HomeSchool JUST for Kindergarten, then back to public school for 1st grade?

Question

We want to Homeschool my daughter just for Kindergarten, then next year she will be going back to Public School system for 1st grade through 12th grade. Is this a bad idea in terms of socially for her? I work a 2nd shift (3-midnight) and only see my daughter on the weekend, but having her home during the day i can work with her and SEE her. It has been tough on her not seeing me and we have to deal with it every morning. I feel that i can teach her what she needs to know for kindergarten and be ready for 1st grade.

So should we do it? or will this put her at a disadvantage to the other 1st graders when she goes back to school?

Answer 1

From my experience, children that age don't normally have trouble socially.  The only disadvantage I can think of would be with your daughter becoming emotionally attached to you,. but that would need to be determined based on her personality mainly.  I think it would be perfectly fine if you didn't start her in public school until 1st grade.  But to be safe, maybe involving her in some sort of activities outside of class would be productive.  Try some dance or gymnastic classes maybe?! those were always my favorites!

Answer 2

Wow, I think that homeschooling your daughter for K can be an option, but what if you face the same situation when she gets into 1st grade?  Homeschooling won't put her at a disadvantage with the other kids (she might be even ahead of them because she received one on one learning).  I have homeschooled my kids for years and there are different seasons of homeschooling.  There were a couple years when I had a toddler around while teaching the older children.  It's not fun at times, and can be stressful, but it is rewarding.  

I would strongly try and find  some homeschooling communities in your area and talk with them.  Maybe your wife will connect with some other moms and see that it's doable with having a small one around.  Also, you might be surprised at seeing the smaller one pick up on things that you are instilling in your Kindergartner, like sitting still, etc...  I would also encourage you to form the rule of raising her hand if she wants to speak and not to interrupt.  We started this in our home when the boys were small and it has really helped in them being respectful when adults speak and so much that my youngest, when he was a toddler, started to do this also at a young age.  

You might try and go on some forums that are only 'homeschool' related.  

homeschool.com has a lot of information and could be a great place to find a support group in your area that could answer questions one-on-one with you and your wife.  

Good luck and I hope this helped a bit.  It's great that you are seeking this avenue.  It is not common for the father to seek out homeschooling and I commend you for it and your devotion to your daughter/family.

Answer 3

I homeschooled my 2 oldest through middleschool and then they reentered the public system for high school. My 3rd child was then 4 and the kindergarten curriculim was so inexpensive we bought it a year early and let our son work his way through it thinking if it was too hard we'd give it to him again the next year when he was actually old enough for kindergarten. He did very well and could read very well at four.

He reentered the public school in 2nd grade, tested out very well and has been very successful in the public schools since.

Good luck. I'm sure your daughter will do fine!

Answer 4

It won't hurt her in any way.  You are more than capable of teaching her what she needs to know by the end of Kindergarten.  It might be good to talk to someone at the school she will eventually go to and find out just what they do expect.  Kindergartens vary widely, some teach only colors, number, letters, shapes, etc.  while others expect kids to be starting to read by the time they are finished.  Either way, you can do it yourself, but just find out the expectations so you know how to best proceed.

I am not sure why you only want to homeschool for one year, its such a great way to educate a child, but that is your choice and I can assure you that you will not harm your daughter as long as you are involved and interacting with her in meaningful ways each day.

This is a great site to use occasionally for pre-reading / beginning reading skills.

http://www.starfall.com

Here is a company that carries a lot of early childhood stuff.

http://www.rainbowresource.com

Here is a company with an easy to use, advanced Kindergarten curriculum.  (They carry two different Kindergarten curriculums, the one I recommend is Horizons, the LifePacs are not very good at the K level)

http://www.aop.com/horizons/index.php

This just added, considering the situation you are in, I think its wonderful that you are willing to do what it takes to spend more time with your child.  If you need any help, feel free to e-mail me.  You never know, a lot of people decide to try homeschooling "for a little while" and later can't see why they would ever want to stop.  Regardless, I'd be happy to help for as much or as little time that you do it.

