Tips on teaching my child at home?

Question

I want to teach my daughter at home to perpare her for school. She is just one month past the cut off date for K-4.

She will be going to school next year I just want to help her get a edge on school.

She knows her numbers to 20, ABC's, counting individual items up to ten, and She loves for us to read to her.

Answer 1

Start teaching her to read. It sounds like she's ready if she loves books. I learned to read by the time I was 3. I was homeschooled most of my life with a few intermittent years of "regular school". There is no reason your child can't be ready for the "real world" if they're homeschooled.

I know you are planning to send your child to school, and that's great, but just don't let anyone tell you homeschooling can't be done well. There are lots of great resources. I was only homeschooled because I could read at a third grade level in kindergarten, but the school system was going to put me in a class that learned the alphabet because I still couldn't hold a pencil. My mom was able to customize my education because of homeschooling and eventually my writing skills caught up (though I've never been good at handwriting).

Teach your kid math with goldfish crackers! It's so fun to learn adding and subtracting with them because you can eat them!

You can take her on little field trips to museums and the zoo.

Science can be taught with fun little experiments like growing sugar crystals in a jar, or growing a sunflower.

Learn about countries of the world with colorful picture books and sampling foods of the countries. (The kids at our preschool LOVE this)

You know your child best, so you know what she's ready to take on, and what will take a little more time to foster. Focus on the things she already enjoys and wants to do. She's most likely to do well in those and really excel when it comes time for her formal education.

Answer 2

You might check with the local school to see if they have a list of objectives for the Pre-K and K year's. That will help you focus what you should be working on. As has already been mentioned, knowing her alphabet and numbers will be a BIG advantage. There are several great reading programs available, both on-line and in print (some may be available through your library, like, "Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons", or "The Writing Road to Reading"). We used an online program called Reading A-Z (see link below for samples). Just make sure it is fun for her - don't push. If she gets bored or finds the work too difficult, don't hesitate to shelve it for a couple of weeks or even a month or more - some stuff just comes with maturity.

Best wishes for a successful "Pre-K" year!

Answer 3

Obviously a lot of the people posting answers did not read your question.

For those who are not reading to their kids, the best way to prepare you kid for school is to start reading to them AS SOON AS you bring them home from the hospital. It's never too late too start.

Since you are already reading to her, do it at every opportunity and ask her questions about what you are reading. DON'T grill her about the numbers or letters, etc., but occasionally as you are reading stop and ask her simple questions. For example, how many apples are on this page, do you know what that letter is, can you find three things on this page that are red, etc. Make it fun and interactive.

If your child can do what you say, then she is probably ready to be the head of the class when she starts. The other important thing is to assess her emotional and social skills which are just as important in determining if a child is ready for school. Help her learn to share, show the proper "social graces" such as saying please and thank you, etc.

Given all that, she may actually be more advanced than some adults who have already graduated from school.

Answer 4

First off HOORAY for you on getting her prepared. So many children start un-prepared. Since you are off to a good start have her practice writing her letters, spelling her name (first and last),know her birth date , and counting to 100. There are basic site words that you should begin to familiarize her with and try to play a game of what would happen next..with patterns or stories. Also having her express herself is very important. Let her draw and tell you a sentence that goes with her picture.

Have her tell you a story using a picture book as a guide. Can she jump rope? Play hop scotch? Or cross the monkey bars? These to are skill that need to be learned.

Keep up the good work and your daughter will be full of self confidence and complete ready for what ever comes her way.

Answer 5

There are websites for home schooling. Go to a headstart website. You should be able to find kindergarten curricula there.
Teach her the alphabet with the alphabet song. Give her a number since buy counting up to five. Try to teach basic shapes and try to find books that genuinely interest her. Read as much as possible and try to convey a love for reading. Take her to the library often.
Let her color and paint and play with her toys. Make sure she gets a balance of all of that and you should be well on your way.

Answer 6

I see that you are preparing her for school and not homeschool? The best thing in the world is for her to homeschool. But, either way --- it sounds like she is well on her way.

I'm responding to a previous post...

Somebody said:
>>>>>>I would not do that if I were you. By home schooling your child, she will not be ready for the real world. Many people who come to my college from home school are always lost and do not understand what the classroom is or how to deal with people in the real world. <<<<<<<

In the Fall of last year my daughter signed up for classes. She is in a transfer program with Oregon State University. The admissions counselor at the community college asked her qutie a few questions. My daughter was at first timid about her abilities. The counselor asked questions from a form: "Have you taken a class?", "Did you take any college credit courses in high-school?". After a slight hesitation, my daughter replied, "I was homeschooled all of my life". The response from the counselor was absolutely amazing! Her face lit up in an huge smile and she said, "How WONDERFUL!!!". and went on to explain how well-liked the homeschoolers have been that attend the college. She told us that in her experience ALL of the homeschool students come to college with the mindset to work and study and accomplish their goals. In her words, "Unlike the two baseball players that just left my office." Her delight was soooooo good for Amy's confidence level.

My daughter completed her first year at college in June. She maintained high grades and is on the honor-roll. She has never been lost and definitely understands what a classroom is. She deals with people in the "real world" all of the time without any more issues than you and I. We homeschooled for her entire K-12 education. She is very capable of thinking for herself and can hold her own in a conversation. She is not naive nor ignorant to the truth.

Homeschools are a part of the "real world". We are real. We are good. We are smart. We are kind. We are not social misfits. I challenge you to do a survey of public schools, private schools and homeschools --- I'm confident that you will find a similar ratio of "misfits" in ANY educational system. I grew up in public school and I was a social-flop. My children have far exceeded my abilities in both academics and humanity-contact. They are outgoing; I was tearfully shy. They are motivated: I was held back by fear. They are achieving their potential; I stopped short of mine.

Homeschooling is now in the mainstream!!! When we started it was very "weird" to be homeschooling. Now, 20 some-odd years later the proof is in the results!!!!! Check it out: www.nheri.org

Barb

Answer 7

I would not do that if I were you. By home schooling your child, she will not be ready for the real world. Many people who come to my college from home school are always lost and do not understand what the classroom is or how to deal with people in the real world.

Answer 8

It sounds like you've already covered preschool stuff and then some which will probably put her way beyond everybody else in a year. Just keep doing what you're doing but make sure you do some fun stuff, too, like painting and playing outside and crafts and things like that.

Answer 9

The best preparation is discipline. Teach her to follow direction and respect authority. She is already on the right track. Great job.

Answer 10

I was homeschooled for a while, it was nice, just teach her to read and write and get ready to answer questions