Teach the kid, not the curriculum or philosophy!

 

It doesn't matter how much I love LCC, WTM, AO, etc. if my kid is dyslexic, dysgraphic, or anything else, it will not fit as written for THEM. It is ok, to make modifications on a language-centered education for a kid with a language processing LD (this will be a work in progress and a reminder for awhile).

 

Similarly, if you think something is much harder for your child than it should be, or you think you see a problem, get help! You are probably right!

[Crimson Wife]

Do everything you can to eliminate the need to write except specifically during penmanship/copywork. Allow him/her to do work orally with you transcribing the answers. When you can't do that, use letter & number stamps, stickers, fridge magnets, etc. so that the student can focus on the math or spelling rather than letter formation.

 

Don't get hung up on the Trivium as a strict framework- it's really more of a continuum. Little kids can do more than just memorize & regurgitate back rote facts. Start to ask the deeper "why" questions even in the "grammar" stage. Yes, that ability develops over time and older students are far better at it than younger ones. But I think it is a big mistake to ignore critical thinking for the first 6 or so years of education.

[KristenR]

Great advice!! :lurk5:

[momtoamiracle]

Do everything you can to eliminate the need to write except specifically during penmanship/copywork. Allow him/her to do work orally with you transcribing the answers. When you can't do that, use letter & number stamps, stickers, fridge magnets, etc. so that the student can focus on the math or spelling rather than letter formation.

 

Don't get hung up on the Trivium as a strict framework- it's really more of a continuum. Little kids can do more than just memorize & regurgitate back rote facts. Start to ask the deeper "why" questions even in the "grammar" stage. Yes, that ability develops over time and older students are far better at it than younger ones. But I think it is a big mistake to ignore critical thinking for the first 6 or so years of education.

 

 

yes, that is what I do too. I honestly think it helps them to do oral work early on.

 

 

if you think something is much harder for your child than it should be, or you think you see a problem, get help! You are probably right!

 

 

and don't be afraid to change it so that your child can understand it. I change things up all the time either to make it more understandable, or to make it more challenging, whatever he needs at that moment.

[FairProspects]

Do everything you can to eliminate the need to write except specifically during penmanship/copywork. Allow him/her to do work orally with you transcribing the answers. When you can't do that, use letter & number stamps, stickers, fridge magnets, etc. so that the student can focus on the math or spelling rather than letter formation.

 

Don't get hung up on the Trivium as a strict framework- it's really more of a continuum. Little kids can do more than just memorize & regurgitate back rote facts. Start to ask the deeper "why" questions even in the "grammar" stage. Yes, that ability develops over time and older students are far better at it than younger ones. But I think it is a big mistake to ignore critical thinking for the first 6 or so years of education.

 

 

:iagree::iagree:Kids can express so much more than they can write. And some kids can remember more with higher level questioning than with details.

[Aspasia]

:lurk5:

[bluechicken]

Don't read these forums when you are first starting out and get discouraged when you see in someone's signature that their 6 year old is doing 4th grade math. That pressure turned into me pressuring my Ker to go beyond what she was capable because I was so stressed about making her "advanced". They all go at their own pace.

 

Don't do too much. Teach them how to read, form their letters and numbers, and do a little math. All the rest can wait until they can read. I did way too much and had to scale way back. My poor first child.

 

Enjoy them, read to them, and have fun. I pushed curriculum too much and wished I had just sat down and read to them more. That is what I am doing now. Read, read, read.

[MrsBear]

If you're going to focus on something, focus on reading first. Then math skills. Then handwriting. Then any content subjects like science and history. If I could do K and 1st again, I wouldn't have spent as much time on science and history as we did, spent much more time on reading, and spent about the same on math.

[SEGway]

We are just finishing up 1st with my oldest, and my 2nd will start Kindy next fall.

