Homeschool Q&A meeting.

I just left the homeschool Q&A that the other homeschool hop bloggers & I had and let me just say wow!  I loved it.  I love sharing what did and didn't work for me. 

But on the way home, that exact thought kept occurring to me.  It's what worked....for me.  For my kids. 

And yes, I currently use the "big box" from Sonlight and we like it.  But I don't know that I'll spend that kind of money again.  We'll see how the year goes.

I just wanted to stress that just because "everyone" uses Sonlight, doesn't mean it's the right choice for you.  Truth be told, I wouldn't use it for Kindergarten.  I think it's too much - cost and volume of work.

Kindergarten is supposed to be fun!  It's your child's first real introduction to learning.  What worked for our family at that age was to just go with their natural love of learning.  For us, it was all about nature.  And dinosaurs.  We take walks, collecting plants or leaves or bugs or rocks, then head home and search field guides to find out about what we have. We hang bird feeders and learn about the birds that visit them. 

Of course, there is real school work to be done in Kindergarten as well.  For those subjects that do require more of a book approach, here's what I recommend:

The Reading Lesson

Get Ready, Set, Go for the Code

 Language Lessons for Little Ones

Horizons Math K



 



I would use the above books and supplement with unit studies on what my child is interested in, as well as utilizing the library for tons of great books to read.   Pinterest is a great place to get ideas for fun projects and unit studies. 

 

I also like to use the What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know books.  I checked it out from the library, read it and made some notes.  It was helpful for me to think about basic things like knowing your address and phone number.   

 

If I were buying a "box", I would use Timerdoodle again.  I just love that site!  They now offer three price levels for their boxes.  The basic covers what you need and the others just add on extra fun things. 

 

You don't have to spend a fortune to start homeschooling. 

 

You don't have to be overwhelmed.

 

It's actually a fun age to teach. 

 

Take a deep breath, make your plan and enjoy it.