nertsmommy Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I started out the school year with studying the United States along with reading, writing, and math. He's not into it anymore. Tell me it's ok to just focus on math, reading, writing, and phonics work. We're using Hooked on Phonics, ETC, Singapore Math, and Zaner-Bloser handwriting. We do some fun art projects with Artistic Pursuits and fun science experiments. So is it fine to drop the US history and geography? We'll still play with the puzzles but not much else. I guess I just need someone to say I don't have to do a lot of extras with my K child and just focus on the basics. I want him to still like school and right now none of us are feeling the love. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poiema Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Absolutely! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Totally fine to just do the basics in Kindergarten. Only a truly exceptional child is going to retain a lot of content from Kindergarten anyway. Hit the US again in third or fourth grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nertsmommy Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thank you! I know he's already ahead of the public school in some areas, but he's behind in the reading. I just worry that someone is going to question how much we're doing. He's only behind in the reading because I focus on phonics and the public school focuses on sight words. He can figure out an unknown word while the public K kids here can't. I wonder how long I need to be homeschooling before I stop questioning myself. I am really good at defending it to others, just not myself. It must be the teacher training I had in college. :laugh: I just told him what we're going to be doing from now on and he said, "Good! Just the fun stuff!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommie_Jen Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Yep. I started out doing a lot. Over my first few months I tried Wee Folk Art, MFW K, my own mish mash of science and geography - anything I could find to try. By Christmas I dropped us to just Read Alouds (and slowly working on oral narration), math, handwriting, and a little bit of phonics each day. It works. My goal was to get him ready for our first grade curric. He's ready. We're just taking it easy until then. :) I do try to grab a few library books about a certain science topic each week, either an animal, or gravity, electricity, whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a27mom Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Yes! In ps in my area they don't do a lot of history etc... In k. Social studies involves "people in the neighborhood" understanding very basic geography (town, city, mountain, other countries exist etc...) learning about the existence of other cultures and traditions/holidays, and that the past exists. I find this happens in my home without a planned history program. Basically if the ker gets a rough idea that the world exists beyond them and before they existed, and that people are interdependent, you've covered the gist of K "history" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Absolutely! My son went to private school for K. He didn't get ANY history there. My middle son is K now. We do the three R's, and I read aloud to him for about 30 minutes. He won't start history until 2nd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 It's okay! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Thank you! I know he's already ahead of the public school in some areas, but he's behind in the reading. I just worry that someone is going to question how much we're doing. He's only behind in the reading because I focus on phonics and the public school focuses on sight words. He can figure out an unknown word while the public K kids here can't. I wonder how long I need to be homeschooling before I stop questioning myself. I am really good at defending it to others, just not myself. It must be the teacher training I had in college. :laugh: I just told him what we're going to be doing from now on and he said, "Good! Just the fun stuff!" This was probably the hardest thing for me in the beginning of a classical education...having the thought that my child was "behind" public school. As you said, he really isn't. And soon phonics will speed him right ahead. Being my second time through K and phonics I am more comfortable this time around and barely think about it. :) BTW by first grade my phonics taught daughter was way ahead of public school...its just that kindy year that makes us "feel" behind. ;) And yes, content subjects should definitely be fun. Puzzles, games, read alouds. Enjoy your time together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nertsmommy Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thank you so much! I really needed to hear this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Just another to say, definitely just do the basics! We like to just read books, not focusing on anything in particular. I just want to build her attention span. I need to listen to this thread too, as I feel like DD5 is behind in math. I think I need to take a break and just play some Uno and Go Fish with her. She's doing well in phonics, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondchen Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Another vote for the basics!! I got a chance to talk with SWB in person a couple of years ago (when DD5 was just turning 4) and she told me to keep it simple before first grade and to do this: 1. Reading, reading, reading (phonics) 2. Handwriting 3. Math in K year 4. Lots of read-alouds 5. Lots of free time to play and be creative So, I followed her advice and just took a relaxed approach. We were already doing read-alouds daily, so we started OPGTR right away, and I waited until a year later (last summer - starting her K year) to do handwriting and math. I could have started handwriting sooner and wish I had, because she was already figuring out how to write letters on her own and she learned some poor habits that we're having to correct this year, BUT... It was great advice from SWB, and I'm thrilled so far. I don't feel like DD is behind or missing out on anything, and believe me, we keep it VERY simple around here in terms of formal academics. DD is reading like a champ, her handwriting is good, and math is mostly games and manipulatives, which she really enjoys. We have the mindset of learning all the time anyway, so really, "school" is just our formal learning. We've always done scripture memory every morning at breakfast, and reading and read-alouds are a big part of our family's life - DH and I both read to our girls every day, and DD5 can now read simple books to her little sisters. DD loves to draw, listen and dance to classical music, help me cook, run around outside, and just play with her sisters. She's learning plenty if you ask me!! It's been a great K year and I'm excited to do more in first grade, but for now I love that DD has lots of time to just be a little kid and enjoy her family life. What a blessing it is to homeschool. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 It's totally okay to drop US History and geography in K. I think all I have ever done for history with my Kinder was to talk about it as it came up (randomly) while we read books, and to play with puzzles and keep a map on the wall and a globe in their room. And just talk about it as it naturally came up in regular life, or they seemed interested in something specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 It's more than okay. It's preferable. Have fun and read aloud lots of good books to him. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 We only do the CC history and geography (and science for that matter ;)) sentences. I get books from the library on the topics, but we don't have a curriculum. I am adding SOTW next year, and science the year after that. Now that he can read, he's picking up the Usborne books and getting the info on his own, yea, for focusing on phonics :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throughpagesandfields Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I tend to be slightly anal and feel like I need to do it all - and I still don't think you need it. We're planning on adding some local history storybook kind of things, but only really as read aloud - no narration or anything at all required. Although I do think I might want to introduce some social studies kinds of culture stories... but only as exposure/fun. I feel like until 1st as long as they're starting handwriting and phonics, and doing some math concepts, and being exposed to art, music, PE, that kind of thing just through osmosis then they're good. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megicce Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Do it! It's more important for them to love learning at this point, right? They'll retain what's interesting and fun. Cramming information that neither you nor he is excited to be covering wouldn't do much good in the long run, anyway. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I think it's more than okay. A school year is such a long time for a kindergartner. We've really bounced around this year. We've even taken time off from the cores at various points. At this age, I think it's most important that they love schoolwork, so if I've noticed her interest flagging, I just quietly let it drop for a while. Then we go back to it after a few weeks, and she's interested again. And that's for the core subjects (reading, math, handwriting). For non-cores, and I'd include US history and geography there for kindergarten, it's even less important to remain consistent if they don't like it. We've done spurts of memory work, science, geography, history, art. She loves it when it's fresh and new, and then her interest starts to fade. It's still amazing what she retains. Then when we pick it back up, it's all new and interesting to her again. Next year, in first, I plan on sticking more to a schedule of what I want to accomplish. But for kindergarten I think it's most important that they have fun doing their schoolwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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