So we begin our K curriculum tomorrow. I am nervous seriously my stomach is in knots. I don't know why. I have already taught him how to read. I am around him everyday, shoot I gave birth to him so why I am nervous I don't know. Keep me in your prayers. I have some last minute loose ends to tie up before tomorrow morning. ***Trusting and believing we will have a great year***:angel:
If you taught him how to read already, you've been homeschooling for a while! And you're already doing great!
How did you teach him to read? I am so curious as to how to do that for my son. Any helpful tips, Tuzor?
You'll do great! Like PP said, you've already been homeschooling if he knows how to read. It's an extension of your parenting. I can so relate to you though because I get so nervous about what it may be that I don't know they he needs to know. I need to learn how to relax and not worry so much. Like you said, he's learning.
Ok today was tough. My five month old cried all day go figure. I really need to know what mothers are doing with large families. I am going to send my 2 year old to a pre school program half day for two days a week. I dont want to but I am not superwoman. Anyway the day was okay. We had a snag during math today I was trying to teach him how to group things. Ex. make a group of eight then make two groups of four. My son did better with counters then the worksheet we will have to continue to reiview that concept. School was fine more than fine I would say we had a good solid day. However I am overwhlemed with everything else, my household duties, taking care of the children by myself for 12 hours a day. sigh
Just keep taking deep breaths, relax, and take it one moment at a time. As long as you are doing your best that is all anyone can ask of you. It does get easier as you get into a routine and find ways to squeeze in chores between subjects and etc. I'm sure you are going to do a great job.
Hang in there, it'll get easier as you get into the swing of things. You can also try to incorporate your younger children (the preschooler especially) into as much as possible and then the things that aren't possible, you can do during nap time.
relax a bit with the grouping things, sounds like you did great! Paperwork as not as important at that level, knowing the concept of seperating and sorting is. Counting out the seperate amounts, even counting them serpate and then together is a really great way to get a foundation for later years of Maths. if your dc can get this hands on concept down when he gets to the levels when you really HAVE to be writting things down he will have a mind picture of what is happening. Dont stress over "is he learning enough?" questions, this is Kindergarden take a breath and enjoy it, if its not working for that day its K you can skip a day here and there and not fall behind, set up learning games, playing with legos, counting and sorting into Egg cartons is fun too, even preschooler can do something like that while you work with why the sorting and counting is happening with the K
How about doing the grouping review with the snack item that day. Give him the total amount of animal crackers or something for everyone. Then have him separate them into equal groups for everyone. Don't worry about the worksheets too much, hands on is the way most kids this age learn and retain.
We did review the sorting this morning before we did today's math lesson. I will try the snack idea but I think I am going to relax on that for a while and pick it up later. He is having a hard time with the concept no need to frustrate him. Sidenote I would like to know what other moms are doing that have three or more children with a hubby that is away 12 or more hours a day. Between hs, various doctors apts, cooking, cleaning, sports practice, tantrums and baby crying. I am completely spent each day. I am only one person yet my children are very young so I need some ideas to make it through the day and get more accomplished.
Sweetie, forget worksheets for now. As you go about doing your daily stuff, you can teach kindy quite well hands-on. Teach sorting as you sort laundry. When you're folding the clean laundry, get him to help -- daddy's socks, his socks, baby socks, big towels/little washcloths -- when folding towels, you can teach half, symmetry (matching halves), matching colors, counting, fourths, thirds (however you fold stuff). When you set the table, teach one-to-one correspondence - one plate for each, one fork for each, one glass for each, one napkin for each, and if *insert name here* comes for lunch, then how many will we need? Teach sorting and groupings when putting away the groceries - canned veggies here (corn, peas, carrots, beans), and spell c-o-r-n while he's looking at the picture on the can, boxed things here (c-o-r-n f-l-a-k-e-s while looking at the picture on the box), etc. Does this bag (c-o-r-n c-h-i-p-s) have anything on it that matches what's on this box and this can? Whatever occurs to you. The can is a cylinder, the box is a rectangle, etc. His baseball is a sphere. Talk about healthy foods and not-so-healthy fun foods that we get for treats sometimes, all the different kinds of fruits and veggies at the store and where they come from, what kind of animal this meat/milk comes from. While you're cleaning, you can talk about health and why clean is good, safety (never mix this cleaning product with that one), and personal hygiene. Just talk about everything as you do it. Then when you have a minute (while the babies nap, maybe) you can read a book or two or three about weather, plants, animals, or whatever else strikes your fancy. There's a whole kindy and first grade that can be learned just by doing what mommy does all day! Then there's the playtime - legos, cars, coloring, whatever - sort and count as you pick up and put away. Talk about what it's made of (metal, plastic, paper, wood, glass - not glass toys but dishes etc.). Just take the opportunity to make a learning experience out of whatever is at hand or on your mind, and he'll be fine!!! Plenty of time for worksheets when the 5mo is in bed and later when he's older.
