Written by Amida of Journey into Unschooling
When I started homeschooling, some 15 years ago, my focus was very much on academic achievement. Like many before me, I had a long list of subjects to plow through and an even longer list of concepts for my kid to master.
Not only did we closely follow the school curriculum and state standards, we added in Great Books, Classic Literature, Memorization, Art Study and Latin for good measure.
We accomplished many amazing projects (like Monet-inspired paintings), as well as shed many, many tears.
Looking back, I’m surprised we survived the grade school years, let alone continued the journey with three more kids!
Luckily, homeschooling turned out to be my calling. Despite the constant stress, the never ending housework, and the 24/7 with kids, I rather liked it.
I loved hearing my children read aloud. I relished seeing them read to themselves. I delighted in the doodles that came with every sheet of paperwork they completed and even the incomplete weather logs.
It was all good and brought purpose to my life. I was the one who taught them how to write their first letter, read their first sentence, and add their first group of plastic bear manipulatives.
This will be my fifth year repeating kindergarten, and I must say, practice does make it easier. I now know exactly how much to push and when to back off.
In fact, here are five things I’ve learned through (teaching) kindergarten to my kids:
1. The earlier they can read, the better.
My four kids have learned to read at ages three, four, five, and six. For us, the earlier the start, the higher the confidence in learning other subjects.
And for the record, I only suggest to start young — the finish line could be as close or far as necessary, depending on the child. You might be pleasantly amazed by what your 3- or 4-year-old can pick up.
A note from Jamie: My own family made a very different choice when it comes to the age to introduce reading and other academics. I appreciate Amida sharing her experience because I want this blog to always encourage readers to find what works for you and yours, and to recognize that will lead us all to different solutions.
2. Make friends young.
There’s nothing like having another kid your age to grow up with and take over the playground with when everyone else is in school.
Siblings are wonderful, but having a special friend to share stories or snacks with is a real treat.
3. Field trips are not an option.
Get out and explore the neighborhood park or community event or museum or even the local library.
Much can be learned by observing the world around you. Notebooks optional.
4. Art is not an option.
I love doing art. Painting, drawing, building, crafting — you name it, I’m there.
Creativity is just as important as STEM, and no doubt improves your productivity in other areas.
Photo by Eric Costello
5. Every day is not a school day.
The younger the kid, the less “school” they need.
Seriously, no child under six needs a planner. Teach them reading, writing, and simple arithmetic. Done.
And oh yeah, everything’s more fun with stickers. Even homeschooling teenagers love them–only they call them “decals.”
What are some things you’ve learned through teaching kindergarten?
Inspiring homeschool links
Wow, we’ve had a completely different experience! I am guessing this mom still have very young children? Since all 5 of mine struggled to learn to read and couldn’t until 8 or almost 10, I discovered learning to read early had no bearing on their education. Also, I had a couple of kids who couldn’t do field trips at a young age. Too overwhelming. Even though I’ve been at this gig for a long time and have graduated three kids out and into adulthood (still have two in high school), I still get a teeny bit jealous of moms who have easy to school kids. But then again, life wouldn’t have been the adventure it has been. To each his own! Viva la difference!
Actually, I have a wide range of kids, from 4 to 17. In my own experience, the earlier readers expressed more confidence in other areas of learning, so I’d suggest introducing letter and word recognition early and follow your child’s lead as to how fast or slow to go. I’ve had late readers as well, so I know it’s not for everyone, and that when the time is right, they pick it up fast. But it’s worth it to test the waters so to speak, and not hold back because you think they can’t do it.
I totally appreciate hearing about different experiences! That’s what homeschooling is all about — individualized education. These were just some of the points I’ve learned in my own experience.
Amida’s latest post: Summer 2015 :: The County Fair
Honestly, I do not know one mom who has ‘held back’ when it comes to teaching letters to their kids. Even the unschoolers I know read to their kids all the time, sound things out, watch videos, have the kids play starfall, etc. So I don’t see that as a problem. I think telling moms that things will go better if their kids read early sets up a lot of new homeschooling moms with problems. If you expect your kid to read at 3 and they don’t get it until age 8 or 9 or later, that’s many years of frustration ahead! When a child reads shouldn’t determine their confidence in themselves. And just to give some case examples; my oldest didn’t click until age 8, she’s now got a masters in education and is a middle school special ed teacher. My oldest son didn’t read until 9 and just graduated with honors from a music conservatory. Both got into colleges with scholarships. I am not bragging or anything but just giving evidence that when a child reads does not need to have any bearing on their education. When a child reads is a function of their unfolding development and to my mind shouldn’t have a thing to do with their confidence in their own education. I could go on but I am out of time! Anyway, I thank you for the conversation.
I’ve found that the best thing for our kids has been waiting until they are ready to read. When I first started homeschooling, I tried to follow the school schedule, and it caused more tears than I was willing to accept. Thankfully, I realized that I did not have to do this, and I stopped. A couple of months later, my dahghter was happily reading on her own because she was able to do it at her leisure. I now have a 5 yr. old who naturally picks up on sight words and knows over twenty and a 7 yr. old who does not do well with sight words and has just recently started learning to sound some words out. This makes no difference to me. I have a 22 yr. old son who went to public school in the early years and who the teachers wanted to hold back because of his reading skills. I refused, he moved up a grade, and two years later he was tested for the gifted program. Honestly, the age my kids have learned to read has had absolutely no bearing on their future. (Other than the few who were forced to learn in school and now hate to read.)
