Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Are you considering homeschooling your kindergartener but are unsure where to start or which materials to select? One of the advantages of homeschooling is the flexibility to tailor the curriculum to suit the needs of your child. You cannot approach education with a one-size-fits-all approach because each child is different. Even within my own family, I have customized the materials for each of my four children (though I have generally used the same materials for each child). For my homeschool kindergarten, I use a diverse range of workbooks and supplementary resources. The following are the kindergarten workbooks that I am using with my fourth and last child. If you are interested in any of the materials, easily find copies on Amazon via my affiliate links.

I began homeschooling my oldest daughter in the fall of 2014. I started homeschool preschool with her when she was 2.5 years old. After two years of preschool work, she started kindergarten in September 2016. My son also started kindergarten after two years of preschool. He began in October 2019 around his fifth birthday. My second daughter started kindergarten work in November of 2022 around her fifth birthday, and my third daughter will start kindergarten when she is around age 5 as well. We move on to first grade after mastering the kindergarten level materials.

Of all the materials that I use for kindergarten, the most important to me is Teach a Student to Read. I originally wrote the reading program for my second child because I had learned more about the English spelling system since teaching my firstborn to read and had discovered more and more errors in other reading programs. I have since used my reading program with my third child, and I will use the same method of teaching my fourth child to read in a few years. Teach a Student to Read starts with Letters and Graphemes at the preschool level and then moves into the reading program with Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Originally published on May 25, 2017. Updated on June 12, 2024.

General

In addition to specific subjects, I included a number of general kindergarten workbooks in my kindergarten curriculum. These comprehensive resources ensure a well-rounded education and help reinforce key concepts across various subjects. The workbooks provide a structured approach to learning, allowing my kindergartener to progress at a steady pace while building confidence in abilities. Additionally, these workbooks offer a variety of activities that cater to different learning styles, making the educational experience both enjoyable and effective. Integrating these general workbooks into our curriculum has been instrumental in providing a balanced and thorough foundation for early education at home.

Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade K guides kindergartners step-by-step through a variety of engaging and developmentally appropriate activities. The 544-page full-color workbook covers topics such as phonics, reading, reading comprehension, language arts, writing, and math. The workbook provided plenty of extra practice for my daughter on basic skills, specifically in language arts and math.

Curious George is a favorite in my house, so I included Curious George Adventures in Learning, Kindergarten: Story-Based Learning in our kindergarten curriculum. Recommended for students between the ages of 5 and 6, the 320-page workbook features twelve new mini-stories that provide context for math, reading, and science practice that strengthen foundational skills in math, literacy, and science. We used the workbook in the later half of kindergarten and typically completed one complete story section at a time.

Learning to Read

As I already mentioned, my oldest daughter learned to read at the beginning of the year right after she turned 4. I taught her to read using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox, and Elaine Bruner. When the time came to teach my second to read, I had learned more about the English spelling system. I immediately noticed many problems with the original text. I therefore created my own reading program that presented English orthography as fully and accurately as possible. I am a linguist who has studied the English language including the English spelling system, so I feel confident in my expertise to write a learning to read program. I owe Gina Cooke at Linguist-Educator Exchange (LEX) and Shameless Spelling an especially huge thanks for her materials and classes.

Teach a Student to Read (Volume 1 and Volume 2) is not a phonics book. Phonics is a method of teaching reading that posits that sounds correlate with graphemes in an alphabetic writing system. Phonics assumes letters represent speech sounds. Letters can spell sounds, but not all letters spell sounds. Some letters are markers. Other letters are zeroed. TASTR strives to teach fully and accurately about the English writing system to give a new reader the information needed to read and understand the spelling of any English word.

Most children learn to read between the ages of 6 and 7. Some children are ready at age 4 or 5. The recommended age range for this program is therefore between the ages of 4 and 8. Teach a Student to Read is also recommended for older students who have been failed by other reading programs, specifically phonics programs.

Language Arts

Language arts play a crucial role in kindergarten, laying the foundation for reading, writing, and effective communication. To ensure a comprehensive and engaging learning experience, I incorporate a variety of workbooks that focus on alphabet recognition, handwriting, and basic reading skills. These materials provide structured activities that help children develop fine motor skills, recognize letter shapes and names, and begin forming words and sentences.

Lowercase Alphabet and Uppercase Alphabet from School Zone are full-color workbooks that help preschoolers learn the lowercase and uppercase print alphabet through tracing and writing exercises. The humorous illustrations encourage little learners to pronounce words and learn beginning sounds. I used the 64-page workbooks as supplements to my kindergarten alphabet lesson plans. Learning letter names and shapes is required before learning to read.

Handwriting is the largest focus of writing lessons at the kindergarten level. Working on handwriting helps with fine motor skills as well as letter shape and name recognition. Learn to Print from School Zone (School Zone Handwriting in the video) an engaging 32-page workbook that offers expert guidance and practical exercises to enhance legible printing. Each page presents the correct starting points for forming every letter stroke. The lively illustrations contribute to an enjoyable and playful learning experience.