 

I listened to the advice about slow and relaxed and focus on reading primarily, and I think we saw good results with that mindset. And, I'll echo what I heard. Enjoying reading well is the best goal to work towards for littles. (Oh, and following instructions, but that seems more like a parenting challenge than a teacher/student thing for us :tongue_smilie: )

 

In math, however, I didn't really like any of the k-5 materials I had a chance to preview, and I thought going really slowly through 1st grade stuff would be fine. My biggest do-differently for my second is to NOT start (however slowly) with anything that she does not seem developmentally ready for. It's terribly frustrating to both of us.

 

My daughters learn much more efficiently (and own it) if it's developmentally appropriate. Deciding what content and when to start is going to look different for each kid. But, starting at the wrong spot too soon (even slowly) was a bad idea for us.

[iona]

I'm feeling a little lost with my 2nd ds. He is so much different than my first. I have been guilty of basing my expectations of ds2 too much on my experiences with ds1.

 

We are just finishing up k with my second and I worry a little that I was pushing in all of the wrong ways.

 

I have always focused on the 3 rs over the other subjects, but I'll tend to teach the curriculum and not the child...which as a pp mentioned is the opposite of what I should be doing.

 

:lurk5:

[A.Balaban]

Buy lots and lots of supplies while they are in sale in the fall and stock up heavily! You will go through twice as much glue, crayons, etc. as what you think.

 

I needed to hear this! I have a drawer of crayons/paints/glue/etc and I keep thinking I have too much and I should get rid of it. But now maybe I need more?? :lol:

 

I agree. If things are clean and organized I'm less stressed and school goes more smooth.

 

:iagree: Now if only it was that easy to implement....

 

:lurk5:

[mhaddon]

Don't read these forums when you are first starting out and get discouraged when you see in someone's signature that their 6 year old is doing 4th grade math. That pressure turned into me pressuring my Ker to go beyond what she was capable because I was so stressed about making her "advanced". They all go at their own pace.

 

Don't do too much. Teach them how to read, form their letters and numbers, and do a little math. All the rest can wait until they can read. I did way too much and had to scale way back. My poor first child.

 

Enjoy them, read to them, and have fun. I pushed curriculum too much and wished I had just sat down and read to them more. That is what I am doing now. Read, read, read.

 

SOOOOO true. Lol. I felt so behind. And then you see someone with a siggy three lines big for a first graders and wonder why you can't do it all :lol:

 

Oh and blogs are great for ideas, but realize it is only the part they want you to see :)

[mhaddon]

And something else I'm finding after finishing first with my oldest is that my younger children seem to absorb so much just from being in the same room. So my advice would be find them things to do on their level and let them sponge it up! It makes it much easier the second time. But, also remember they are new to it all even if they seem much smarter. Still take it slow and let them have fun, they are only little once :)

[Tinkerbell]

So encouraging! Thanks for posting this!

 

:lurk5::bigear:

[Bloggermom]

I have learned that it works best to ONLY focus on the 3Rs (Reading, Writing & Math) until 8 years old. That means so science, history or Latin until then.

[bluechicken]

I have learned that it works best to ONLY focus on the 3Rs (Reading, Writing & Math) until 8 years old. That means so science, history or Latin until then.

 

 

 

I want to hug you! I have been stressed about all the things I need to add in the fall when DD is officially a first grader. My gut is to continue to read aloud, phonics, and math. I guess this helps me to just follow my gut.

[MrsBear]

I want to hug you! I have been stressed about all the things I need to add in the fall when DD is officially a first grader. My gut is to continue to read aloud, phonics, and math. I guess this helps me to just follow my gut.

 

Follow your gut!

[Farrar]

Don't read these forums when you are first starting out and get discouraged when you see in someone's signature that their 6 year old is doing 4th grade math.

 

And, by that token, don't even go look at that writing workshop sub forum.:D

[Carrie12345]

With #4 getting ready for K, I've decided to go with reading and handwriting one day, and math the next. End of "curriculum".

 

As far as all the "extras" go, we have a house full of books, movies, games, toys, and art supplies. He's already exploring those just fine, and he'll continue to do so. For me, it isn't a matter of ignoring other subjects, but of those subjects being more casual, fun time things that don't need a checklist.

