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I give homework Monday through Thursday. I teach Kindergarten and I think doing homework at the kitchen table while you are cooking is fine. Please make time to read with your child every single day! Go to the library and teach a love of books. Please teach your child how to tie their own shoe laces. I still have kids who are A students that haven 't learned this or how to zip their jacket. Too many kids have no playtime with other kids. They don't know how to share. A lot of kids have no fear of the Principal or respect for teachers or adults. At home they are treated like equals, so they answer back when being redirected. All these things matter more to future success than to buy a desk or not to. I love that you asked. You must be a great Mom!
Would you say a desk area (whether that be part of the kitchen table or a separate piece of furniture located in the area where the family hangs out) is important for kindergarteners whether they are assigned homework or otherwise? I feel that it probably is a good idea, as I imagine they'll have at least a few projects that might be done at home even if not assigned much actual homework.
I would say just wait and see how it goes. I don't think it is important to have a desk right now. Try it for a while and see what works and doesn't work for your space.
A kitchen table is fine, but make sure it is the right height for your child to work comfortably. Kindergarten "homework" is more likely to be projects - color this, circle that, draw a line from here to here, etc., at least initially. A youth chair or a cushion may bring your child up to a more comfortable working level.
I agree with other posters here: expose your child to books and reading, go for nature walks, talk about his or her surroundings, generally enrich their days with interesting experiences, and talk about what you've done. Teach your child colors, numbers, and the alphabet (the song helps). Counting to 100 is good. Names of the days of the weeks and the months and seasons. Memorize address and phone number; print first and last name.
Be familiar with traditional childhood songs and nursery rhymes - "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "London Bridge" (the game, too - also "The Farmer in the Dell", ""Ring Around the Rosy'", "Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow", "Tag", "Hide and Seek" and so on. Familiarity with traditional nursery tales, and not just the Disney versions: "Cinderella", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "The Three Pigs", "Goldilocks", and so on. The child should be able to retell all of these with few errors.
These rhymes, songs, stories, and games are part of the cultural heritage of every English-speaking child, but are often overlooked these days in the push for high test scores and early academic skill acquisition. Grandparents are good allies in passing these treasures along, as is your children's librarian, who can provide good collections of nursery tales and nursery rhymes, songs, and games for a refresher, if your own memory is problematical.
Teach functional skills - fastening coats, putting on and taking off snow boots (on the correct feet!), tying shoes, bathroom skills - emphasis on wiping, flushing, and washing hands - getting along with and compassion for others, saying please and thank you, respect for those in authority, ability to sit reasonably still and focus on an adult's instruction (or on a book being read aloud to the class) for fifteen minutes or so, putting away toys, and so on. Your child's teachers will thank you, and your child's way will be smoothed.
Be familiar with traditional childhood songs and nursery rhymes - "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "London Bridge" (the game, too - also "The Farmer in the Dell", ""Ring Around the Rosy'", "Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow", "Tag", "Hide and Seek" and so on. Familiarity with traditional nursery tales, and not just the Disney versions: "Cinderella", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "The Three Pigs", "Goldilocks", and so on. The child should be able to retell all of these with few errors.
Why in the heck does a child need to be able to retell these stories with few errors in order to succeed in kindergarten?
Have a landing zone at home where your child can hang a jacket, leave a backpack and other stuff and find them again the next day
Label the jackets, gloves, boots(?) that your child will use and take off at school so they can be recognized
Be organized --
Ensure your child has enough rest and has a regular schedule so you are not rushing in the AM.
Avoid making negative comments about the teacher, school, other kids and their parents in front of your child
I'm sorry, I don't think I phrased my question quite right.
I'm wondering what do we need to do with our physical environment at home to have a home that is ready to support a kindergarten student. For example, do we need a desk area (appropriate size for a child) for our child? It's probably too young for "homework" but do they need an area to work on projects at home? Is there anything else with our physical environment that our child will need, so I can work on getting it setup prior to kindergarten?
You don't need to change anything in the physical environment of your home in order to support your child in Kindergarten. You don't need a desk. The only thing that you might need in the event of homework is a pencil. Don't stress. It's kindergarten.
Agree with the other poster who said in Kindergarten it is better to have a table and chairs where mom or dad can sit next to the child than a desk (meant for 1). And a convenient storage location near the table and chairs for things like paper and crayons, and a bookshelf for books. A computer or laptop with a child sized mouse is helpful if the school subscribes to any online practice-at-home type programs (our school has several). A "landing area" for walking in the door and having a specific place to put shoes, coat, backpack, and lunchbox, without mom and dad having to look everywhere for them or trip over them in the hallway is highly advised. Also, a box or something to put all of their work that they come home with so it doesn't just get scattered around the house everywhere.
Agree with the other poster who said in Kindergarten it is better to have a table and chairs where mom or dad can sit next to the child than a desk (meant for 1). And a convenient storage location near the table and chairs for things like paper and crayons, and a bookshelf for books. A computer or laptop with a child sized mouse is helpful if the school subscribes to any online practice-at-home type programs (our school has several). A "landing area" for walking in the door and having a specific place to put shoes, coat, backpack, and lunchbox, without mom and dad having to look everywhere for them or trip over them in the hallway is highly advised. Also, a box or something to put all of their work that they come home with so it doesn't just get scattered around the house everywhere.
I agree with most all of this. We don't have a desk. My son is in 2nd and his homework is done on the computer through one of the school programs. My daughter usually completes her work in class but on the off chance she has homework she does it at the table.
I have a bin for each child's work that comes home and I/they put it in their bins. After the school year is over, I go through it and save some stuff and toss the rest. I have made totes for each of them and their school papers and other items I save go in them each year.
A landing spot for the backpacks, lunch boxes and shoes/coats is a must. I got some hooks from Ikea and they each have their own spot to place their stuff. Makes it so much easier in the morning when they are headed out the door.
Why in the heck does a child need to be able to retell these stories with few errors in order to succeed in kindergarten?
Cultural literacy- familiarity with - these particular stories is something every English-speaking child should possess. In addition, the ability to accurately relate a short narrative has much to do with a child's verbal ability and competence, attention span development, and imagination, as well as with previous exposure to stories, both told and in picture book form.
Do you read and tell stories to your child regularly? There are many, many benefits to doing so, for both child - and parent. Raising a child who enjoys books and stories is FAR more important to their childhood and future success than getting them a school desk for home use.
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