What To Teach a Kindergartener at Home

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There is a lot of anxiety about how to homeschool kindergarten for the first time. I get it. In public school families, starting kindergarten can be a huge lifestyle change, so we assume that it should be a big change in our homeschools too. I have taught kindergarten at home and professionally, so I will walk you through what to teach a kindergartener at home.

Many homeschool parents of kindergarteners have the same questions.

  • Is it okay if my kindergartner wants to play all day?
  • What do I really need to teach a kindergartener at home? What subjects are required at this grade level?
  • How long does it take to homeschool kindergarten?
  • How can I figure out what my child needs to learn this year?
  • What is the best kindergarten curriculum?

(I will answer all of these questions further down this post.)

I wish I could reach through the computer and give those concerned parents a hug. They usually know that they can make their homeschool look different than public school, but are not sure how different is okay.

I will break down exactly what to teach a kindergartener at home.

The legal requirements for homeschooling kindergarten vary by state. Be sure to check into your state laws to see if there are any specific requirements. Some states require certain subjects to be taught every year. Other states do not put any restrictions on teaching kindergarten.

When you are looking at the state requirements, be sure to note the age guidelines. In North Carolina, for example, there are legal requirements for homeschooling, but families are not required to open a homeschool until age 7. Until age 7, kids are educationally ‘free’ and parents can do what they want. Not all states are like this though, so give your guidelines a quick read-through.

It will save frustration and ease nerves to be clear on your homeschool laws before beginning to homeschool kindergarten.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of everything that can be taught in kindergarten. It is just meant as a resource for parents who would like a bit of guidance and structure on what to teach a kindergartener at home.

Is it okay to do more than is on this list?

Yes, absolutely!

Is it okay to do less than what is on this list?

Yes, absolutely!

Teach kindergarten (and everything, really) at your child’s pace.

What do you really need to know to homeschool kindergarten? Find out how to teach a kindergartener at home with advice from a kindergarten teacher - written above a child sitting at a table writing in a notebook.
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What to Teach a Kindergartener at Home

I compiled this list of kindergarten learning objectives by consulting several state public school standards of learning and measuring them against my own experience as a classroom and homeschool kindergarten teacher. One of my goals as a homeschool teacher is to teach at least what my students would learn in public school.

Social Skills

  • Taking turns
  • Sharing (Sharing is really a form of taking turns.)
  • Being a good friend
  • Identifying feelings (their own and those of others)
  • Using whatever manners you feel are important in your family
  • Managing emotions appropriately

Language Arts

  • Listen to a variety of stories and poems
  • Retell a story (beginning, middle, and end)
  • Identify characters, setting, and the main event of a story
  • Differentiate between letters, words, and sentences
  • Understand the role of the author and illustrator
  • Compare and contrast characters and stories
  • Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Print uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Know all letter sounds
  • Read CVC words (consonant – vowel – consonant)
  • Identify the parts of a book (front cover, back cover, and title page)
  • Follow the words on a page (left to right and top to bottom)
  • Identify rhyming words
  • Count the number of syllables in words
  • Identify the beginning, middle, and final letters in words
  • Compose fiction and nonfiction through drawings, dictation, and writing
  • Understand end-of-sentence punctuation marks
  • Capitalize the beginning of sentences and names

Math Skills

  • Count to 100 by ones and tens
  • Recognize numerals 0 – 100
  • Write numerals 1 – 20
  • Count backward from 10 to 1
  • Count forward from a number other than 1
  • Add sums up to 10
  • Subtract differences of less than 10
  • Solve word problems with sums or differences of 10 or less
  • Sort objects by attributes (big, small, red, blue, etc.)
  • Identify 2D and 3D shapes
  • Recognize coins and identify their values
  • Know the days of the week
  • Know the months of the year
  • Create and read picture graphs
  • Build and add on to patterns (AB, ABC, and ABBC)

Science

  • Classify objects based on observable characteristics
  • Identify types of weather
  • Name the seasons of the year and identify characteristics of each season
  • Identify the five senses
  • Identify the basic needs of plants and animals

History and Geography

  • Use a map to identify your city, state, and country
  • Differentiate land and water on globes and maps
  • Understand needs versus wants
  • Identify American symbols (flag, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the White House, and a bald eagle)

That is it!

how to homeschool kindergarten written above two kids examining flowers with a magnifying glass

How to Homeschool Kindergarten

Now that you have a list of educational objectives for the year, let’s look at how to actually teach them. These options will help you decide how to homeschool kindergarten.

Many of the kindergarten objectives will be taught through daily life experiences and discussions.

Kids learn how to identify the parts of a book by sitting on their parents’ laps and reading books together. Counting is taught every time we count crackers or grapes at snack time. They learn to identify different types of weather by going outside year-round.

There is no one best way to homeschool kindergarten. Every child and every family is different. It is okay to try a few different methods to see what works best for your family.

Play-Based Unit Studies

Play-based unit studies are a fantastic way to homeschool kindergarten. The activities are fun, so kids actually want to do them. Play-based learning has even been shown to improve attitudes about learning at later ages.

The beauty of a play-based unit study is that it teaches multiple academic areas centered around one interesting theme.

This can be a win-win because young children are happy when they are playing. Parents are happy when their kids are learning. Play-based unit studies can help foster a love of learning and educational curiosity.

Choose a topic and then add plenty of books and activities.  Pinterest is full of awesome themed activities.

