This year marks my fourth year teaching at a homeschool co-op!
When we started homeschooling in 2023, we hit the ground running and were part of two co-ops, for our first two years. While both co-ops provided value, we ended up dropping the academic co-op after two years, and sticking with the social/enrichment based one. You can read about that process, and why we ended up dropping the first co-op, HERE.
Before homeschooling, and before kids, I was a classroom teacher! I taught the two ends of my teaching certificate: kindergarten (Spanish immersion) and middle school (Spanish).
Homeschooling is different than classroom teaching, and teaching at a co-op is different than teaching in the traditional school system. Over the past four years, I have learned a lot by trial and error, and hope I can share some of my own hiccups, to help others!
Homeschool Co-Op Math Lesson for PreK-Kindergarten
If you haven’t already, check out my first post, all about Teaching A Homeschool Co-Op Class. I also created a free PDF of 12 essentials for teaching a co-op class; click the photo above for your copy!
Today, I’ll share a Homeschool Co-Op Math Lesson from my current co-op class. I am teaching a math class to PreK-Kindergarten students at our co-op this year. At this particular co-op, teaching is not required. (You can read more about co-op structures here.) I love to teach, so I started teaching at this co-op last year!
Co-Op Kindergarten Essentials: Intro, Sharing & Graphing
Class Introduction: For PreK-K, I like to start with a song or chant. Other times, if the kids come in with extra energy, I do Simon Says commands in a whisper voice! This typically grabs their attention and gets them engaged.
Sharing Time: Even though our class only meets for one hour, and I only see the students twice a month, for this age in particular it’s important to establish a relationship. Sharing Time also reinforces important skills they are learning for the first time: taking turns talking in a group setting, raising their hand, etc. I try to take 5 minutes to let each of them share “one thing” with the class. This is also a great way to practice group-awareness and self-control, because sharing only one thing can be tricky for 4-6 year olds! 🙂
Simple Graphing: This is a concept I really wanted as a takeaway for this class! Every single week, we do two different graphs: a Weather Graph, and a Question Graph. The Weather Graph stays consistent; as you can see below, we have graphed the weather all year. The Question Graph changes each week. I simply write a new question at the top, and each student “votes” with their name. (Here is a “before we voted” picture, to protect student name privacy)
Co-Op Kindergarten Essentials: Make Songs Interactive
- Interactive Songs: For each co-op class I have taught, I have created a shareable Spotify Playlist for parents to use at home. This is completely optional–but if they so wish, they can play the songs we hear in class, at home as well! Last year, for the Spanish class I taught, a few parents mentioned they really enjoyed hearing their kiddo sing along. This year, for Mini Mathematicians, I found some excellent songs! Here are a few on our playlist:
- Numbers 1-20 Song, by The Singing Walrus
- Count to 100 Song, by The Singing Walrus
- Count by 10’s, by Jack Hartmann
- The Ants Go Marching, by Lah-Lah
- One Plus One, by The Melobies
We started the year with The Ants Go Marching, because it’s a cute, memorable song where you count up to the number 5. It’s repetitive, which is perfect for this age. I also found this cute ant headband on TPT for $1, which they colored and then wore as we sang the song each week.
We have also been learning the Count to 100 Song, by The Singing Walrus, all year. We finally are up to the full 100, when we count!
Counting Practice with Mixed Ages
While we count, I have the kids tap their fingers on their Hundreds Charts. I purchased these Hundred Charts for them before the school year started, and it will be one of their class items I send home at the end of the school year! After we sing the song, we talk about patterns and search for numbers.
I started out basic: we circle the numbers 4,5, and 6, since those are their ages! I also had them guess my age once, just for fun, because I knew they would have some hilarious guesses. Sure enough, someone guessed 75, and someone guessed 100! 😉
We also circle the 10s column, noticing how they all end with “0.” The kids have also noticed that if you look down the columns of the hundreds chart, there are patterns in each row (all numbers end with 2, then 3, then 4, etc.)
Using Living Books To Teach Math
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know I love using children’s literature in every subject possible! My co-op class this year is no exception. For this particular week, I used Pat Hutchins’s book, The Doorbell Rang. It has great patterning, and tells the story of children waiting to eat a plate full of cookies. The problem is, more kids keep coming to the door and keep getting added to the mix! Each time more friends arrive, the cookies on the table have to be distributed amongst them a different way. I won’t spoil the ending–definitely check it out!
As you can see in the photo above, I printed out some chocolate chip cookies and laminated them. We read through the book once together, so the kids could get a feel for the story, make predictions, and enjoy the plot. Then, we read the book a second time!
- I started with two student volunteers, to mirror the two students in the story. I used my actual students’ names while I read the story, this time through, and they got a huge kick out of that! I gave each of my two “starter” kids six cookies, to start.
- As the story went on, I continued to substitute my real students’ names, for the names in the book, and we added more and more kids to the “table!” Each time more kids were added, they had to redistribute the original 12 cookies I had given them.
- By the end, every student was included, and the cookies were dispersed evenly…except for one student left! He became “Grandpa” (substituted for Grandma, in the book) who arrives at the end of the story with a whole new plate of cookies.
In my co-op class are PreK-Kindergarten students, so the age range is 4-6 years old. They got a huge kick out of reenacting the story!
My Co-Op Lesson Plan Template
I plan out my co-op lesson each week on the printable you see below. (If you click on the image, it will bring you to a full preview of both pages!) I made this super basic version for myself, and printed off a bunch for the year. It’s nice to jot down ideas, make a plan, and be set up for success when I arrive to teach!
Alright, I think that’s a wrap today! A few more topics that may pique your interest:
Our Homeschool Writing Experiment
Engaging Project: Make Your Own Board Game (Free Templates, plus a PDF Planning Sheet)
I hope to have Yearly Co-Op Lesson Plans for sale this summer, so stay tuned and follow my TPT store here, if you’re interested in hearing more!
Cait
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