Kindergarten + Mother Culture: Term 1 Recap

Here's how our year is so far! I hope my notes on what is working and what is NOT working for Kindergarten (including math curriculum notes - which will save you money!) and Mother Culture will give you ideas for bringing joy to your own homeschool.

Kindergarten Overview

This is round 2 of homeschool for our family. I had two children in my twenties, and now, two children in my forties. Even though we have a lot of experience under our belts, this is actually the first year I have taught kindergarten. 

We had some adjustments and transitions to make. We started the year with my older daughter teaching. However, due to a need for "mom authority" - I am now teaching. It has been good.

I thought I was burned out, but it turns out, I'm loving it and we are finding our rhythm! Each child is so different, and my kindergartner really likes hands-on and needs very short lessons.

What Is Working

For the most part, we are following our Kindergarten Booklist and Teacher Guide's day-by-day lessons as planned and written. On most days, we complete the 1 hour lesson, often with a 15-munute play break in between.

I can't emphasize this enough, but for prep-level, the main objective is that children learn Reading, Writing, Arithmetic (3R's). This sets them up for formal learning beginning in first grade.

So, on days when the attention span isn't there, we might skip morning time, but we always try to complete the three R's!

• Reading - Learning to read with a phonics-based program (for 10 minutes).
• Writing - Learning how to write letters and words (for 10 minutes).
• Arithmetic - Learning how to count and add (for 10 minutes).

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With that being said, I want to share what's not working with kindergarten and what changes I had to make. I hope it helps you save your time and money.

What's Not Working (Changes to Our Curriculum)

Reading.  I taught A all the letters and phonic sounds using my own Learn to Read (Level A) and it was very successful. It was systematic. She enjoyed and learned all the letters and sounds. We were happily building words with letter tiles and this was going very well also. 

Then, we opened the McGuffey Primer (I have a hard copy) and got to lesson 2, when the cat catches the rat, and my sensitive A, cried. Not every book works for every child, and as much as I love the McGuffey Series (I have the whole set), I realized that some of the more serious topics in this series, may not be a good fit for my sensitive A.

So, I went back to a trusted resource, Hooked on Phonics, Level 3. Best price is Rainbow Resource or see Thriftbooks for used copy. It's working. If you need reading help, I recommend this program.  It is systematic and user friendly (but NOT the app).

Writing:  For writing, I decided to buy Kickstart Kindergarten by Handwriting Without Tears. This is my absolutely favorite writing program (workbook only).

This is how I teach the lesson and it works very well for A.

Step 1: I Do.  A watches me write the strokes of the letter on the chalkboard. I emphasize each line as I write it. I say something like this: one line down and one big bump (D).

Step 2: We Do. Next, A writes the letter on the chalkboard while I watch. I make sure her strokes are formed correctly and guide as needed.

Step 3: You Do.  Finally, I ask A to complete her "seatwork." She sits and writes the same letters on the corresponding page - only 1 page per lesson. This makes A feel independent. 

I ask A to raise her hand when done with her seatwork. I check each letter for good penmanship. I draw a star by each one that is neat and let her re-do the ones that aren't as neat, then give them a star when completed. She likes earning all her stars. 

Arithmetic:  The objective to teaching any subject, and especially math, is to go "deep and wide." We want to teach a beginning concept and then give ample repetition so that it is fully understood and memorized.

For example, when we teach "1" the child learns:

• how to write the number (one line down and then you're done this is how we make a one)
• how to count the number (how many cookies are in my hand)
• where it is on the number line 
• a little later, they learn what addition problems make up 1 (0+1, 1+0)

Rod & Staff Math does this and does it well. We are using, with success, Workbook 1, but we are keeping the lesson very short - working only for about 10 minutes.

Good & Beautiful Math does NOT teach math well. It does not teach the basic concepts in a systematic order. It does not give ample repetition when learning a new concept. Sometimes it does not teach a new concept at all but expects the child to know without teaching. It may have pretty picture, but it is NOT a good math program. I hate to speak against a company (and I have no experience with any of their other curriculum), but as a teacher, I have to tell the truth so we can teach our children and save our curriculum dollars.

Storytime, Habits, Outdoor Play, More.

• We need more outdoor play for A now that it is winter!  Since baby J's walk (with big sister) is in the morning, I am going to start joining in with A for that.
• A's habits are really coming along: the basics such as brushing teeth, hair, and washing face. I think I will have her begin to take care of Tippy Cat and set the table for dinner.
• We are progressing very well through our storybooks and are almost done with Jolly Robin from the Arthur Scott Bailey Series, which I will continue. I recommend it for kindergarten! As I shared in our recent Parent's Review, she was not ready for Burgess Series. Remember, it's okay to level up or down to bring those stories to life!  (See chart in footer.) We are progressing with the other storybooks very well. We like "The Bird-Woman of the Lewis and Clark Expedition."
• In the community activities includes Ballet and weekly Library trips for this year. We are also, since moving back to our home state, attending churches to find a good fit for our family.
• Enrichments we are enjoying and doing on a rotational basis include Solfa Sofa, Watercoloring, Picture Books, Drawing, Coloring, Papercrafts, Classical Music (listening and books), and other related learning activities such as playdough letters or painting our state on the floor map.

Mother Culture Recap

For Mother Culture, I keep it simple. I chose three books: a book of the Bible, Fiction, and Non-Fiction and place that by bedside (or desktop). Here are my Mother Culture Term 1 Plans. 

So, how am I progressing? Baby steps!  Sad to say, I have barely begun the Miss Read book! I give myself grace. With Baby J, I am so tired by bedtime that reading is rarely happening.

I am planning on moving "Mom Time" to the early mornings. My mother gave to me a new devotional entitled, "Words for Women." I am soaking in the readings.

Final Thoughts

I want our studies to instill a love of learning, and part of that is teaching good student behavior. We have just three rules for kindergarten.

1. Eyes on teacher - during lesson time. *
2. Hand in air - for answering questions or talking.
3. Bottom in seat - because I have an especially wiggly one.

Sometimes I draw a picture of a student on the chalkboard doing the three rules. I draw arrows to the eyes, hand, and bottom. *I try to explain that a "lesson is when I talk and you listen."

Sometimes I draw a flower on the chalkboard for when A is doing an especially good job on the lesson or following the rules. Three flowers will earn a candy.

Sometimes I change things up to bring interest to our lesson: let's make our letter from playdough today, or let's sit on a blanket (on the floor) for story time today, or let's have "Hop Picks Eggs Up" (a stuffed rabbit) count with us today.

Sometimes progress feels slow, but I keep the main goal of finishing the lesson plan each day no matter what even if it means two breaks or finishing after lunch. 

Finally, let me remind you (and myself) that motherhood is a joy, a challenge, and a call. When we serve our family (not ourselves), when we put their needs before our own, a surprising thing happens, we become fulfilled. God will bless our efforts and over time, our conscientious efforts will produce fruit.