No excuses. My 6 year old is behind and I'm trying not to stress out. I also have a 2 year old which had failure to thrive for 1 1/2 years then 6 months ago I fell and was bedridden for 2-3 months. I've graduated from wheelchair, then crutches, now cane & am in a position to focus 100% on my son. Long stories but my 6 year old is behind. We tried PS in a home setting then just before Christmas break a school setting of only 7 students to not overwhelm him but he is so stressed out its not working. He has meltdowns and social anxiety issues. I was told he might have the Emotionality of a gifted child. All the symptoms fit but since he's had not much exposure to academics (he's behind) that part doesn't fit. But if there are strategies that help him, I'll do them. I don't mean to confuse anyone. I've seen a few popular suggestions for 1-2 graders like Sonlight. But am wondering what you all would suggest for a kindergartener? I'm new to homeschooling and noticed there isn't a set schedule but if you all could give me a few sample schedules that would be great. I won't be strict on schedule but just wanted ideas. Thank you all.
Horizon math and something like Hooked on Phonics for reading would be helpful. I can totaly relate with the falling and having issues with healing so relax our dc is young and has time to catch up. Sonlight is very much 'stuff' and because of that it overwhelmed me and my older ds when we started home school in K. When I found Life paks, we found an easy to follow system, CLP has now (or is it CLE?) anyway, they have vamped it up a notch from AOP.com 's Life Pak system. I will say that the lessons my dcs learned in Life pak had been the majority of learning for my older two and they are excelling in College. DD has had clost to and on 4.0 in her first couple years in College. I found it something to be able to assign and read over with them when they were young, it was not overwhelming and I could get the rest I needed. I had shoulder surgery during the first year or two for my youngest, he did great! Looking at the years I find that I had feet in one brace, boot or another for a lot of his schooling, Life paks style helped me stay on task and my dcs to be able to know what was required of them even when I was asleep.
I am really liking Sonlight for Kindergarten. I am using P4/5. Since your son is already 6, you could try Core A, but it would also work just fine to go with P4/5 and then focus more on learning to read and math. I say take it slowly. Don't overwhelm yourself and him right away. He has plenty of years to "catch up". Teach him where he is at and take it one step at a time.
My children have never been on the school systems schedule. What I have always looked at is whether they are advancing. When my children were small we used Abeka worksheet (never followed the teacher manual), McGraw workbooks, and Miquon math. I let the kids choose books at the library to read. We would spend about an hour or 2 for school. We always plowed through to get it all done at once, but some people divide it up throuout the day. My dd who learned things quickly in kindergarten has struggle since 1st grade. My ds, who struggled in kindergarten, learns things quickly now. Try not to stress and enjoy the process.
Just to throw another curve ball in the picture, some people believe that delayed formal academics is better. Not all children are ready for sit down and study type of stuff. I wouldn't worry about him being behind. He is where he is and he will be fine with a lot of love and room to grow in HIS personal timing. What trips parents up is the arbitrary time schedule that public/private schools tout as "the" schedule for "all." As one person put it, children aren't supposed to be on an assembly line. Assembly lines are for producing multiple identical products and who wants that?
Just wanted to chime in to relax he's 6 not 16. Ds basically did 1st and 2nd grade in one year. There was so much review in 2nd. Long story as short as I can he went to a private half day K program at 6 then we came home. I ordered the entire Abeka 1st grade curriculum way to much busy work for us and he wasn't really challenged so we ditched it and a lot of money but oh well. I pieced to together 1st and 2nd grade curriculum that year with workbooks and the internet. The next year I had him take the pre test for Christian Light it showed he needed their 3rd grade level. I order the bare minimum from them to start and really liked it so we did their whole 3rd grade year (we also did their 2nd grade bible that year so 2 years of bible in one). For 4th grade we are still using and loving CLE with exception of using Apologia science this year instead of CLE science. DD is using the new Kindergarten 2 program from CLE and I LOVE it!!! I think you could easily do it half a year if you chose too. In other words you could most likely do it with your 6 year old Jan-May and start 1st Grade in the fall if you chose. Try not to get to caught up in grade levels just teach him where he is that is the beauty of one on one teaching. Wishing you the best!
