I am going to start teaching my oldest Kinder in the Fall and have been having trouble figuring out what exactly my 'plan' is for the lessons. There is so much out there that it is really hard to pick. I have read here and other places that there are several great books, certain package curriculums are good, sites, computer games and so many more recommendations! So for a comprehensive Kinder lesson plan, what did/will you do and what would you recommend? Thank you!
My recommendations: Singapore Math (Essential, not Earlybird) some kind of phonics/alphabet program - sorry, no recommendations there Handwriting Read alouds - Picture books and high interest chapter books Nature study (observing, exploring, and enjoying nature) Crafty activities (I'm doing a crafty unit study for my daughter on holidays/seasons this coming year) Bible - Bible story book
Phonics - Explode the Code, from book 1. Handwriting - Letts Magical Skills Hilarious Handwriting (very good fun for those starting to write) Brainquest workbooks and cards. Math - Ild also say Singapore Math If they are not reading yet, I can recommend Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We really like the Evan Moor Pockets, there are a few choices for grade k-1. For age 3-4 we did an hour a day. 15 mins reading, 15 mins number work, 15 mins phonics one day, handwriting the next, then the rest of the time with a little work making a lap book with the Evan Moor pockets. Perhaps a little more than an hour, all in all. If he was tired after the phonics, Ild let him finish and go and play anything which did not involve the tv or a computer game.
I just finished kinder with my son. Here are some ideas for you: Math : Math u see, singapore or right start math. We currently are using right start. It was a good match for my son as its about 80% manipulatives & games and about 20% worksheets. Phonics: Explode the code either in workbook format or subscribe to their online interactive program. We do a mix of phonics stuff. We do ETC online with bob books & Memoria Press's classical phonics book for fluency. Another thing that has been helpful is doing the "read, build & write activity with our bob books. I would have him read a few pages in a bob book, pick some words to "build" with letter tiles and then practice writing those words that he just built. Bible: "5 minute devotions for children" , "leading little ones to God" Additional ideas: lapbooks, unit studies( things that may interest your child like the solar system or butterflies), nature study, a book called "honey for a child's heart by gladys hunt. Has book lists for read-a-louds, literature based curriculum called "five in a row" etc..hope this does not overwhelm you. Hopefully you can find something that is a good fit for you & your kids.
I like Horizons for Math and Phonics. I would then just get a bunch of books from the library and read aloud. You might also check your library system for literacy kits or subject kits. Alot of times they have packets put together with books and activities. Just getting a few of those for the year would work well too.
I just got Singapore Essential K Math for my DD who just turned 5. It starts off nice and easy/slow, but she is definitely learning from it. We've also been playing with Cuisenaire rods, and watching these videos : www.educationunboxed.com For handwriting I was thinking of trying Abeka's K5 cursive. We did HWT a year ago, but I didn't really care for it. For phonics, we've used Explode the Code ABC, and we also started book 1. Also CLE's Learning to Read. But it was getting a bit too difficult for my dd, so we've been taking a break from it. Just reading lots of books, and sometimes she asks to read to me. Otherwise I don't force it. I would also really like to get Sonlight P4/5. Right now I'm saving up for it
I second the Singapore math. Its very colorful and my soon-to-be kindie used to try writing in his brothers Singapore because of how "fun" it looked! Also, handwriting and reading. I'm going to try Sing Spel lRead WRite, I hear good things about it.
I prefer Christian materials, whenever possible, although I use secular stuff too. I love the free parts of www.starfall.com. I have enjoyed the ABC Readiness workbooks and the GHI ones too (from www.clp.org). But then I add in whatever it seems like the child is ready for, tons of read-alouds, some "little units" I put together on science/social studies type topics...
We will use starfall and pbskids.org for computer time fun this fall as well as reading eggs for my kinder. For our main program we're going to use k-4 from COAH. I've already purchased it and printed out about 3/4 of it. I like that it comes with the lesson plans laid out but is flexible enough that if we want to do a different math game or activity that day we totally can. But I also feel like it's getting the basics. Also for additional math skills he's going to do a calendar notebook similar to this one during group calendar time in the mornings. We're using Usborne's Science activities books volumes 1-3 to touch on 9 different science topics through the year (this he's doing with his 2nd grade brother). We're using various resources to do a "trip around the world" and study the different continents, countries, and cultures - again going to be done with his 2nd grade brother. And we're going to do artist and composer studies. We'll study one artist and one compose simultaneously doing one or two lessons each week on each one. We will only get through 5 of each this year but that's not a problem, we'll finish the other three the next year. Again this is jointly with my 2nd grader. And finally I'll be doing read alouds with the boys and using these for some of them. I'm aiming for two read alouds a month. And in the end for my k'er if I didn't have a 2nd grader simultaneously I would stick to the K-4 program, readings eggs, reading together, and call it a day. All that extra stuff is primarily for the benefit of my 2nd grader.
www.charlottemasonhelp.com Her teaching plan isn't for everyone, but it really works well for Beau and Paddy. I love it because there is very little Prep, it's extremely cost efficient (especially if you have a Kindle, or you can download books to your computer), and her style really jives with what I envision our homeschool day to be like.
I think it depends on what you want out homeschooling and how your child learns. Like Meg, Charlotte Mason's style is how we roll. We unschooled the past 2 years and we found ourselves being very CMish so this year we're using Ambleside Online. I have one in kindergarten you can see exactly what he's doing curriculum wise in my siggy link. He's actually doing year 1 and loving it which is a heavier load than I envisioned for kindergarten but it's homeschool so you roll with the changes, and while my oldest needed very delayed start academics, my youngest is like total opposite and is mad as hell that he can't read yet and want's to do 2-3 lessons a day out of Teach Your child To Read in 100 easy lessons! (A book I personally hate, but he loves!) Research the options, ask questions them jump on in and try something, if it doesn't work, you can always change it!