[beth83]

What a wonderful thread! I love all this advice!

[WIS0320]

It doesn't matter how much I love LCC, WTM, AO, etc. if my kid is dyslexic, dysgraphic, or anything else, it will not fit as written for THEM. It is ok, to make modifications on a language-centered education for a kid with a language processing LD (this will be a work in progress and a reminder for awhile).

 

Similarly, if you think something is much harder for your child than it should be, or you think you see a problem, get help! You are probably right!

 

:iagree:

 

I agree with others that K/1 is all about getting the child reading and comfortable with basic math facts and various mathematical operations. We've eased up on the history and science projects and are just doing mostly books. We needed to focus more on core content. My 6 year old was getting a bit burned out and that is saying something as she is a crafty/art lover kind of kid!

[Embassy]

Pay attention to how your child learns. Be flexible and realize that sometimes a child may need to go faster and sometimes a child may need to slow down. My son taught me much my first year in the trenches.

[momtoamiracle]

And, by that token, don't even go look at that writing workshop sub forum.:D

 

 

 

I have never looked at it LOL!

[momma2three]

Most of the things kids learn in these early years are really developmentally dependent. You can't force a kid to read or write before he's ready without some consequences, IMO. But that's not actually my advice, because I think most people agree with that.

 

My advice is that developmental things tend to come in fits and starts. So it can be really hard to plan ahead. Just because your child is learning at lightening pace this week, doesn't mean you can look through the book and think "wow we'll be done with this book in 2 months! At this rate we'll be on pre-Algebra by Christmas!" I mean, it might be true: a handful of kids are like that. But more likely your child will sponge up what he's learning now, and then hit a bit of a wall. It's important not to get frustrated when your child has hit a wall. Keep your eyes open for actual issues (processing disorders, eyesight or hearing issues), but don't freak out if your child is just not grasping something that is on your schedule to be grasped today.

[sewingmama]

I have learned that it works best to ONLY focus on the 3Rs (Reading, Writing & Math) until 8 years old. That means so science, history or Latin until then.

 

 

My advice - if you and your child enjoy all the extras then don't skip them just because everyone else is saying the 3R's are enough ;)

 

My DD would mutiny if we only did the 3R's -it's the least enjoyable part of her day. She is always asking when we are going to do "fun school" i.e science, history, art etc. Don't shortchange your kid by only doing the 3R's if they want to do more :001_smile:

[MommaOfalotta]

Ahh, Thank you so much for this thread! :lurk5:

[momtoamiracle]

Most of the things kids learn in these early years are really developmentally dependent. You can't force a kid to read or write before he's ready without some consequences, IMO. But that's not actually my advice, because I think most people agree with that.

 

My advice is that developmental things tend to come in fits and starts. So it can be really hard to plan ahead. Just because your child is learning at lightening pace this week, doesn't mean you can look through the book and think "wow we'll be done with this book in 2 months! At this rate we'll be on pre-Algebra by Christmas!" I mean, it might be true: a handful of kids are like that. But more likely your child will sponge up what he's learning now, and then hit a bit of a wall. It's important not to get frustrated when your child has hit a wall. Keep your eyes open for actual issues (processing disorders, eyesight or hearing issues), but don't freak out if your child is just not grasping something that is on your schedule to be grasped today.

 

 

 

that is sooo true!! I thought we'd be through with kindy phonics the first semester because he raced through the first part. Not so! We're just now finishing it this week! LOL! Sure I could have forced him but to what purpose? So I let him ruminate over it and soak it up and then go forward when he was ready.

 

 

 

My advice - if you and your child enjoy all the extras then don't skip them just because everyone else is saying the 3R's are enough ;)

 

My DD would mutiny if we only did the 3R's -it's the least enjoyable part of her day. She is always asking when we are going to do "fun school" i.e science, history, art etc. Don't shortchange your kid by only doing the 3R's if they want to do more :001_smile:

 

same here, my son at age 5 enjoys science and history so much I would never not do it with him. Maybe for children not interested in it it would be a chore but for the child who loves it don't deprive him of those subjects. We've had wonderful times with history and science!

