Does anyone else not "do" Kindergarten?

[SFM]

I have been surprised by how many people ask us what curriculum we are going to use for my rising "Kindergartener". I don't. We read, we talk, we play, if she wants to do some of her workbook stuff, she can. I don't really "force" any curricula and/or teaching onto a five year old. But it got me thinking? Am I the only one? We are new to the area and don't know many people here so I wondered....what say you? Do you "do" Kindergarten?

 

 

ETA: My older daughter didn't really "do" Kindergarten, my son went to a traditional PS in Kindergarten but she is reading at a 3/4 grade level and is set to finish 1st grade this year. Just my experience thus far. My state requires that I teach K, so technically I will have to show proof that we did but she's tag along enough that we'll be fine. In Finland school begins at 7. I think they're on to something. :)

 

ETA 2:

Perhaps the way in which my post was worded gave the wrong impression. I don't care if anyone wants to do curriculum and/or do a full curriculum for any grade or age. I was just curious if perhaps I am only one of the few who somewhat delay 'K' and leave it mainly up to the child. I should also be clear that she has done an alphabet book and we talk about the sounds but otherwise nothing else very formal. Sorry if it came across snarky. That was not the intent. I understand there are all different sorts of ways that work better for different people and different children and I did not mean to imply that my way of doing things is better or worse than any other way but rather to get feedback from others who might also delay formal Kindergarten as well.

 

HTH.

[Clear Creek]

I did a short (15 minute) reading lesson every day for K. That was it, unless the child asked for something more.

[OneStepAtATime]

You will probably get a lot of different responses to this.  Honestly, the push in many brick and mortar schools in the U.S. now is for heavy academics as early as 4, which seems insane and developmentally inappropriate for the majority of children, IMHO.  

 

Each parent needs to get a good feel for their children and themselves and do what works best for their family.  What you are doing seems to be working exceedingly well for your family.  :)

 

I had my kids in school for kinder.  DS thrived.  DD not so much.  I wish I had homeschooled her from the beginning, instead of starting in 6th grade.  Definitely she would have done better with not "doing" kinder, but exploring, doing read alouds, etc. would have been awesome for her.

[Jess4879]

We use AAR pre-1 and Saxon math K, but we aren't strict about when/how we do it.  We play a lot of games, read, etc.  Because we have older siblings, our youngest also tags along with science and social and art and is exposed to far more than my oldest ever was at that age. 

[Mergath]

I have been surprised by how many people ask us what curriculum we are going to use for my rising "Kindergartener". I don't. We read, we talk, we play, if she wants to do some of her workbook stuff, she can. I don't really "force" any curricula and/or teaching onto a five year old. But it got me thinking? Am I the only one? We are new to the area and don't know many people here so I wondered....what say you? Do you "do" Kindergarten?

 

 

ETA: My older daughter didn't really "do" Kindergarten, my son went to a traditional PS in Kindergarten but she is reading at a 3/4 grade level and is set to finish 1st grade this year. Just my experience thus far. My state requires that I teach K, so technically I will have to show proof that we did but she's tag along enough that we'll be fine. In Finland school begins at 7. I think they're on to something. :)

 

:001_rolleyes:

 

Some of us have highly accelerated kiddos who request curricula at a young age. It's not so much a matter of "forcing" it onto them as not being able to feed information to them quickly enough. As long as you follow your child's cues and work at his or her level, there's no one "right" way to homeschool. It's great that you've figured out your kid needs to take things more slowly, but don't assume everyone who doesn't do it that way is wrong.

[silver]

My 5-year-old was excited to be able to start "proper" school when we started Kindergarten. When she found out that she'd be learning to read, she was even more excited. She asked to do multiple lessons a day on weekdays and for more lessons on the weekend. To not have done Kindergarten with her would have been deprivation. It's not like that for all children. My son probably would have done better with a more play and Mama reading filled K. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can do what is right for your family and each child.

[Coco_Clark]

If the child needs preparation to enter first grade work, I do kindergarten. If he does not, I do not. No matter what we do we call age 5 kindergarten, because we use grades as an age-indicator more than a reflection of what our school day looks like or what our kids ability level is.

 

My oldest son, at 5, was "forced" into 4x/wk phonics practice and table work. About a half hour total. Because otherwise he was a kid that would neither recognize a letter nor know how to hold a pencil. Really. Most of that year was doing mazes, the only pencil (marker, crayon, ect) holding activity that he enjoyed. I could have just waited until he was ready and asked for schoolwork, or until he was 7 or 8 or 9...but I preferred easing him into very simple activities and increasing rigor gradually as we went.

 

My current 5yo knows his letters, can read simple words, and how to write many of them. Sometimes he asks to "do school" and we do, usually he joins his brother in activities he deems interesting, sometimes he doesn't.

[SilverMoon]

There's a wide variety of kindy approaches on this board, from barely there to full courses and anything between.

