Homeschooling suggestions: Kindergarten-3rd grade...

BEFORE I START suggesting...you need to remember that each year and season in our lives change...so this is just an outline of what I try to accomplish. My advice is to read all the time...the librarian should be your best buddy!!! Make sure you don't fall into the trap I did...collecting everything. My thoughts were that I would use it one day...now I am DECLUTTERING like crazy. You really need to see your state in life...do you want to buy a curriculum? How much $$$ do you want to spend? I don't buy one I just put together what I like. There are times in many of our lives when just buying one may help. I have changed over the years from making everything from scratch to using workbooks for some courses...now I tend to only use books that are easy for me to grade (or my kids grade) and ones I know don't stress our family out to much. I try to have all school done before my husband gets home so we can enjoy being a family and the dreaded seasons we do sports we can without too much stress. I am sure I will edit this as I remember other thoughts on each grade, because we change it year.


BE ON GUARD FOR HELP...ask around for people's specialties...don't be afraid to ask others to bring along your kids when they go on field trips or to carpool to other events. If someone is willing to "teach" a class or club activity...offer your home...that way you don't have to drive!!! That is the only way we survive!!!


Kindergarten:

READ, READ, READ!!!

I like EXPLODE THE CODE (all of them for all ages!!!) Due to past finances...I put them all in dry erase pages and put them in binders...the kids get to use them over and over again!!! We do a lesson a day...using the "write it" as our spelling test for the little guys. All my kids love these!!!

We use BOB BOOKS AND THE LIKE...

I started using phonographix years ago when I had a neighbor who is uses it in her teaching show me the materials. I like it. I think whatever works for your family is best!!! They are fun and you can elaborate with children who have difficulty!!!

I use lots of math games and hands on. Whatever I can get my hands on. We use Miquon Math and even thou it can get tricky we have used it. I don't think it is necessary if you can't spend the $$$ on the teacher books. Just buy the workbooks and look for them used!!!

For history and science we do lots of units with the other kids...bugs, seasons, body, world, and whatever comes to play in our home.

For Kindergarten I spend about a 1/2 hour of "instruction" a day. "gasp!!!" Yes, but our family theory is we start "school the minute we wake up and finish when we go to sleep at night!!!" Our days are always filled with learning and hopefully fun!!! We cook and try to clean...we play with the baby and try to get ready for daddy when he comes home!!! I kid with my friends all the time and say kindergarten in our house is "hey sweetie what color shirt do you have on?" once they answer, they are done for the day!!! OK...I am not that bad!!!...well, sometimes...

Handwriting: I like DRAW WRITE NOW,Handwriting without tears, ABEKA handwriting, writing letters, and just about anything that gives them more practice.

Homeschooling is a LIFESTYLE we have chosen...not just an EDUCATIONAL choice.

UPDATE:
As I was thinking about posting 1st,2nd, and 3rd...I realized that much of what we continue to use is the same. We just move on to the next set of books. We read more, and a little more, and then some more.