How we did the early years to Kinder

We finished Kindergarten level last January, and we’re now in the middle of vacation. We plan to start his 1^st Grade on April. Here’s the long and short of our ‘Early Years’, and how we’ll do it all over again with the 2 younger siblings.

Charlotte Mason’s method was the closest fit for our family. I liked her concepts of the art of gentle learning, and how it seemed so natural-- developing good habits, getting acquainted with nature, exploring with the five senses, growing in their spiritual lives, and playing outdoors. (See SCM Preschool guide).  We patterned our curriculum after Mater Amabilis Preschool (MA).  Sometimes we used  a sprinkling of other methods and materials, as each method offered something appealing. During holidays, and on very laid-back days, we shifted to unschooling.

The early years are formative years. For us, this was about bonding with the kids, and starting them with the right habits, character and faith formation. We read classic read-alouds to them while they sat on our laps. Play (see more play & learn activities) was definitely encouraged. When it comes to toys, I preferred the classic wooden toys for them.  They explored outside. We listened to children & classical music CDs.  And we talked to them a lot. We had no television, and they were not allowed electronic gadgets.  A parent’s self-improvement was also critical at this stage for character formation because these things are caught and not taught. We also got to know their personalities, and learning style better.  For this stage, I would also highly recommend Before Five in a Row. 

For Kindergarten, we used Catholic Heritage Core Curriculum, a couple of its elective materials, and we continued to stay close to MA as much as possible, and also unschool, and continued the things we've been doing for preschool.

Resources:

• Education Is
• The Early Years: A Charlotte Mason Preschool Handbook
• The Unschooling Handbook
• School starting age:  the evidence

Homeschool 2014-2015

Getting ready for the coming school year, starting with schedules and materials for both Kindergarten, and PreK.  Like last year, we're adapting Mater Amabilis CM-influenced curricula with lots of Catholic Heritage Curricula materials.  Our Kindergarten, and PreK will be overlapping since my two boys have just a year and 2 months between them.  School will start in September. 

Homeschooling preschoolers

Some words of wisdom from moms who have been there, done that...
About the preschool-kindergarten years...

"What should a 4 year old know?"

"Homeschooling 3 and 4 year olds"

Our Preschool & Kindergarten Curricula*

PRESCHOOL

(up to 1 hour daily)

Number and literacy activities – daily, 20 to 30 minutes total

Religion – daily, up to 10 minutes

Story time – daily, up to 20 minutes

In addition to this more structured time, aim to include nature study and art and craft activities each week.
**Preschool (3-5 years old) foundations.

RELIGION

Bible stories**                                                                                 

The Mass Book for Children                                                           

Who Am I? Workbook A                      

STORY TIME & POETRY**

Let There Be Llamas!                                                                          

God’s Wisdom for Little Boys                                                             

Poems & Prayers for the Very Young   

Brambly Hedge Collection                                                                           

Raggedy Andy Stories

The Real Mother Goose

The Year at Maple Hill Farm

Eric Carle’s Animals Animals  

[our old books, including]:                                                                       

The Children’s Book of Virtues (Bennet)                                       

The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury                                       

Harper Collin’s Picture Book Classics

Catholic Children's Treasury Box Vol. 1-10

Childcraft Stories & Fables

Childcraft Poems & Rhymes

HABITS**
Top 3 habits to work on:  obedience, attentiveness, truthfulness

OUTDOOR PLAY**
Freeplay & exploration outside

MUSIC
Making Music Praying Twice

PE
Swimming lessons

MATHEMATICS

Number & Logic Games for Preschoolers                                            

Kumon Numbers 1-30                                                           

READING & WRITING

I Can Find Letter Sounds  

________________________     

KINDERGARTEN

(1 to 1.5 hours daily)

Religion – four times weekly, for 10 to 15 minutes

History and geography – twice weekly, for 10 to 15 minutes

Music appreciation and picture study – weekly, for around 10 minutes

Poetry – twice weekly, for 5 to 10 minutes

Story time – daily, for 10 to 15 minutes

Monday - Bible, Reading, Painting, Break, Number, Handwork, Geography, Writing

Tuesday – Tales, Number, Handwork, Break, Reading, Singing Games, Writing, Nature Study

Wednesday – Poetry, Reading, Nature Study, Break, Number, Handwork, History, Writing

Thursday – Bible, Number, Handwork, Break, Reading, Singing Games, Writing, Tales

Friday – Tales, Reading, Picture Study, Break, Number, Handwork, Nature Study, Writing

*A break for free play must be included as shown above.

Other afternoon activities:

·         physical exercise,

·         outdoor nature observation,

·         gardening,

·         outdoor geography

·         more listening to stories.

* The arrangement of these must depend largely on weather and climate. Children should be allowed to help in the house and in the care of animals.