If you are homeschooling him, how can he be "behind"? Behind what? Stop comparing him to anyone else, he is who he is, he will learn everything he needs to before he has to enter the world as an adult. I would put focus on math and learning to read. We LOVE, like pink fuzzy heart kinda love, McRuffy for math. Their phonics/language arts and science is really good as well. For phonics what worked for my "behind" kid has been Hooked on Phonics and Leap Frog DVDs. For the other stuff, which at this age is just icing, I use the Core Knowledge Sequence via their What Your __ Grader Needs to Know. My current 1st and 2nd grader are still working through the Science and Social studies in the K book. We read, find "living books", watch videos on BrainpopJR, do some crafty things and have fun with it. But really, relax, he is fine and will be fine. Don't compare him to anyone but himself.
My kids do better with a schedule to our day especially when they were younger. I have a k'er/1st grader who is 6. He does not do well during the school day if we don't follow some sort of routine. It doesn't have to be start at this time stop at that time...ours does b/c we have 4 kids but you can just as easily just make a list of what you want to do during the day. Don't leave out recess, snack, lunch, and things like that either... My k'er's day looks like this- Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast science (2x a week) or history (3x a week) handwriting (daily) art (2x a week) or music (2x a week) recess (30 min.) math lunch rest time (1 hr-does not have to sleep just quiet time playing or listening to book on tape or something relaxing...his down time) ELA (english language arts)-phonics, spelling, and reading Study Island Free Time (he is free to play however while I finish schooling his siblings) Every one has a different take on home schooling. Most states have a different take on it and different laws. I understand that you feel behind. Don't stress though or try to cram a ton to catch up. Does your state have to test at a certain age/grade? Do you have to report grade level by a certain age? What are the requirements for where you live to home school? Most kindergarten exit tests are not hard. I think a routine can help children to feel in control of their world and to know what to expect daily. I wouldn't stress too much about being behind and focus instead on mastery. For kindergarten though, you really only have to work on the 3 r's-reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Yes, this is very true. Don't think of him as 'behind'. There is plenty of time. Enjoy the age, take time to discover what works for you and your son. Read, read, read. That being said, school usually lasts for about 2 to 3 hours at this age. Since you have another younger child, it's hard to give you a schedule except to say you may want to save more challenging or involved work for when that child is napping and you can give undivided attention to your kinder. Be sure to include lots of read aloud, art, science experiments, trips to the zoo, bakery and library. Make learning interesting.
Most 6 year old children don't have a huge amount of academics under their belt. I don't start school with my children until at least 1st grade when I start to teach them to read. Mostly I expose them to lots of reading. There are few children who dislike a special time on mom's lap with a good book. Interesting story lines can capture a "gifted" child's attention better usually than a workbook. If he is ready to read then you could start any basic phonics program. I prefer to just do ten minutes or so on a whiteboard per day until I start adding in beginner readers and such. I also like getting math concepts down with books like these http://www.amazon.com/The-Lions-Sha...id=1357119132&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lions+share http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Hungr...id=1357119237&sr=1-1&keywords=math+books+ants That doesn't mean that you can't use a curriculum just thought I would mention it since you think he might have some anxiety issues. Most kids thrive when they feel comfortable. Not all and of course, I don't know the details of your situation but thought I would mention it. If he is comfortable then maybe you can work on inviting someone over and teaching hospitality once in awhile. This is actually a super hard skill for my extremely shy child.
Sigh.... I'm also chiming in with the "better late than early" crew! LET THE CHILD DETERMINE THE PACE at this age!!! My yoiungest wanted to learn to read before he turned three. I explained that he had to know his letters first, and did he want to learn them? YES!!! So we started to work on letters. After about two weeks of more "formal" working on letters, he was bored, and more interested in bugs and swords and soccer balls. So we put away the letters until a later (more age-appropriate) time. Of course, we still ldid a lot of informal stuff, like giving him my shopping list and letting him cross things off...(I've got BANANAS. Can you find the bord with the "B" in the front?" "LOOK! There's the PEPSI truck! It has TWO 'P's", just like Phillip!!!") KIds at that age learn so much by play. Others have talked about reading to them, science experiements, art, sensory activities. And the science could be rather informal, too. Phillip was Lab Assistant for his older sister (five years older). One experiment was baking soda and vinegar causing a chemical reaction. He LOVED that!!! He would set up his toy soldiers on the sidewalk, and shoot them down with his 2-liter cannon! He wasn't "doing science", but playing. When I taught special needs, we spent a whole day playing with wooden cars outside. We learned that if you put one at the top of the blacktop path (top of the hill) it went ALL THE WAY DOWN without a push. If you put it in the grass, you needed to give it a push, and it didin't go very far. If you started at the BOTTOM of the path, you could push it up a little way, but then it would come back down by itself. But we weren't doing science, we were playing!
