How did you homeschool your Kindergartner?

Question

I am new to homeschooling and I am not sure how to do it. Until now we just did "unschooling" and taught my son how to read count to 30 ,simple addition, write his name,etc . In addition we read many different books about anything . He knows a lot more than what he should for his age. However, I feel we need a more structured curriculum that tells me what/when/how to do it. I heard about umbrella schools . I also like the idea that they offer a Kindergarten graduation & diploma . Anyone is using this and can give me a contact N/website? I live in Fl.

I am not sure if I will continue homeschooling after K ,that's the reason I want to go with an umbrella school - they give grading and transcripts. I know another option would be a private school but I cannot afford that .

Any other advice about how to start Kindergarten would be appreciated.

Consider that I also have 2 other kids under 3! Homeschooling in these circumstances is very hard and I am not sure if I can do that .

Thank you

Answer 1

try the Saxon curriculum. I used to use it when I was in kindergarten-6th.

Answer 2

My youngest daughter was ready for K before the charter school would take her. So, I put together my own curriculum, teaching her how to read with phonics cards and simple readers we would get from the library. I found books on science and basic history (we started with patriotism, the flag, founding our country) also from the library, and we just did each day what my daughter was ready for. The following year, when she was old enough to join a charter school, she did both K and 1st grade in one year, just flying through the K12 curriculum. It also helped that she was the youngest, and was learning so much by tagging along with her older siblings' lessons.

Schooling the oldest with toddlers around can be tricky. What I found to be the most effective is to have school time with everybody! While the older one is doing a lesson, give toys to the youngers that are their "school work" too. Set them up with crayons or markers in the high chair, or at the table, and set rules for this time that you are doing school. Teach them the schedule, and they will know what to expect. It takes a little preplanning on your part to have something for them everyday to occupy their time while you work with the older, but it is so worth the trouble to do so! Not only will they expect the routine, they will also listen in on your lessons with the older and be ready to do school when it's their turn.

Umbrella schools are a great option, as are charter schools. I also think there are organizations that help you to write transcripts for high schoolers and show you how to issue a diploma. I'm not in Florida, but I know from reading some of the national lists that the homeschoolers there are wonderfully organized and can help you navigate the HS laws.

Best of wishes.

Shelley

Answer 3

I'm curious as to why you want "grading and transcripts" for a kindergartener??!?  They are necessary.  This is especially true since your child isn't the compulsory age for schooling (which is 6 in FL).  You can have a kdg graduation yourself with family and friends.

Kindergarten should be a year of fun and adventure.  You'll also want to find activities that match your child's learning style.  If your son is like mine and begs for "book work", then you can get him some.  But you don't need to be very regimented in Kdg.

If you think you may enroll him in PS when he's in 1st grade, then take a look at the FL state education standards and make sure you meet them.

http://www.fldoe.org/bii/curriculum/sss/

Don't try to do "school at home".  You can have lots of fun and learning without that.  Also, try to connect with HS'ing groups in your area for fun time with other kids.  You may find a co-op, playdates, etc.

Since my son was more than ready for formal curriculum at age 5, I used a mix of Kdg-2nd grade courses for his "Kdg" year.  We've used K12 for over 5 years now.

Answer 4

I'm in Florida, too.

I did not use an umbrella school.  Just sent in a "letter of intent" to the school district even though my child wasn't old enough to be required to be in school yet.  (Legally, you don't have to have them in school in FL until the school year in which they turn 6, if they turn 6 by Feb. 1.)  Most kindergartners are not 6 by Feb. 1, but I sent in a "letter of intent" (and did a simple portfolio evaluation at the end of the year) in order to have proof that they had done kindergarten.

I've done kindergarten with 2 different children.  Each time was different.  My son wasn't ready for so much formal stuff, for lots of sitting down.  So, we did lots of informal (unschooling-type) stuff.  I used worldbook.com 's site (under "typical course of study") for ideas on what to work on.  We planted lots of seeds, watched lots of "Bill Nye, the Science Guy" and "Magic School Bus" videos from the library, went on lots of nature walks, visited nature centers, and read a variety of books for science.  Watched lots of "Between the Lions" and "Reading Rainbow" on PBS, lots of "Leap Frog" videos from the library, as well as read to him, and worked on "sight words" from lists printed off the internet for reading.  We visited the public library at least once a week.  I read to him from "The Story of the World" books by Susan Wise Bauer for history.  Read about holidays and made little crafts for them, went to holiday parades and talked a lot about their meaning, listened to "The Little House on the Prairie", talked about people and places around town, etc. for social studies.  For math, he learned to count past 100.  Then learned to count by 2's, 5's, 10's.  We watched "Multiplication Rock" a lot and he learned to count by 3's and such, too.  We did addition and subtraction a lot, first with objects and eventually with numbers on paper.  But none of this took a lot of time.  Mostly, he played, went to the park with other homeschoolers, and enjoyed himself.

His sister was ready for workbooks and such sooner.  With her, we got some phonics workbooks and a math workbook, and one of those general comprehensive workbooks that can be cheaply found at discount stores.  Then we continued the same sorts of things we'd been doing with her brother.

I found that if you read aloud to them, the younger ones will listen too and learn along with them.  Especially if you give them paper and crayons and ask them to draw a picture to go with the story.  The nature walks and things can involve all of them.  The fun television programs and videos were interesting to my younger ones, too.  Growing plants and other science activities can be of interest to them all.  And you can do some formal stuff with the kindergartner while the others nap (or have "quiet time"), if necessary.  The learning time shouldn't have to take more than an hour or two each day and should be doable with younger ones around.

If you keep the required portfolio, you don't need a transcript for kindergarten.  It should show the educational activities you've done (just jot a few brief notes each day or week), list the titles of reading materials used (we kept the receipts from our public library to make this easier), and some samples of work (these can be drawings made to go with the history stories, workbook pages, photos of projects done, or whatever works for you).

As for a kindergarten graduation, we made our own at home.  Made mortar board hats out of cardboard covered with black construction paper.  They dictated speeches that I wrote for them and they later read them aloud at their ceremony.  I baked a cake and gave them a diploma that I printed out on the computer and we videotaped it for relatives.  They loved it and didn't need any organization to have it.

If you do go to school after kindergarten, you'll need proof of having done kindergarten.  Sending a letter of intent to the school district and having a portfolio evaluation done is certainly proof.  If you add the portfolio to show to a school to let them know what you've worked on, that should cover it.  At least it did for friends of mine who homeschooled for kindergarten in Florida and then sent their child to first grade in a Florida public school.