How to Homeschool a Child in Kindergarten

While I have been a public school teacher for ten years I completely respect the right and choice of a parent to home-school a child. There's some debate in the home-school arena whether an organized curriculum is necessary for kindergarten-aged children. Public schools tend to emphasize schedule and obedience. While routine and discipline are important, it's still crucial to allow your child to explore, be creative and question norms. The key to home schooling in kindergarten is to try to somewhat replicate the kindergarten experience of other children. One resource you can use is RockAndRollKindergarten.com where you can find some really creative ideas for your kindergarten year. Try these steps to round out your kindergartner's curriculum.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Concentrate on phonetics when teaching your kindergarten child to read. It's a lot more fun for them to play with language and it's a better way to teach them to read. Let them retell a story, or role-play the story with them and then work on writing out words from the story.
2. Let them pay for a treat at the store by counting out the coins. When clearing their toys from the floor, have them count them out loud. Get an old-fashioned clock with hands and put it up on the wall in your main homeschool space.
3. Plant a garden. Designate an area just for her where she can plant any flower she wants. Consider raising a pet. Even an allergy-sensitive house can have birds and fish. A teacher at Maria Hastings School in Massachusetts has a website with science activities appropriate for kindergarten-aged kids.
4. Find out what holidays other cultures celebrate and introduce your child to some of their stories. Make a recipe and let them experience what other people consider staples. Take them to art museums with exhibits from other countries.
5. Make healthy eating as fun as possible. Emphasize the rich colors, textures and variety of fruit and vegetables. Take a walk every day with your child and point out seasonal changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan your activities each day and offer your child a choice. Tell him you need to get it all done but he can pick what he wants to do first.
• Don't restrict your child's menu excessively. Studies show that children know what they need and, given the right choices, will eat healthy over a period of days or weeks.