Sample Schedule

Monday to Thursday

Session 1 (45 mins):

Religion (10 mins)

Reading (10 mins)

Picture study, Music Appreciation or Poetry (10 mins)

History or Geography (10 mins)

Handwriting (5 mins)

Session 2 (25 mins):

Maths (10 mins)

Story time (15 mins)

Friday

Session 1 (45 minutes):

Reading (10 mins)

Art or craft activity (30 mins)

Handwriting (5 mins)

Session 2 (25 mins):

Maths (10 mins)

Story time (15 mins)

RELIGION

Who Am I? K Workbook  (CHC)                                                 

God’s Love Story  (CHC)                                                                   

Bible stories                                                                              

[Advent]

-      The Clown of God (Tomie dePaola)                                          

-      The Christmas Story (Little Golden Book)                                  

[Easter] The Easter Story (St. Joseph Picture Books)                                        

MATHEMATICS

Little Folk’s Number Practice

Math-U-See Primer   

Activities                                                          

·         Counting songs

·         Number games (dominoes, number lotto)

·         Board games with dice

·         Make and copy sequences and patterns

·         Time (clock with movable hands)

·         Measuring (ruler, weight scale)

·         Cooking (measurement)

·         Money (learn different coins, count pennies)

More math activities:
http://allinonehomeschool.com/individual-courses-of-study/math/

http://www.education.com/activity/kindergarten/math/

http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/kindergarten-math-activities.html

http://pinterest.com/prekpages/math-center-ideas/

READING & WRITING

Little Folk’s Letter Practice                                                          

Little Stories for Little Folks Phonics Program                                      

Catholic Heritage Handwriting K   

 *Math(s), reading and writing – daily, for 10 minutes each (less for handwriting)

STORY TIME

Term 1: The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter (Beatrix Potter)      

Term 2: Charlotte’s Web (E.B.White)                                                        

Term 3: Winnie-the-Pooh (A.A.Milne)

POETRY

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young

A Child's Garden of Verses

Childcraft Poems and Rhymes
When We Were Very Young (A.A. Milne)
Now We are Six (A.A. Milne)

FILIPINO

Folk songs

National anthem

Ay, Naku! (Tahanan Books)

Araw sa Palengke (Adarna House)

Dalawang Bayani ng Bansa (Adarna House)

NATURE STUDY

The Year at Maple Hill Farm (Alice and Martin Provensen)             

One Small Square series: Backyard, Seashore, Pond, Night Sky                                                            

PICTURE STUDY

Art Masterpieces:  A Liturgical Collection (CHC)

ARTS, CRAFTS, HANDWORK
Childcraft Make and Do
Gardening – Onions in My Boots (CHC)
Cooking
Finger, & watercolor painting
Help with household chores                                            

MUSIC

Making Music Praying Twice

Classical music – Classical Kids

PE
Swimming lessons

________________________

*Based on Mater Amabilis' Prep Level Curriculum, with contents amended to fit our family's needs.

Maths: Numbers & Numerals

M1 knows about his numbers since he was 2 but I'm just making sure that he didn't missed steps, and so I'm just running through Montessori at Home-style numbers and numerals.  I skipped buying sandpaper numerals but what I did was use glitter glue over Joytoy numbers puzzles to provide texture.  M2 will use the same materials when he's ready.  For counting we use coins, the abacus, blocks, and the small paper rolls you see above from another toy.  I might ask an aunt to make us Montessori teen beads.  M1 gets a little confused with numerals 6, 8, and 9, but has mastered counting 0-10+.  Next up: 11-20 practice & mastery.  M2 counts to 20.

Montessori, Age 3-6

From Montessori Homeschooling:

AGE 3-6:

Q. Can I use Montessori ideas at home with my child? 
A. Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development and education at home. Look at your home through your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging and of being needed. They get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the preschooler. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes, and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem. In Montessori 3-6 classes around the world it is this practical life element that builds habits of thinking logically, making intelligent decisions, following complex steps of complex processes, care in actions, and so forth, that prepare for a life of independent thinking and responsible action, and care for self, others, and the world. It is often the major area of work in the whole first year of the child's experience in a Montessori class. The Montessori 3-6 environment is filled with cultural, artistic, scientific activities and materials and books.  There is no junk food, no television, no computer.  Books, toys, and other educational materials are carefully chosen and of the best quality. The child is never forced to attend a lesson or do a piece of work.  The teacher is trained to model kindness and consideration, to observe the child and follow her interests in suggesting work, to give careful, individual lessons,to keep exacting records of what the child is learning and where his interests are leading him, and to refrain from interrupting when the child is concentrating on an activity. Much of this can be created in the home.

Letter Recognition

I have very much relaxed on teaching Marek how to read. And now I feel like we have to step back, and have Marek brush up on his aphabet once again. I was looking for printable alphabets so I can review him on his ABCs, and reinforce. The plan now is make alphabet booklets (Markus also loves reading books, so he just might benefit from the exposure). Ideas from:


Reflection: As any homeschooling mom will soon learn, educating kids also means finding ways to make things interesting for them. It's I who should adjust to his learning style, and not him adjusting to my teaching style.

Programs for Preschool (then maybe Kindergarten)

Since I've abandoned much of our 'daily lesson guide', and since I'm not an 'unschooler', I have a little compulsion to make a semblance of a structure. If not for this school year, then the next-- for Marek's preschool. These things need a lot of consideration... hence, I'm planning a year ahead! I'll be putting them under the Mater Amabilis program (a Catholic Charlotte Mason approach) intertwined with Catholic Heritage Curricula. I just found out about the latter, and reading through their catalog, I felt like I had just found a treasure!

In the meanwhile, we'll make use of the books we already have, that means lots of read-alouds, nursery rhymes, Bible stories, and their accompanying music, and Brain Quest ("my first brain quest" and "for threes", for Markus and Marek, respectively). As for the Kumon First Steps Workbooks, I don't think Marek is ready for that yet. It will have to wait for a little while).