Parents should never underestimate the value of a good Kindergarten program. At this stage children are still very inquisitive and creative. Choosing an innovative and exciting program for Kindergarten will benefit children throughout their entire school career.
Some parents choose to homeschool their children during their Kindergarten years and then send them to a public or private school for the rest of their schooling. Others start their homeschooling career with Kindergarten and then continue homeschooling until grade 12.
Where to Find Programs
Parents have a lot of choices when it comes to Kindergarten programs. You can create your own program following the needs and abilities of the child or you can buy a complete program.
Times 4 learning has an online Kindergarten program where lessons are done online with the help of a timer so the child doesn’t spend too much time on one lesson. Some parents are reluctant to start using the computer for teaching at such a young age. These programs are relatively expensive and you should be very sure it is going to work for your child before you buy.
Many companies advertise free CD’s with activities for Kindergarten. While this won’t give you a full program it can be a good starting point to collect resources.
Curriki.org is an open-source website with a vast number of activities available for download. Most of the resources are submitted by teachers aiming at providing free quality education for all.
Other parents, support groups and schools in your area will also be good resources.
Visit the website of the education department in your state or area. Even if you can’t get programs there it will give you an idea of the requirements for your state.
Some states have specific requirements of what a child has to be able to do at the end of Kindergarten. There are states that require that a child has to be able to write at least his or her name while others have no requirements. There are, however some skills that a child has to have before entering grade one. These skills are discussed in the article on the Kindergarten curriculum.
