Homeschooling your Kindergartener will come with challenges, frustration, joy, and so much fun. Kindergarteners are naturally curious so this can make learning both difficult and easy. Difficult because the child often gets distracted and wants to veer off to the left of your straight path. Easy in the sense that you get a student ready, willing, and able to learn anything and everything she sees. It’s up to you to find the proper tools to guide your little student down the right path.
I hear “What curriculum should I use for my Kindergartener?” all the time. It is reasonable that a parent would want to provide their child the best curriculum and tools for this first year of school. However, often parents want to buy and do too much. This can lead to frustration, and overwhelmed student and frazzled teacher who just wasted money buying “How to Teach Your Child to Speak 10 Languages by Sunday.” If you are new to homeschooling just take a deep breath and relax. Think about the student first and the curriculum and tools second. Your student will always determine what curriculum you choose as long as you homeschool. So first thing is first: use this year to determine your student’s learning style and personality in order to choose the proper tools and curriculum for your child.
So what’s a homeschooling parent to do until such point as a learning style is manifested or discovered? Most kindergarteners are naturally hands on learners. The more you involve your child in applying lessons to real life the more our child will learn. Have your child count as she puts apples in a bag at the grocery store. Ask your child what letter apple starts with or the color of the apple. Cut open and apple and show her the seeds and explain how an apple tree grows. Have your child draw a picture of an apple and practice writing the word or first letter. Explain that an apple is a fruit and how choosing an apple over candy is healthier for her.
Of course you will expand her education by choosing a curriculum or learning tools that suit your child and your needs. If you are unsure what is out there or get overwhelmed looking at all the curriculum offered these days simply purchase a boxed set. A boxed set is a while curriculum by one company such as Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, or Abeka. If you are interested in a more eclectic approach but need a whole curriculum, Love to Learn and Timberdoodle offer great choices for Kindergarten. More confident or experienced homeschoolers can use the internet to search for the 100s of websites that offer free printables for that age group. You can find enough free online to teach an entire year of Kindergarten without compromising on quality of education. Since that age group is known for wanting to do and not sit do not concern yourself solely with books, workbooks and printables. Purchase puzzles, counting games, play clocks, art supplies, counting bears, flash cards, stickers, dice, tanagrams, and other hands on materials to enhance learning.
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