Term One Evaluation: Munchkin

Munchkin is not yet officially registered for homeschooling, but I am doing a (VERY) informal kindergarten curriculum with him this year.  I do not INSIST that Munchkin complete any written work UNLESS he is preventing his brothers from learning, then I direct him to his own work.  He was VERY excited about handwriting at the beginning of the school year, but as I expected, the enthusiasm did not last.  However, he LOVES maths and will complete his ENTIRE textbook midway through term two.  I have plans to purchase a Year 1 maths textbook and if he shows readiness and enthusiasm for it we will push ahead through the second half of the school year.  The rest of the school subjects (seen below) are well and truly covered for Munchkin through his combined participation with his older brothers.  All read alouds that I do with the older boys (with the exception of some history for Monster in the late evening) is also directed at Munchkin.  While I know he doesn't understand all of what I read, a lot of the information sinks in, as evidenced by conversations he has with me, his father, or his brother later on down the track.

Maths -
Maths Plus Kindergarten Textbook
Topic Covered Include:
One, Half, Straight and Curved Lines, Longer/Shorter and Same, Two, Making a Pattern, Objects, Comparing Lengths, Three, Equal Groups, Sort and Classify Familiar Objects, Comparing Areas, Four, Equal and Not Equal Groups, Circles, Full or Empty, Five, Halves, Position, Heavy and Light, Six, Adding, Sorting Coins, Tracing Shapes, Seven, Halves, Sorting Objects, Morning and Afternoon, Eight, Take Away, Fruit Data, Closed Shapes, Nine, Combining Groups, Squares, Comparing Areas, Ten, Counting Back, Position, A Long Time, Adding by Counting, Making Six, Dot Patterns, Comparing Volumes, Five as a Base, Combining Groups, Repeating Patterns, Sorting Objects, Zero, Labelling Rows, Sort/Classify Familiar Objects, Push/Pull, Making Seven, How Many More, Triangles, Day and Night, Eleven to Thirteen, Sharing One at a Time, Following Instructions, Direct Comparisons of Length, Fourteen to Sixteen, Equal Groups, Data, Direct Comparison of Area, Taking Away, Repeating Patterns, Rectangles, Days of the Week, Ten as a Base, Comparing Groups, Ordinal Numbers, Filling Containers, Seventeen to Twenty, Describing Patterns, Making Objects, Mass, Ordering Numbers to Twenty, Subtraction, Sorting Shapes, Making Nine, Sharing, Favourite Footwear, Comparing Lengths, Revising Tricky Teens, Ten-Frame Addition, Left and Right, Covering Areas, Subtraction from Eight, Equal Groups, O'Clock, Will/Won't/Might Happen, Equal Rows, Counting Forwards and Backwards, Sorting Shapes, Comparing Containers, Counting Backwards, Grouping and Matching Times to Events

Read Aloud Books that Pertain to Maths:
Uno's Garden by Graeme Base
Numbers by Julia Donaldson
One Keen Koala by Margaret Wild
Seaver the Weaver by Paul Czajak
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English -
Handwriting:
Targeting Handwriting Kindergarten
Munchkin works on two pages of handwriting per week that correspond to his Letter of the Week program.  On the weeks when we have reviewed letters learned so far, he gets a break from handwriting, which he LOVES.

Writing:
No formal writing is being done with Munchkin as he is now a fluent reader yet.  However, we are working on letter sounds, concentrating on a Letter of the Week program, and I allow him to do any "writing" that he would like to do as he initiates it.  He can write his own name and a few words and does enjoy writing letters to friends/family on occasion.

Reading:
Reading is HUGE in our family.  I make sure that the boys are surrounded by reading material (books, magazines, etc) and we read aloud EVERY day, and as they learn to read independently they spend 30-60 minutes reading silently to themselves.  Munchkin enjoys the online reading program Reading Eggs and works through that for a portion of each of his school days.

Over the course of the term I have read nearly 100 books aloud to Munchkin... many are his favourite picture books and others address our school subjects.

Read Alouds ~ Literature:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Tiddalick The Frog Who Caused a Flood by Robert Roennfeldt
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

Science -
Munchkin takes part in ANY science experiment we do at home and at co-op group on Thursday.  He LOVES books that focus on animals and particularly enjoys watching David Attenborough special on TV (or borrowed DVDs from the library) about science topics.

Read Alouds ~ Science:
Tadpoles and Frogs
Tadpole to Frog
Frogs Close Up
Tree Frogs
Ants Close Up
Apes and Monkeys
Lions and Tigers
Tigers Built for the Hunt
Timba the Tiger
Flowers are Calling
Who's That by Ron Campbell
Ocean Wonders
24 Hours on a Coral Reef

History -
Much of our history lessons are done in the late evening AFTER Munchkin has gone to bed, but if we read a historical picture book through the day he will listen in.  A few examples below...

Read Alouds:
Meet... The Flying Doctors by George Ivanoff
Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig by Charlotte Voake
Pattan's Pumpkin by Chitra Sounder

Geography -
Again Munchkin absorbs much of his geography from anything the older boys are learning as he listens in.  Some examples of geography books I read aloud this term...

Read Alouds:
Are We There Yet by Alison Lester
Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester
Earth's Cycles - The Season's Cycles by Cheryl Jakab
Show Me the Continents by Pamela Dell

PDHPE -
This subject is multi-faceted and deals with Person Development, Health and Physical Education.  Again, a lot of what Munchkin learns is through the group learning that we do.  He walks everywhere we go, enjoys riding his scooter, and loves climbing, jumping and balancing when we play at our favourite playgrounds.  This term he has mastered crossing the monkey bars all alone.  We have frequent family discussions about healthy life habits that surround things like eating, exercising, and safe activities and behaviours when out and about in our neighbourhood.

Creative Arts -
Munchkin enjoys painting, drawing, and colouring so this is the largest portion of his creative arts for this term.

April School Holiday Events:

Attended Bingo at local library

Attended craft session at local library

Attended memory game session at local library

Attended church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday

Celebrated his 5th birthday with friends and family