 

My particular kids are expected to do phonics, beginning math, and basic penmanship for kindy. They listen to read aloud stories, explore nature, and have gobs of time to just be little kids. My sixth DC will start this fall. Actual curricula will be used, but he will hardly be slaving away at education. :p His seat work would amount to no more than 30 minutes a day. Obviously this was tweaked for the advanced kids as well as the late bloomer. I met them where they were.

 

I also found your "force" comment odd. What you're thinking of as forcing or pushing is really more like valiantly attempting to keep up in my house. :) DD/9yo at kindy age could rip through a day's worth of mostly 2nd grade work in a kindy appropriate amount of time, and still ask for more. She was/is an insatiable learner. I see no valid reason to hold her back, then or now. (Contrary to popular opinion she has not "topped out" but continues to do work above her grade level, in an age appropriate amount of time.)

[Ellie]

I have been surprised by how many people ask us what curriculum we are going to use for my rising "Kindergartener". I don't. We read, we talk, we play, if she wants to do some of her workbook stuff, she can. I don't really "force" any curricula and/or teaching onto a five year old. But it got me thinking? Am I the only one? We are new to the area and don't know many people here so I wondered....what say you? Do you "do" Kindergarten?

 

 

ETA: My older daughter didn't really "do" Kindergarten, my son went to a traditional PS in Kindergarten but she is reading at a 3/4 grade level and is set to finish 1st grade this year. Just my experience thus far. My state requires that I teach K, so technically I will have to show proof that we did but she's tag along enough that we'll be fine. In Finland school begins at 7. I think they're on to something. :)

 

I didn't do kindergarten. I also didn't do first grade, second grade, or any other grade (other than knowing, with a tiny, outside part of my brain, what "grade" my dc would have been "in" if they had attended school, just because of grandparents and Sunday school teachers and other activities that group children by grade instead of age). I did 5yo, 6yo, 7yo, and so on.

 

So my younger dd (older dd actually attended kindergarten and part of first grade) just naturally grew into doing things like counting and recognizing money and telling time and using a calendar and all that stuff...even though if someone had asked me if she were "in kindergarten," I would have answered, "Why, yes, she is."

[ondreeuh]

Sure, some people don't use curriculum for K. Some of us us first grade materials (or higher) for K - without threats or taping the kid to the table.

 

One of my kids was not ready for academics at 5, but he was in PS and got them anyway (I ended up having him repeat a year and now he's doing great). Another one of mine was ready for some structured learning at 4 and he is years ahead of where my oldest was at his age. I certainly don't regret starting early.

[SFM]

Perhaps the way in which my post was worded gave the wrong impression. I don't care if anyone wants to do curriculum and/or do a full curriculum for any grade or age. I was just curious if perhaps I am only one of the few who somewhat delay 'K' and leave it mainly up to the child. I should also be clear that she has done an alphabet book and we talk about the sounds but otherwise nothing else very formal. Sorry if it came across snarky. That was not the intent. I understand there are all different sorts of ways that work better for different people and different children and I did not mean to imply that my way of doing things is better or worse than any other way but rather to get feedback from others who might also delay formal Kindergarten as well.

 

HTH.

 

ETA: I also am curious as to what an unschooling Kindergarten looks like.

[RKWAcademy]

We did kindergarten but it has been very light.  My kids enjoy sitting down and having school (most of the time).  They beg for the extras - history and science.  They are doing AAR to learn to read and Singapore math - we started with the Essentials K workbooks - they flew through them and enjoyed it.  They take pleasure in knowing "1st grade math" now at the end of their K year (they are finishing up SM 1a).  They also love reading now.  Some days we skipped school, some days we did school on Saturday if nothing else was going on.  And, we only did school in the mornings; they played all afternoon or went to activities.  We also have read alouds all the time - have since they were babies.  So kindergarten wasn't very official, but we still "did kindergarten".  Well, we're "doing" it now and will just keep going with what we're doing now after a short break in June (then they can call themselves first graders).  I don't think one can go wrong with kindergarten - either not doing it or doing it very lightly - as long as is isn't overdone and read-alouds are plentiful.

[Ellie]

 

 

ETA: I also am curious as to what an unschooling Kindergarten looks like.

 

Well, it wouldn't be "unschooling kindergarten." It would be "letting the 5yo live his life with me while I do stuff," and being amazed at the things he learns all by his onesie. :-) In fact, it wouldn't look much different from what the 5yo was doing when he was 4, except being capable of figuring more things out on his own.

[Syllieann]

We do k, but I don't think there is one right way. A lot is dependent on the family dynamics, location, and what the child would otherwise be doing. Around here about half the kids attend 3 yo preschool, and nearly all attend public k4. My oldest is also advanced, so that all added up to having no intellectual peers (not to mention kids slightly ahead) left during daytime hours by the time he was 3 yo. It is all well and good to learn through child directed play if that play can happen. When it can't, I prefer to have have something to help the child advance. The curriculum helps me do that, though I'm sure I could get by without it. It seems to me that much disdain for kindy curriculum comes from people who had their oldest in ps before deciding to homeschool. As such, many of them never experienced a lack of intellectual peers. The problem is exacerbated for kids that are advanced and/or gifted.

