Public Prep. School to Home School with a 5 yr. old..how to make the transition?

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  • October 31, 2011 at 6:19 am
    angiko
    Member

    My daughter is 5 years old and attends public full day Kindergarten. She attends a school that uses core knowledge, requires uniforms and this year decided to extend the school day by an extra half an hour( to ensure learning of all the required state materials.) She is in school from 8 AM to 3 PM. She has been coming home so tired and cranky and is so sad attending school now. She has this beautiful love for learning that I feel is getting stomped on.

    We had parent teacher conferences last week, and her teacher said that she is performing at a much higher level than her peers( said she was the top in her class in all areas). She also said that if they had ar/ap classes for her grade that she would be in them. I think she is not being challenged and is just wiped out from the long day. She has been begging to do school at home.

    I have been researching like crazy, and am very interested in starting schooling the Charlotte Mason way. However, according to Charlotte Mason at age 5 we really shouldn’t be doing “formal education” I also have a 2.5 year old son and newborn preemie twins ( they are almost 4 months old now!). So I am looking for structure, with flexibility. I loved having a Liberal education and wish that growing up I had less “twaddle” and more living books, like those I had in college. She is really wanting to do school at home and state law does not even require her to be in school at this time. 

    I come from a very large family and 3 of my 4 sisters homeschool their children. All different ways. One does more of unit studies/ thomas jefferson, the other is more of an unschooling type and the third is very ecclectic.  Although my sisters homeschool, my base of friends are all public school teachers. 

    I am just unsure how to go from such strict long school day to doing homeschool. What do you CM mommies recommend. How do I pull her from public school to a Charlotte Mason Education. Should I still focus on the “early years” or should I try and go towards more 1st grade/Year one type books. I am so overwhelmed. This is something we want to do.. I am just soo lost on how to start. 

    October 31, 2011 at 6:31 am
    Wings2fly
    Participant

    Every family is different, so my first advice is to pray about it and then to relax and follow His leading. Hopefully others, more experienced will chime in here. I would take 1 to 2 weeks off from any school and plan some educational field trips and some game days or park days, etc. and then start in with reading aloud lots of great literature (Early Years) for both of your older children at the same time. Then you can add back some “schoolwork” where you think she would enjoy learning. My dd is turning 5 and is reading because she picked up the letter sounds when I taught them to her older brother. She loves to read and write and *for her* I need to keep her going. Some children are not ready for this until later. Every child is different. Do not push it on her, but also do not make her wait if she is ready.

    http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/eyguide/eyreadalouds/

    My dc especially enjoy A.A. Milne stories and poems.

    October 31, 2011 at 1:08 pm
    Monica
    Participant

    I have a similar story with my 5YO (he’ll be 6 next month). The difference is, though, that I decided to homeschool before he went into K. I was very concerned about him being in school from 8:30-2:30. I think that is an extremely long day for a 5YO, and especially for boys who like to explore and have down-time.

    Anyway, I researched a lot over the summer and decided on a CM approach. Since he is almost 6, we started with some formal studies (although nothing is too formal for a child who is so young). We do lots of read-alouds (history, science, literature, poetry) and he learned to read over the summer so he practices reading to me every day. Otherwise he loves doing nature study and adding to his nature journal, science projects, and other hands-on activities. He also really loves math, and because he loves doing math problems we do use a workbook for that. He does copywork a few days a week and a little geography, also. All of it is very “light”, though, meaning that it is not intense, it doesn’t stress him out, he likes to learn, and it doesn’t take very long at all (maybe about an hour a day).

    I also have a 9YO, a 3YO, and a 2YO, so school is a little chaotic sometimes, but he is really enjoying himself. It’s great to see him grab something he’s been working on in school to show his aunts and uncles or grandparents. He’s proud of what he is learning. He tends to be the type who complains about everything, so that’s encouraging to me.

    Prayers for you as you make your decision.

    October 31, 2011 at 3:36 pm
    Tristan
    Participant

    ((HUGS))  It’s an adventure to step away from someone else doing all the planning for you, but it will be wonderful!

     

    Here is how I think I would do it, if I were in your situation.  Find out how to legally remove your child and what the legal requirements are for your state.  IN mine (Ohio), once a child has been enrolled in a public school they must officially homeschool/provide notification/etc even if they are under the legal age.  (The age here is 6, but if my 5yo had attended public school then been pulled out we would have to jump through the legal hoops for homeschooling as if they were already 6.)

    Once you’re clear on your requirements, pull her and give you both time to detox from the all day work schedule.  Instead try some gentle fun/learning.  If she likes worksheets then grab ONE workbook she can do a page from once a day for something to do.  If not, don’t bother.  Get out puzzles, playdoh, art supplies, and children’s board games like Scrabble Jr or Clue Jr (totally doable even with non-readers).  Also begin to have read aloud time every day – use the SCM guides to pick a nice chapter book or stacks of picture books.  Read, relax, and enjoy it. 

    Then start deciding what you want to use for basics like math.  As you get those items in, start using them one at a time to get into a routine.  If you want to add in picture study or nature study go for it – simple and gentle.  I wouldn’t do any formal science, just nature study, for that age.

    Like the others have said – do what your daughter is interested in and back off as needed.  She’s still little, let her be little but don’t make her wait around if she WANTS to do something.  Follow her lead.

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