Homeschooling a five-year-old can be a very daunting task, especially if your five-year-old is anything like mine. Sam is a smart little boy, but he is still just a little boy. Trying to find the same structure he would have in a classroom in our home can be a bit difficult. If there are not three other little kids drawing his attention away from his work, then it is something else that demands his focus.
We are still working on ways to become more focused on his schoolwork. It has been a trial and error process, and what works for Sam may not work for the next child. When people ask me the best methods of keeping your child focused on their schoolwork, my suggestion is to work with your child and find the best rhythm that works for them. When my daughter did her homework, she couldn’t do anything unless the television was on. Some people would find that to be a total distraction, but not for her. I know it may seem daunting, but once you find the right working conditions for your child, you will find it will become easier.
Now I would like to take the time to thank all those teachers for putting up with me throughout the years. I know I was probably not the best child to work with, and you have my respect and sympathy. I also want to send out a special thanks to all the current teachers. Teaching is never easy, and I cannot imagine being in charge of so many people’s children in this difficult time. Thank you all. I know I could never manage thirty kids in one room. I fear my patience is much too thin.
Today we are going to learn a little bit about sight words. First, I must be clear that I am in no way a teacher. What I share here with you is from my own experience helping my children with their schoolwork. I want to share what I have learned with others to help them with their children.
The definition of a sight word is a word that does not fit a standard phonetic pattern. These are words that need to be memorized by the child. Once these words are in your children’s reading vocabulary, it will help them ease into reading.
If you search the internet for a list of sight words, you will find the Dolch Sight Words List. For Pre-K students, that list consists of 40 words. Below is a downloadable list of the Dolch words.
This list can seem daunting at first, but taking it one word at a time will start your child on the right path to reading. Sam likes animals, so I created a beginner level reading book for him to read. This book is an “I See A…” book for farm animals. It is repetitive in its use of three sight words to help the child memorize those keywords. The animal name recognition is an added bonus.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SXZT94B
If your child is not ready to tackle a book, I have created flashcards with all o the Pre-K sight words free to download just below. Just right click on the image to save it to your desktop. Print, cut, and laminate for use time and time again.
I hope this has been helpful to everyone, and if so, please share this page and give me a follow.
GreenBriarGirl 