[EliseMcKenna]

Nope. In fact, my oldest turns 8 in August, and we won't start any formal lessons until then. She taught herself to read when she was 5.5, so it has been really easy for me to be relaxed about her progression.

 

Now that we're starting with some focused learning later this summer, I'm not sure what my soon-to-be-6-year old will do. I anticipate she will listen in on most of our read-alouds, but anything beyond that is not expected of her. If she decides to try some handwriting or wants to participate in our science experiments, that would be great. But I won't require it of her. I would actually like to plan some things to do with her that will just be kindy activities. Baking/gardening/art days. Something along those lines that I can give her some extra attention with. 

[EliseMcKenna]

We are a Waldorf-inspired family throughout the early years, and this document pretty much summarizes my outlook. Some would call it unschooling, but it's also just being at home together. :-) (From the helpful files of Marsha Johnson' Yahoo group):

 

 

A Week in the Home Kindergarten!

 

(For the child who is 4 years old to not yet six by June of the calendar year)

 

Daily Rhythm is the key to the home kindergarten experience for families, including daily focus activity and morning routines.  The child is yet living in the spiritual world, in the heavens, dreamy, and perceiving the environment as only an integral part of their own ‘wholeness’, not individuated, not intellectuated, not abstracted.  The young child still feels part and wholly in the surrounding world, in the home, in the yard, in the world, with mother and father and siblings…….and needs to be left in this dreamy time, protected, nurtured, left to wonder and held in the rhythm of the day and week and month and year.  

 

We have been led to believe that we must stimulate children in order to provoke their intellectual and physical development.  This is wrong thinking, from the spiritual educator point of view.  Young children naturally are developing inner and outer forces that will carry them forward to the times when they are able and prepared to take on other tasks of education, and the body sends us very clear clues as to when this stage or that stage is occurring.

 

In the meantime, surround the young child with the warmth and security of knowing that the adults are present, caring, and have promised to keep the rhythm that the child craves.  In this way, the most excellent groundwork will be laid for the future tasks of these precious human souls.  

 

In your home, create and hold to the idea that each week day will have some sort of focus.  Remember the old nursery rhyme?  Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, and so on.  This is ancient knowledge passed down to use via oral history, and sound advice for any home maker and family.  The Waldorf Kindergarten tries to replicate the home environment, if you think about it, and so it is natural and easy to use these ideas in your home.

 

One problem to address before beginning this work is to go about your home and evaluate your possessions and your furniture:  is your home simple and refreshing to live in, or is it crowded with objects?  Can you reduce the clutter and amount of ‘stuff’ in the main areas of the home, so that you and your child can find and access the simple tools that are needed for each day?  Read my article on the Influence of the Environment on Young Children on this website for more ideas on how to simplify your home surroundings. 

 

The one key idea must be, a place for everything, and everything in its place!  In this way, life is likely to be much smoother in the day to day workings in the home Kindergarten.  The second key item is, is there beauty?  Does the eye of the beholder perceive something that is lovely to see?  Beauty is not to be confused with economic value: a simple wooden table, scarred from decades of holding dishes of warm food for families, with a single jar of flowers from the yard, is beautiful.  Strive for this feeling in your home, and allow your child to observe your striving.

 

With these two thoughts in mind, we can begin to enter into the daily rhythm of the young child at home.  When you have arranged your bed times and bed time routine, so that this young child is receiving 11-12 hours of sleep each night, perhaps going to bed at 7 pm, each night, then the child will naturally awaken when the sun is rising and peeping over the horizon.  Leave the blinds open or open them after the child falls asleep so that the sunny light will enter the room and bathe the child in its golden light……so here we have rising in the morning rather than sleeping in or suffering sleep deprivation.  This is essential to the success of your homeschool experience: well rested children and parents.

 

During your kindergarten mornings, turn off the phones, disconnect radios or cd players, allow the quiet of your home to comfort and support you. Sing songs for transitions, short ones you can make up easily and remember, pick a main song for each day so that your child knows what is coming today.  

 

A simple daily rhythm includes these elements:

 

Rising!  

Self-cleaning, tidy bedroom, dressing

Prepare Breakfast, set table

Enjoy the first meal of the day together

Washing Up

 

Morning Chores:  sweep the floors, feed and clean up after animals, dry dishes, clean table and chairs, recycle and compost any leftovers, and so on.

 

Morning Focus:   Rotate these activities, begin at 9 am.

Baking/Cooking Day--Monday

Washing and Ironing Day--Tuesday

Sewing/handwork Day---Wednesday

Garden Day---Thursday

Painting Day---Friday

 

The morning focus should be accompanied by singing of songs related to that activity:  the muffin man is good for baking, and so on….keep baskets around with the items needed for those days, and take them out to symbolize the focus of the morning for the child. 