[chepyl]

that is sooo true!! I thought we'd be through with kindy phonics the first semester because he raced through the first part. Not so! We're just now finishing it this week! LOL! Sure I could have forced him but to what purpose? So I let him ruminate over it and soak it up and then go forward when he was ready.

 

 

 

My advice - if you and your child enjoy all the extras then don't skip them just because everyone else is saying the 3R's are enough ;)

 

My DD would mutiny if we only did the 3R's -it's the least enjoyable part of her day. She is always asking when we are going to do "fun school" i.e science, history, art etc. Don't shortchange your kid by only doing the 3R's if they want to do more :001_smile:

 

same here, my son at age 5 enjoys science and history so much I would never not do it with him. Maybe for children not interested in it it would be a chore but for the child who loves it don't deprive him of those subjects. We've had wonderful times with history and science!

 

We actually did more science, geography, and history than math! That is how we worked on reading. Our library has an awesome beginning reader section! We took a topic from What Your K'er Needs to Know and I picked 5-6 books from the beg reader section and we read them.together. He always read part of each book to me, when he transition to quiet reading, he would narrate to me after finishing. That was our daily reading lesson. He loved it that way. We did nothing but math, grammar, and reading for two months this year out of necessity, we are much happier now that we added the fun stuff back in ;)

 

You don't need a fancy curriculum for science and history, but at least include them in your read alouds. There are experiments that are fun and cool and take five minutes: blow up a ballot with baking soda and vinegar, plant a seed and watch it develop into a plant, put food coloring dots in milk and add a drop of dishsoap! The most important thing is to have fun with it.

[Crimson Wife]

We actually did more science, geography, and history than math! That is how we worked on reading. Our library has an awesome beginning reader section! We took a topic from What Your K'er Needs to Know and I picked 5-6 books from the beg reader section and we read them.together. He always read part of each book to me, when he transition to quiet reading, he would narrate to me after finishing. That was our daily reading lesson. He loved it that way. We did nothing but math, grammar, and reading for two months this year out of necessity, we are much happier now that we added the fun stuff back in ;)

 

You don't need a fancy curriculum for science and history, but at least include them in your read alouds. There are experiments that are fun and cool and take five minutes: blow up a ballot with baking soda and vinegar, plant a seed and watch it develop into a plant, put food coloring dots in milk and add a drop of dishsoap! The most important thing is to have fun with it.

 

:iagree:

That said, I frequently hear HSers with young kids fretting about lack of retention in science or history. From my perspective, the first time through the cycle is all about exposure, not mastery. :001_smile:

[FairProspects]

My advice - if you and your child enjoy all the extras then don't skip them just because everyone else is saying the 3R's are enough ;)

 

My DD would mutiny if we only did the 3R's -it's the least enjoyable part of her day. She is always asking when we are going to do "fun school" i.e science, history, art etc. Don't shortchange your kid by only doing the 3R's if they want to do more :001_smile:

 

:iagree:Particularly if there is a problem or delay with reading or math, the content areas might be the only fun access a child has to learning. It would have been a serious mistake to skip these here.

[NASDAQ]

What would I do differently? We're finishing up K right now.

 

Hire a cleaning lady the first week!

[kristinannie]

My biggest mistake was trying to do school at home and putting too much pressure on myself and DS to outperform the public schools. I now could care less what they do at public school.

 

I also spent way too much time planning school and planning future years and not enough time on just doing school and enjoying it.

 

We spend a lot more time reading wonderful literature and playing outside. We still do seatwork, but it has it's proper place.

 

Also, math was my biggest downfall. I am on my third program and am finally happy with it!

[MeganW]

Use mealtimes for reading aloud. I seriously had the HARDEST time getting my kids to pay attention, until they were a captive audience! I also "bribe" my kids with the readaloud/history/science stuff. "Let's get this math done so we can find out what Mrs. Piggle Wiggle does next!" :)

 

My biggest challenges so far (finishing kindergarten) are listed below. I would love advice about these!

