How to teach Pre-K and K together

[Marie]

How to teach Pre-K and K together --- MFW's recommendations

If you have two children--one a four-year-old and one ready for Kindergarten--you can combine some of your teaching. Note that this is a slightly different scenario than if you begin with a K and 1st grader (that is addressed in a different post).

The first year you will use MFW-K as your base curriculum, the second year you will use MFW-1 as your base curriculum, the third year you will use Adventures in My Father's World, and then you will begin the five-year cycle (Exploring Countries and Cultures, Creation to the Greeks, Rome to the Reformation, Exploration to 1850, and 1850 to Modern Times).

This method of combining allows you to teach both children in the morning and still have time to cook, clean, be soccer mom (Physical Education) or AWANA teacher, etc., in the afternoon.


The first year (K and four-year-old))
1. Teach all of MFW-K as it is written to your K child. Your four-year-old will also do the daily activity (the science/Bible/art/etc. portion). Add non-fiction library books on the topics (sun, moon, etc.) to read aloud to both of your children. The year's focus will be the 26 science topics in K.
Note: MFW does not recommend teaching the reading, handwriting, and math to your four year old. If you have twins teach the reading, handwriting, and math to each child individually to insure success for both.

2. Consider adding the Preschool Package for your four-year-old.

Purchase:
MFW-K Deluxe Package
Preschool Package (suggested but not mandatory--these are wonderful readiness activities)

The next year (K and 1st)
[If you are starting here, use this plan instead: http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=191 ]
1. Teach MFW-1 as written to your 1st grader. Let your K child join in the Bible, science, art, and hands-on projects. The year's focus will be the Bible stories and science topics in MFW-1. Use the Deluxe items in First Grade this year with both kids--Honey for a Child's Heart (to select literature), Drawing with Children, Come Look with Me, and Introduction to the Orchestra.

2. For your K child, purchase a set of kindergarten student materials and complete just the reading and math portion of kindergarten.

Purchase:
My Father's World First Grade Deluxe Package
Kindergarten Student Materials

The third year (1st and 2nd)
1. Use Adventures in My Father's World as your base curriculum for both children. This is designed to take about 3 hours per day for all of your subjects. You may need to slightly modify some parts of Adventures for some 1st grade students.
2. Complete the reading (and writing) and math portion of My Father's World First Grade with your 1st grader.
3. For your 2nd grader, add math (Singapore), spelling (Spelling by Sound and Structure for Grade 2), and language arts (Primary Language Lessons). Let your 2nd grader practice reading with lots of easy readers from the library.

Purchase:
Adventures in My Father's World Deluxe Package
Primary Language Lessons, Spelling by Sound and Structure for 2nd grade, Singapore Math
Student Materials for My Father's World First Grade, The Complete Book of Math (from 1st grade Deluxe Package)

The following years
Both children have finished phonics instruction and are in 2nd and 3rd grade, so they can enter the five year cycle, beginning with Exploring Countries and Cultures.

They continue the five-year cycle together (Creation to the Greeks, Rome to the Reformation, Exploration to 1850, and 1850 to Modern Times).

Math and language arts are always taught individually.

When you finish Year 5 (1850 to Modern Times) go back to Year 1 (Exploring Countries and Cultures) and cycle through Years 1-5 with all of your children who have not reached 9th grade. (An older child who has completed the five-year cycle will repeat, on a more advanced level, one or more of the years he was taught as a younger child.) When a child reaches 9th grade he is ready for independent work in our high school program.