For the youngest ages, I am a fan of the DK Workbooks series, so I also included DK Workbooks: Handwriting: Printing, Kindergarten in our kindergarten curriculum. The 60-page workbook advances from learning uppercase and lowercase letters to months and colors and finally to sentences and story writing.

DK Workbooks: Spelling, Kindergarten focuses more on reading skills than spelling. The 60-page workbook includes activities on letters, vowels, consonants, letter sounds, rhyming words, syllables, and reading. The workbook contains quite a bit of handwriting practice and basic reading practice.

Handwriting is essential for developing fine motor skills as well as letter and word recognition, which are necessary for learning to read, spell, and write. I use the Complete Book of Handwriting from Carson Dellosa. Recommended for kindergarten through third grade, the first part of the book focuses on printing letters and then words, and the second half focuses on cursive.

For additional handwriting and reading practice, I include My Book of Writing Words from Kumon towards the second half of kindergarten. The workbook follows the Kumon Method, which introduces learning concepts in an incremental, step-by-step approach. I use the workbook largely to reinforce letter names and shapes and handwriting skills. Recommended for students between the ages of 5 and 7, the 80-page full-color workbook builds on the concept of rhyming words and phrases to build more words. The workbook teaches new words grouped by similar sounds and spellings.

The Reading Readiness workbook from School Zone (cover may vary) contains 63 activities on pre-reading skills such as recognizing words, matching, and classifying. The illustrations contain bright colors and playful scenes that help make learning fun.

I also purchased DK Workbooks: Language Arts, Kindergarten to use during kindergarten lessons. The 60-page workbook includes activities on uppercase and lowercase letters, syllables, plurals, simple punctuation, and other fundamentals of language arts. The exercises provided additional practice on language arts topics previously learned.

As I already mentioned, we love Curious George, so I purchased Learning with Curious George Kindergarten Reading as a supplement to our language arts materials. The 64-page full-color workbook includes activities on letter recognition, letter formation, matching letters and sounds, and writing short words.

Math

Math is a fundamental subject in kindergarten, setting the stage for future academic success in STEM. To build a strong foundation in math, I selected multiple workbooks into our kindergarten curriculum. These materials cover essential concepts such as counting, shapes, patterns, addition, and problem-solving, ensuring that my kiddos develop a thorough understanding of early math skills through interactive and age-appropriate activities.

For math lessons, I am using the textbook Houghton Mifflin Math Grade K and the accompanying workbook. The 420-page full color textbook begins with basic counting and contains sections on patterns, plane shapes, solid shapes, wholes and parts, and more. The 124-page black and white workbook provides supplemental practice for each section of the textbook.

The 32-page Numbers 1-12 from School Zone focuses on identifying numbers and number words, counting, matching, and sequencing. Number literacy is essential for future math success. The workbook also helps with developing fine motor skills through handwriting.

The Complete Book of Numbers & Counting, Grades PK-1 provides activities on key math concepts such as addition, subtraction, time, money, place value, graphing, comparing numbers, and recognizing number rhymes. As with other subject-specific workbooks in the series, the comprehensive workbook offers focused instruction and fun activities. The 416-page full-color workbook is geared towards children in preschool through first grade, so we start the workbook in preschool.

Created for children between the ages 5 and 6 in kindergarten, DK Workbooks: Math: Kindergarten contains exercises on sorting objects into sets, counting to twenty, comparing shapes, writing time, and other fundamentals of math. The 60-page workbook provides supplemental practice pages to a larger math curriculum.

More of a math book than a problem-solving book, DK Workbooks: Problem Solving, Kindergarten teaches children to think critically and build math skills to help solve word problems. The 60-page workbook includes activities on numbers, counting, shapes, addition, subtraction, and graphs. All the activities are appropriate for kindergarten-aged students.

Because we are fans of Curious George, I included Learning with Curious George Kindergarten Math as part of our math curriculum. The 64-page full-color workbook includes activities on gathering information, graphs, sorting, differences, patterns, and following directions.

The activities in Kindergarten Basic Math Success were designed to help children catch up, keep up, and get ahead in basic math skills. From Sylvan Learning, the 128-page full-color workbook includes sections on numbers; sorting, classification, and patterns; geometry; and measurement. The workbook was designed to be completed one page a day, but we typically complete larger chunks as review.

Recommended for children between the ages of 5 and 7, Grow to Know: Addition from Kumon provides a step-by-step workbook that helps children learn to add the numbers 1 through 9. The workbook is extremely basic but offers plenty of additional addition practice.

