Beginning Your Journey
MO Milligans
http://educationalfreedom.com/efp/helm/05062002/begjourney.html
Beginning Your Journey
By Karen M. Gibson
"What curriculum do you suggest for Kindergarten?"This is a question I am
frequently asked by parents. It is also a question I find particularly
difficult to provide a quick, easy response to. The truth is I do not
believe that a curriculum is necessary for Kindergarten, but that usually
is not the answer parents are looking for or expect. They are certain that
Kindergarten is that magical time when suddenly what was "life" must become
"education" and therefore needs to include workbooks, textbooks, and
organized lessons. So they are hoping I will have ideas and suggestions for
an organize course of study all laid out in black and white.Many parents
have this rosy, magical, idealized vision of public school Kindergarten and
believe they need to recreate that at home. My children attended public
school kindergarten and believe me, there was nothing magical about it.
Kindergarten is geared towards the lowest common denominator (surprised?).
Any child that already knows their letter sounds, how to write the alphabet
and numbers 0-9, and do simple addition like 2+2 = 4 is going to be a very
bored child in Kindergarten.A primary goal of kindergarten is to make good
little soldiers/workers out of children. Their most important lessons
include learning that they must ask permission before doing anything
(in-cluding bathroom privileges). They are trained to follow the schedule
at all costs. They learn to eat, play, learn, and even nap according to
schedule with no consideration given to the individual child's needs or
requirements. They learn to follow directions, stand in line quietly, and
get along with other children and the teacher without resorting to
violence. And probably the most important lesson is to break the emotional
bonds with home and family. This is one result of the institution of public
school that I believe few parents realize until they remove their child
from that system. Only then does one fully appreciate the extent to which
authority and control of one's children were given away.You are probably
thinking, "But what about reading and mathematics? I need a textbook to
teach those subjects!"A formal textbook curriculum follows a scope and
sequence, a list of objectives that the child should attain by the end of
that particular school year through the lessons and activities provided.
Here is a bit from a scope and sequence for
Kindergarten:1Reading/Writing·Hold books right side up and turn pages in
the right direction. ·Locate parts of a book such as beginning, middle, and
end. ·Recognize and interpret familiar signs and symbols from the
environment, such as stop signs. ·Recognize and say the sounds of most
letters of the alphabet. ·Recognize their own first name ·Use letters,
drawings, scribbles, and gestures to tell a story. ·Retell and act out
stories as an activity before writing. ·Begin to write left to right and
top to bottom. ·Begin to use one or two letters, especially initial
consonant sounds, to represent whole words. ·Show understanding of stories
read to them. ·Learn and practice using new vocabulary. Math·Use ordinal
number names from first to tenth. ·Compare two groups to determine which is
more, less or the same. ·Develop the concept of first, middle and last
within a set of three objects. ·Respond to directions about location (e.g.,
above, below, between). ·Compare objects based on size and capacity.
Science·Begin to observe, describe, and record daily and seasonal changes
in weather. ·Become aware of and develop appropriate habits, which will
lead to good personal health, such as washing hands before eating. ·Begin
to ask questions and construct explanations based on observations of
objects and events. History·Speak about themselves, including gender,
ethnicity, talents, and abilities. ·Distinguish between land and water
masses on maps and globes. ·Hear and retell stories that show how people
make economic choices. ·Recognize the flag of the United States. What part
of this "kindergarten learning" can not be done at home? And how much of it
requires a textbook? How are the above "requirements" any different from
the things a parent has already very capably assisted their child in
learning, such as sharing with siblings, knowing when to wear a rain coat,
brushing teeth to prevent cavities, making good food choices, counting
plates when setting the table, sorting laundry by colors or types of
material, selecting the most economical brand of soap, signing their name
to Grandma's birthday card?Does a parent really need a textbook to help
their child "begin to ask questions and construct explanations based on
observations of objects and events?" Does that not just mean they can look
out the window, see the ground is wet and know that the rain causes it? If
they do not understand what causes the rain, will they not ask anyway,
without having to wait for a textbook to ask and answer that
question?Really, a parent needs only to continue what has obviously worked
successfully the first five years of their child's life be patient, be
observant, answer their questions, read to them, play games with them, and
just include them in your daily activities. Kindergarten, after all, is
only a label given to a group of children who happen to be the same age,
and is as meaningless as all other labels. There is no age at which Life is
not an essential part, if not THE essential part, of education, and
Kindergarten is no exception.Here are some ways in which Life can be your
Kindergarten curriculum, things you can do with your child:·Plant a garden
·Raise a pet ·Create a family newsletter ·Keep a scrapbook of pictures and
other memorabilia ·Attend the local community theatres ·Purchase a
membership at the local YMCA ·Go hiking at a nearby National/State Park
·Read poetry and fairy tales and fables and history and whatever else your
child might be interested in ·Do hands-on arts and crafts ·Find a simple
science experiment book at the library and try some of the experiments.
