We Don't Need No Education: The Kindergarten Corner

I know I mentioned before that I home school a Kindergartner. I use the word home school because it is this type of setting that her learning actually takes place. Janessa learns right alongside my children and often participates in our non school activities. She has been a blessing to guide, and has always been enthusiastic about learning. Just as a homeschooling mother thinks so much about their children's educational goals, I feel the same way about her, I guess you can call Janessa my unofficial adopted daughter.

We have been slowly working our way through some lessons. In the past couple of weeks we have added in a lot of new work. In September Janessa was given the opportunity to pick things freely off the shelf. She kept busy working, but most of the times she was choosing works that were already mastered, and was leaving challenging work to collect dust. So I was left to ponder different ways to get this girl moving without creating a work plan, Janessa is five and I find that this is still a young age to enforce this. I thought long and hard and came up with a plan, that I think is working.

Just like my own children have their own work space, I could tell that Janessa needed her own office space as well. A place that she was free to work at. I still needed a space where I could be readily available to her, my children's areas are in separate rooms, but just a few steps away blocked by walls. I needed her to be in my eyesight so I could observe and continue to know how I needed to prepare her environment. While setting up her work space I received a review item that I will be sharing more at a later date, that I thought it needed a designated work space.

Here is Janessa 's kindergarten space. It is in the hallway, which is not distracting to her at all and she still feels she is part of the preschool family as well as the elementary folk next door.

The wall space has posters that correlate to the reading and writing program that I am reviewing.

Right now the bulletin board it just has our poem that she is working on, that is also part of the review material.

There are two shelves that I have placed work on. This picture shows what is on top of the shelf to the right of her table.

On this shelf we have some math and language activities.

Also there are sensorial activities.

This is top shelf on the left of the table.

This shelf on the left holds more language activities as well as zoology, practical life(sewing), botany, and her project work that she chose to learn more the solar system.

The shelves so far have been rotated frequently, which is good because she is mastering a lot quickly because she has freedom to choose within limits. Limits that have challenged her and allow her to take the time to grasp a deeper understanding of the concepts. I must add that I also implement Shiller Math with Janessa, which satisfies her love of worksheets. Janessa's love for learning in a Montessori inspired setting combined with Shiller Math and the Review item have been a recipe for success for here.

Here are a view photos of Janessa working in action.