Home-pre-school!

[hapersmion]

SAM has been getting really excited about school, because all the neighbor boys go, and we drive past the playground every time we leave the neighborhood. He doesn't make the age cut-off this year (and I'd be inclined to wait until he was at least six anyway...), but he says he wants to do "practice school

Comments

[rp_frozen]

For writing: most schools now use Zaner-Bloser. It might make kindergarten easier if he's making his letters the way they will want him too.

For Math: there are alot of good songs out there to teach days and months and such. look into Dr. Jean's songs. (I really like the macarena months)

Honestly, the three skills he will need above all else are the ability to sit still and focus (until someone else tells him to stop), the ability to follow someone else's directions, and the ability to wait before speaking (aka raise your hand).

Just a teacher's opinion. Feel free to disregard.

[hapersmion]

Good to know about the Zaner-Bloser. I remember being very frustrated when my second-grade teacher told me that the way my first-grade teacher had taught me to write my name was "wrong". :P

Thanks! Songs make everything easier.

That those three skills are considered most important is one of the reasons I'm not very fond of public school. :) But he's getting practice at library story time, with our grouchy shushing librarian. :P

[wayferny]

For geography stuff, Montessori outlet makes these great wooden maps a rather reasonable price for wooden puzzles:

http://www.montessorioutlet.com/cgi-bin/category/5107

You're probably already planning this, but a really fun way to learn landform names is to sculpt them in modeling clay in a cake pan or bowl and then put real water in the appropriate places (lakes, bays, oceans, rivers, etc.) and float little boats in the water.