Homeschool Subjects for Kindergarten – Explore it Now

Home school has become an alternative education option and has gained a considerable attention in recent times. In home school parents take the role of teacher of their children in the comfort of their homes. According to John Halton author of the bestselling book Teach Your Own, the most important thing parents need to home school their children is “to like them, enjoy their company, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, and passion. The choice of home school is often prioritized due to its flexibility.  Families can set their own routine and can adjust to the natural pace of the child’s learning journey. Decision of home schooling is often influenced by educational philosophy, family dynamics or child’s needs.

What subjects are required for kindergarten Homeschool?

At this level, children learn from everything they do, see or experience and it also becomes difficult to sit them on table so sometimes parents feel burden of balancing learning and play. So, Homeschooling at kindergarten level should be according to child’s interest.

Below Are Home School Subjects For Kindergarten:

1. Language arts:

Language arts includes

• basic reading and writing skills,
• letter recognition,
• short and long vowel sounds,
• Capitalization
• Writing letters( uppercase/lowercase)

2. Mathematics:

This subject includes

• Counting
• Comparing
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Shapes
• Patterns

Note: Find out more on kids math curriculum

3. Science:

At kindergarten level, science is all about exploring where children learn about their environment. Main topics that include in science at kindergarten level are

• Plants
• Animals
• Weather
• Seasons

4. Social studies:

Children learn the concept of

• Community
• Family
• Neighborhoods
• Basic geography
• Cultures
• Traditions

5. Music:

Children get to know different musical instruments and music types. Singing, dancing and playing simple instruments can be part of it.

6. Physical education:

Physical education involves simple exercises, outdoor games and activities that can enhance cognitive and motor abilities of children.

7. Art and creativity:

Children tend to express themselves through art. It can include

• Drawing
• Coloring
• Painting
• Crafting

Kindergarten Homeschool curriculum kit:

A kindergarten Homeschool kit is designed to help parents or guardians in homeschooling. This kit includes educational materials, resources and lesson plans.

Here are some necessary components present in each curriculum kit for kindergarten Homeschool.

• Teacher’s guide
• Step by step instructions
• Lesson plans
• Objectives
• Suggested activities
• Materials for subjects(math, science, arts etc)
• Exercises
• Worksheets
• Hands-on activities
• Blocks(for math)
• Shapes
• Reading books
• Phonics activities
• Art supplies(crayons, markers, glue, colored paper)
• Educational games(number games, block games, alphabet games etc)
• Science experiment material
• Digital resources with songs or rhymes
• Progress tracking tools
• Parental support guides
• Educational posters
• Educational charts
• Visual aids

Choosing a kindergarten Homeschool curriculum kit is of great importance because it should align with child’s learning style and parental educational goals.

Best kindergarten Homeschool curriculum:

The best curriculum is the one that works well with children and their parents. Choice of curriculum varies with children’s interest and family dimensions. There must be criteria for choosing curriculum. Here are some points that must be considered before choosing curriculum

• Material should be enjoyable and fun
• It should be interesting enough to engage children
• Main focus should be on math and reading
• It should develop skills
• It should include reporting tools
• It should be a perfect combination of educational materials and learning activities
• It should have clear instructions

Here are five best Homeschool curriculums for kindergarten.

1. BJU press:

Salient features of this curriculum from BJU Press are discussed below;

• Focus on Christian values in education
• Has both online and offline options for curriculum
• In online program, curriculum is customizable
• Lessons encourage critical thinking skills
• Activities and lessons support multisensory learning
• Courses are based on educational best practice
• Generally covers core subjects like math, reading, writing, science and arts
• Structured daily lesson plans
• Includes hands-on activities
• Based on age appropriate needs and materials required
• Includes progress tracking tools like tests, assessments and quizzes
• Teacher guides and answer keys for parental support

1. Sonlight:

Some distinguished features of Sonlight curriculum are mentioned below;

• Christian Homeschool curriculum
• Customizable able package so parents can pick what’s best for their children
• Eight subjects in curriculum(Bible studies, language arts, handwriting, reading and literature, math, science, geography, and history)
• wide-ranging list of books for each subject
• Literature based curriculum
• Three instructor manuals
• Read-aloud novels
• Daily lesson plans
• Instructor’s guide with 36-week lesson plans
• Optional hands-on project
• Mark able world map
• History timeline book

