How much help do you give when homeschooling a 5 year old?

Question

I've been homeschooling my son in kindergarten for 7 weeks now. He is 5 1/2 years old and I think I hit a road block? Because I don't know how much help I should be giving him? Am I giving him too much, am I getting frustrated because I'm expecting too much from him? We've started using the jumpstart jumbo workbook.. so we're working on word building and sentences now. When I ask him to sound out a word he tries to guess the word instead of looking at the letters in front of him and sounding them out.... after some struggle and frustration on both parts he will sound them out? Should I just sound them out with him and tell him the word and not worry if I'm telling him too much information? Or am I not making him work for it enough and helping him too soon?

Answer 1

It sounds like his work is too hard for him. There has been studies done that say that most kids are not developmentally ready to learn to read until 7 years. Back off a bit. By the time he is looking at college applications, no one will know when he started reading fluently!

If you are looking for a different program, think about this one: http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Parents-G... I'm sure other people can recommend others.

A kiddie his age probably can't deal with a lesson lasting longer than 10 mins. I wouldn't even worry about sentence structure yet. Make sure he knows the sounds each letter, and letter combination make. Pick one sound and run around the house to try and find items that start with that sound. Not the letter, the sound. Boys learn better on the move... Once he's confident with that, then you can put them together to make words. Get some letter fridge magnets and plonk yourselves down on the kitchen floor. I'm convinced that memory is greatly enhanced by *not* sitting on a kitchen chair. :) Start with simple, three letter words. Instead of focusing on spelling, let him sound them out. "If you were going to use these letters to sound out "Cat," which would you use? It doesn't matter at the moment, whether he uses the "c" or the "k." Both demonstrate that he knows what sound they make. Play with that idea, then you can put up some words for him to sound out. Obviously you can spell them properly :) Get a copy of the 100 most used words, take those that can be sounded out, and practise them.

Remember when he was a little baby? You would watch him for signs of development, and they would trigger off an idea of how to encourage it. You noticed him grasping, so you gave him something to hold. You noticed him waving his arms, so you have him a rattle. You noticed him taking an interest in your dinner, so you started him on solids. What you are doing now is just the same. If you keep observing him, he'll tell you when he's ready for the next challenge.

Answer 2

Like others have said I wouldn't worry too much about structured learning.  You can do lots of creative things like for writing have him finger paint his letters and numbers.  Also like someone else has mentioned www.starfall.com is a good site. It's fun for them and if you wanted you could print some worksheets from there for free.  You could also order stuff from the sight for a good price.  For math I don't know how much he does know but you could use things to count and to teach adding and subtracting that way.  Worksheets don't really have to be used.  Make sure you both are enjoying being together and learning.  I remember how frustrated I was when I started Kindergarten with my oldest son so don't give up and just relax.  You will be surprised on just how much he will learn when you both learn to relax.

Answer 3

at this early of an age you shouldn't pressure him.

it's best not to use workbooks and stuff because every kid develops differently and he will learn all that stuff anyway if you just let him be a little kid.

read to him, practice the alphabet and counting and shapes but don't pressure him.  make learning fun!

Answer 4

Unless he knows what the letters are and the sounds they make are, then he won't be able to sound out the word.  

He's 5, he needs the help.  I have my daughter in an online virtual academy and still help her sound most of her words out if she seems to be struggling.  

Workbooks are sometimes too advanced for Kindergarten.  after 7 weeks it doesn't seem like the child would have enough background in phonics to be able to sound out the words.

Answer 5

I would find a different program, to be honest. The JumpStart books are designed more for extra practice rather than instruction. Find something else to teach him--like the program in the back of "Why Johnny Can't Read" which focuses on sounding out the words and goes in little chunks--and then use the workbook as extra practice for what he has already been taught. Yes, he's going to need help sounding it out if things are new to him. Especially at 5.5. So find something else to actually teach him.

Answer 6

Since I don't know you or your son, it is hard to say, but I might think about a different approach. My children seem to learn in a non-linear way. In other words, they will make a great leap in a skill and then plateau for a while.

I used "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" with my kids. One child began to read, but then around lesson 65 or so, just struggled and got so frustrated I put the book away for a few months. When we came back to it, I thought we'd have to go back a bunch of lessons and start again. NO! She actually leaped forward and her reading took off.