Thank you all very much for your input. You all have helped put me at ease! I agree that there is no time limit. I would like to get him on the right path. Like start practicing letter writing and sounding them out, etc. I just don't know how and where I can get an affordable curriculum to help guide me and him. The schedule looks great, I will try it out with my boys. All the suggestions and resources I will look up. I greatly appreciate you all taking the time to send me information and reasuring well wishes. It is very helpful to have a place I can ask questions. Thank you all.
LoveMyKidz check out videos from the library near you. they have sholastics videos and other fun letter sounding videos. For writing them out I would chose the Around the room with the ABC's method. That is when you take a letter a week and trace it big first day next to a picture or artsy thing of that letter. second you reduce the size and follow the dots of several of said letter. day 3 you make a collage of things that start with that letter, 4th can be circling the letters that match said letter and Friday you try to trace a smaller but still appropriate sized letters.
You really don't need to buy a curriculum for that. Just use your own sense. Make sound books, cutting out and pasting pictures that start with a certain sound/letter. You can use clip art, or magazines, or whatever. Pick a Letter of the Week; make construction paper letter, and glue things on it. For example, cover the "M" with macaroni, the "S" with sand, etc. During M Week, read books about monkies, get on-line and find some kind of art activity with a monkey. Don't forget to play with magnets! And, as said before, READ, READ, READ, and then READ some more!
I thought I had replied to thread already...I guess not LOL I agree with better late than early. My 6 year old like worksheets so we have one of those generic all subject workbooks for him for when he wants to do worksheets, but mostly, he plays, I read to him and we talk. He does Starfall.com and uses his Leapster2 (he thinks he's playing video games, I know he's learning) and his LeapFrog Tag (for when he wants to read a book and I'm busy cooking dinner or paying bills or something) We also watch a lot of educational video. You can find a ton on YouTube for free and there is also a site called TeacherTube There is a books series by Clara Dillingham Pierson that are title 'Among the _____ People' that we use for science that he adores. You can find them free at archive.org or get them free for the Kindle
Leapfrog DVDs are amazing. Start with the Letter Factory, you can find them cheap used. I will also second Starfall.com, also literactive.com is really good. Have you ever heard of theheadoftheclass.com? You can school pretty much for free with this and trips to the library (and some general school and art supplies). There is a bit of a learning curve to the site, but it's worth the time to look at it. JosieB has some wonderful video lists for youtube... I think they are on her blog. Another video site is watchknowlearn.org
Ahhh yeah. Letteroftheweek.com It's meant to be a preschool curriculum, but really I think it might be fine for you esp if you tweek it a bit.
I agree with a lot in this thread. 1. Leapfrog dvd's have taught my 2.5yr old numbers through 20 and she can recognize all the letter by site and tell you their sounds because of these movies. We watch them on netflix and we own a couple of the older original ones. LOVE these. I turn at least one on every weekday. Sometimes she watches the same one a couple times in a row. 2. Check out easy peasy all in one curriculum. It's simple, it's all in one place and all laid out day by day for you AND FREE! I started with the learning to read lessons in the preschool section and am working through that with my kindergartner. When he finishes those we'll just jump straight into the kindy section and get where we get before moving on to first grade in the fall. This was the third attempt at a learning to read program and it's working great. They use an old McRuffy reader book but it's all digital. For my four year old I recently evaluated what letter sounds he didn't know yet and we're just doing the letters he didn't know the sounds for. Once he's done with that we'll move on to the learning to read portion as well. My daughter is tagging along with him at the moment and if she keeps up I'll keep her tagging along for now but I'm definitely not pushing her.
