Kindergarten Help

[kat19]

I have never taught Kindergarten and I'm sure I'm over thinking it but I need help!

 

We won't start until Fall but figured I need to start the search for items now.

 

Please Help!

[momofkhm]

I love, love, loved My Father's World K program. It's set up for a busy mom to just open and go. If you order the package, you get everything you need for the program. You get a book basket each week from the library, but if you don't have a good library or don't have time to go one week, no problem!

 

One caution, if you are not Christian, this will not work for you! It's been 6 years, but I remember thinking it would be difficult at best to remove the Christian-ness.

 

I also liked the first grade program, but the reading in 1st moved really fast.

[IceFairy]

My DS loves loves loves worksheets and Christian Liberty Press is a perfect fit for him. We do 1st Grade because he needs the challenge, but the K set is great, too.

 

Now DD will be K next year and she abhors worksheets. She will probably use Sonlight P4/5.

[ByGrace3]

K is really a lot of fun! Phonics, math, and handwriting is done every day for us, and then my current Ker tags along with his big sis for Bible, history, and science. When my oldest was K we did alot of read alouds for history, used a few Usborne books for science experiments once a week.

 

For phonics, we are loving All About Reading. For math ds is using Right Start A which he has almost completed and then will move in to Math Mammoth 1. For handwriting we use Handwriting without Tears.

 

We really focus on the 4R's in K and then read aloud a lot. What people use for K really varies in the child. My dd's K year is nothing like ds's year, but it is the right fit for each.

[meggie]

It's generally best to focus on the three Rs first and then just do fun stuff.

 

For reading we used Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading. We had to keep checking it out of the library and when I could finally buy my own copy, I sliced the end off that sucker and had it spiral bound. When we needed to make it more "fun," I wrote the sentences and words on the white board.

 

For handwriting, we used Handwriting Without Tears.

 

For math, we used Math U See Primer.

 

Then we would play games. Now that Pinterest is alive and well, you can get loads of fun ideas there. Crafts, games, science demonstrations. Lots of fun things.

[Aurelia]

My DD HATED worksheets at that age, so we used FIAR, Right Start Math A, HWT, and a phonics program (my personal favorite is Dancing Bears/Bear Necessities, but I didn't discover it until later). I also added music (Kinderbach).

[kat19]

Thanks for the ideas.

Keep 'em coming :)

[Gretchen in NJ]

I agree with meggie, I love OPGTR. As for math, I would not invest in an homeschool expensive curriculum. You can teach your child how to count from 0 to 100. A workbook from Target or Walmart is all you need for the rest of math.

 

Many trips to the library and other educational fun trips to round out your year.

[LMD]

Mep reception is a really lovely k maths (and free)

 

I really like llatl blue for k, learning language arts through literature.

[KristenR]

Here is a list of our curriculum and subject choices for Kindergarten.

[Guest]

I love Kindergarten! If I had to do over...oh wait, I'm doing it now! My suggestion is a solid math, (we do Saxon K and Singapore Earlybird K workbook) a solid reading program, (we use Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading) and then throw in some basic handwriting. (My dd just finished A Reason for Handwriting and I purchased Startwrite.) Then, instead of nit-picking history, science, geography, and literature, my suggestion and preference is to do unit studies. Either Five in a Row, or homemade via the never-ending internet - they are so much fun and the kids retain so much from them.

 

That's what we like for K. Welcome and good luck!

[Staceyshoe]

This is my first time teaching kindergarten. We're focusing on reading, writing, math, and memory work (address, phone number, calendar, scripture memory, etc). I'd like to find some extra time to add Mudpies to Magnets for science. The best find for us has been Education Unboxed. My youngest has a strong preference for learning visually, so this is just a wonderful and fun way to learn math. We're also using McRuffy phonics and free printable handwriting worksheets from the internet. He tags along for Tae Kwon Do and hymn study.

[Arboreal TJ]

We started Kindergarten in July with a goal to finish in March.

 

I've slowly ditched everything we started with :)

 

My guys are good with Math and on the slower side of the Reading curve.

 

Reading: we started with Bob Books then 100 EZ Lessons then Funnix and finally found a good fit with AAR.

 

Math: they blazed through MUS Primer and Alpha. Now we play with Crewton Ramone (similar to MUS) I'm testing out Singapore and MEP to see what will work for a spine as we move forward using a whole language approach to math.

 

Handwriting Without Tears wasn't a good fit for us and my guys were begging to learn cursive so we switched to Pentime and we're all happier!

 

I didn't start with a plan for science but picked up BFSU a month or so ago, it's a hit.

 

My original plan for K was an abysmal failure but I think we're on track now :)

 

Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

[kat19]

Thanks! Going to check it all out :)