Homeschool Curriculum for Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a terrific time to explore language arts, math, science and other content areas through the homeschool experience. Parents can tap into the natural energy, creativity and enthusiasm of kindergartners to provide an individual experience that meets each child's needs. While curriculum standards vary from state to state, parents can tailor activities to specifically address the interests or their home-schooled kindergartner. Some areas link parents with school district liaisons to provide additional resources, lesson plan ideas or feedback, as parents teach their kindergartners.
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Kindergarten Language Arts Curriculum
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Homeschooling kindergarteners provides an opportunity for introducing children to the language in an organic way. Kindergartners learn about alphabet and letter sounds and rhyming words. Make time for reading and telling stories, using both picture books and books with printed text. Attend children's readings at local bookstores and libraries. Address questions using quality children's reference books and computer software. Learn nursery rhymes together. Study fairy tales.
Kindergarten Math Curriculum at Home
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Math curriculum can be taught at home in a way that allows children to experience numbers and introductory math concepts more fully. Kindergartners learn about patterns and categories, number systems, shapes and basic probability. Set up a play store with empty milk and egg cartons to practice counting money. Make buildings from cardboard box "blocks."
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Kindergarten Home School Science Curriculum
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Challenging science experiments and laboratories can be difficult to implement in large classrooms, but the home environment allows time and space for kindergartners to explore science imaginatively. Kindergartners study animals, plants, weather, magnets and space.
Take long walks with kindergartners, bringing a magnifying glass to observe nature closely. Watch sunsets together, discussing basic ideas about the solar system and seasons. Observe the moon through different phases. Put bird feeders at the windows, and keep notebooks and picture journals of the birds that stop by. Plant seeds and document growth.
Kindergarten Home School Arts Curriculum
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Kindergartners are naturally expressive, and the homeschooled child will benefit from hands-on art instruction that plays to their intuitive creativity. Kindergartners learn about shape, color and art materials, such as glue, paint and scissors. Play audiotapes of different music and sing songs together. Explore finger paints and watercolors.
Kindergarten Kinesthetic Curriculum
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The homeschooled kindergartner will have boundless energy, and it is crucial to provide a physical outlet for play and coordination practice. Kindergartners learn to throw and catch a ball, kick a stationary ball, balance on one foot and perform two minutes of sustained physical activity. Teach fun games and spend time hopping, skipping, running or jumping rope to improve coordination and fitness. Build a sandbox for tactile handling of sand and water.
Kindergarten and Social Interaction
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Kindergartners crave social interaction, perhaps even more so when learning in a homeschool environment. Arrange activities with other students, both homeschooled and traditionally schooled, that include opportunities for communication practice, helping and encouraging others, following rules, contributing to group efforts and performing activities with self-control. Parents may choose to incorporate activities from other content areas, such as math or art, to encourage social interaction. For example, families may visit an art museum together or work together to coordinate a science project.
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References
- Photo Credit Read to your Kid image by Maciej Zatonski from Fotolia.com
