10 Must-Haves For A Kindergarten Classroom

 Jessica’s note: Hope you enjoy this guest post from my good friend, Gabby. I’ve asked Gabby to talk about some of her “must-haves” for homeschool, because I know she did a terrific job with her little kindergartener this year. I absolutely love her approach to teaching, and her list. Thanks for sharing, Gabby!

 

1. Curriculum that you love

You can find everything you need to teach Kindergarten online through great websites or you can order formal curriculum. It’s totally up to you! You can even piece it together yourself. I find it easier to have a plan and I love tried & true resources, but that’s my personality. Other moms are far more comfortable creating their own.

Just remember that the focus for Kindergarten is getting your child ready to read. The other things are important, but not nearly as important as cultivating a love for reading and instructing in phonics. In addition to phonics, you’ll probably want math, handwriting, and Bible time. You can see my choices for Kindergarten here, but education is not a one-size-fits-all program. We all have to figure out what works best for our children.

Jessica’s note: This year I’ll be using the Sonlight curriculum. Since I have a new baby, I love the simplicity that it offers with every day planned out, though it is a tad pricey.

2. Math Manipulatives

I want my kids to love math instead of being afraid of it. So we chose a math program that would include lots of manipulatives and absolutely zero worksheets for Kindergarten! Even if you don’t go with a formal math curriculum, your kids will benefit from having plenty of teddy bear counters, tangrams, and other fun ways to “play math.”

3. Books Galore

A great book collection should have plenty of picture books and read aloud books. You’ll also want lots of early readers to practice those phonics skills. Think Dick & Jane, Bob Books, or the readers that have the grade/age level on the cover. I still remember that afternoon two years ago when my daughter read a BOB Book for the first time. She was so proud of herself for reading an entire book!

4. Library Card

Unless you want to break the bank in Kindergarten, you’ll find your local library to be a great resource for these types of books. My library has an option of ordering books online and so that I can pick them up in the drive through–no unloading the kids needed! But I also love to take my kids to the library for story hour. I think it’s wonderful for them to see adults enjoying books and they develop positive emotions towards books and reading at a young age. My secret for avoiding late fees? I read Jessica’s tips for How Not to Lose All Your Library Books and I’ve never had a library fee since.

5. Teacher Supplies

You won’t need much! It might be good to have scissors handy, along with a stapler, post-it notes, and possibly dry erase markers and a s board. I like to write our Bible memory verse on the board for the week because it helps me to remember to practice it. You may not even need a lesson planner. I just use post-it notes to mark where we leave off in our books each day, and we move forward with the goal of getting through 3 lessons a week in each subject. This is Kindergarten, remember? A few hours a week of formal instruction is plenty.

6. Student Supplies

I went overboard with school supplies last year because I love school supplies! But really, all we needed were a few essentials like crayons, safety scissors, construction paper, manila paper, pencils, and a bottle of glue. According to my friend who is a professional pre-K teacher, bottled glue is better at strengthening hand muscles than glue sticks.

7. Games & Activities

Hi Ho Cherry-O, Candy Land, and Memoryare just a few ways that our kids can work on counting, memory skills, and taking turns. And it’s great family fun, especially if you have other little ones too.

Semi-structured activities to develop fine motor skills will add to the fun of your school day. They also keep my kids busy while I’m making lunch! You may also want to put together some crafts from time to time. I’m probably the least crafty mom on the planet, but I try to do seasonal activities like nature walks in the fall, intentional Christmas crafts to focus on Christ, and more Christ-centered activities again at Easter. My oldest child lives for any opportunity to do a craft or bake with mommy, so while I hate mess, I try to plan these for her sake.

8. Free Time

You can plan free time or just let it happen, but you’ll want your kids to have plenty of time to play with their dolls, build train tracks, Lego towers, and romp around in the backyard.

Remember what Mr. Rogers said? Play is really the work of childhood.

This is where the learning happens. Our children will only be 5 once.

9. Organizing Containers

I find plastic food containers (the cheap ones!) to be a great way to keep all of our math manipulatives organized. You may also find it helpful to have a folder or binder to keep up with their work throughout the year. You can learn more about how I keep it all organized here, even though we don’t have a school room.

10. A Support System

I wish a support system could actually fit in your classroom, but believe me when I say this is an essential for the homeschooling family. I hope that your husband, family, and church friends are incredibly supportive of your choice to homeschool. But even with all that support, you’ll probably want to join a local homeschool group.

We don’t have a formal co-op here in my town, but we have a group that meets once a month for a formal meeting. They also get together for park days, mom’s night out, fun parties, or to see a play or symphony at a nearby theatre. I have a very supportive family and friends, but it’s nice to have a place where I can go to talk about homeschool issues or learn more about curriculum options and the legal side of things. And when I have those days when I’m ready to quit, I pick up the phone and call a good friend who homeschools. Somehow, she can always talk me off the ledge and vice versa. So far, we’ve never had homeschool meltdowns on the same day!

Are you planning to homeschool? What would you add to the list of essentials?

Gabby writes at MamaGab, where she loves to encourage moms in their heart for their homes, husbands, children, and the Lord. She loves to encourage in this same way in her local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Ministry, which she currently coordinates. She taught high school English for several years before becoming a stay-at-home mom and now a homeschooling mom. Gabby has spent the past 6 years surrounded in diapers and spit up, and there’s no where else she would rather be.

 

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