If you are wondering how to homeschool kindergarten, you are not alone. Record numbers of families are choosing to do Kindergarten at home and hold off on sending their children to public school. Whatever your reasons for wanting to homeschool kindergarten, you can rest assured… YOU CAN DO THIS!
Fundamentals of Homeschooling Kindergarten
First things first. Each state (and country) has their own homeschooling laws. In the US, many states do not require that you register your child as a homeschooler until they are in first grade or 6-years-old. To see your state’s laws, check this website.
Next, if you are already familiar with all the different homeschool methods (Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Classical, etc.) and you have a particular one picked out that you want to try… go for it. If not, don’t worry. You do not NEED to have zeroed in on a style yet.
What to Teach in Kindergarten
The vast majority (if not the entirety) of a Kindergartener’s school bookwork will be reading and math. Or, to put it more gently, phonics and numbers. Handwriting, or beginning printing, is also an option for those children who are ready.
Of course, you can also introduce your child to science and social studies through nature exploration, age-appropriate experiments, timelines, community helpers, and picture books.
Curriculum Options
Not all Kindergarteners are ready to learn to read, but it is a good idea to go ahead and begin a reading or phonics program. If they are not interested, or are struggling, just pull back a bit on the lessons. There is no need to force too much, too soon. You don’t want your children to hate reading!
Same goes for math. Some children are great with numbers, others… not so much.
My personal top picks for Kindergarten are:
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons – This is hands-down my absolute favorite way to introduce reading. But, fair warning from my own personal experience: my son blew through this book when we homeschooled Kindergarten. But January of that school year, he was already decoding words on a 4th grade level! On the other hand, Kindergarten turned out to be too early for my daughter. She just wasn’t ready to learn yet. It DID work for her, just not until she was older.
Liberty Mathematics Level K – I love that this book introduces children to numbers and number families. It’s VERY straight forward, not overly-colorful and distracting (but still attractive!), it’s inexpensive, and is very easy to use.
A Reason for Handwriting Level K – This is a gentle and fun way for children to learn printing letters. Another very easy to use book. It also includes coloring pages. It is thorough and is a great introduction to handwriting. By the way, I HIGHLY recommend their whole series of handwriting books from Kindergarten to 5th grade. They build on each other with K-3rd grade being printing and 4th-5th grade being cursive.
As far as social studies, science, Bible, and more… I do not recommend a set curriculum, per se. Just tons of reading together, looking at picture books, watching age-appropriate videos or TV shows. After the formal book work above, make sure to spend time exploring these subjects with your kids in fun ways.
How Much Time to Spend Homeschooling in Kindergarten
Again, it is best to first check your state guidelines to make sure they do not require a certain amount of hours. But, even if they do, Kindergarten is FUN. Most homeschoolers and education specialists recommend only about one hour of book work at a desk for this age group. The rest of the “school day” is for exploring, playing, and adventuring.
Don’t Forget the Extras
You can create a varied learning environment by adding to your textbook work. Here is a list of ideas for school:
-dance classes
-art classes
-homeschool co-op classes
-nature walks… use a nature guide to learn more about what you see along the way.
-read alouds
-cooking… invest in a child’s cooking set like this one or this one, so they can get involved!
-playdates
-trips to the library/story time
-trips to the playground/park
-taking care of animals/pets
-daily chores
-educational games including classics like Hi Ho Cherry-O and CandyLand to practice colors and counting, or this time activity set for telling time, this sight words bingo game, or even this ABC and 123 bingo game for learning letters and numbers.
-crafts
-sign language lessons. ASL Kids on Youtube is an excellent resource!
-music… either instrument lessons, or simply listening to and being exposed to different styles
Final Thoughts
Homeschooling Kindergarten should be enjoyable! Have fun with it. Build memories and spend plenty of one-on-one time with your child.