OH------------------------------------...

I just noticed that one of my links was off, I was typing "rainbow resource" while my kids were watching a reading rainbow video in the background, well, I typed reading rainbow.  I fixed the link now.

Answer 5

K is an option.  No formalities required until a student is 6 years old.

Answer 6

yes as a parent, not only do u decide what is most important for ur child, but u feel safe what u want around them. then u have an advantage since u said u feel u can teach her all the stuff and i think u do. i  myself teach kindergarten at a private school and i dont even have an associates degree from college. as long as u know what ur doing and do ur very best they will get educated.

Answer 7

When I was younger, I was the same way.  I cried before school because I wanted to stay home, and if I had to go I would go to the nurse and tell her I was sick.  This was for most of kindergarten-2nd grade.  Then I got a little better and went easier.  But then in fifth grade, the same stuff started happening.  We found out that I have social anxiety.  I was homeschooled from 5th-6th grade.  Then I went to a private school for 7th-8th grade.  And now I am homeschooled again.  I am a sophomore now.  I am hoping to go back to school next year, but I have to find a small school.  I am now on medication also.  My opinion is that if you let her be homeschooled now, she is going to know that if she doesn't want to go to school she doesn't have too.  She will know that there is an alternative.  I would talk to her about it, and try as hard as you can to keep her in school.  What helped me get thru most of my school years was my parents taking me out for lunch.  I don't know if they have that at your daughters school.  But it really halped break up the day.  I got to go home and eat and then I went back to school for 2 and a half hours.  I would talk to the school about taking her out for lunch.  That should help the situation.  At least try this before taking her out of kindergarten completely and homeschooling.  If you have any questions or anything, email me.

Answer 8

I would ask you WHY you have this plan? Why just kindergarten? If it is just for you, so you can see her? Kids can develop socially without public school, but I would encourage you to examine your logic here. Kindergarten is a year where they learn a lot to get them ready for the major learning in first grade. Without a great foundation, you can't build a stable house.

If you want to keep your kiddo home becuase you think you can teach her far more than anyone, great! Do it. But if you want to keep her home because you work a funky shift and want to see her more...well...?

Ultimately YOU have to do what is best for YOUR DAUGHTER. Good luck to you.

Answer 9

Salutations!

I home school my two teens. We are in our 5th year.

There are many types of schools - Montessori to Military, and home schools are as varied as the families and children that they cater to. Every child has different needs. Some are gifted. Some are special needs, some are twice gifted. All grow at different times in different ways - all is not uniform.

Who would not want their child to be tutored, have a learning environment tailored to their needs? To have the ability to teach to the auditory, kinesthetic, or visual learner as best they learn?  Why are you apologetic and feel the need justify your decision?  Whatever the reason, think on the following...

To take breaks and enjoys friendships, have a longer term recall in learning, and be able to pursue their passions and talents? And not be part of the mass "no child left behind" = (every child left behind) act.

To have the scope and sequence that fits the needs of the child, (i.e. - to learn about the civil war in a different order and mostly more detail)? To live history by walking the Freedom Trail, Learn physics by going to Fermilab, to travel through the bison at Custer Park. To have the ability to attend operas, Celtic Fests, and improvisational acting troupes? To pursue professional ice skating, horsemanship, chess, music, or dance? To volunteer and develop internships that lay the ground work for your life?

The ability to explore friendships in areas they have interests, have more free time to pursue friendships. To have mentors and mentor others, to laugh and relax when necessary, instead of living in the hamster wheel of

command performance.

Your child sounds like she is anxious and frustrated.  It may have to do with the academic experience or bullying that she is experiencing, not you.  Kids shouldn't be foreced into the world, but join it so they can embrace it when they are ready.  Trust me, in time she will separate from you and you will still have a close relationship.  

To have the ability to have kids grow up at the pace they are ready to instead of rushing into things they are not prepared for, not to insulate them from society, but to give them a wise sage to show them the guidance needed.