 

On Mondays, gather the items needed to bake rolls or a loaf of bread or crackers, you can vary the recipes but keep it to maybe 3 or 4 good ones.  Make an extra loaf to take to a neighbor or share with friends in the afternoon.  The baking aprons come off their hooks, the hands are washed, then we concentrate on our task:  kneading, rolling, shaping, and this is not rushed but a pleasant activity in a quiet kitchen…. When the bread is resting and rising, clean the dishes and counters and floor.

 

Tuesdays:

 

Use old fashioned methods: on washing day, use a handboard and a tub of warm soapy water to hand wash clothing, rinse, and hang up with clothespin, iron pillow cases and handkerchiefs and let child spray on the water, and so on. Include the child naturally in the activities.  Find a small wooden ironing board and play iron and child can help press the hankies or dishtowels.

 

Fill a bucket with warm soapy water and small rags, and wash wash wash!  Wash the front of the frig, wash the counters, the tables, the railings, and so on….clean and dust the piano, sing songs while you work, use a small apron for the child and a big one for you!  Have fun bringing sparkles to your home.  

 

Wednesdays

 

Handwork/Sewing Day:  Create a sewing basket with pieces of wool felt, large thick wool yarn, and pin cushion with big eyed sharp needles and button thread (strong).  Cut out shapes from the felt and child can sew a bean bag, an ornament, a sachet, or other simple object from the felt.  Teach the child to fingerknit the yarn and then stitch the fingerknitting together to make doll house rugs, coasters, make pony reins, or braid the fingerknitting together to make long braids for ropes.  While the child works on this, you can be knitting a sweater, a scarf, crocheting, sewing your own project, etc.  Work together on these projects each week and be sure to finish the projects.  As the festivals approach, use this time to make special projects or gifts for family members.

 

Thursdays

 

Garden day in winter can still be spent with the outdoor chores that need to be done, washing porch, clipping and trimming, cleaning tools, and so on.  It can also include arranging the nature table in your home, creating new trellises, harvesting crops, planting, or other outdoor tasks.  In snowy climates, this could include creating bird feeders, and clearing ice from the bird bath.  This day is spent outdoors for this hour, and is very enjoyable for children, regardless of the weather!  It is also a good morning to invite friends to come over and work together outside.  Or go to their homes and help.

 

Fridays:

 

Painting Day is a day to enjoy playing with colors on damp water color paper:  set up the painting supplies, jar of water, brush, 1-2 jars of paint (red, blue or yellow), paint rag, paper is soaked for 4-5 minutes and laid on the paint board.  Child paints feelings and ideas from self, not objects or guided painting at the K age.  Finding out what happens and learning to rinse the brush between colors is a skill!  Parent can also pre-mix colors (i.e.  green or purple or orange) to allow child to paint a different color or two.  Often children enjoy painting several pictures so have paper ready (round corners of the paper before soaking, you can vary sizes and shapes if you like, can be square, rectangular, circular, larger or smaller).  Afterwards, clean up, wash hands, and so on.

 

 

DAILY SCHEDULE:

 

7 am rise  and above tasks

 

9 – 10 am Focus Activity for the Day

 

10 – 11 am Snack, and Play time

Try to go outside for 30 minutes

 

11 –11:30 am:  Story/Circle Time

 

11:30-12  Seasonal Art Time 

 

12pm  Clean Up Time

 

12:15  Lunch

 

Free Afternoons…..play, rest, friends, go outside…..

 

 

STORY CIRCLE TIME:  --do the same circle for the season: one Fall, one Winter, one Spring.  The child should really know the songs and poems by the end of the season (12 weeks) and be able to practically say and sing it by him or herself.  Keep the same order and the same words to the songs.

 

Pick 5-10 songs and poems for the season and learn them by heart!  Use nursery rhymes, your own songs from childhood, add new ones from Sing Through the Day or other resources. There are sample circles on this website.  

 

Add movements and motions to the songs and poems.  A Journey Through Time in Verse and Rhyme will keep you busy for years.  Use a circle theme in your movements, following the path of the planets!  Go round and round, and sing/step/skip and move together.   Part of this time can include a game or two:  children in the K love to hide and seek an object, perhaps Little Tommy Gnome is hidden somewhere and we need to find him!  

 

Arrive at a seated place during the last song (ring around a rosy) and then enjoy 3-4 fingerplays.  Work with your child to be sure the motions are correct………have fun with these, there are several books on line that have dozens and dozens of fingerplays.  

 

Add 1-2 floor exercise:  roll like logs, creep like snails, enjoy some movement on the floor, keep it is In the imagination and continue to grow quieter as the time passes……….bringing it in and in……..cover child with silks and sing a song about little brown bulbs, going to sleep, while the snow, falls so deep……..keep these floor exercises mild, and imitative, of course, you do them, too.

 

Story Time:   With a song, transition into the story time………as you light a beeswax candle on your little table or stump or whatever, a pretty setting to signal story time………

 

Glow Candle Glow

With the Light of Stars Above

And crystals below

Light the candle with your Love

Glow Candle Glow…..or use another verse

 

Settle down and tell a story.  Tell the same story every day for 1 week.  Over the week end read and memorize another story.  Use the Grimm stories but also include seasonal tale or your own religious tales or other fairy stories that you find appealing. Don’t read the story, tell it.  Keep it short for littler ones, add time as they grow.