·Play an instrument ·Take dance lessons or karate lessons or learn yoga
·Buy some binoculars, put out some birdseed, and learn to identify birds
·Visit museums - hands-on science, history, art, marine, planetariums,
aviation, racing, naval, automobile, etc. ·Plan a trip, using maps and
other resource ·Make a grocery list and then go shopping ·Start giving an
allowance ·Open a bank account ·Visit a farm ·Build a deck/porch ·Collect
rocks ·Identify all the trees in your neighborhood ·Read a newspaper ·Make
a quilt ·Buy a few shares of stock ·Visit the ocean ·Visit a dam ·Hold a
scavenger hunt 1A Standards-Based Scope & Sequence for Learning, New York
City Board of Education
< http://www.nycenet.edu/dis/scopesequence/ >
Site verified May 5, 2002
©Karen M. Gibson
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I will choose Free will" -Rush (and Todd)
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
Beginning Your Journey
By Karen M. Gibson
"What curriculum do you suggest for Kindergarten?"This is a question I am
frequently asked by parents. It is also a question I find particularly
difficult to provide a quick, easy response to. The truth is I do not
believe that a curriculum is necessary for Kindergarten, but that usually
is not the answer parents are looking for or expect. They are certain that
Kindergarten is that magical time when suddenly what was "life" must become
"education" and therefore needs to include workbooks, textbooks, and
organized lessons. So they are hoping I will have ideas and suggestions for
an organize course of study all laid out in black and white.Many parents
have this rosy, magical, idealized vision of public school Kindergarten and
believe they need to recreate that at home. My children attended public
school kindergarten and believe me, there was nothing magical about it.
Kindergarten is geared towards the lowest common denominator (surprised?).
Any child that already knows their letter sounds, how to write the alphabet
and numbers 0-9, and do simple addition like 2+2 = 4 is going to be a very
bored child in Kindergarten.A primary goal of kindergarten is to make good
little soldiers/workers out of children. Their most important lessons
include learning that they must ask permission before doing anything
(in-cluding bathroom privileges). They are trained to follow the schedule
at all costs. They learn to eat, play, learn, and even nap according to
schedule with no consideration given to the individual child's needs or
requirements. They learn to follow directions, stand in line quietly, and
get along with other children and the teacher without resorting to
violence. And probably the most important lesson is to break the emotional
bonds with home and family. This is one result of the institution of public
school that I believe few parents realize until they remove their child
from that system. Only then does one fully appreciate the extent to which
authority and control of one's children were given away.You are probably
thinking, "But what about reading and mathematics? I need a textbook to
teach those subjects!"A formal textbook curriculum follows a scope and
sequence, a list of objectives that the child should attain by the end of
that particular school year through the lessons and activities provided.
Here is a bit from a scope and sequence for
Kindergarten:1Reading/Writing·Hold books right side up and turn pages in
the right direction. ·Locate parts of a book such as beginning, middle, and
end. ·Recognize and interpret familiar signs and symbols from the
environment, such as stop signs. ·Recognize and say the sounds of most
letters of the alphabet. ·Recognize their own first name ·Use letters,
drawings, scribbles, and gestures to tell a story. ·Retell and act out
stories as an activity before writing. ·Begin to write left to right and
top to bottom. ·Begin to use one or two letters, especially initial
consonant sounds, to represent whole words. ·Show understanding of stories
read to them. ·Learn and practice using new vocabulary. Math·Use ordinal
number names from first to tenth. ·Compare two groups to determine which is
more, less or the same. ·Develop the concept of first, middle and last
within a set of three objects. ·Respond to directions about location (e.g.,
above, below, between). ·Compare objects based on size and capacity.