Time and Money

Learning about time and money in kindergarten is crucial for developing practical life skills and a strong foundation in mathematics. Understanding time helps my kiddos manage their daily routines, comprehend the passage of time, and develop a sense of punctuality and time management. Learning about money introduces children to basic financial concepts including the value of different coins and bills, and the skills needed for making purchases, saving, and budgeting, which are essential for their future independence and financial literacy. The following are the workbooks that I use with my kindergarteners to enhance mathematical understanding and foster real-world problem-solving abilities.

I introduce time using the My Book of Easy Telling Time: Learning about Hours and Half-Hours workbook from Kumon. The workbook introduces young learners to the concept of telling time by concentrating on the hours first and then incrementally introducing children to half- and quarter-hours, which also helps improve the general understanding of numbers. I like the slower pace of this workbook and the repetition, which reinforces the basics of telling time.

After mastering hours, half-hours, and quarter-hours, my daughter moved on to My Book of Telling Time: Learning About Minutes from Kumon. The second workbook in the Telling Time sequence helps young students learn how to tell time down to the minute. As with the first workbook, I appreciate the slower pace.

I am also using Telling Time Stick Kids Workbook, Grade K as a supplement to our math lessons on telling time. The kindergarten workbook helps children develop an awareness of time through activities that focus on parts of the day, duration of time, telling time, and time vocabulary.

I introduced money sing the My First Book of Money: Counting Coins workbook from Kumon. The workbook introduces little learners to the concept of money by providing plenty of practice working with each coin before moving on to the relationships between coins less than $1. I like the slower pace and the skip counting activities, which have helped with better learning to count money.

For additional practice with time and money, I picked up the Time & Money workbook from Disney Learning at the Dollar Tree. The cover changes periodically, but the workbook that you find at the Dollar Tree at any given time contains basically the same information and activities.

Science

Science in kindergarten is essential for fostering curiosity and a love of exploration in young learners. By engaging with basic scientific concepts, children develop critical thinking skills and an understanding of the natural world around them. Through hands-on activities and experiments, kindergartners learn to observe, ask questions, and draw conclusions, laying the groundwork for future scientific learning and discovery. I use the following materials with my kindergarteners.

For science lessons, I am using the textbook Houghton Mifflin Science: Level K and the accompanying workbook. My children and I find the 80-page textbook quite easy to read. My oldest read the book on her own while I read the text aloud to my other kiddos. I like the question at the end of each lesson that I use as reflection. The consumable workbook reinforces the information from each lesson with a full-sheet practice sheet for each lesson.

In addition to the textbook and workbook, I am also using the workbook DK Workbooks: Science, Kindergarten to supplement our science lessons. The workbook topics include changes in the weather, comparing objects, animal and plant life cycles, and other fundamentals of science such as force and motion, materials, and ecosystems. Although not important to me, the workbook supports the Common Core State Standards.

Social Studies

Social studies in kindergarten introduces children to the world around them, helping younger kiddos understand their community, different cultures, and basic geography. By learning about families, neighborhoods, and maps, young students develop a sense of belonging and awareness of their environment. These foundational lessons foster social skills, empathy, and an appreciation for diversity, preparing children for more complex social studies concepts in the future.

For kindergarten social studies, I found a copy of the Macmillan/McGraw Hill Time Links Hello, World! teacher’s edition workbook at a local thrift shop. I also found a copy of the accompanying student practice and activity workbook through an online thrift shop. The textbook and workbook introduced my son to the subject of social studies at the kindergarten level.

In addition to the textbook and workbook, I am also using the workbook DK Workbooks: Geography, Kindergarten to supplement our social studies lessons. The workbook topics include directions, globes and maps, continents, countries, states, and more. Although not important to me, the workbook supports the Common Core State Standards.

Health/Life Skills

Teaching health in kindergarten, particularly about the human body, is crucial for building an understanding of physical well-being. By learning about body parts, their functions, and the basics of growth and hygiene, my kiddos develop a foundation for healthy habits and self-care. These lessons in the following workbooks not only promote physical health but also empower children with knowledge about their bodies, fostering confidence and body awareness.

For kindergarten health, I used the activity book Learning About My Body – ScienceWorks for Kids in our health lessons. The reproducible workbook covers the topics of external and internal parts, the brain, five senses, the life cycle, and taking care of the body. Each section includes variety of engaging activities, teacher directions for lessons, and reproducible resource pages. My third daughter was especially interested in learning about the body, so the activity book recommended for kindergarten through first grade is a perfect addition to our health curriculum.

I also added the super fun Know and Glow Human Body workbook for my second, third, and fourth children. Filled with heaps activities and loads of fascinating facts about the human body, the glow-in-dark sticker workbook teaches through engaging stickers and other activities.

Art

For art lessons, I used Old Masters Rock: How to Look at Art with Children. The 112-page book is designed for parents and children to explore together, encouraging curiosity and personal interpretation through questions and interactive features like “Art Detectives” and “Fun Facts.” Featuring 50 paintings from the 14th to early 20th century across various themes and styles, the book includes works by famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, and Van Gogh as well as lesser-known artists.

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