 

- phonics. It seriously is the most excruciating thing I've ever done. I thought I would hate the history & science, and love the skills, and it has been the exact opposite. If I survive phonics, it truly will be a miracle. I have a friend who sends her kids to public school for kindergarten & 1st, and homeschools after that, just so she can avoid teaching reading. I now understand exactly why!

 

- my house has surpassed messy and is now at the point where I need to be on Hoarders. It was acceptable prior to the kids finishing preschool, but has steadily gone downhill ever since, and is truly just overwhelming at this point.

 

- overplanning. I just have SO MUCH I want to do, but I make myself quit every day when they are starting to lose focus, and so I *never* get to a LOT that I would love to.

[alisoncooks]

Whoops, wrong thread.

 

 

What mistakes I made this year (K)?

Looking past where we were and thinking too often about our future plans, instead of enjoying this year and being present in it.

Spending too much time researching and planning, too little time reading aloud or coloring or cutting/pasting/playing.

Edited April 22, 2012 by alisoncooks

[*Michelle*]

What would I do differently? We're finishing up K right now.

 

Hire a cleaning lady the first week!

 

:D

[BearWallowSchool]

Hire a cleaning lady the first week!

 

This is my biggest worry! :lol:

[BoZeeCo's Mom]

Thank you for this, guys!

[momtoamiracle]

:iagree:

That said, I frequently hear HSers with young kids fretting about lack of retention in science or history. From my perspective, the first time through the cycle is all about exposure, not mastery. :001_smile:

 

 

you know that is what is in the introduction to our K12 History workbook. Do NOT expect the children to remember it, it's all about exposure. However I have found my son has retained quite a bit. Not everything, but I think because it's more fun - we read stories and maybe color a picture or something, then watch a video on the subject, that it doesn't seem like "school", and it's not being force fed, it's at his level and attention span.

[blondeviolin]

We're finishing up K with one child and starting it with another. I agree that the most important part of the beginning of all of this is to get your child reading. Once little Sue is reading, then add in a bit of playing with math with manipulatives (c rods!). When it appears they are ready (and it looks different for each child, I'm finding), begin gentle formal math instruction. Once you have those two things going rather smoothly, you can maybe add in something else...or you can play all day! This is, of course, assuming you are reading to your child and frequenting your library A LOT.

 

Don't feel horrible if you've completed reading and math in 45 minutes and don't do anything else for the rest of the day. Those things will sink in, and you probably completed what it takes PS kinder to do for an entire day.

 

Consider getting a BrainPop Jr. subscription over an actual curriculum. So much better at this stage!

 

Get comfortable with clutter and mess and pajamas, because I have just decided that such is the life of a homeschooler!

[lea1]

The two best things I did right was

 

1. to read lots and lots and lots of books to them from the very beginning and to always have lots of books in the house at their level.

 

2. to start The Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading at just the right time for them. They were both reading pretty well by Kindergarten, they have wonderful vocabularies and they love to read.

 

Another thing I would say is don't feel bad if you have to make a couple of attempts before you find the right curriculum for your style of teaching and for your child's style of learning. Some things I got right on the first try (OPGTR,) and others it has taken several attempts and I'm still not quite sure if we are using the right thing. We started with Singapore Math and I really wanted it to work for us so badly. Eventually I had to give it up and realize it was not the right fit. We also tried Right Start, which I think would probably have worked ok for my sons but I didn't like teaching it at all. We also did some of Miquon, which we liked but I felt it was more of a supplement rather than our primary math program. We eventually settled on Math Mammoth and I think it is going to work for us but I am still not 100% sure.

 

Before you give up on a curriculum, try to think of a way to make it work for you. When we first started using OPGTR, my two sons dreaded it and would react negatively when I got the book out. They really did not like that book to begin with. The large, full pages of text was just overwhelming for them. So I made up index cards for each lesson for a while. I would put one word or sentence on each index card and sometimes I would put teaching notes to myself on the cards. They loved using the cards! It was a huge hit. We did this until they were reading fairly well and then we were able to start using the book again with no problem.

