|
Heidi Johnson has been "officially" homeschooling her four children
for the past 12 years and has a passion for "helping families be
all that God has called them to be." She wrote How to Homeschool
Kindergarten in response to the many moms who have asked
for advice when it comes to teaching Kindergarten.
This e-book caught my eye because I am now teaching Kindergarten
to my third child. This was my first time ever to read an e-book.
I am still partial to printed books, but I enjoyed reading How
to Homeschool Kindergarten and appreciated the overall tone
that Kindergarten doesn't have to too serious and formal. I know
from experience that there will be plenty of time for that later!
Though very informative, the book was written in a casual and
personable style. The author emphasizes that teaching this grade
should be easy, fun, and inexpensive. She writes, "This manual
is designed to be a skeleton that you can use and adapt to your
personality and needs." I came away feeling encouraged rather than
overwhelmed and was reminded that the way I treat my
child is far more important than what I teach .
This e-book is 31 pages long and consists of 11 chapters plus
a conclusion. Topics covered include:
• The importance of relationship and environment
• The four essentials of homeschooling Kindergarten
• A valuable list of resources, including websites
and books
• Teaching letters, reading, writing, and numbers
• Teaching a variety of subjects, including music
and art
• Plus much more!
Heidi also gives detailed instructions about organizing all of
your supplies, and she even provides personal photos to show the
system that works best for her. Another tip that I personally liked
was her explanation of the difference between routine and schedule.
It was a great reminder to me, a type-A person by nature, that
my children are more important than the tasks!
Even though I think $19.95 is a little pricey for a short e-book,
I would still recommend it to parents just starting out or to parents
who are feeling burnout. The price is well worth it if it helps
parents relax and truly enjoy teaching their young children!
Product review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, September 2010
Another review:
This resource is a great downloadable e-book that you can
buy via PayPal for only $9.95. The author begins by talking about homeschooling
in general--the environment you create for your homeschool, the relationship
you develop with your child, the routine you need to establish--just
nuts and bolts for someone starting out. She then proceeds with practical ideas
for teaching the basics to your kindergarten-aged child. She gives many
practical ideas for teaching phonics, counting, skip-counting, money,
time, science, art, music, history, writing and reading. Much of this is just
practical, commonsense stuff, but when you are first starting out it
is just good to have it all lined out like this so you can get an overall
picture of where you are heading with your teaching. The author recommends
a few resources that she has enjoyed using but mostly gives ideas of
games and resources she has used that cost little or no money to prepare and
use. Although this is not my first experience homeschooling, I have used
a few of the author's ideas with my kindergartener this year. I am
always open to new ideas, and she has some excellent ones. I found this guide
very practical, and for 9.95 it will bring a lot of peace of mind to first-time
homeschoolers starting this journey with their kindergarten-aged child.
Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November
2010
| 
