There are so many educational resources available for those who plan to homeschool or supplement their kindergartener’s home learning. Choosing your kindergarten curriculum may feel overwhelming. I thought I would share the kindergarten homeschool curriculum that I selected to use with my son this year. I spent a considerable amount of time researching, looking at state standards of learning, looking at the curriculum scope and sequence, and listening to the advice of other homeschool moms. There are so many variables to consider when selecting your kindergarten homeschool resources.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Selecting Your Kindergarten Homeschool Resources
Cost If cost is a factor as it is for many homeschool families, make sure to choose something in line with your budget. It’s also helpful if the program will work for siblings in the future to make it more cost-efficient. More expensive doesn’t mean it’s always the best fit for your family.
Student Learning This is a huge factor when planning for your homeschool year. Think about where your child is developmentally. Does your kindergartener need fine motor skill development, ie. pencil grasp, scissor skill practice? Does your child know his letters and letter sounds? Does your child recognize words? Is your child already reading? You can select a curriculum for where your child is academically.
Teaching Style The teaching style is just as important as the child’s learning style. Do you want flexibility in planning your lessons for your child or would you prefer to have everything mapped out for you during a lesson?
Choose the curriculum that you will be excited to use! If you are putting the time and energy into homeschooling you want a program that will work for you and your child’s needs.
Our Background
I have a teaching license + a Master’s Degree in Education. I acknowledge 100% that teaching your own kids is very different than being in a classroom. I doubted my ability to do this for that very reason. After a whole lot of back and forth and indecisiveness, we decided homeschooling to be the best option for our family this year. Given the circumstances we have all found ourselves in, I firmly believe there is no one size fits all here! While homeschooling may be best for us, hybrid or distance learning may work better for other families.
Kindergarten Subjects
- Phonics
- Reading
- Math
- Handwriting
- Rotation – Social Studies, Science, Art
Our Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Resources
These are the resources we will use this year! Just for a little background to explain why I selected what I did: my main focus will be math and reading. My son still needs phonemic awareness (letter name and letter sound practice). We will start with that and then move into a reading curriculum.
Morning Warm-Up: The Moffatt Girls Beginning Sounds – Color, Cut and Paste
Reading: Explode the Code A-C Bundle with Teacher Guide. I plan to move him to All About Reading Level 1 when he has his letters/sounds mastered. We are very happy with the Explode the Code program so far for phonemic awareness. He is learning his letter sounds and letter identification and retaining the information. As new letters are introduced, the previous letters are reviewed.
We purchased the Leapfrog: Letter Factory video as well, which he watches almost every school day while he eats a snack and he loves it. He is retaining the letter sounds from the catchy songs in the video.
We also supplement with the Reading Eggs app. Both of my boys have enjoyed the program which is a great combination of learning and fun!
Math: Singapore Essentials Book A + B. I plan to move him to Horizons K Math when ready. We are very happy with the Singapore Essentials program so far! He is learning so quickly and retaining what he learns. This program is perfect for preschool or early kindergarten to learn how to write numbers and identify numbers of objects. We will move into Horizons Kindergarten next.
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears. We really like this program. So far, he is able to do a few pages of this book independently. It’s great practice for letter formation.
Social Studies: My Story and the World Around Me
Geography: Skill Sharpeners K
Art: I like to include free time art projects- play-doh, painting, drawing, clay etc. Keep in mind that you don’t have to do a formal art program in kindergarten! Just making some time each week to do something fun and creative will be beneficial to your student’s well being! I also purchased this drawing book which will be a great keepsake at the end of the year.
We will also be following the Virginia Standards of Learning for kindergarten. It’s worth checking out your state department of education for your grade-level standards especially if you plan to transfer back to public school education.
Whether you are committed to homeschooling, just looking to supplement virtual learning or maybe you just don’t know what the best choice is for your family. Be assured that whatever you choose, you’re making the right decision under really tough circumstances. There are going to be challenges and stressful days. With all that said, I’m determined to make the best of it.
Kindergarten Learning Resources
I keep an updated resource list in my Amazon store for different grade levels. Some of the other resources we use frequently for kindergarten are listed below.
Let’s Cut Paper – Children will learn how to hold and control a pair of scissors, and will advance from simple one-stroke cuts all the way to cutting complicated curved and zig-zagged lines and shapes.
Lowercase Magnetic Letters – From letter and color recognition to word building, this set of super strong high-quality magnets provides tactile reinforcement of early reading concepts and phonics.
Textured Trace and Touch Numbers – Help students identify numbers 1-30 and learn to correctly print them with these textured tracing cards. Green dots show where to begin tracing and red dots show where to stop. Directional arrows teach correct letter formation.
We use these free monthly calendars in the morning. I just place them in a dry erase pocket and they can circle the date, day, month, etc. and Then they easily erase with a baby wipe.
We have also enjoyed these free number poems. I place this sheet in a dry erase pocket as well so my kindergartener can practice everyday and then it just wipes away.
If you’re looking for a festive activity. This Pumpkin Math Activity will be a fun activity for kindergarteners as well.
Choosing Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
I hope this helps you select your kindergarten homeschool curriculum with confidence. Please keep in mind that students and parents needs will differ, so what we’re comfortable with may not work perfectly for you. I’m hoping this is a guide to help you get started in picking your curriculum. I’m always happy to connect via Instagram and I share many glimpses at our homeschool day on Instastories.
Leave a Reply