1. Abeka:

Some intriguing features of Abeka curriculum are mentioned below;

• Pioneer of Homeschool
• One of largest Homeschool curriculum
• Traditional kindergarten Homeschool curriculum
• Focus on Christian values in education
• Different kits for different curriculum options
• Variety of games to develop child’s cognitive abilities and perceptive skills
• Activities to enhance critical thinking skills
• A kit for each subject
• Video tutorials for parents
• Provides clear scope for each subject
• Clear outlines of course
• Online interactive activities
• Online quizzes
• Parental support material
• Assessment tools for tracking progress
• Suggestions for physical activities
• Games to promote motor skills
• Includes arts and crafts projects

1. Oak Meadow:

Various features of Oak Meadow curriculum are discussed below;

• Online learning school
• Independent-use curriculum for parents
• Oak meadow teacher helps parents through communication about child’s progress
• weekly lesson plans in language arts, math, social studies, science, art, and health
• nature-based approach
• emphasis on connection with children
• activities that encourage outdoor exploration
• arts and crafts projects
• storytelling and literature
• hands-on learning activities to engage child’s senses
• cultural awareness
• parent-friendly guides

1. Calvert:

Important features of Calvert curriculum are mentioned below;

• Focuses on foundational skills in language arts and math
• Combination of online lessons and traditional books
• 160 lessons for each subject
• Easy to follow lessons
• Engaging activities
• Lessons cover nine major topics in each subject, such as phonics, uppercase, and lowercase letters, sounds, colors, numbers, addition, and subtraction
• Flexible to adopt according to child’s needs
• Suggestions for physical education activities
• Online learning platform
• Digital resources
• Activities for enhancing fine motor skills
• Instruction materials for parents
• Basic science concepts
• Assessment tools

How hard is it to Homeschool kindergarten?

Difficulty of Homeschooling kindergarten depends on various factors like

• Personality of child
• Parental teaching approach
• Comfort level with reading material
• Choice of curriculum

Chosen curriculum can greatly affect the difficulty level. Some are easy to follow and some need customization in order to be engaging for children. If parents are teachers or familiar with teaching methods, it makes kindergarten Homeschooling less difficult. Child’s eagerness to learn is also important because then parents don’t have to force them to learn. Homeschooling requires time and commitment from parents. Parents should have patience so they can follow learning pace of children and Homeschooling will become easier. Resource availability for various activities also helps the process to become as an easy one.

How to Homeschool a kindergartener:

Homeschooling kindergarten tends to be a fun experience for both child and parents. So there are many do’s and don’ts in Homeschooling kindergarten. For more comprehensive guide and ideas on how to homeschool a preschooler such as strategies of  how to handle and which subjects and where to start and more.

Do’s:

Here is a list of do’s for parents during kindergarten Homeschooling;

• Schedule plenty of playtime
• Read together
• Go on field trips
• Take advantage of child’s curiosity
• Keep an open mind
• Be flexible
• Use technology
• Learn about child’s learning pace
• Connect with other Homeschoolers
• Make a steady routine
• Make learning playful
• Provide hands-on experience
• Use everyday situations
• Celebrate progress
• Encourage physical activity
• Encourage social interaction
• Be patient
• Focus on life skills

Don’ts:

• Don’t forget to be silly and fun
• Don’t forget to take breaks
• Don’t overwhelm child
• Don’t rush learning
• Avoid rigid routines
• Don’t neglect playtime
• Don’t pressurize child to learn something new
• Avoid isolation by keeping a steady social interaction

Frequently Asked Questions:

What should be taught first in kindergarten?

Here are some things that should be taught first in kindergarten;

• Identifying alphabet letters
• Reading short words
• Numbers and counting

What is the best 1st grade Homeschool curriculum?

Time4Learning is one of the best 1^st grades Homeschool curriculum that includes interactive lessons, catchy songs, printable worksheets and hands-on activities.

What is the best age to Homeschool?

The best age to start Homeschool for pre-school is 3-5 years and for kindergarten 5-6 years.