August Kindergarten 2

Here's an overview of what our Waldorf inspired August kindergarten homeschooling looked like during our second year of kindergarten (age 5-6).

This was definitely a transitional month for us. We wrapped up the last bits of kindergarten, prepared for the transition to first grade, and welcomed a new baby into our family!

August Kindergarten

Our pocket rhyme this month was "Sing a Song of Sixpence", the nursery rhyme about blackbirds.

Week 1

In reading, we talked out long vowels. In math, we did a review of 10 addend pairs. We finished the last of the Lollipop Logic worksheets. She was still enjoying those! She is really not enjoying the pocket rhymes at this point although I remind her that she'll be able to read the rhymes and use the puppets to entertain the baby.

I have a baby Stella doll she helped pick out ready to give her when I go into labor, but she received a plastic doll at a shower. I remind her that plastic one is not staying after Stella comes. It might sound cruel, but the accessories with this doll would not be safe around a baby and toddler whereas the Stella accessories are ok. Meanwhile, she is enjoying playing and using her imagination.

Week 2

We finished level 1 of All About Reading and reached a good place for a break in math, so we are stopping reading and math until September. She enjoyed sorting the reading cards for storage.

In our Waldorf Essentials gnome story, Super Sam is making plans and decisions about his big move. We packed up most of the gnome stuff (we left out one family not in the kindergarten stories) even though we are still reading the story. As I said before, we haven't been acting them out with toys for months. She has been into playing with the plastic baby doll and looking through old catalogs, making marks in them.

We did all of the "Sing a Song of Sixpence" pocket rhyme activities. They were really a chore for her. She refused to color anything -- I remind her that a  benefit of homeschooling is that I'm willing to negotiate. I let her get away with underlining the word "black" instead of coloring all the blackbirds. Sshe says she likes writing more than coloring, but she doesn't really write much. I warn her that coloring builds up her muscles so she'll be able to write a lot, but of course she doesn't listen to me. We are going to try the spelling level 1 program this fall, and we'll see if she still thinks writing is better than coloring after that.

As the final math lesson before our break, she made her own calendar for next year. This task was very easy and enjoyable to her. She used different colored pens and markers to write the dates, months, and days of the week but ignored my suggestions to draw a picture or some symbols at the top of the pages. How can she not be into art (other than origami)? She often sees me painting and does her own sometimes but not often. I wonder if I exposed her too much through the tot years (influenced by the concept of Reggio Emilia provocations) and it's not exciting and special now? Or maybe the lack of communicating through art relates to her lack of communicating otherwise with the selective mutism (she does talk to certain people a lot, not quite sure how she chooses)? Mystery child!

Anyway, some big accomplishments this week were learning to ride a 2 wheel bicycle without anyone holding on and how to play backgammon.

Week 3

In our gnome story, Super Sam got new clothes for his new job and took a good bath. The story was mainly about grooming. She is busy writing (or scribbling) in her student planner calendar, as every year. She likes to choose one at the back to school sales. She continues to enjoy riding her bike and is still working on learning how to swim.

Week 4

The end of our gnome story! When I first read through all 2 years and got to this final episode, I cried. No tears this time (we are SO ready for first grade!), but she is frustrated that there isn't more telling about his life at his new job. I told her she has to write that story herself!

She learned to play Sequence. On a nature walk, we found feathers, and she noticed on one side of the street the house numbers are odd and on the other side the house numbers are even. She helped make squash quiche with zucchini from our garden.

We are enjoying the last lazy days of summer before starting a more rigorous daily schedule for first grade in September.

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