As an example, let’s plan a unit study on farms:

Language Arts

  • Check out fiction and nonfiction books about farms and farm animals from the library.
  • Retell our favorite farm stories using pictures or finger puppets.
  • Compare and contrast different farm stories.
  • Find alphabet tiles in a dried corn sensory bin. Use those letters to build short words.
  • Count out syllables of farm words by clapping each syllable.
  • Write a sentence or story about a favorite farm animal using proper capitalization and punctuation.
  • Language arts field trips with a farm theme include the library and bookstores for listening to books about farms and animals.

Math 

  • Sort farm animals (toy or paper) according to various characteristics.
  • Count farm animals. These can be paper, small toys, or animals in a book.
  • Count out dried corn kernels and pretend to feed chickens (or visit a farm and count out animal feed).
  • Create a pretend farm with toys. Make a block fence around the farm. Measure the block fence.
  • Identify shapes in pictures or illustrations of farms.
  • Make farm animal art using paper shape cut-outs.
  • A math field trip idea with a farm theme is to visit pet shops and compare prices on animal care supplies.

Science

  • Visit a farm and identify the needs of the animals.
  • Put animal life cycle cards in order.
  • Grow a vegetable garden.
  • Try science experiments that involve growing plants.
  • Draw a farm in different seasons.
  • Go on a field trip to a farm.

History/Geography

  • Locate farms on a map.

A ton of learning objectives were met while having fun and playing!

Homeschool parents can create unit studies or purchase unit studies that will work for their family. The Rabbit Trails Curriculum is one option that uses literature to teach a variety of subjects. It includes simple lessons that are fun and educational.

Curriculum

A homeschool kindergarten curriculum can be a great way to teach a kindergartener at home, especially if you are concerned about missing something important. I have noticed a trend in Facebook groups where people tell new homeschool families who are wondering how to homeschool kindergarten that they should skip a curriculum. Personally, I recommend choosing at least a phonics curriculum and a math curriculum.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Learning to read is made up of lots of little steps, and while it is certainly possible to teach without a curriculum, it is helpful to have all of the steps laid out for you. This is especially important if you do not have experience teaching young children to read. A well-designed curriculum can save you stress and frustration.

The All About Reading curriculum contains everything you need to teach reading. Depending on your child, you will start with either pre-reading or level 1. Try the placement test to help you decide which one is right. They also have a great math curriculum. If you choose the appropriate level of the reading and math curriculum, that is everything that you need to teach a kindergartener at home. Read this detailed All About Reading Level 1 review to see if it seems right for your child.

All About Reading

F.A.Q.s About How to Homeschool Kindergarten

Okay, time to answer the questions mentioned above.

Is it okay if my kindergartner wants to play all day?

Yes, you can teach a kindergartener at home through play. Children learn through playing. Just about every kindergarten subject can be taught through play. In fact, when I was a classroom kindergarten teacher, I set up my classroom to involve play as often as possible. My kindergarten students spent hours every day playing (and learning).

There are fun ways to teach just about everything.

What do I really need to teach in kindergarten? What subjects are required?

The subjects and skills mentioned above are generally taught in kindergarten; however, you do have flexibility in homeschooling kindergarten.

Some states require certain academic subjects to be taught every year. Check with your state homeschool agency or HSLDA to see if there are any requirements for your state. When you are looking this up, be sure to note the minimum age. Some states require certain subjects only for ages 8 and up.

How long does it take to homeschool kindergarten?

This question is a little tough to answer because it will vary based on homeschool style and family dynamics.

In general, though, it is possible to teach a kindergartener at home in about two hours each day. I’m sure some people find two hours too long for kindergarten; however, it doesn’t need to be two straight hours.

For example:

  • 30 minutes of reading
  • 30 minutes of math
  • 30 minutes of history
  • 30 minutes of science

Please note that this does not mean 30 minutes of sitting still at a table. Hands-on activities and reading relevant books can fit into this schedule.

How can I figure out what my child needs to learn this year?

  1. Check your local state requirements
  2. See the list above and teach as many of those topics as you feel appropriate for your family.
  3. Ask your child what they want to learn. Kids have great ideas and are highly motivated little learners when they get a little ownership.

What is the best kindergarten curriculum?

The best kindergarten homeschool curriculum is one that your child enjoys. Some kids love the satisfaction of neatly completing workbook pages. Other kids really enjoy learning with hands-on manipulatives.

I firmly believe that the best kindergarten curriculum preserves and encourages a love of learning. You can teach a kindergartener at home and enjoy the process.

I recommend sticking with a curriculum for at least several months, unless it is clear that it isn’t working. It is hard to make progress if you are always starting over at the beginning.

Can I really figure out how to teach a kindergartener at home?

Yes, absolutely! Once you decide on a plan and get a few weeks under your feet, you will feel much more confident.

It is intimidating to try new things, but you can do this.

Can my child go to a traditional school setting after homeschooling for kindergarten?

Public schools have to accept students who live in their district. Private schools will typically accept previously homeschooled students, but there may be fewer spots available after kindergarten. However, it is important to know that grade placement is usually up to the principal’s discretion. Kindergarten is often considered to be the official school entry point.

Some school officials will place a child with their age peers, some principals will require documentation that a child has mastered kindergarten skills, and some principals will not let a young child skip kindergarten in a classroom at all.

If you plan to homeschool only for kindergarten, it is a good idea to check in with your local school district and see what they require for admission to first grade. This way, you have a clear picture of the expectations.

I hope this reassures you that it is possible to teach a kindergartener at home. It is not as difficult as it sometimes seems.

Learning how to homeschool kindergarten does not mean your child needs to sit at the kitchen table doing worksheets for hours a day. Giving your child a developmentally correct kindergarten experience is an amazing gift. The kindergarten year is an exciting time to homeschool!

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.