*Sniff* I’ve come to my very last year of kindergarten. My baby turns five in October which means this is it. In the fall we’ll begin kindergarten and it will be the last time I get to experience the magic of teaching a child to read and watching a whole new world open up.
Kindergarten is a special year. This is the beginning. This is where first steps are taken and I’m so blessed to be able to take Charlie’s hand and walk step by step with him through this very special year. I want to watch the look of concentration on his face when he tries to sound out a new word, I want to cheer with him the first time he counts to 100 and I want to cuddle with him while we read stories together.
I’m taking a break from work for this year – partly so I can concentrate on bringing my last child officially into our homeschool day; so I can make his kindergarten year memorable and so that I have time to stop and smell the roses with him.
Academically, things are pretty simple. I’ll teach him how to read. I’ll start working through Right Start math with him at a pace he’s comfortable with. I’ll work on printing skills using an age appropriate program that I hope will work – he’s a lefty. And I’ll read to him.
We’ll likely dip in and out of Five in a Row. I wouldn’t want him to miss out on exploring the Yangtzee river with Ping, or on smelling the flowers with Ferdinand, or on finding creative solutions to outdated technology with Mike and his steam shovel. We’ll also join in with the older boys as we all study Ancient Times – beginning with Creation we’ll learn about history up to the year 500 AD. There will be Jewish feasts, cookie dough maps of Egypt, and temple building to take part in with the older boys. And more reading.
And that’s just what’s happening at home. We’ll also continue with violin (private lessons and group with his friends), play dates and possibly some co-op opportunities. He’s also got Taekwon-do and Italian lessons.
This is my last year of kindergarten and I’m looking forward to all of the adventures that Charlie and I will have together this year. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
My last one, too, which is how I found your excellent blog; clicking around looking for a richer kindergarten math than the ones I’ve used in the past. Are you, too, feeling an odd pressure to do everything in technicolor? “Laaassssst chaannnnnnnce” keeps echoing in my head 😉