 

One week of each month, tell nature tales: create a family of animals that your child sees and knows from your home area:  rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc. and tell stories about their activities during the season on hand….add personalities but don’t create silly stuff like Papa Robin flying a superjet!  Keep it simple, within the realm of possibility, Papa Robin found a Sparkling String one day….it was the ribbon from a birthday balloon………and he wove into the nest to make it pretty for Mama Robin……and so on.  Children aged 4 need to hear simple daily stories about what happens in the world, children aged 5 and 6 can listen to longer Fairy Stories and enjoy them.

 

End the story by allowing child to snuff candle after you rest for a few moments, together, to digest the tale…………..please do not discuss the story or ask the child questions etc about the story, let it rest and digest and you will tell it again tomorrow and so on……….leave the child to take the story content into themselves, breathe with it, and you will see some new things in their playing and pretend times.

 

SEASONAL ART/PROJECTS:  I have left time there for working on the various seasonal art or craft projects that you may be including in your work at home.  This can also be coloring or drawing time for children who enjoy doing that, or you can make Martinmas Lanterns, work in the woodshop, decorate the home for the holidays, or other seasonal projects or ongoing work, maybe you are building a little playhouse or sanding wooden animals…..Whatever the project, be sure you are working on it, too, at that same time.  Your child will imitate you in this work and other work.  This can be working with beeswax, once a week, too.  

 

Clean Up:  Tidy from the morning any tools or playthings, and enjoy lunch with blessing verse….

 

For Trees so Tall

And Sky so Blue

For Friends and food

We thank you!

[sbgrace]

I didn't do any formal curriculum in K.

It didn't hurt a thing to begin later, and even then I worked things in slowly and naturally. I'm glad I did it that way, because one of mine really did need to wait.

 That said, I have a friend with a daughter 6 months younger than my kids. She did start a lot younger than we did, even teaching preschool type stuff. It didn't hurt a thing and fit that child. She delayed her son even longer than my two on certain things, though. Every child is different!

[arliemaria]

This has been our K year.  We started mid September.  The first month or two we were doing alright.  My husband was upset that I wasn't recording enough and this made me feel like I wasn't doing enough.  I realize in retrospect that I was pregnant at the beginning of the school year and didn't know it yet.  I was probably just sick.  I had some difficulties and thought I was losing or had lost the baby.  We then went on a BIG trip.  We drove from St. Louis to Las Vegas for my husband to attend a tax law conference.  On the way we visited many national parks where my son completed National Jr. Park Ranger badges.  He has completed 8 so far.  We have nearly completed the MENSA K-3 reading list.  We have read LOTS.  All of Narnia, etc.  My son completed an oil painting and did a science project for the Mastodon Fair.  He placed third for his oil painting and first for his science project.  We have worked some on a natural journal.  I haven't taken the kids out nearly as much as I'd like, but that was because of my difficult pregnancy.  He plays a lot with our building materials: magnatiles, tegu blocks, zoob, jumbo cuisenaire rods, a mix of haba wooden building blocks, duplo, etc.  He has a million "tiny" legos at his grandmas.  I've recently started printing out Lego Quest before he visits grandma so he can do the next quest and we photograph it.  We are deeply involved with our church so he has lived the liturgical year vividly.  Before each holiday there is a lot of preparation like before Candlemas we had about 20 kids at our house dipping beeswax.  Things that are just part of our normal life.  Before Easter/Pascha he got to help dye eggs.  These are normal sesonal things, but are a big part of the kindergarteners life.  We had done more poetry memorization the year before, but hopefully we will begin that again.  We haven't done much for formal reading lessons/phonics.  I had started that at the beginning of the school year and I just didn't think he was ready.  I had planned to start again after Christmas and honestly just didn't have the energy to think about it.  That about sums up K for us. 

[Heathermomster]

Kindie for DD was manipulative based math with MUS Primer and Essentials, phonics using LOE, and handwriting with the HWT app. Otherwise, she was chasing the dog and digging in the dirt. DD sat in a three hour K class held on Friday at our cover. Overall, K was pretty chill and I never forced anything.

[MrsBasil]

I do it my way, which seems to be working well enough for DS. We try reading practice most days, play a lot of board games, read and do the math in the I Love Math books, hike, hit nature centers, museums, grandparent's houses, go to the library, and kind of do unit studies.

 

Right now we are raising caterpillars, so I have a bunch of books from the library on caterpillars, butterflies, moths etc. I've been looking for projects to do with it or a lapbook, but OTOH I have live caterpillars in my house on purpose. That's a project.

 

DS likes to mix things to see what happens, hunt for bugs, be read, draw bugs, play Snap Circuits, Legos, games, go hiking, fish, and wants to learn to cook.

