Alternatives to traditional kindergarten education in the fall

[Anonymous]

If we don’t want our kindergarten kids going to a new school in a mask on a weird schedule, let’s discuss some possible alternatives... this is what I’ve come up with so far...
-homeschooling with mom
-homeschool co-op
-some sort of small group tutor-led arrangement
-private school with very very small class sizes
-some sort of forest school

[Anonymous]

I would choose homeschool with mom plus a homeschool group for playdates/social interaction (maybe even some school activities such as circle/story time or a field trip to the creek, pumpkin field).


Since I am not good at teaching, I would enroll my child in some online classes to learn phonetics and math - since I would have to sit down and watch it with my child, I would end up learning how to teach and it would be easier to practice later during the day/week.

For science, I would do lots of observation/drawing and trying to predict what is going to happen next - leaves changes in the fall, sunflower seed in the spring, baking in the winter and the like.

[Anonymous]

Interesting thread. I too am hesitant to send my child to Kindergarten if it's not 'normal', but am waiting to see what that means, and it may be our only option anyway.

[Anonymous]

We will just do the remote learning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will just do the remote learning

Interesting idea. So you think sending kids in person will be optional?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We will just do the remote learning

Interesting idea. So you think sending kids in person will be optional?

I don’t think anything like kindergarten fall 2019 will be how it is. There will definitely be remote learning that almost everyone does.

[Anonymous]

Are you all SAHPs? Honest curious question. I'm a WOHP, and I think (hope) that I'll be back at work in the fall. So I don't think many of those are options for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you all SAHPs? Honest curious question. I'm a WOHP, and I think (hope) that I'll be back at work in the fall. So I don't think many of those are options for us.

My husband works at home, so if I worked he could do it as he's managing a lot of the school work now. Child care is a huge issue for many. But, I don't get some of the proposals for kids to go once a week as many still need child care.

OP, I would buy a curriculum and register as homeschooling or do an online school. For K. the main things is kids need to learn to read, if they cannot, start answering basic questions about books, handwriting and writing sentences, start basic spelling and addition and numbers.

[Anonymous]

I would probably just register as a homeschooler and buy a curriculum. I’m not sure what I’m doing for any of my kids in the fall. I think my older kids would be fine but my K student has only been to school for 6 months of her life since we didn’t do preschool so I’m not sure if we’re sending her back for 1st grade if it’s going to be like what’s being predicted but we also don’t want to lose her spot at her charter school because I know we won’t get back in later.

[Anonymous]

Kindergarten is mainly about learning how to be in school. FCPS kindergarteners don’t get a report card the first quarter. They do work on academics but it is much more learning a classroom routine, how to navigate a cafeteria, how to use the library and all the school basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten is mainly about learning how to be in school. FCPS kindergarteners don’t get a report card the first quarter. They do work on academics but it is much more learning a classroom routine, how to navigate a cafeteria, how to use the library and all the school basics.

And all that stuff is likely out the window in the fall. *If* kids return in September, it will look nothing like traditional kindergarten. Kids will be spread out, no specials, no lunch room, abbreviated schedule. It’s hard to imagine how they could make it feel warm and welcoming for a brand new 5 yr old new student. Though teachers are pretty amazing...

[Anonymous]

If remote school is happening in the fall I will homeschool my incoming kindergartner. Forcing him to do Zoom sessions with a teacher and students he doesn't know and worksheets at home every day sounds horrible. I'm very fortunate that I work part-time from home and my husband also has a flexible work schedule so we can make it work.

[Anonymous]

I would just keep kid home and basically do another year of preschool (except at home I guess).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If remote school is happening in the fall I will homeschool my incoming kindergartner. Forcing him to do Zoom sessions with a teacher and students he doesn't know and worksheets at home every day sounds horrible. I'm very fortunate that I work part-time from home and my husband also has a flexible work schedule so we can make it work.

This is a very good point. The children will not know each other, nor their teacher, so the online format will be awful for kids that young. It really breaks my heart. I think Kindergartners have the worst lot of any kids in this.

I am debating keeping my 5 year old in preschool for another year, even though I never would have considered that if it's not for COVID. He has a summer birthday, so it would be fine to send him to K as a newly turned 6 year old the following year.

[Anonymous]

My kids never went to kindergarten. They walked right in to first grade no problem. For k, they just ,,,, kept doing what they'd done all the years prior.