A Gentle Start
I don’t know what surprises me more: that it’s already summer or that I’ll have 3 students at our homeschool table next year! Now that the festivities surrounding Eric’s PhD graduation are but sweet memories, I am in full school planning mode. This will be the first time I homeschool a kindergartener in a (mostly) Charlotte Mason style. (I understand that for many, that sentence is dripping with contradictions!) While I would love to hold off on school until my girl is 6, her birthday falls smack in the middle of the school year. Although I could start her nearer her birthday, I know myself all too well – I simply won’t do it! So I’ve decided to ease her in. Besides, I feel it in my bones: she is ready!
I’m letting myself off the hook just a bit this year, and trying to lean into our family’s needs. So, while my fantasy self is a Charlotte Mason purist, my actual self is raising actual kids who are actually all quite different, and there are just a couple things I need to outsource or embrace! Throw in the mix that we are expecting a job change and move in the coming months, and my priority is grace upon grace… which for me means adding in just a bit of intentional twaddle this year.
My little-middle is going to be a hoot to homeschool! She is fierce and brave, and I know she will rise to the occasion. I know she’ll dance in and out of the school room as my other girls are exploring big ideas, and I’m not at all concerned with academic rigor. I am hoping that most of her schooling will take place in my lap with good stories, side by side with feet swinging under the table, or exploring outdoors, but always together.
Let’s jump into my (mostly) Charlotte Mason Kindergarten picks!
Bible/Recitation
I love the Jesus Storybook Bible for this age. Although I firmly believe we should read to our kids from our own Bibles (and we will!), I just love the way Sally Lloyd-Jones weaves this storybook Bible together. We’ll read a few chapters a week, interspersed amongst the big girls’ Bible lessons, most likely in the evenings.
In addition to the JSBB, we’ll practice a question each week from the New City Catechism and memorize verses from my verse cards. 1
Reading/Handwriting
For Reading instruction, I decided to revisit Primary Arts of Language by the Institute for Excellence in Writing. This does not use a Charlotte Mason approach, but I’m familiar with the program, as it’s what I used for my oldest when we first began homeschooling.
I used a Charlotte Mason reading program for my 1st grader last year, and although she did fine, I felt that she needed a more phonics-heavy approach to reading. So, I’m actually going to have both my K and 2nd graders doing this one together. It’s very games based, and I think it will work well to have them play the games together while I do independent work with my big girl.
I already have the program, so I’ll just pick and choose as we go. We may venture into the spelling when prompted, or we may omit it and carve out more time for play. I’m taking a “no-pressure” approach to adding this sweet girl!
Math
For Math, I’ll be using Simply Charlotte Mason’s Elementary Arithmetic Book 1. This is actually the very first time I’ll have used Book 1. My 1st grader last year is definitely a numbers girl and was ready for more. I’m excited to have a very gentle start to math.
I have LOVED books 2 & 3, so I’m very confident that this choice will be a win! It’s simple, engaging, and great for every style of learner. It makes math more of a conversation than a task, and after trying other math curriculums with my oldest daughter, I see the value and versatility that this book offers. I’ve doubted a few curriculum/book choices in my homeschool journey. The switch to this series has NOT been one of them!
Literature
Although I have no intention to start any kind of formal literature study, I do plan to gather all the sweet stories I enjoyed with my oldest, but that my third has had less exposure to: books like Brambly Hedge series, Beatrix Potter tales, and of course, Winnie the Pooh. I also plan to introduce as many good hero stories as I can. (I’m looking at you Brave Irene!) I think those will appeal to her!
Nature Lore
I’m quite excited to explore the Safari this year using African Critters by Robert B. Haas. My middles will really enjoy playing along with the miniature animal figures by Safari Ltd. I think this combo will be a big hit! Because I’ll also be schooling a 2nd and 4th grader this year, we’ll probably only visit this one once a week.
Final Thought
All in all, I think adding Miss K to the mix will be relatively gentle and, decidedly, fun! I feel more confident in adding her, since I’ve now homeschooled 2 kiddos at this stage. I know we’ll all be stretched and grow at the right pace, and the goal is to do that together!
I still can’t believe I get to do this homeschool gig. It’s hard and challenging and I want to give up more than I’d like to admit. But it’s also the very best gift, and I can’t think of a more valuable thing to do with my time. There are 2 things that are eternal – the Word of God and the souls of men. What a treasure to get to hold hands with eternity in this way!
Keep going, friend! This is Kingdom-work!
- I had originally thought I would keep Little Miss K’s Bible reading mixed in with the other children’s, but after considering our day as a whole, I think it best to reserve the JSBB for evening reading. In addition, Eric came up with a list of verses that he’d like the kiddos to memorize this year, so I made that adjustment as well. ↩︎