 

He asked me to come up with some things for knights and castles after we went to a mother-son date themed with knights. Again, I hit the library.

 

Oh, we made different bubble solutions to test out which made the biggest bubbles and talked about why it was fun, but not a real experiment.

 

Sometimes we do Miquon. That was Kindergarten and what the rest of the summer will probably look like.

[Shellydon]

We do math (MUS Primer and half of Alpha), Phonics and handwriting.  20-30 minutes each day

[73349]

I "made" DS do a few words a week of writing, about three minutes a day of phonics, and a little art.

 

I "let" him do math and science, and a little geography (two minutes a day?) and memory work (one minute a day? just sayings like "Don't judge a book by its cover"). All of it added up to about 30 minutes a day.

 

He "made" me read him a lot of books. That took a bit longer. :)

 

 

Other than that, we went to farms, parks, and museums, listened to music, etc.

[HS Mom in NC]

I don't do preschool or kindergarten except in rare situations where a child pining for a particular subject. My older two started college at 15 and 17. BEWARE!  There is a huge social/cultural  pressure disguised as academic advice to teach formal academics before a child is 6.  There is no real academic reason to do so unless you have a child who is particularly gifted and motivated to do it.

 

When my kids are 5 I do:

 

daily read alouds-We have the kids worked up to 30 minute sittings (while they play quietly) by age 6. 

I taught phonics my oldest kid who begged daily at age 3 until 4 to learn to read and she learned to read fluently like an adult between age 4 and 5 at about 15 minutes a day (not a normal kid.)

counting

The youngest wanted to "do school" like the older two so I let her do some K kind of stuff to keep her out of the way when I worked with the older two. Nothing formal.

 

My middle kid was ready to start learning to read at almost 8 years old.  She could read like an adult by age 11.  She started college at 15.

 

 

[JustEm]

Its has depended on the child. At 3.5 my oldest was asking to do formal math and phonics. He wanted to be like his older cousins who are home schooled.he is now 6 and we do very little formal work because he absorbs everything. We simply play games, read to one another, and other everyday fun things. My dd who is 5 on Monday has absolutely no interest in formal school. So we just play. With just playing and a lot of being read to she knows all her letter sounds and can read a simple book if she is so inclined to. She rarely feelsthe inclination to read. But she will 'write' stories all day long if I had time to help(she tells me what to write.) She's my storyteller.

[momof4babes]

We haven't done formal kindergarten here.

My older 2 were in 2, and 4 when they came home. They are all late in the year birthdays, and were 3 the first few months of JK.

 

They were really not ready for the academic push at that point. My son had speech delays, and had just started talking well.

It left them feeling defeated, and stupid. :(

My younger son will turn 6 in the fall. We read 6-7 books a day together, he knows his letters, letter sounds, and a few sight words he has picked up along the way. He has picked up letter writing mostly by writing on our frosted front door, steamed up shower door etc.

In math, we are about half way through Singapore 1a because he loves math. He listens, and sometimes participates in the older kids science.

If he wants to go play in the sand table, or build a Lego tower, I think he should be able to at this age. I don't want to kill his curiosity, and excitement of learning. In the fall we will add in AAS,and AAR.

[FO4UR]

When people ask me, I advise 15min of math, 15min of reading lesson, and 15min of handwriting.  That is a maximum.  Less is fine.

 

2 hours of unstructured outdoor play and 2 hours of reading aloud by either mom/dad or an audiobook.  That is a minimum.  More is fine.

 

 

 

Give me a 6yo who can quote Beatrix Potter, has the core strength (from climbing trees) to sit at the table for 15min, has a number sense from counting and adding with real life objects (one candy for you, two for me...) and has a natural curiosity and we can ROCK any 1st grade curric.

 

 

I do not advise a boxed curric b/c those tend to put pressure on mom to perform and complete the program, and that pressure is then transferred onto tiny 5yo shoulders.  5yo's have such a wide range of readiness that there isn't really any program that I could recommend except what I outlined above.

[Sahamamama]

While I definitely did not think skipping K was optional when my children were that age, looking back on it now, we could have read books, played in the garden, gone to visit Grammy, taken naps, and been just fine. We did all those things, and we did them in a sweet and gentle way. But I also thought we needed to "do" Kindergarten. Well, it doesn't seem to have done the girls any harm. However, now I think that a formal approach to Kindergarten is usually not necessary, if you are engaging the young child in nature, family, art, music, joy, healthy habits, and life.

 

I will add that, as a mother, my over-riding memory of my daughters' Kindergarten years is that our time together was gentle, wholesome, and sweet. I think that if you are regularly blowing up at your five year old, because she's not "doing K" the right way, then something is wrong. But if your days together are gentle, wholesome, and sweet, it almost doesn't matter what you do, because you are loving your young child, who needs you to be 95% Mommy and 5% Teacher, anyway. The years go by fast enough.... :sad:

[ByGrace3]

For our family Kindergarten starts "formal" academics. That means some sort of phonics progression, basic handwriting, basic math at their level and pace, and books.