 

Another thing that has helped my sons is they get to help decide in what order we will do our subjects each day. I created some laminated cards with the subject names on the front and velcro on the back. We have a long strap (used to be a luggage strap) hanging in our kitchen with the other side of the velcro on it. We lay all of the cards out on the counter and they take turns picking the subjects for the day and hanging each card on the strap. I remind them not to leave math for last and I decide where our break will go but they love deciding the order for our subjects and they love doing them in a different order each day, which really was a surprise to me. I thought they would like structure better and want to do it in the same order each day. Absolutely not. Also, having the visual of the cards hanging where they can see them helps them to know how close we are to being finished for the day or how soon we will have our break. When we finish a subject, they take it off the strap and put it in a pocket that is velcro'd to the bottom of the strap. This system is working very well for us.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Lea in OK

[FairProspects]

Am I the only one with kids who are ready to do math way before reading?

 

Just to give some perspective to this thread, listening to all the teach them to read, read, read on this thread would have completely backfired here. You can't make them developmentally ready, and for both my boys lots of math came first. :D

[blondeviolin]

Am I the only one with kids who are ready to do math way before reading?

 

Just to give some perspective to this thread, listening to all the teach them to read, read, read on this thread would have completely backfired here. You can't make them developmentally ready, and for both my boys lots of math came first. :D

 

My four-year-old already has a fair share of his single-digit number bonds memorized. At this point, though, I've chosen to let him continue to play with math concepts (and good manips). His age/development/personality only allows for that to be one formal-ish lesson (that he asks for), and I try to make sure that is reading.

 

So, I guess what I mean by way of reading first is that we're doing reading/phonics as their first formal-ish curriculum.

[iona]

My second ds(k) is ready for math, but reading/letters is sloooow going.

[nov05mama]

There's a lot of great advice so far, but if you haven't already noticed, it's different from post to post too b/c it's going to vary per child!!

The main thing I learned and CONTINUE to learn is to STOP comparing my child to other children his age. There are things he is capable of that others his age aren't even close to, and vice versa! The beauty of homeschooling is having their education be completely unique...but it's easy to forget that sometimes when you are on boards or in homeschool groups and discussions come up.

[Alte Veste Academy]

There's a lot of great advice so far, but if you haven't already noticed, it's different from post to post too b/c it's going to vary per child!!

The main thing I learned and CONTINUE to learn is to STOP comparing my child to other children his age. There are things he is capable of that others his age aren't even close to, and vice versa! The beauty of homeschooling is having their education be completely unique...but it's easy to forget that sometimes when you are on boards or in homeschool groups and discussions come up.

 

:iagree:

 

Strive to know your child better than you know the minute details of every curriculum choice available to you.

 

As for housekeeping, as Charlotte Mason would say, it is all about forming habits (in your children and, perhaps more importantly, in yourselves).

[sewingmama]

I agree that the most important part of the beginning of all of this is to get your child reading. Once little Sue is reading, then add in a bit of playing with math with manipulatives (c rods!). When it appears they are ready (and it looks different for each child, I'm finding), begin gentle formal math instruction. Once you have those two things going rather smoothly, you can maybe add in something else...or you can play all day! This is, of course, assuming you are reading to your child and frequenting your library A LOT.

 

 

My DD took 18 months to learn to read - 18 months of slow and painful daily instruction and now she is finally getting it. That means I would just be starting math now when she is almost 6. Instead I chose to start her on Math at the same time and whilst she struggled with reading she raced through math and is finished K math and started 1st. I don't understand why you would hold them back -every child has different subjects they are good or slower at.

 

Not being able to read hasn't held my DD up in keeping up with any other subject -I think it would have disadvantaged her to have held her back and she would have hated school because she hated to do reading but loved the other subjects.

 

I would probably only concentrate on reading if the child was younger then 4 and not ready for anything else but showing signs of being an early reader - my own 4yo is like - I do reading only with him.