Thank you for sharing! I totally agree that age of reading mastery has no bearing on their future. I also have a child who didn’t read fluently until 7ish (I wrote a post about this, actually) but who picked it up very quickly after it “clicked” in her. I do believe it helps build their confidence in other subjects, which is why I suggest to start early. You can always try and see how your child responds and go from there.
Amida’s latest post: Summer 2015 :: The County Fair
This has been helpful. I’m homeschooling my first child. She’s four years old and pitches a fit about reading. I think I got caught up in trying to prove to the skeptics in my life that homeschooled kids are not at a disadvantage. I know I need to let go of my attitude and just focus on what is best for my daughter. Its hard when your relatives are questioning your ability to teach your own child. :/
I’m so sorry but I’m confused by this post! I went back and re read it…just confused about the bullet points…is this her point as a writer? and are the sentences agreeing with it? Or is she saying this is what i thought would work but now I do the opposite (Field trips are not an option is one example….)…I’m sorry I ‘m confused I dont know why!!!
I certainly appreciate the general ideas behind the post though~
OMG thank you for pointing that out! I read it in a completely different way, but after your comment, I re-read it and totally see the confusion. What I meant was “Field trips are not optional, art is not optional”. In other words, DO include them. Thank you for pointing that out.
Amida’s latest post: Summer 2015 :: The County Fair
oh thanks for explaining it to me ! :0 🙂
Wow I am glad we can all do homeschool differently and that it still works!! At 8, 6, 5 and 4 field trips are just now becoming bearable (and we still don’t learn anything from them). My almost 7 year old doesn’t know how to read….i hope she will by 10 and learning other subjects is what helps we to know she is smart despite the reading struggle. I hate art and if my kids want to draw and paint great but they won’t be doing it with me…ever. my oldest had lots of friends very young my others not so much but we are getting there..half have friends, half only think they do. The only thing I agree with is that little kids don’t need planners or lots of subjects.
Oops…helps HER to know she is smart
Thank you for sharing your experience! Little kids are sponges. I’m sure they are learning a ton of stuff from their field trips that don’t neatly fit into the standard school subjects (even if they don’t let on they are learning anything). I wouldn’t worry about reading fluency. If you’ve introduced it and it hasn’t clicked yet, then she’s either not ready for it or the programs/method aren’t a good fit. After trying out many different options, I’ve found for my own struggling reader that Teach Your Child to Read In 100 Easy Lessons was the key that opened up the world of reading.
I thought it was funny that you don’t love art. I could do it all day, so of course, everyone should, right?!? Just kidding. It’s more than just drawing and painting. It’s more about having a creative outlet and doing something that fosters that. Boogie boarding, perhaps?
Amida’s latest post: Summer 2015 :: The County Fair
Just a word of encouragement to Colleen- Just as different children do things at different paces, each family has their strengths, interests and passions. It’s ok you don’t like art- send the kids to an art class. Maybe you are great at science experiments (or whatever). Concentrate on what fits into your family’s specific interests. Field trips are always a good idea even if it SEEMS like they get nothing out of them. In those young years keep them simple. Make use of parks, zoos, markets or outdoor walks gathering sticks and leaves in nice weather. I appreciate all ideas stressing being together as a family.
I absolutely agree with this post (especially reading the two points as “not optional” vs “not an option” ;)) My kids are young and we’re in our first year of homeschooling preschool and kindergarten. I love reading about other families’experiences. One of my kids LOVES to read and the other favors math (patterns, shapes, counting, and basic adding and subtracting). I’m learning when to learn as a group and when to separate the two of them to learn their age appropriate tasks, but one thing we all love is field trips! Granted, I don’t make a big deal about them being called that and don’t stress over what they learned that day. We’re not writing reports on the trips, here, and I trust they soaked in more info than I even did that day. Field trips for us could be a regular day at a park or the beach (which is nearby for us), a trip to the zoo or pumpkin patch, or even the farmer’s market. Especially if they get to pick out a food item and help me cook with it. So far I’ve found that if I don’t make a big deal out of certain things, it feels more like play for them than work, and if I’m not great at a subject I rely on the Internet or a local class that’s offered. It’s a win-win because I don’t stress over what I’m not particularly great at, and the kids get to practice taking instruction from adults other than me and make a friend or two in a class at the same time!
Thank you for this article! It’s always encouraging to hear from a mom who done this many times!
I love these! One of the beauties of homeschool is that each family can build a culture of their own, and pursue the things they love and value — and, as others have commented, these 5 things aren’t for everyone, but they sure resonate with me! Long before we were seriously thinking in terms of homeschool, my kids and I loved playing with watercolor and crayons, and my musician husband loves engaging them with his keyboards and drums and musical gadgets. For us, creativity and the arts are part of being a person. And “field trips,” if that means getting out to see new places and talk to people and get curious — that’s just life! 🙂 I also liked hearing your thoughts on reading. My almost 4 year old is learning a lot of phonics just through conversation and read-alouds. I believe in not pushing academics, but letting a child develop as a whole person, so I’ve worried that I need to slow down! But as long as it is fun and no pressure, it makes sense that early reading could contribute to joy and confidence in other pursuits. Thanks Amida!
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I think what has helped me the most in teaching kindergarten is not calling it “schoolwork” but instead referring to it as learning time. It puts less pressure on me when they ask when they will be doing “schoolwork” and models the ideal that we are learning all the time. Not just during school time. I appreciate all your advice!!
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“Everyday is not a school day” — this is so important.
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Thanks for sharing. It is really important to understand your child. Early childhood education is significant, I have come across Ithaca Montessori School, they are providing Montessori, Pre-K Program in Nashville.