Help!!! What does my kindergartener need to know?

[This Mama Teaches]

I'm on homeschool burnout. I have a 5 year old, 2 1/2 year old, 1 year old and pregnant with #4. I need a concrete list of things a kindergartner needs to know (topics). I have searched high and low and every list is different. I'd love to have a checklist that I can mark off as we go so I know he's learning everything he should be. Any ideas where this awesome list may be? He can read, write, spell, does addition and subtraction up to 10, etc. But what about mapskills, science, animals, geography, etc? A list for each subject would help but I just can't find one. Thanks in advance!!

[deannajo]

here's a list. You can also look at the What Your _____ Needs to Know books. That said, I'm pretty relaxed, and I'd probably not worry too much about checking boxes - I'd just read a lot, play with math and science for fun, not following a curriculum. Go to the zoo a lot, nature walks, museums If there was an interest in learning to read, perhaps start on easy Bob books, or the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading, but if the interest wasn't there, I'd wait on that too. You have a lot on your plate with so many little ones and one more on the way. I'd just keep things as easy and and as joyful as possible right now :tongue_smilie:

[kiwik]

Sounds like he can do most of the k stuff.

[Incognito]

^{You have covered what a kindergartener needs to know. The rest is optional and variable.}

[Mrs Twain]

The Core Knowledge K-8 Sequence (link to the free download below) is what I use as my basic checklist for each grade.

You have covered the meat of K already.

This list includes some other things of which you may be interested (geography for example).

 

http://www.coreknowl...ad-the-sequence

 

ETA: The What Your _-Grader Needs to Know books contain many of the stories, poems, and sayings in the Sequence, as well as have sections on science, music, and art to help you cover those areas of the Sequence.

[NancyNellen]

^{You have covered what a kindergartener needs to know. The rest is optional and variable.}

 

 

Completely agree here. I'm on my fifth run through Kinder and my children have all been very well serviced by learning to read, forming letters and beginning to spell, and understanding number relationships in K. We also read A LOT. I do not worry at all about all those other things you listed. None of my kids have ever struggled with first grade, so I'm assuming we did OK.

[Ellie]

. But what about mapskills, science, animals, geography, etc? A list for each subject would help but I just can't find one. Thanks in advance!!

 

 

Perhaps you can't find a list of subjects like that because 5yo children don't *need* to know those things. ;-)

 

Sounds like you're doing fine the way you're going. And perhaps the reason you feel burned out is that you're trying to do too many things. :-)

[boscopup]

The biggest thing in K is learning to read and basic letter formation. Add in counting and a basic intro to the concepts of addition and subtraction (working on facts up to 20 is done in first grade), and that's it. Everything else is so variable because most of those things are hit again and again and again in other grades, that it really doesn't matter if you do them in K. A lot is also picked up by your child living and talking with you on a daily basis. If you're planning a trip and you pull up Google maps, your child will probably want to see where you're going and look at the states around there and such. When you read a book about penguins, you might talk about the continents where they live, which segues into learning all the continents. When you go play outside, and your child finds a cool looking bug, you'll probably talk about what it is (or google it if you don't know ;) ). These are things that most parents do naturally with their children - the children ask questions, and the parent answers them.

 

There is nothing specific that your child MUST learn this year or else he is doomed for the entirety of his educational career. :D In fact, even the "K" stuff could be learned in 1st grade. Some folks skip "K" and just start at first grade work.

[reign]

Besides the 3rs (which you already have covered) I concentrate on memorization. Child's full name, address, days of week, months, phone number, and some skip counting. If youre stressed I'd take a break. It sounds like your kindergartner is doing great!

[Walking-Iris]

I'm on homeschool burnout. I have a 5 year old, 2 1/2 year old, 1 year old and pregnant with #4. I need a concrete list of things a kindergartner needs to know (topics). I have searched high and low and every list is different. I'd love to have a checklist that I can mark off as we go so I know he's learning everything he should be. Any ideas where this awesome list may be? He can read, write, spell, does addition and subtraction up to 10, etc. But what about mapskills, science, animals, geography, etc? A list for each subject would help but I just can't find one. Thanks in advance!!

 

 

Sounds like you are really wondering how to keep up with homeschooling while having toddlers running around?

Your 2 year old can do what your Kinder does. For example, when my Kinder practices handwriting etc., I give my 2 year old the HWT wooden letters. I don't expect her to form letters with them, unless she happens upon how to do it on her own, but it engages her and helps her feel involved while my Kinder is doing something.

 

Same with math. When I am doing a math lesson with my Kinder, I give my 2 year old some "math" too. A handful of c-rods, a stack of linking cubes, some pattern blocks or attribute blocks, those colored cups with teddy bears in them and so on.

 

For the other part of your question, a Kinder doesn't need to know anything other than to have a real thirst and curiosity for learning. Read loads of books to your kids. When you have a newborn, it will be easy to just snuggle up with everybody and read. Try to combine them as much as possible.

 

Map skills? Put a map of the US on the wall and talk about it. Read Scrambled States of America. Keep map puzzles around to play with. Put a map of the world or a globe out. No need to stress it when you have so much going on. The kids will naturally just look and play with that stuff if it's out and available. They'll ask questions and you'll answer them.

 

Science? Just use the natural world around you. Let them help you cook, clean, sort laundry. Let them bring nature indoors and keep leaves and shells and pinecones around. Put out magnifying glasses and magnet sets and building toys etc and just let them play and explore. Get a book like Mudpies to Magnets and if you're having an especially good day, pull an activity out at random and have fun. Make cornstarch goop, and fizzy volcanoes. Drop food coloring in water. Play SomeBody. And read lots of books and watch animal shows. Sprout a bean. There's no science they need to know. They just need to be curious and know that there's an outlet for their curiosity.

 

History/Social Studies? Read books. Celebrate holidays. Take them on errands. Teach them their personal info. Days of the week and months.

 

With so many little ones running about, the more you can just make a hands on environment for them, the more they will learn what they need to know. The less curriculum or book learning or teacher intensive stuff you do the better you'll get through it, and you'll find you can pick up everything later when the youngest gets older.

[Hunter]

I think you might like How To Write a Low-Cost/No-Cost Curriculum. It's my second favorite check list. I refer to this list to make sure that the original (early 1990's) What Your _ Grader Needs to Know series didn't miss anything. These 2 resources are narrower and more doable, than many scope and sequences created after the mid 90's.

 

Ruth Beechick's 3R's is worth checking out.

 

Trivium Pursuit's Ten Things to Do Before Age Ten is good.

 

I've lost the links, but Waldorf articles on 1st grade readiness are interesting.

 

I don't really believe in teaching a K curriculum. I just believe in starting an Amish/Waldorf/vintage/back-to-basics grade 1 when the child is developmentally ready to do so. But the 1st link includes a K scope and sequence, that I think you will like.