-=> Quoting Sarah Nunez to All <=-
 SN> I spoke with two Kindergarten teachers yesterday at my sons' school,
 SN> who tell me that my 4.5-year-old isn't ready for Kindergarten.  After
 SN> talking it over with my schoolteacher mother, whom I have every reason
 SN> to trust, I've concluded that they're right.  He is so excited about
 SN> going to school next year, and I haven't yet told him that he won't be
 SN> going to school with my second son, who will be in third grade. 
 SN> I'm already preparing to homeschool my oldest son next year, who will
 SN> be in fifth grade, and I figure I can just add the younger one into
 SN> the mix.  What I'm wondering, though, is whether or not to also send
 SN> him to a private preschool for two or three afternoons a week.  If I
 SN> knew for sure that I'd be homeschooling him the following year, I
 SN> might not bother, but we're taking this thing one year at a time.  I
 SN> had planned on starting with homeschooling just one, and adding
 SN> another each year or as they reached fifth grade, so this is throwing
 SN> me for a loop. 
 SN> What would you do if you were in my situation?
 Age doesn't necessarily have something to do with whether or not a child
 is ready for kindergarden.  What reason do you have, according to the
 child's maturity or readiness for learning?
 Anyway, I homeschool 3 children.  It can be tough, since they are all
 totally different, but a kindergardener shouldn't be too bad.  In actuality,
 the older child will probably like to help.  This helps make them bond
 alot stronger and will give the older child confidence as well as the
 younger one.  If you have a computer, that can help since one can be
 on that while you give undivided attention to the other.  Since kindergarden
 is only a half a day anyways you will get things done for that child
 much quicker.  There are good shareware programs for the younger child
 that teaches number, abc's and such.  Also I use Spelling Voice for putting
 in spelling words for my children (two 9 year olds and a 12 year old).  I
 put in the words and record them and they hear the words and type them out.
 There is a learning mode and a test mode.  The learning mode shows them the
 word and the test mode just says the word in my voice or theirs depending
 how we record the word.  Each time they write and I find a word they don't
 know how to spell I encorporate it into their spelling words.  Jeremy who
 is ADHD learned 5 words in 15 minutes.  Kindergardener are pretty easy to
 teach.  Coloring is one basic thing they must learn.  Teaches hand coordina-
 tion.  Plus teaching other things like ABC's or numbers can be done at the
 child's speed.  You may find the child isn't responsive this hour, but
 responsive later during the day.  You can still get the learning in, whereas
 in school, they may miss it entirely.  Learning can be done riding down the
 street in the car by looking at stree signs, numbers on the houses, going
 grocery shopping (math) for the older one.  Also the first year of 
homeschooling
 may feel a little rough.  But hang in there as you both get use to it and
 get to know how your children learn and what methods work best.  Also
 homeschooling doesn't have to be just September thru June.  So if you start
 during the summer with a couple of hours you will get to know how to operate
 it a little at a time.  It works out in the wash for us, since some days we
 just don't have school because of things that come up.  And since you don't
 plan on sending the younger one in September you mite as well try it.
 As far as sending one to private school, I don't like to mix the two myself.
 It seems if you teach one way and the school teaches another the children
 get to the point where they say, "thats not how we do it".  It can be really
 confusing.  Of course, if the the child has some learning problems, you may
 want to send them anyways, but I found since I have two with problems that
 you will learn how to work with it and with one on one they learn much
 quicker.  Good Luck to ya!!
 Regina
... All I need is a Wave and a board to surf it on.
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