 

My rising Ker has been begging to to do school for so long that if I didn't "officially" add her next year I would have a full blown riot on my hands. This is a kid I have to tell no more after 5-6 pages of a math workbook. She is also already a team gymnast and takes on everything full force.

 

K has looked very different for all 3 of mine. For me personally it is the arbitrary age we have set for our family where academics are no longer optional (do something educational when you want-- which is how we do pre-k) but it is a gentle transition to more formal educational pursuits.

[MerryAtHope]

Well, I bought Sonlight, but we just read aloud on our time table, so it didn't "feel" like curriculum to me. We also spread it over 2 years and interspersed it with favorite books from my childhood, or took days off for field trips or baking around holidays or nature walks...

 

I did do math with my oldest, but didn't with my youngest. I just let her play with manipulatives. I think she had a Disney Princess math workbook that she did when she wanted to. We did work on letters and sounds, and some basic handwriting, so there were things that I consider "K" work that we did. But if it wasn't a good day for my K student, I didn't worry about what got done--it was casual, if that makes sense. I did too much with my oldest & realized about half-way through K that I needed to back off--so I was more relaxed with my next one!

 

I wonder if you have people who are mainly schooling their oldest asking?

[RebeccaKes]

Well I started out trying curriculum... and then went to informal activities... and at this point I'm happy if we get through a short, FUN reading lesson without me getting kicked in the ribs as she flees from the couch. She's now 6.5, and can sort-of-read, but she spends our lesson time making elaborate books about her fairy houses, her (imaginary) sisters and their planet and language, and planning her journey on the Appalachian Trail with daddy when she turns 16. And shouting out the answers to big brother's math problems before he has a chance to answer. So... I worry and I don't worry. You know?

[eternallytired]

I use "kindergarten" mainly as a reference for age.  So ODS is "in kindergarten" and DD is "in preschool" without regard to the level at which they are working.  I think kindergarten is more of a phase than a specific time of a child's life--it's the "I'm ready to start learning to use symbols like numbers and letters" phase.  For my older two kids, it hit early, and I have just continued to provide them with activities at their level as they progress, without regard to their level; perhaps YDS will not be ready for that learning until he is 5 or even older...we'll see.

[happypamama]

SFM, I understand what you're asking. Yes, I am that way. I didn't do anything formal with my DD at K age. She was already reading before five, though, having pretty much just picked reading up on her own. We had Miquon and played with the rods a bit, but mostly, we just lived life and read books and such. I didn't do any K with my first son. He wasn't ready for any sort of academics at all; he just wanted to snuggle with me (yes, even at five!) and listen to books that I read to DD. I would get picture books to correlate with her history so he could follow along too. When he wanted to write something, I showed him how.

 

My second son is a Ker this year. I've gotten slightly more formal with him than I did for my others, in that I set aside a dedicated time for him most days. This is because with five children, if I don't schedule it, it won't happen, and it's very easy for me to skip picture books in favor of big kid appropriate stuff. It's really more for ME that I have any K plans (and I have a preschooler too, who might as well be joined to my Ker's hip, so they both benefit from the picture books). I have the Wee Folk Art book list, to give us a little framework, and I printed MEP for the Ker. I print lots of little cut and paste and sorting and counting activities for the little guys too. Son two has requested to learn to read, so we do 100 Easy Lessons. None of it is required. Some days, he'd rather just play, and I'm totally cool with that. I guess I kind of have a semi unschooling mentality when it comes to early learners. I transition gradually over the next few years, until they're doing daily academics by third grade (which is also when I have to report to my state for them; under eight is not required).

[EmilyGF]

My kindergartener learns to read and does 15 minutes per day of math. Otherwise she builds forts, draws, plays imaginary games, and reads to her brother. She also hangs out with us.

 

I "do k" to this extent because it helps me not let my 5/6 year-old fall through the cracks. Life is easier in our household when you can read (and church is more fun when you can read the songs!). 

 

Does this count as doing kindergarten? I'm not sure, but it is sustainable for me and my daughter would feel left out without it. 

[Bluegoat]

No.  I have done a little work with a child that was really keen, but just for fun.  My eldest started reading a little at 5, and my middle child knew her letters at 18 months but didn't do anything else with reading until she was six.  Now at 7 she is just on the cusp of trying some easy chapter books.

 

My son on the other hand is five and would be in school for K this September.  So far he isn't really even that interested in learning his letters or numbers.  I might make a small effort to learn the letters and number names to 10 next year, but that would be as far as it goes.  We'll read a lot of stories.  Since we don't need to be "ready" for public school in grade 1, I don't have any motivation to push him on.

[KeriJ]

We do about 15 min. of phonics, 15 min. of math....if that, and a little handwriting for most of the year.  The rest of the day is stories, playing, being outside, listening to older siblings lessons, coloring....life.  We do have a homeschool music class that starts in kindergarten that we love.  But kindergarten is very short and sweet and simple for us.

