| Author | |
RxLisa
Forum Newbie
Joined: June 10 2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 2:53pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
My DD, Mary, is now almost 3 (will be 3 in Oct). I am right now, doing just "preschool" stuff with her and intend to continue doing that this year.
I was thinking of starting Mary in Kindergarten when she is 4 instead of 5 (which is the standard, I think around here at least). Has anyone does that here or even earlier? If so, what made you decide it was the right move? Did you regret it?
Thanks! I am truly clueless on homeschooling- I went to public school and am JUST meeting people IRL who homeschool so I really have a lot to learn! :)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
zookeeper9
Forum Rookie
Joined: June 27 2010
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 66
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I would say just take it slow. Let her set the pace. There are a couple of books out there. Slow and Steady Get Me Readyand Better Late Than Earlycome to my mind.
I have 4 almost 5 year old triplets and we are just now starting with a pre-K type of program this year. But they have picked up so much with just the regular homeschooling routine with my olders.
__________________
Donna
Wife to Richard (25 years)
Mom to Liz (21), Mandy (19), Douglas (14), Becky (13), Emma (13), Patrick (13), Abby (6), Maggie (6), and Marian (6)
Plus one saint in heaven Andrew 1/22-7/5/2005
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ekbell
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 22 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 747
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 3:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My advice:
Enjoy working with your daughter at the level and speed you are both comfortable with but be wary of labeling her as 'ahead', particularly on any formal documentation or making plans too far in the future.
It is quite common to hit 'road bumps' or developmental plateaus when working with a very young child and the frustration caused by trying to stick to an earlier plan can do a fair amount of damage. Whereas with a bit of flexibility, such plateaus can provide time to change gears and enjoy a broader variety of learning fun. 
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jawgee
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 02 2011
Location: New Hampshire
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1415
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 3:52pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, as you know I homeschooled Nathaniel in K this past year - he was definitely ready but he actually only missed the school cutoff in this area by a few weeks anyway. I also homeschool Chrisian (my oldest) K when he was 4.
We just did some basics - phonics, handwriting skills, simple math.
It honestly only takes (at the most) an 45 minutes a day, usually more like 30 minutes. I tried to break it up into a few 10-15 minute segments throughout the day. (With Nathaniel this year we did a few minutes of reading practice in the morning using Little Stories for Little Folks, a few minutes after lunch practicing his speech works for speech therapy, and a few minutes at Christian's homework time doing handwriting practice or math).
A few things I've learned in the process:
-Christian loves to learn. I wanted to foster that and encourage him to learn about the world around him. Sometimes, though, I pushed him when he wasn't ready or wasn't in the mood for learning. I had to learn fast that it's more important to enjoy the time together than to make constant progress, especially at 4.
-I'm Type-A. Sometimes I have trouble thinking outside of the box to make learning fun. With Nathaniel, especially, I had to think of new ways to engage him and hold his attention. Sometimes we play board games or card games while we are learning something else. I had to convince myself that it really is OK if he is more interested in learning math facts if he is throwing dice instead of writing answers on a worksheet. 
-I've become better at making learning a part of our everyday language - without pushing "lessons" on them. The grocery store is a great place to practice colors, letters, words, math, etc. Driving in the car is a great place to look for letters and words. Reading to the kids regularly every day is a great way to spend time together while we both discover something new.
-It's better to start a little late than a little early. I know that my boys were ready at that age, but I can see that Marian will not be ready at the same age, and that's OK. She will learn to read, she will learn to write, she will learn math and science and history. It will be on her time-frame, though. Not on my idea of what the "right" time is or what the school department thinks is "right". (I mean, who decided that learning to read is better in K than in 1st grade, anyway? When I was in school most kids learned to read in 1st. Now if kids aren't reading by the end of K they get "extra help". There's no rush, IMO).
Those are my quick thoughts. Take is easy and discover a way to love your time together. That will lay a nice foundation for the years ahead!
__________________
Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
The Catholic Cup on Facebook
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
pmeilaen
Forum All-Star
Joined: Sept 07 2008
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 565
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 4:42pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't do any formal school until my children are 6 or 6 and a half. I don't do kindergarten, but start with first grade then. Before that we read books aloud, paint, do crafts, play, listen to music, sing, do circle time, etc.
__________________
Eva
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 5:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It's not just what a child that age can do for school work but if they're doing school work.. WHAT ARE THEY MISSING?? They're missing that time of exploring the real world at their leisure and time for play.. PLAY IS CHILDREN'S WORK. It's good for them. They NEED it.
That certainly doesn't mean that children don't benefit from routine. Or planned activities. Or especially being read to. But it does mean that they aren't "goofing around" the way you might think of an older child or adult that is not doing set work. Their play is developmentally appropriate and while I wouldn't suggest preventing learning.. some children easily pick up reading.. I also wouldn't be making a child that age sit down and learn to read when they're busy with other things.. only if they came to me and asked about something.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 7:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
JodieLyn wrote:
| I also wouldn't be making a child that age sit down and learn to read when they're busy with other things.. only if they came to me and asked about something. |
|
|
Yes, this. My 4 year old last year did work through some early Get Ready for the Code workbooks because his brother had some and he wanted to do "schoolwork" like his brother. But I never asked him to do schoolwork at 4. I will require very little of him this year at 5. He's bright, but he has a lot of imaginative play and listening to stories to do that will serve him better in loving to learn than any formal instruction will, IMO.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: July 28 2011 at 8:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I agree with Lindsay and Jodie. My dd was teaching herself to read at age 4, so I sat and read with her, helped her write her letters, etc. whenever she was interested in doing so. We completed an entire year of K during my son's 5th grade year. I tried very, very hard to let her set the pace, because she didn't "have" to start schoolwork at that age.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: starting kindergarten at an earlier age?
