I'm finally getting back to my Home school series I started forever ago. I've addressed why we chose to home-school, what method of teaching we like, and now I'm going to get into how we are going to apply all of this and actually teach.
Just like in The Sound of Music, we are going to "start at the very beginning." It really is " a very good place to start."
The beginning in this sense is subject matter. What am I going to teach? A lot, actually, and we're only in Kindergarten!
First, the basics:
Reading
I am currently going through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with both Bella and Balian. It takes 20 minutes per day, per child. Bella is half-way through and she's reading paragraphs. By the end of 100 lessons, she will be reading at a 2nd grade reading level. Some words that she reads, she never would have been able to read at this point if we were simply teaching phonics. It really is a fabulous way to teach a child to read. It takes a lot of the frustration out of the equasion, because it tells you what to say, and it tells you how to correct mistakes. Balian is on about lesson 10. He's reading 3-letter words and he's not quite 3. Granted, he was already recognizing all of both the upper and lower-case letters, as well as their sounds, which is why I knew he was ready to start reading. The biggest obstacle with him is the attention span. I use whatever attention I can get, the most I possibly can. We usually repeat 1 lesson several times before moving on, so that I know for sure that he's got it down. Repetition is always good.
After we finish the 100 Lessons, in the back of the book they provide a book list for books to have the child read and what new words they need to learn to be able to read that book. I'm going to run with that, and go through all of those books with Bella, then move on to something else. Not sure what yet.
Writing
Writing is pretty simple...as far as preparation goes. As far as doing it, it is Bella's least favorite activity.
I use a pre-k through 2nd grade writing tablet.
Her copy- work consists of an excerpt of something she read that day for her "story".
We usually do 1-2 sentences, or about 2 lines. More than that, and I lose her attention.
She works diligently for 10-15 minutes (I set a timer). At the end of that time, or when she finishes, whichever comes first, I check her work, we correct any sloppy letters, and we're finished.
Math
I like a hands-on math approach. I also like a mastery-based approach (mastering one thing before building on that or moving on). I have a love/hate relationship with Math. I want our kids to love it.
We chose to use Math-U-See. We are using the Primer- the very first book, and we're just moving at Bella's pace. If she grasps a concept really well, then we can fly through it and move on to the next thing. If she has difficulty with a concept we can continue to practice until she gets it down and I feel like we can move on.
Math-U-See uses manipulatives (aka, blocks) to teach the concepts. There is a DVD that has each lesson taught in a classroom setting. It's supposed to be to show parents how to teach their children, but I think it's good for the kids to watch it too. Then, the parent can make sure that the child understands what was taught, and then the child can practice those concepts.
The other thing that I love about Math-U-See is that it very much emphasizes place value, which will help drastically with understanding math concepts for the duration of their schooling.
http://www.mathusee.com/
Now for the other subject matter.
Science
Science is pretty optional for Kindergarten, but I wanted to teach it.
We are going to be using 106 Days of Creation Studies, available on www.simplycharlottemason.com
The age-range recommended is 1st- 6th grade, but many people use it for Kindergarten. It combines science with God's Word, as well as giving ideas for activities, field trips, nature studies, living books, etc. The other advantage is that it can be used for multiple age levels, so it is a subject that can definitely be combined-always a plus! For the older kids, additional reading and activities are Supplemented. I'm sure Balian will be doing everything with us as well.
Bible
Although there is some Bible incorporated into Science as far as biblical basis, I think I may want to do more. I'll just have to see what it's like once we get into it. If I decide to add more Bible, I'm going to use the Children Desiring God curriculum. I want to focus on the new and old testament stories, so I'll probably use the pre-K curriculum. However, I'm a big fan of not spending a ton of money, so I've figured out that if I get the child's book (coloring book), the visuals, and the memory verse cards, I'll be good to go to teach.
Go to www.childrendesiringgod.org for more info.
Art
Along with painting, coloring, decorating, creating, smearing, and the like - we will also be doing Artist Studies. Essentially, we will learn about a new Artist every 4-6 weeks. We will learn about the Artists themselves, but we will also be focusing on a different painting by that artist every week. Example: We study Monet. We learn all about Monet. We learn where he lived, when he lived, what made his art special, etc. then, each week I will put a replica of one of his paintings, in some form or another, in a place where it can be seen all week. Computer wallpaper, screensavers, books, posters, magazines, calendars, etc. can be used for this.
Oh, but if you want a starting point for art ideas, I have really liked Art with Anything and First Art, both by MaryAnn F. Kohl. It is pretty basic stuff, but there are a ton of recipes for home-made paint, play dough, and the like, as well as ideas on how to use those broken crayons, etc. Wonderful!
Music
Much like art appreciation, we will be studying a different composer every 4-6 weeks. We will listen to a specific work of that composer for a week- in the car, during "art", during quiet time, etc. so that we become familiar with that composer's work. So if we're studying Beethoven, for a week we might listen to Beethoven's 5th Symphony. If there are any stories behind specific pieces, we'll learn about that as well. And when we talk about Beethoven, we will definitely be talking about how amazing it is that he wrote some of the most incredible pieces of music to this day, yet could not hear.
I'm hoping to start teaching some music theory at some point. Not sure when. I mean, let's just get used to all of the other stuff first, right?
Another thing I've contemplated is Geography/Social Studies.
For Geography, a curriculum that I find absolutely wonderful is Road Trip USA. I just don't think I'm going to fit it in this year. But if you are interested, you can get it at http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/u-s-geography
Up to this point, we've been pretty relaxed as far as school goes. But being Bella's Kindergarten year - officially starting school for real- we've got to kick it in to gear. Set a good routine, and stick with it. It's absolutely possible, but it will take some adjustment - more on Bella's part then mine. Little Miss Imaginitive doesn't like to stop her playtime...
Add chores, playtime, BSF, gymnastics, a toddler, and a 2-year-old to all of this learning fun, and we have got ourselves a pretty full day, everyday.
That doesn't even include my extras, like grocery shopping, cooking, mending and sewing, praise team, etc.
You probably wouldn't want to see my calendar. It just might scare you.
Makes me wonder what it will be like when I'm teaching all 3...
I'm going to have to become an incredible time-manager.
To be continued...
