Kindergarten Years

The first four or five years of a child life should be spent in informal teaching and preparing the child for first-grade work. In about thirty minutes per day, plus informal teaching as you go about your family life, you can easily teach your child beginning reading, writing, and math concepts. And remember to let them keep PLAYING and EXPLORING as much as possible!!

Reading
Reading is simple. Parents have the ability to teach their children how to read. Continue to immerse your child in language, just as you've been doing since birth. Listen to books on tape. Stock a child's mind with the sounds of thousands of words. When children start sounding out words later on, they'll progress much more quickly if they recognize the words. Keep reading together and start to ask slightly more complex questions about the stories.


By age four, the average child should know the alphabet and the sounds that each letter makes. And sometime around the age of four or five, most children are ready to start reading. Sit down with a simple primer that teaches phonics. Progress systematically and slowly, with plenty of repetition. Do for five minutes to start with, and work up to ten and fifteen minutes per session. At other times during the day, sit down with a "real book" and let them read it. Your goal is to get your child reading as quickly and fluently as possible during these years.

These are the resources we plan to use (check on amazon for lower prices):
-Phonics primer- The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Jessie Wise ($29.95 from publisher)
-Reading skills and beginning reader books- Explode the Code (There are 14 different workbooks, each book $7.60 from publisher), and Bob Book Series by Bobby Lyn Maslem ($16.99 for each boxed set, there 8 books in a set)
-Check your library for thousands of beginning reader books and audio books!

Writing
Many phonics programs combine writing with reading, which can be frustrating for young readers who are ready to read long before they have the muscular coordination to write. So do writing and reading drills separately. When they can hold a pencil comfortably and have some control over it, move on to formal writing instruction. Teach any one letter (always do a capital and a small letter together) or one number at a time until you've gone through the entire alphabet and the numbers 1-100.

This is the resource we plan to use: 
-Zaner-Bloser Handwriting with Continuous Stroke Alphabet Series Grade K Student Book ($10.69 from publisher)
--Also purchase handwriting paper for extra practice, $8.99 per ream (one ream is enough for the year), Grade K paper (1 1/8" wide)

Math
Continue using math in every day life. Let them help you set the table or cook. Play games like Uno or Go-Fish. Use manipulatives for practice adding and subtracting. Read "math books" like Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander, and One Hundred Angry Ants by Bonnie MacKain. Keep math as more of a game than an academic pursuit.

What we use to make math fun:
Pattern blocks and pattern cards
Fraction Action Board puzzle
Bead Sequencing Set
Creative Color Cubes and activity cards

Science
Although no more K4-K5 curriculum is needed, we like to do science experiments once or twice a week. Find experiment books at the library that offer clear instructions and use common household items. More formal science study isn't necessary at this age. Just get them excited!

History/Religion
Again, no formal K4-K5 curriculum is needed here. Get them excited about stories, myths, folk tales. Before we begin a formal study of history, this year we are going to focus on creation stories from around the world and from different religions. Then we will gradually transition into the beginning of life (evolution).

These are some resources I'd like to use:
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
Out of the Ark: Stories from World's Religions
The Kids Book of World Religions
Religious books about Bible Stories, Book of Mormon stories, Buddhist stories, Hindu stories, etc.
Anything having to do with Mythology
What Do You Believe?
The Universe Series (Book 1, Born With a Bang; Book 2, From Lava to Life; Book 3, Mammals who Morph)
Our Family Tree
This Evolution and Classification of Life poster
Globe and world/country/state maps