In K, I decided that I would handle all the academic learning at home and we would use the classroom as a social laboratory. I threw out his "reading" homework and put in something more appropriate (chapter books) for the same amount of time each day. He finished his math book within the first 3 months of school, so then I had him work 20 mins (time supposed to devote to math homework) on a curriculum more appropriate for his level. This was MUCH more effective.
This is pretty much exactly what I'm doing with DS5 in his K year, particularly the bolded portion. He attends K for half-days and naps/is homeschooled in the after school hours. My goal is for him to be challenged and excited about one thing he learns every day at home, and we generally exceed that target. School is gravy.
Kindergarten, for our family, is an opportunity for DS to learn the "school" schema and adapt his social skills to be effective at getting his social needs met with others in a resource- and time-limited setting. My goal for this year is for him to finish K with a handful of friends, a stronger immune system (haha!), and the confidence to be a more independent learner next year in a structured classroom that challenges him at least somewhat.
For our home-based learning, I set appropriate academic goals for DS. I've effectively continued our homeschool approach. It doesn't take a lot of time on task; half an hour of shared reading a day in chapter books he enjoys, an hour of math a week, 10 minutes of handwriting every second day, sporadic practise keyboarding). The rest is extension based on interest--programming a robot, almost-daily science experiments, designing and building all sorts of devices, museum trips, etc.
The more I see of DS' approach to learning, the more I believe that half days in a play-based program is a tolerable compromise. He enjoys some traditional kindergarten activities, like practising handwriting, and his natural competitiveness means he's motivated to improve this lagging skill. Great. It's not in any way meeting his academic needs, but as long as the program doesn't condescend to teach him *anything*, it's a playgroup, and will suffice.
I should add that having DS in kindergarten has had one nice additional benefit--excellent cooperation with homeschooling. He now knows what the alternative is, and is aware of what a good deal he has, so his motivation to cooperate with home-based learning is high. Win!
