kindergarten schedule

Don’t forget the extras/fun stuff.  I would hate to work solely on my challenges.  Some of the fun stuff can actually benefit her development overall as well.  My dd7 has special needs and we move at her pace but also take plenty of breaks for fun things.  Some of the kiddos have to work so hard at things that come so easily to others and that can be tiring.  

I have a Kindergartener this year and another next year. In our home Kindergarteners spend maybe 30 minutes a day doing “book work” directed by Mom, this includes some copywork, we use Handwriting Without Tears, reading instruction a la Delightful Reading, Math U See Primer, counting, math games, etc. At the beginning of the year they do the three Rs 2 or 3 days a week, by January my daughter was doing 4 or 5 days a week. She was really showing an interest and readiness for academics so we did more in the second half of the year, and when she turned 6 in March added narration of Aesops Fables. Next year it may go much slower with my son who developmentally is not in the same place she was starting K- and thats OK!

Most of the time they just think the book work is something we do together, not “school”. Sometimes my daughter (K this year) will spend a couple hours “writing” on her own- copying from a book or doing a “project” of some sort that she calls school. I can’t imagine my son (K next year) doing that at all, although he has recently gotten into coloring in his special coloring book and I wouldn’t have imagined him doing that either so who knows what the next year will bring for him? 30 minutes doesn’t include nature study or audiobooks in the car or our bible reading with Daddy in the evening, etc etc etc. I usually split the instruction up into a short block after breakfast and another short block after lunch.

We don’t have music instruction, but my daughter is extrememly active and is in Tae Kwon Do to burn off some of that energy, and my son has speech therapy, and they both have a sports/tumbling class as kind of an extension of the occupational therapy they needed previously, so we are busy busy busy. We are more busy than I would like, actually and I am looking for ways to slow down next year.

Charlotte Mason didn’t encourage starting any formal schooling until 6yo, so K can be very relaxed and most importantly should be pleasant! If your kindergartener is stressing or showing negativity at all you can back off! The best home schooling advice I have ever gotten was to “Start out slow, and then ease up”. It may seem counterintuitive but it really works!

I know you didn’t ask about this but I’ll throw it out there anyway. 🙂 One thing I wish I had done differently with my older boys is to spend as much time building their strengths as I did trying to remidiate their areas of weakness. To focus on the difficulties too much really effects their view of themselves and their confidence to tackle new challenges. Of couse they need to read and do basic math, but their strengths are what will carry them as they go through life so this time around I  make sure to build the strengths as much as possible.

Keep in mind that CM didn’t do any formal schoolwork until after the child had turned 6. I can tell you from personal experience starting my oldest 3 at 4 & 5, I regret not waiting. I almost made the same mistake with my 4yo this past year, but I pulled back & am now waiting until after he is 6. I will never make that same mistake again. CM was spot on with just letting them play & learn by being children. Everything informal through play is incredibly important for their growth.

SaraB. Did you do anything from the Early Years choices (intro to letters, numbers, etc)? I was going to do that with my 3yo who is interested.