It is the ability to give a child a chance to work ahead instead of being bored. To take time to truly grasp a process an idea. Instead of glimpsing at it? To grow up and not look back with regret and to shape their own

curriculum?

Our kids are quite social creatures with active social lives. Our home is filled often with kids from home school groups, public and private schools, and neighborhood kids. We have fun together! They go to high school dances with their dates, have salsa balls, winter balls, and their own dances. They have home school conventions were they can learn about everything from chain mail to water testing to cinematography.

Socialization is not one dimensional. You mentor those younger, learn from those older, and have classes at museums, co-ops taught by different experts, and learn how to interact with adults deeply, not just kids.

Concerning the educational material, you do not have to use the same as the traditional education classrooms. You can choose what works best for your child. Every year my husband and I pour over hundreds of different curriculum to tailor them to our children and make sure that they are the best sources. For instance, a science book may be written by a literature specialist, but not someone with a strong understanding for science concepts. This is often reflected in the writing. Know your editors. Talk to the companies.

We have the world as our classroom. It is an opportunity to explore to grow, learn hands on. Do you learn better by touching and hearing from a docent the reality and contractions of a 5,000 year old shoe and how the society functioned, or by swiftly turning a page and seeing a little snippet of a picture of it? By sitting in a Hopi Native American lodge and learning of the sociological interactions? Hands on field work paired with the best academic resources leads to a better understanding.

This year, my children are reading several books in every subject to help give them a well rounded understanding of the subjects, as well as the ability to discern the best information, instead of just needing to parrot things back from short term memory.

This is the glimpse of why we home school. On top of that we get an added blessing. We get to enjoy these teachable moments with our children and see the magic of the learning process happening. We get a closer bond and the

ability to see the effect of the work and the sacrifice. It isn't a second hand enjoyment. It shapes us all.

There are sacrifices. There are days that are challenging, as any teacher will confide to you. It is secondary to the joy gained. The joys of seeing our children grow into the people that they were intended to be, and knowing we made a difference.

I have many friends that are teachers in private and public schools that encourage me to home school. I admire them for their energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence. They are frustrated teaching to the mandated tests, devoting 30-36% of their time to this testing, and loosing 5 minutes at the beginning of the class to get everyone settled and 10 minutes at the end to have them pack up and organize. They also hate reteaching material at the beginning of the year and not being able to teach deeply in a subject when the kids show an interest. Limited financial incentives hurt as well. "State Standards" are pretty standard as well. Research these for your own comprehension.

We tried traditional school first. There was good there at times, but my kids are happier here. They're challenged, allowed to sleep in to 7:30 a.m., able to slow down when needed to recharge, and able to pursue their passions and talents... and be kids. Every year we reassess, and so far everyone in is agreement. My daughter managed to accomplish two grades at once last year.

As I stated earlier, every family is different, and I believe that the patience is necessary, like any teacher or mentor will tell you. It tends to come with the job!  Youboth sound like you are up for the job.  Assess every year if you must, but go in with the confidence that you have been raising her well and home schooling her unofficially already.  Enrichment learning really makes a difference.

I hope this helps!  Don't doubt yourself.  

Also, check the requirements for the state you live in concerning home school.  Home school legal defence has a listing available on their website:

http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1

The web has amazing free resources.  Just google away and see what you find.  Check out your state standards too, even though the information is quite generalized and limited.  

Realize that when you home school, you will cover material in a different sequence of the public school.  be comfortable with this.  If people ask you if you have done something yet and you have not, just let them know that you are using a different sequence and tend to go into more detail in the scope of your teaching.

Good Luck on your journey!

Answer 10

I'm trying not to be insulted at the implication (intentional or not) that there's something wrong with homeschooling, 'but if you do it for "just kindergarten", it *might* be okay'. I don't understand at all what sort of social disadvantage you think it will put her at. She won't know how to talk to others? Won't know how to play with others? That would only happen if you didn't give her the opportunity to do those things.