What did we do during the "gap" ? Read books (together, me reading aloud, books on tape in the car), played games like Uncle Wiggley (bits of reading on the cards) and simple stuff like that. One was where I would assign a child a word, and while reading together they had to say the word anytime we came to it.  Helped them learn to follow along and move the eyes properly.

I have learned a lesson and found that ~sometimes~ backing off when a lot of struggling is going on is the right choice. We come back to it at another point, but move to something new to challenge them. It almost never fails that the leap happens somewhere when we are on break from that subject, and it comes easier.

Remember, at 5.5 they still need much more physical motion and kinestheic learning rather than workbooks and "seat work".  

Good luck!

Answer 7

Don't worry about it, just go with your instincts.  He's very young, and you don't want to make learning a chore.  Many people don't do any formal teaching in homeschooling until the child is at least ten or eleven.  Guessing words is an important part of learning to read, as well as sounding out - so encourage him, help him if he wants help, and ensure that you stop as soon as he starts to feel stressed.

The most important thing to do is to keep reading to him so he continues to enjoy books!

Answer 8

Most 5 year olds don't read, and those that do don't do well just yet. I would be helping on just about everything, maybe do half the page with him, get his mind wrapped around the skill you are trying to do then let him do the last few alone, asking for help when needed.

He might not like the approach of book work. My daughter likes to work with the magnet letters(.88 cents at walmart) We bought a few packs of them and a cookie sheet. We use that to make words, maybe you can incorporate that with your book work.

We are also fans of the LeapFrog videos. The Letter Factory starts off with the letter and their sounds and then they have the Talking Word Factory 1&2 and another that goes more into reading. My kids loved ALL of these videos.

Word guessing is a normal stage of learning to read. He will get it eventually. Something else you can try... say the word he is trying to read is PUPPY but he says DOG(he sees a picture of it lets say) maybe you could give him a choice of 3 words tell him no that it is not DOG, could it be PUPPY, SPOT or HOUND. You can then help him by offering help on how to figure it out, sounding out the words you gave him and looking at the word he has in front of him which word sounds like the letters he is looking at. Does that make sense?

But really, I think I would ease up a little, help when needed and find some more things to do that might be a little more fun and crative.

Good luck

Answer 9

Oh gosh! At 5 I wouldn't worry about this. I put off formal stuff with my kids until they're 7 or 8. A lot of kids simply aren't ready developmentally at 5 for a lot that's being asked of them. Alternately, he may not be a kid phonics works well for. You could try a whole reading or sight word approach for now. Either way, a good move might be to replace the workbooks with some games (Starfall.com is excellent!) and lots of reading time.

Answer 10

It's not about how much, or how little help you give the child, but rather that you do it together!!

Home schooling is working with each other until the youngster shows you that he/she would like to do it on their own, and comes to you when he/she has questions.

You play, (boardgames), read aloud, color, do crafts together...

There are tapes, computer software, or other interactive resources that you can use to have him sound out letters, and built words that are loads of fun.

http://www.planetcdrom.com/discount-soft...

Check Scholastics as well.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/home.j...

See about getting some DVDs from the library that teach quick 15 minute lessons in phonics, and other area's.

Use the Magic School bus, Magic Three House, Bill Nye the Science Guy, School House Rock, and many more.

Make it fun, and the road block will turn into smooth sailing...

Answer 11

I sit with my son and we do everything together! He's right about the same age as your son. We are going to try a program only because he wants to do school like his older sister. If he does well with it then we will continue; if not then I will back off and go back to reading and basic math. I'm in no way expecting him to read yet but he can read a few words. It only gets better with time.

Frustration is a normal part as you struggle to find a balance and you are just beginning. You and your son will find your groove and next thing you know you'll realize everything is going smoothly and your son loves to learn!

Also remember he's 5 and the attention span may not be what you think it should be. Some lessons for my son last 5 minutes all day. He just doesn't have it in him to listen long enough sometimes. He needs lots of playtime and there are all sorts of sites on line that are great! Like www.starfall.com www.pbskids.org, www.nickjr.com, and www.disney.com Games can educate!