If you want to know everything there is to know about how to homeschool kindergarten, you’re in the right place!
There can be lots of anxiety around homeschooling kindergarten, which is likely because when public school kids are sent off to school for the first time, it seems like such a big deal. So when homeschool parents are planning to start their kindergarten school year, they can often feel this pressure to make it more than it needs to be.
Some common questions are:
- How much time each day should we spend on formal lessons?
- Is it OK that my child is constantly asking for more play time?
- What are the specific subjects I should teach my kindergartner?
- Should I purchase a kindergarten homeschool curriculum?
I am going to address all of these questions a little further down in this post.
But first, I want to give you a bit of encouragement and advice – from a Mamma who’s been there! I was so obsessed with lesson plans, and checking off the boxes when I first started homeschooling. I still viewed the best way to educate my children, as the public school way of doing things. But over time, I realized how wonderfully different homeschool is from public school. I also realized that a child’s learning process is a beautiful thing, and often requires much less intervention that we think.
If you’re wanting to know how to homeschool kindergarten, and all you know is the public school way of doing things, here are some other posts you may want to take a look at as well:
- How To Start Homeschooling – Simple Steps To Take
- Deschooling Vs Unschooling: What Is The Difference
- Homeschool Vs Public School: What’s The Difference
In this post, I’m making things really easy for you and breaking down exactly how to homeschool kindergarten. I’m listing the core subjects you should teach, and giving you some fun ways to approach each thing.
Table Of Contents:
Knowing the legal requirements to homeschool kindergarten
What subjects do I really need to teach my kindergartner?
What is the best homeschool kindergarten curriculum?
Fun ways to teach kindergarten concepts
Common questions and concerns about how to homeschool kindergarten
This post is not meant to be a manual you HAVE to follow in order to homeschool kindergarten properly. Rather, the purpose of this is to give you some guidance on how and where to start. As homeschool parents, it’s our job to pay attention to our child’s needs and individual learning styles. Yes, we need to make sure they have a good understanding of the core subjects, but we also want to foster a true love of learning within them. If our children enjoy learning, and don’t view it as a chore – they will be lifelong learners!
Can you do more, or less, than what I discuss here?
YES! You totally can!
Remember that homeschool allows for a lot of freedom, and it’s ok to take the child’s lead sometimes. Not every day has to be the same, and not every day has to include formal lessons. Young children especially, need a lot of play time and hands-on activities. So when learning how to homeschool kindergarten, keep in mind that the kindergarten year isn’t supposed to be heavy. Keep it light, and have fun!
Knowing the legal requirements to homeschool kindergarten
Depending on where you live, there will be varying legal requirements regarding homeschool that you’ll need to know. Make sure you check your provincial or state laws before you start. Some areas don’t even require a child to be registered for homeschooling until the age of 7, so knowing what is required of you, is really important.
It’s important that you meet whatever legal requirements are necessary, but typically, you are still free to decide how you plan on doing that. Where we live, there is very little regulation and everything we do is completely up to us. Other areas are a bit stricter, but generally speaking there is still a lot of freedom with homeschooling! So, approach these requirements simply as things to check off the list, and not as a course outline.
What subjects do I really need to teach my kindergartner?
Here are some lists of various learning objectives within each subject, that would be suitable for your homeschool kindergarten outline. These are taken from looking at standard outcomes, as well as my own personal experience from our homeschool.
Language Arts
- Recognize and print uppercase/lowercase letters
- Practice letter sounds and phonics
- Learn how to read consonant blends ( such as TR, FL, BR, etc.)
- Start reading CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant)
- Read a lot to your child
- Have your child summarize the story they just heard, using their own words
- Learn to follow along with the words on a page (from left to right and top to bottom)
- Have the child recognize words that rhyme
- Start learning sight words
Math Concepts
- Count to 100
- Learn the days of the week/months of the year
- Count backward from 20 to 1
- Recognize and print numbers 1 – 20
- Learn to identify shapes
- Sort shapes and objects by size and color
- Add and subtract with the use of manipulatives
- Coin value and recognition
Social Studies
- Learn the name of your city, province/state, country, and continent
- Begin to understand that there are different cultures around the world
- Learn to identify land vs water on a map or globe
Social Skills
- Taking turns during play time
- Learning to have an awareness of other people’s feelings
- Practice using manners (at home and towards others)
- Identifying the difference between needs and wants
- Sharing and being a good friend
- Practice active listening skills
Science
- Talk about the 5 senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound)
- Learn about the different seasons of the year
- Discuss weather patterns and how they are predicted
- Nature studies (plants, bugs, animals, etc)
Life Skills
- Hygiene practice (brushing teeth, combing hair, getting dressed)
- Tying shoelaces
- Looking both ways before crossing the street
- Basic kitchen safety (sharp knives, hot stove, etc)
- Tidying up toys
- Making the bed
- Setting the table
What is the best homeschool kindergarten curriculum?