[Bluegoat]

SFM, I understand what you're asking. Yes, I am that way. I didn't do anything formal with my DD at K age. She was already reading before five, though, having pretty much just picked reading up on her own. We had Miquon and played with the rods a bit, but mostly, we just lived life and read books and such. I didn't do any K with my first son. He wasn't ready for any sort of academics at all; he just wanted to snuggle with me (yes, even at five!) and listen to books that I read to DD. I would get picture books to correlate with her history so he could follow along too. When he wanted to write something, I showed him how.

 

My second son is a Ker this year. I've gotten slightly more formal with him than I did for my others, in that I set aside a dedicated time for him most days. This is because with five children, if I don't schedule it, it won't happen, and it's very easy for me to skip picture books in favor of big kid appropriate stuff. It's really more for ME that I have any K plans (and I have a preschooler too, who might as well be joined to my Ker's hip, so they both benefit from the picture books). I have the Wee Folk Art book list, to give us a little framework, and I printed MEP for the Ker. I print lots of little cut and paste and sorting and counting activities for the little guys too. Son two has requested to learn to read, so we do 100 Easy Lessons. None of it is required. Some days, he'd rather just play, and I'm totally cool with that. I guess I kind of have a semi unschooling mentality when it comes to early learners. I transition gradually over the next few years, until they're doing daily academics by third grade (which is also when I have to report to my state for them; under eight is not required).

 

Yes - one thing I have found as I have more students is that I need to plan a little more to make sure i spend some time with everyone.

[SparklyUnicorn]

One of mine wanted to do academic stuff at that age.  The other did not.  I followed their lead really.  In either case though, I would not call what we did formal at all.  It did not resemble what one might encounter in a public school kindergarten. 

[arliemaria]

Well I started out trying curriculum... and then went to informal activities... and at this point I'm happy if we get through a short, FUN reading lesson without me getting kicked in the ribs as she flees from the couch. She's now 6.5, and can sort-of-read, but she spends our lesson time making elaborate books about her fairy houses, her (imaginary) sisters and their planet and language, and planning her journey on the Appalachian Trail with daddy when she turns 16. And shouting out the answers to big brother's math problems before he has a chance to answer. So... I worry and I don't worry. You know?

 

I just had to say I love this!  My dad took us on many hikes along the Appalachian Trail.  We never completed even half of it, but many summers were spent along the trail at National Parks like Shenandoah, etc.  Great memories.

[alicai]

My oldest did K, mainly because she had already done an academically-focused preschool and she was enrolled in kindergarten for 3 months before we pulled her out. She enjoyed learning and had a lot of thirst. I still wish I would have been more laid back than I was, but it was a good learning experience. Back then, my middle daughter was only 3 but she loved to tag along and listen in on our read-alouds and lessons. I simply allowed that to continue. When she demanded a workbook, I gave her Singapore Early Math and she thought it was lots of fun. As we read books, I taught her phonics and she learned to read very naturally. I pressured myself a lot more with my older daughter.

 

Nowadays, I am much more focused on how to keep that sweet, natural learning that we all enjoy. It's always me who gets in the way of that with my ingrained attitudes about academics and I have to have a lot of talks with myself about what the point of all of this is, after all.

[PagesandFields]

I do what I call Kinder Garden.  I definitely do it... but don't push most of what they push in schools...  We're super gently doing school stuff.  I mostly started by working on what I knew my kiddo needed some help with - like dexterity, motor skills, beginning handwriting.  Now we've moved into doing phonics, a bit of math, a bit of handwriting... but it's all really small.  What I consider our schooling this year is mostly work on routine, behavior, physical dexterity, as much time in nature as possible, beginning his work on self-awareness, beginning mindfulness techniques... and lots and lots and lots of reading.  I feel like each kid is different in their needs at this age... which is why it's such a complicated thing to legislate or regulate.  My daughter is practically ready for kindergarten.  She's 3 for crying out loud!!! My son?  I'm calling him K just now.. he'll be 6 late summer.  Ever kid is different.  For us... doing a bit of school helps us also regulate our day and focus our minds... which seems to help my older with his behavior, and therefor keeps me from going insane.  So lots of pluses here.  :)

 

:)  

[stm4him]

I have done various things for my oldest four. For my fifth child I am having her write numbers for penmanship until she can copy the 100 number chart and recognize the numbers. Then we will move to cursive letters. She is doing phonogram flashcards and soon I will use coins to begin teaching her a few math facts at a time. She sits with us for read aloud, devotion, and memory work. We will be working on building words and reading them and doing copywork, etc.

[arliemaria]

I have done various things for my oldest four. For my fifth child I am having her write numbers for penmanship until she can copy the 100 number chart and recognize the numbers. Then we will move to cursive letters. She is doing phonogram flashcards and soon I will use coins to begin teaching her a few math facts at a time. She sits with us for read aloud, devotion, and memory work. We will be working on building words and reading them and doing copywork, etc.

 

Are you just providing her with a blank 100 grid chart or how are you having her do this work?