Crafting a Joyful Kindergarten Homeschool Schedule

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Ready to homeschool your kindergartener, but unsure of what your day should look like? I've got a schedule for you.

Taking those first steps when you decide to homeschool lead to a lot of hesitation and second guessing, don't worry, that's totally normal.

Starting with a schedule is a great idea, but don't be afraid to break the whole thing apart and create your own once you get comfortable.

The rhythm of your schedule is going to ebb and flow with the flexibility that your child won't get in the classroom. You can dance between planned activities and free exploration, and watch your child's interests flourish.

Mornings might be peppered with brief, focused instruction periods–sometimes up to 45 minutes, broken down into smaller segments. Allow lots of room for curiosity and discovery.

Then we dive into tracing letters, the joy of reading our first words, chit chatting with creatures in the backyard, and even navigating the world of numbers with playful math activities.

Each day, we find balance, ensuring that the joy of learning is never overshadowed by the structure of education.

Let's get right into it, and get you started on your journey!

Sample Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule

Morning

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast and Morning Routine
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Morning Circle Time (Calendar, Weather, Song, Story)
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Math Activities (Counting, Basic Arithmetic)
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Reading and Phonics (Letter recognition, Simple words)

Mid-Morning

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Snack and Free Play
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Creative Arts (Drawing, Crafting)
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Science/Exploration (Nature walk, Simple experiments)

Afternoon

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Lunch and Quiet Time
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Nap/Rest Time
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Physical Activity (Outdoor play, Yoga for kids)
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Story Time / Read Aloud

Late Afternoon

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Hands-on Learning (Puzzles, Building blocks)
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Social Studies / Cultural Activities
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Snack and Wind Down

I try to make most things less than thirty minutes, because they start to get distracted and get a case of the wiggles. Keep everything short!

Understanding Your State's Homeschooling Laws

Each state has its unique laws and regulations. You can look at homeschool laws in your state here. That's the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association, and it will have the answers to what your state requires.

Make sure you know and understand your homeschool laws specific to your state first.

Knowing that these regulations could range from submitting an annual notice of intent to homeschool, to providing evaluation or assessment records

To decipher the legal jargon, I often turned to my state's department of education website, homeschooling advocacy groups, and local homeschooling communities.

These resources proved invaluable, not only for initial setup but also as ongoing support systems. They outlined the legal necessities like record-keeping, curriculum standards, and hours of instruction—each state's educational ‘recipe' for success.

I also discovered that some regions require interaction with an umbrella school or have stipulations regarding subjects taught.

In my state, sending a certified mail to our local school district, notifying them of our intent to homeschool, and tracking attendance meticulously were steps I could not skip.

These actions are like placing guideposts along our educational path, ensuring legal protection and peace of mind throughout our homeschooling expedition.

Starting a Kindergarten Homeschool Routine

Before we could dive into reading, writing, or arithmetic, I had to establish a foundation of expectations to ensure our homeschooling days were as blissful as envisioned.

It's okay to ease into school. That was a big things I didn't realize was “allowed” at first.

You can absolutely start with just one subject a day. Then ease into adding another each week. There is no rule saying you have to be in school eight hours a day.

Spend this time with your child. It's okay. This is why we start, isn't it?

Defining Your Homeschool Goals

Get really clear on what your homeschool goals are — while understanding they'll change as you grow and evolve.

Establish those clear goals, and then use them as a compass, guiding your day-to-day adventures and path you take.

These goals will serve as the foundation that your choices come from. You'll decide what you want your child to achieve, whether it's mastering basic math skills or developing their passion for reading, you need to set those goals. Here are a few things to think about.

Subjects You Want to Teach

The subjects you decide on are usually pretty straightforward, especially at first, and especially if this is your first child that you're homeschooling.

• Reading
• Math
• Handwriting / Fine Motor Skills

You can absolutely add more, and you might need to add more if your state requires it. Some other subjects include: science, social studies, music, art, and religion.

Habits You Want to Develop

Your education is not just math and reading. You'll also want to think about what habits you want your child to develop.

This is a great opportunity for you to add in things like financial literacy, managing a household, cooking, cleaning, and kindness.

Things you might not have had the time for if your child was in public school.

How Much Time Do You Want to Spend Homeschooling?

It really doesn't take that long to homeschool your kindergartener. The structured time you'll spend together might end up being about an hour total, split into several chunks.

Public schools count time like bathroom breaks, lunch, and transitioning between classes that we don't have to count.

Education is not confined to textbooks and worksheets.

You'll also add in play, outside time, field trips, and more.

Where Do You Want to Take Your Kindergartener This Year?

Speaking of field trips. Think about that too! Where did you want to go this year.

Do you have a zoo membership you want to use? Check out what events they have coming up that you can take advantage of. We also check out the local library and find more fun things we can add to our schedule.

Make Time for Play

Kids just learn better (and we are more sane) when they have time to get all of their wiggles out, and use that energy. They're not meant to sit at a table all day and learn.

Give them lots of opportunity to play and explore around them.

Don't Over Schedule Your Day

Trust me, it won't be good for anyone!

Homeschooling is not just a home version of public school. You are one person, you can't possibly do the work of the entire team of teachers, admin, cooks, cleaners, coaches and more from a public school.

You can begin and end your day getting much more done in less than eight straight hours of learning. That's asking too much of your child, and asking too much of you. For both of your sanities, don't schedule out an eight hour day.

Wrapping Up a Day of Kindergarten Homeschool

At the end of each day, we talk about our favorite parts. This includes our homeschool adventures now.

In those quiet evening minutes, I reflect on the lessons we learned, on the laughter woven through our day, and the whispers of questions I've promised to find answers to.

It's more than planning; it's envisioning the passion for learning that I hope to foster with my children.

Ready to make money while you're home with your kids? Let me show you how!

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