ktgrok Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 So, my 5 year old dd is doing kindergarten. My oldest we pulled in 5th, so this is my first time teaching kindergarten. We do Math (CLE 100), Handwriting (A Reason for Handwriting) and Reading (AAR) done each day. About once a week we do a lesson from Telling God's Story. I want to add in some memorization of prayers as well. (plus she goes to religious ed at our parish). But we are not making it to "content" subjects. No thought out science, social studies, etc. Instead we go to the grocery store, run errands, pick up, cook, bake, go to the park, etc. I'd LIKE to do more read alouds and such. I am going to make that a bit more of a priority. And I want to read more poetry, that's going on the list as well. I actually got the IG for Bookshark Primer (similar to Sonlight P4/5) but I'm looking at it and I'd have to order several more books. I also love Mater Amabilis, but again, would need to order a Saint's book, etc. Same with The Harp and Laurell Wreath if we do Mother of Divine Grace, more ordering. I think I'm finally at the point of saying, I don't need these schedules, etc. I can just pull a poetry book off the shelf (I have my copy of A child's Garden of Verses from when I was a child, a copy of AA Milne's When We Were Very Young, plus of course some Shell Silverstein for fun, and a few others), grab a decent read aloud (working on Uncle Wiggly) and then just make sure to get to the library more often. And we look at the globe a lot when a place comes up, and before bed we have a routine of watching a documentary before bed. Either a nature one or a travel one. Right now she's just finished watching all of the little travelers ones and is entranced by Rick Steves Europe. Plus random PBS shows. So I don't need a schedule, or whatever, right? Life, plus some read alouds, plus just being a part of our family watching documentaries at night, that's good, right? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 That sounds perfect for kindy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 (edited) . Edited August 31, 2023 by SilverMoon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Thanks. I'm thinking I need a basket or something somewhere, with the poetry and other books, and we can have "basket time" or something. That way it gets done, but isn't rigid. I can pick whatever I feel like from the basket. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflyer Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Sounds delightful. The only thing we have really been able to fit in is either interest related (he is currently into astronomy) and we listen to SOTW in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Yep! That's how I do kindergarten, too. We do basic handwriting, phonics and math, and then read from good books and live life!!! It's more than enough. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Y'all are making me feel much better!!! Thank you! The idea of "doing" history and science and religion sounds ovewhelming. The idea of book basket time, where i keep all of the above together in a basket and pick something, seems more doable. And for prayers we are working on the Hail Mary when stuck in the car, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 So I don't need a schedule, or whatever, right? Life, plus some read alouds, plus just being a part of our family watching documentaries at night, that's good, right? Correct :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Sounds like my plan. ;) I also have home art studio k that all three of my kids love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Y'all are making me feel much better!!! Thank you! The idea of "doing" history and science and religion sounds ovewhelming. The idea of book basket time, where i keep all of the above together in a basket and pick something, seems more doable. And for prayers we are working on the Hail Mary when stuck in the car, lol. Book basket time is exactly my plan for K. Our oldest (just turned 5) isn't ready for anything more. Heck, I don't even do formal math or phonics yet. We have started studying a virtue and saint of the month (we are Catholic). And we practice a prayer every night at bedtime. We try to do "picnic and poetry" once a week. And I read aloud a lot. Oh, and I am trying to focus on fine motor skills in preparation for writing. (He can't hold a pencil correctly at this point.) At some point this winter when we are housebound due to weather, I will pull out Phonics Pathways and see if he's interested. (Chances are he won't be, but the 3.5 yo will be. And that will convince the 5 yo to do it.) So to make that long post short, my K plan is book basket time, read alouds, religion, and life, adding in math and phonics at some point. Therefore, I think your plan sounds great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 See, we're the opposite, I keep putting off reading aloud, but she loves doing her seat work. Crazy kid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternallytired Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 I read aloud while my kids eat their morning snacks. It's great because it kills two birds with one stone, and their mouths are busy anyhow so it's easy for their ears to listen. I find the end of meals (whether right after that snacktime read-aloud or as we are clearing dinner dishes) to be a great time to go over memory work together pretty informally. And I've been amazed at how much my kids have learned by simply pursuing things that interest them. Just taking the time to talk about or look up answers to questions they have can get you into lots of great topics. And since they often forget most of what they've learned, I figure this age is mostly for exposure anyhow...right? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 The idea of "doing" history and science and religion sounds ovewhelming. The idea of book basket time, where i keep all of the above together in a basket and pick something, seems more doable. Sounds perfect! I have magic school bus, documentaries, science read alouds, social studies/geographic read alouds, atlas, etc, etc. The kids watch two or three educational shows a week and I try to read one nonfiction book, or poetry, or something each schoolday. In my personal opinion that's all they need right now. Science is hard to do indepth until much older, history is a fairly abstract concept, and social studies are easily done through simply being in culture if you live in a multicultural area like I do. I agree with the concept of 'hooks', but those can be made just as easily through general exposure rather than a formal curriculum. The thing with the content subjects is that right now the children have a limited attention span, and should only spend so much time at the table. At this age they're still figuring out basic language and arithmetic, which should be their main focus. I don't want to overcomplicate things for them OR for me, and since I have to actively teach them everything at this age, adding content subjects would definitely make things more overwhelming all around. When the basics are down, and the children are old enough to work for longer periods more independently, then we will begin throwing in the content subjects formally which they will be more capable of grasping at a deeper level by that stage. We require our kids to read a certain amount of science/history/social studies books once they're old enough for silent reading. Around 5th grade we will either begin stepping up the reading, Charlotte Mason style, or move to some formal curriculum done semi-independently with discussion, unsure which option yet. High school we will cover the core sciences, and hopefully an elective science or two, and probably a 4 year history course in full depth. So I don't think casual exposure to the content subjects through general life and reading is going to cause any harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Sounds fabulous to me! :001_smile: I'm on my 6th homeschooled kindergartner. His actual seatwork is just phonics, penmanship, and gentle math, which takes no more than 30 minutes tops. I don't plan or do content subjects with him at all. Well, aside from reading a children's Bible story book to him. I have a few literature books set aside to read to him, but he has been listening in on his sisters' American Girl based history often enough (his choice) that I haven't done much just for him yet. Poetry is less time to commit to, and I think I'll add that. Thanks. :) Your k sounds like mine! Right down to ds being required to listen to our daily Bible story (we're reading through The Bible Story) and listening in on AG based history! He will occasionally chose to do science, history, art, or crafts with me but isn't required to! He does about 30 min. of seat work, I read to him for about 10 min and we do a 20 min k activity. Second go at k is much more relaxed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebbyribs Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Sounds good! Thank you for mentioning that Bookshark Pre-K exists. I don't think they'd come out with it yet when I originally looked at Bookshark, but now that I know it exists I'll definitely keep it in mind for my little guys next year or the year after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegs Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Thanks. I'm thinking I need a basket or something somewhere, with the poetry and other books, and we can have "basket time" or something. That way it gets done, but isn't rigid. I can pick whatever I feel like from the basket. This is pretty much what we do with our quiet home days. I call it "games and stories" and work some mathy board and card games in as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 We've been doing that pretty much since birth and he retains beautifully! We always read aloud for about an hour before bed, and about half an hour before nap. Read alouds during the day are sporadic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 Reading at breakfast isn't going to work..I'm barely coherent at that point, lol. And bedtime is documentary time. Not sure how that happened, but it works. They wind down so nicely, and snuggle on the couch with us while watching. But afternoon, when we've been done with seatwork for a while, and I'm avoiding cleaning the house and making dinner seems to be a natural fit. Today we read from two poetry books and from The Book of Virtues. Tomorrow I'll probably read from Uncle Wiggly, etc etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I like to read after lunch and then send my kids up for quiet time. Evenings don't work as well because the kids enjoy hanging out with dad and I am usually exhausted by then being pregnant with twins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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