Sunday, April 29, 2012

Curriculum in the works...

I finally have a starting point for my tiny tots home schooling curriculum!  I am not sure if anyone else has been thinking about home schooling, but there is just so much information out there to review.  I have already posted that I am just filling up a notebook with ideas, projects, games, printables, teaching toys... you name it, I have probably jotted something down about it.  While reviewing some of my notes, I am struggling to find a starting point!  So, a friend of mine directed me to our states kindergarten readiness calendar.  It was a checklist of 38 things your child should know or be aware of before entering kindergarten.
1.  speaks in complete sentences
2.  follows directions with at least 2 steps
3.  understands words such as top and bottom and big and little
4.  makes simple predictions and comments about a story being read
5.  matches 2 pictures that are alike
6.  looks at groups of objects and says which are the same shape, color, or size
7.  tells things that together (example:  spoon/ fork are for eating)
8.  repeats patterns you start (example:  jump jump step jump jump step)
9.  puts pictures in order (seed, flower grows, pick flower)
10.  says or sings familiar songs/ nursery rhymes
11.  retells a simple story (3 Little Pigs)
12.  works puzzles
13.  recognizes and names at least 5 colors
14.  recognizes her first name in print
15.  recognizes letters in her first name
16.  begins to write some letters in her name
17.  recognizes signs of a familiar place or thing (McDonalds, stop sign, Wal-Mart)
18. holds books correctly and turns pages correctly
19.  recognize rhyming words such as cat and hat
20.  recognizes at least 10 letters of the alphabet
21.  matches the letter with a beginning sound of a word (B for Banana)
22.  expresses ideas through pictures (draws a family and tells you who they are)
23.  counts objects
24.  sees a number and recognizes that this means there are that many objects
25.  adds and subtracts objects (examples with cookies)
26.  puts numbers in order (1 to 5)
27.  recognizes and names 3 shapes
28.  counts from 1 to 10 in order
29.  uses words like more and less correctly
30.  tells if she is a girl or boy
31.  tells first and last name
32.  can tell names of parents
33.  tells age
34.  takes care of own needs (dressing, feeding, toilet, washing hands)
35.  adjusts to new situations without the parents being there
36.  uses pencil, crayons, and markers for drawing and writing and scissors for cutting
37.  draws a line, circle, and a plus sign
38.  runs, jumps, hops, throws, catches, and bounces a ball
Yowza, what a great list!  I am sure that there are things that you may or may not have gone over with your child, but this is going to be a great starting point for me!
So, how did you prepare your tiny tots curriculum?
Did you create your own or go with one that was made for you?
Do you have anything that you would add or take off from the above list?
I guess I should get this ball a rolling and get to planning!  Let the learning begin!!

2 comments:

Angie said...

Great list- I'm definitely jotting this down! Thanks for sharing :)

Joanie said...

#17 seems more like just branding! That's kind of sad that it's expected they know logos. I know it says signs but that's really what it is. walmart and mcdonalds? I should hope my young child doesn't know Mcdonalds that well! hahaha ;)