Do you have a child who is about to start Kindergarten??
Are you planning to homeschool and need some advice?
Well, get ready! This mom has been through Kindergarten 4 times and my 5th is starting next year!
Here are my 5 best helpful hints for homeschooling your Kindergartener:
1. Don't call it school.
This may sound strange, but let me explain. Learning should happen ALL DAY. It is important to use those questions they ask all day long as teachable moments. (Like we used our daughter's questions about what tadpoles eat and turned it into an exciting learning tool! All you need is Google. ;) Use the wonderful, God-given gift of curiosity to your advantage!
2. Don't make it look like school.
Many moms who begin homeschooling think that it has to look like school, having the kids sit down at the table and work through workbooks. My suggestion, again, would be to make it as far from a normal school experience as possible, Especially if you have boys. School is set up for girls. Sitting still at a desk all day long with their nose in a book is NOT what most kids think of as a good time. There will be plenty of time for that in highschool. ;) Mix it up and make learning fun! Go outside and draw their A B C's with sidewalk chalk.
Take a walk and pick flowers to learn their colors.
PURPLE! :)
3. Don't spend a lot of money.
My favorite tools for homeschooling in Kindergarten are free. Starfall.com has always been a HUGE help for me. The kids can work on their ABC's one at a time with great activities for each letter. AND they have free printables, so you really never need to buy ANYTHING! (they even have an app for your iPhone so they can learn while you are running errands. ;)
4. Make books better by creating more chances to learn.
For things that DO sometimes require seat work, choose books that are fun and colorful and have more than one possible subject in them. For handwriting, we like to use A Reason For Handwriting.
Their books have lots of color. The way I add extra learning into the book is by using the letter they are on to learn more about things that start with that letter. When they study P and color a penguin, use that as a starting point to study penguins that week!
5. Math can be fun too!
Programs like Mathusee have the amazing ability to do just that. I always thought that was an impossibility. I hated math in school, but I wanted my kids to enjoy every aspect of their learning, and Mathusee has been the perfect tool for us.
Most of all, just remember that YOU CAN'T MESS THIS UP. I promise! Kindergarten at home can be as much fun for YOU as it is for your kids. The most important thing is to enjoy each other and make your child feel loved every step of the way. Your child will learn more by watching you that he ever will from a book.I hope this helps you and even calms some of your fears about homeschooling. <3