My kids are 10 and 7 and have always been homeschooled. Although we had originally been looking at up to and including gr. 9, we are now rethinking and may go all the way through. They have no problems socially. Nor do 99% of the homeschooled kids they know. They take community lessons, my dd has been to summer camp and both dd and ds are hoping to attend next year, they meet various kids all the time, they have friends, have birthday parties, attend birthday parties, etc.

If your daughter 'suffers socially', it'll only be the result of how she's homeschooled. If you do plan on putting her in school (although, I will warn you that I've met more than one homeschooling mother who had planned to homeschool for "just kindergarten" and ended up doing it for years :) ) for grade 1, do make sure she has some sort of structured activity she can attend with other kids. Kindergarten isn't so much about the academic learning in many places (it's very easy for parents to cover all that stuff at home) but about learning how to work with routines, with other people around, getting used to being in seats at tables/desks, etc. It would be good for her to have some experience this coming year that would enable her to transition into school reasonably well.

Answer 11

It beats me why emotional attachment to parents is considered a bad thing. If you want to homeschool her so you can actually have a relationship with her, then great! That's one reason why many people homeschool and kids who have strong, positive relationships with their parents grow up into confident people. Her tears tell you that she needs you.

As for making sure she's up to the same academic standard as the other grade ones, there won't be much to it. What do kinder kids learn anyway? I'm sure you can teach her basic reading, basic maths and get her started with writing. Get involved with your local homeschooling group for that year. She needs to socialise, but that doesn't mean you can't be around while she's doing it. She's a little kid, with the needs of a little kid, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Answer 12

Your daughter will be just fine.  One of my friends homeschooled her daughter just for kindergarten, and she was ahead academically and perfectly fine socially the next year.  Do what is best for you and what you feel in your heart.  It sounds like your daughter was really trying to get the message across to you what was important to her (by the sign of the stomach aches.)

I have just sent my first daughter to public school.  She is in 10th grade and is excelling academically and socially.  Homeschool is not for everyone, but it has been fine for us.  We have yet to see how our children turn out in society though  (wink.)

Answer 13

That sounds like you have a promblem on your hands. she can make friends anytime. you can go to fieldtrips with her. another she always know who you are.

Answer 14

I'll warn you now--WATCH OUT!!

We had friends who homeschooled.  Their children were always so fun to be around.  They were active, well adjusted, compassionate children who respected their parents.

When we had children, I stayed home with them from the start.  Once the "schooling years" came along, we decided to try homeschooling.  

Like I said, WATCH OUT!!  You will be absolutely hooked!  If you get any enjoyment whatsoever from watching your children goo and gaa and then take their first steps, it will only multiply many times over if you homeschool.  YOU WILL NOT WANT TO STOP homeschooling!  And guess what?  You will learn as much as they do!

We continued homeschooling for 8 years and three children.  We are now on the receiving end of the positive comments about well behaved, decent chldren.  I attribute some of that to homeschooling.  (Our parenting style would be the same whether we homeschooled or not.)

Homeschooling is not the answer to everything and is not for everyone, but if you have the desire and your child's best interest at heart, you should do it for ANY amount of time that you can.  In a sense, you've already been teaching at home.

Our entire lifestyle changed once we had children.  My husband works in manufacturing, not a real high-paying field.  We found many ways to change our lifestyle to fit our income.  Our children never go without the necessities.  People are very kind to us also, helping us by passing along clothing, etc.

Where are our children now?  They are currently in public school.  They did not suffer any social problems and no one thought they were freaks.  Most of the children already knew them from church, sports, etc.  As long as you take your child into the world, they will be social.  We now have honor students and future leaders.

Just one more at home left to teach!  :)  :)

Answer 15

I just want to say I am surprised at the number of answers you received saying that the problem you are going to be facing is that your daughter will become emotionally attached to you!  The way people react to parents that decide to homeschool always floors me.  Bottom line?...you know your needs better than anyone else, and you definitely know your baby girl better than anyone else.  Having children, to me, is about loving them and being with them as much as you can, and yes...letting them get attached to you.  Your daughter has plenty of time for socialization, so don't even worry about that issue.  Life is too short so spend as much time with your kids as you can!!