Science·Begin to observe, describe, and record daily and seasonal changes
in weather. ·Become aware of and develop appropriate habits, which will
lead to good personal health, such as washing hands before eating. ·Begin
to ask questions and construct explanations based on observations of
objects and events. History·Speak about themselves, including gender,
ethnicity, talents, and abilities. ·Distinguish between land and water
masses on maps and globes. ·Hear and retell stories that show how people
make economic choices. ·Recognize the flag of the United States. What part
of this "kindergarten learning" can not be done at home? And how much of it
requires a textbook? How are the above "requirements" any different from
the things a parent has already very capably assisted their child in
learning, such as sharing with siblings, knowing when to wear a rain coat,
brushing teeth to prevent cavities, making good food choices, counting
plates when setting the table, sorting laundry by colors or types of
material, selecting the most economical brand of soap, signing their name
to Grandma's birthday card?Does a parent really need a textbook to help
their child "begin to ask questions and construct explanations based on
observations of objects and events?" Does that not just mean they can look
out the window, see the ground is wet and know that the rain causes it? If
they do not understand what causes the rain, will they not ask anyway,
without having to wait for a textbook to ask and answer that
question?Really, a parent needs only to continue what has obviously worked
successfully the first five years of their child's life be patient, be
observant, answer their questions, read to them, play games with them, and
just include them in your daily activities. Kindergarten, after all, is
only a label given to a group of children who happen to be the same age,
and is as meaningless as all other labels. There is no age at which Life is
not an essential part, if not THE essential part, of education, and
Kindergarten is no exception.Here are some ways in which Life can be your
Kindergarten curriculum, things you can do with your child:·Plant a garden
·Raise a pet ·Create a family newsletter ·Keep a scrapbook of pictures and
other memorabilia ·Attend the local community theatres ·Purchase a
membership at the local YMCA ·Go hiking at a nearby National/State Park
·Read poetry and fairy tales and fables and history and whatever else your
child might be interested in ·Do hands-on arts and crafts ·Find a simple
science experiment book at the library and try some of the experiments.
·Play an instrument ·Take dance lessons or karate lessons or learn yoga
·Buy some binoculars, put out some birdseed, and learn to identify birds
·Visit museums - hands-on science, history, art, marine, planetariums,
aviation, racing, naval, automobile, etc. ·Plan a trip, using maps and
other resource ·Make a grocery list and then go shopping ·Start giving an
allowance ·Open a bank account ·Visit a farm ·Build a deck/porch ·Collect
rocks ·Identify all the trees in your neighborhood ·Read a newspaper ·Make
a quilt ·Buy a few shares of stock ·Visit the ocean ·Visit a dam ·Hold a
scavenger hunt 1A Standards-Based Scope & Sequence for Learning, New York
City Board of Education
< http://www.nycenet.edu/dis/scopesequence/ >
Site verified May 5, 2002
©Karen M. Gibson
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I will choose Free will" -Rush (and Todd)
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
mabeitzel
Thank you for this!! I think my husband needs to read this. I know
the perfect place for it...on the bathroom wall with a big sign
saying, READ PLEASE! Very helpful article.
Michelle
the perfect place for it...on the bathroom wall with a big sign
saying, READ PLEASE! Very helpful article.
Michelle
MO Milligans
At 01:33 AM 9/17/02 +0000, you wrote:
Cool, I'm glad you'll be able to use it. If you follow the link, it looks
MUCH better there. It didn't copy well into email :)
Todd
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I will choose Free will" -Rush (and Todd)
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
>Thank you for this!! I think my husband needs to read this. I know==
>the perfect place for it...on the bathroom wall with a big sign
>saying, READ PLEASE! Very helpful article.
>Michelle
Cool, I'm glad you'll be able to use it. If you follow the link, it looks
MUCH better there. It didn't copy well into email :)
Todd
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I will choose Free will" -Rush (and Todd)
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html