When deciding how to homeschool kindergarten, you may be wondering which curriculum you should go with. While there are many wonderful curriculums out there for the kindergarten grade level, I don’t believe it is necessary to use one. Many people are on a tight budget, and you can successfully homeschool kindergarten by piecing things together and creating your own curriculum.
Here are a few fun ways you can create your own homeschool kindergarten curriculum:
- Free printables (you can find these for literally every topic you can think of!)
- Magnetic letters and numbers
- Play money
- Art projects
- Nature journals
- Field trips
- Get your child their own library card and take frequent trips to the local library
- Read books and sing songs
The keys to having a successful year with your kindergartner are: plan easy lessons, take frequent breaks, and allow time for tons of play!
If you have older children that you are homeschooling, and you are looking for a homeschool curriculum that can easily include your kindergartner, Gather Round is a wonderful curriculum for this. It has workbooks for every grade level, including kindergarten (pre-reader). It gives age appropriate work for each level, but keeps it simple for the parent with one teacher’s guide to teach from.
Fun ways to teach kindergarten concepts
Learning how to homeschool kindergarten can actually be very fun if you let it! A great way to get young learners interested and engaged in what you are teaching them, is by allowing them to learn through play. It’s always a good idea to have lots of hands-on activities, as these will help to hold the child’s attention, as well as improve their fine motor skills.
Some fun ways to do this are:
- Play board games together (these can be great for practicing counting skills, as well as number and color recognition)
- Hand out some Play-Doh or kinetic sand while you are reading a story
- Go for a nature walk and do a scavenger hunt (child has to find certain plants, animals, or insects)
- Make a homemade weather station
- Play word games where your child has to listen to a word and then tell you what letter it begins and ends with
Use your imagination, and enjoy these early years of homeschooling!
Common questions and concerns about how to homeschool kindergarten
How much time each day should we spend on formal lessons?
When you’re planning out your daily schedule for your kindergartner, you can’t expect them to spend a lot of time sitting down and doing bookwork. It’s not realistic, and I would argue, not even healthy. Younger kids learn through play, so if you can, try and shift your view of what “learning” looks like. Remember that even when they’re playing, they are learning more than you realize!
In my experience, if you are able to get about 20-30 minutes of sit down bookwork done each day, that’s plenty! And if you’re not, that’s absolutely ok! Every child is different, and the important thing is that you keep learning fun for them at this age.
Is it OK that my child is constantly asking for more play time?
YES!! In fact, it’s not just ok, it’s wonderful! Like I said in my answer above, play is crucial for a child’s brain development, and for how they view the world around them. If there is a specific concept you really want them to learn, such as counting to 100, find a way to include that into their play. Maybe you line up a bunch of blocks and cars, and then count them together. Or you can you have your child pretend to be “teaching” her doll how to count. Encourage play as much as possible, and don’t worry if that’s all your child wants to do!
What are the specific subjects I should teach my kindergartner?
I’ve already listed the main learning objectives you could be focusing on for the kindergarten year, however, this is just an outline. You can do less, or you can do more. Remember to check with your local government whether or not there are any legal requirements as far as what you need to be teaching. As long as you’re meeting the provincial/state laws in your area, everything else is up to you! You know your children best, and you know what they are ready for.
Should I purchase a kindergarten homeschool curriculum?
Once again, this is left up to your discretion – however generally speaking, it’s not necessary. If it helps you to feel more prepared and organized, then go ahead and purchase one. Just be sure to approach it with loose expectations, and use it as a guideline to your homeschool kindergarten year…not an instruction manual.
If you’re on a tighter budget, or you just aren’t sure what curriculum you should go with – don’t worry about it! Relax, spend lots of quality time with your kindergartner, read good books together, and it will all work out.
Summary
Kindergarten is all about creating a solid foundation for your child to build upon. You want them to develop not only academic skills, but also things like critical thinking skills. Let them play and explore the world around them, and don’t box in their education too much. The most fantastic way to give your child that solid foundation, is to provide an environment that fosters curiosity and exploration. This will stretch and expand their minds way more than forcing them to sit at a table with a workbook, ever will. Yes, there is a time and a place for workbooks, and building up some basic academic skills. I’m not implying that you shouldn’t do any of those things. Just remind yourself of how young the kindergarten age really is, and adjust your expectations accordingly.
Take this time to understand your child’s learning style, and focus on nurturing a love of learning within them. Before you know it, they will grow up and you will realize that these precious early years are such a blessing. Slow down, and let your little ones enjoy their childhood as much as they can. They will learn new things every day, so just trust the process!
Blessings!
~Maryann
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