Weekend Edition~Spiritual Education for Kindergarten and First Grade

Most kindergartners are around 5 years old. I wait til 6 years old to start Kindergarten mostly. But, I know many start at 5. So that makes most children 6 years old for first grade. While my children mainly do not start first grade til 7 years old.

People often ask me what I would suggest they do spiritually for homeschool education for these grades. My suggestion is to remember to keep things developmentally age appropriate. The child may be very intelligent but mentally and emotionally they are still the age they are. They can not be older then the age that they are. So I want to really stress to keep things simple for these ages. So while I start my Bible reading schedule in first grade for my children, remember my children are 7 for first grade. So it may or may not be developmentally right for your child for first grade, if they are a young 6. You know your child best. And just keep in mind, if they are liking it, and having fun with it great! If they are not understanding it, and frustrated pull back and wait a few months or another year.

My own story starts this way. We used Calvert for my oldest child's kindergarten year. The Calvert Kindergarten teachers manual suggested starting each day with National Anthem and Flag Salute. I knew that would not work for us. And as I read the manual, I understood the underlying agenda was starting each day with a routine that was the same each day. So I thought about things, and decided to start each day with a children's JW.org song. Which was so nice, that that was the first year they began to be released! And 1 My Book of Bible Stories, story or 1 Great Teacher book Chapter. (one or the other each day, not both each day). And that worked really really well. It was just enough for us.

I have also added making sure we do the Daily Text. While, I would suggest doing the Daily Text with your Kindergarten child. I would also caution that it is usually not written for that age group. And most the time they will most likely not understand it. Some sisters have though found success in asking their children to draw a picture of what they thought the Daily Text was about. And that has proven to work very well for many. I want to encourage you though, weather or not your child understands it, to not stress out over it. It only takes a few minutes, and focus on this becoming a habit for them to consider the Daily Text daily.. and do not try to force them to understand it, or get disheartened if they do not. Just do this for sheer habit, til they start to "get it". And be ok with that!

As time has went on, I have also developed a Daily Bible Reading schedule. Many have asked me if I think it is appropriate for a Kindergarten age child. And while I LOVE the schedule I created. I just don't think most kindergarten age children would have as much fun with it, as a 7 year old or older child. What I would however, say what I think a good thing to start with to ease into my Daily Bible Reading Schedule (by the time the child is 7 or older). Is my Fruitage of the Spirit Poster. It is only one scripture that you focus on a month for a 9 month school year. You read the scripture that focuses on that characteristic, and sing the song that was written for that aspect of Jehovah's personality. You can also pinterest fun little trees you could make and add fruit to your tree each time you learn about another personality trait (fruit). And for sure do not forget about the Fruitage of the Spirit activities you could do with it, on JW.org.

So what I do is, start each day with Daily Text, and I don't expect my K students to completely understand it. Our focus is good habit here.

Then a Children's song from JW.org (Caleb and Sofia songs), I keep this to the same song for a entire month that way we can memorize it and get good at singing it. BUT, you do what works for your family. That could mean you choose a different song every day, or maybe only stay on that song for a week. Or even the whole school year. There is no right or wrong, only what works for you and your child.

Then we do a secular short story, that I use a public domain book called In The Child's World. But, you could read a poem, or any short story you want, or none at all-do what works for you! And this would also be a fine time to go ahead and skip this and just do the Bible Story or Great Teacher if you want.

We do Calendar time each day from a free download-Home School Creations.

Next we do Math. I keep this oral using counting bears and the like and use a children's primary Arithmetic primer. We usually only do that once a week, and then use games and dice and such the rest of the week for math.

A Bible Story or Great Teacher chapter.

Then we do a longer secular story. I personally do like to have a little secular thrown in for more roundness. However, I am very choosy with these selections. Only books that would go along with our values, and ones that I feel have value. I'm not just for dribble, or what Charlotte Mason referred to as, twaddle. Mindless and no real value, seems like a waste of time to me. I find GOOD books for this. I get a lot of ideas from Amblesideonline.org and reading list from WestBrooke. My children have LOVED Frog and Toad, Beatrix Potter, Richard Scarry. and many many more. I just do one story from one secular book a day.

Sometimes we add in some science-Berenstain Bear Big Book of Science, or Science in a Nutshell, or Peanuts Encyclopedias.. what ever is fun and light for this. Also just going outside and observing nature and drawing it as well! You could also do the children's brochures for this time as well-there's many. Teach Your Children, Bible Lessons, all kinds. And don't forget any of the Awake magazines nature articles too. As well as tv shows-Magic School Bus, or Wild Kratts, etc. But, keep it short and sweet, and age appropriate.

Then you could close with the Fruitage of the Spirit Poster-1 scripture verse. And one song. Alternate them with My Bible Lessons as well. So every other day do a fruitage of the Spirit lesson and on the opposite day do a My Bible Lessons. So far there is 15 My Bible Lessons, so I would focus on one Lesson for 2 weeks at a time. And then go to the next one. I will be developing a sheet that will coordinate corresponding songs for the Bible Lessons as well so you can have a song to sing after each My Bible Lesson as well.

My Bible Lessons Schedule

Now before you go getting all upset that My Bible Lessons are for ages 3 and under. It doesn't mean that they are not valuable for older children too. They can still be very useful in laying down good spiritual foundations and scriptures. Younger children you would focus more on the pictures and finding things in the graphics. With K and first grade, focus on the scripture it's deeper meaning (on a k and first grade level of course) and singing the song that will reinforce the meaning of the scripture. Lots of bright fun pictures is still very attractive and fun for this age as well. You could also start using the words at the bottom as ones to work on learning to read. Many applications for older then 3 years old. :)

What this looks like for us for kindergarten is below-

Daily Text-History/Current Events.

Children's Song from JW.org-Music.

Secular Short Story-Language Arts, Culture, Social Studies.

Calendar Time-Math/Science

Math-

My Book of Bible Stories Story or Great Teacher-Bible, History, Geography, Social Studies

Secular Story-Language Arts, but of course could be history, social studies, and many other things.

Science-(a couple of times a week) Story, or experiment, or nature observation.

Fruitage of the Spirit Poster or My Bible Lesson-read scripture, and sing song.

Done with K for the day!

The only things different I add for First Grade, is more reading instruction, like 100 Easy Lessons to Teach Your Child to read, and/or such as that. Phonics. Or what ever reading program you choose. If you choose to do one. I remember Lela taught herself to read with out any program, just by being read to! So you may have that kind of child too. Where Belle begged me to teach her, so I bought books for instructing her in how to read. And you could also add 1 subheading a day from the Simplified Watchtower for the weeks study.