Homeschool Preschool & Kindergarten Curriculum & Resources

The homeschool preschool and kindergarten years are such a sweet and beautiful time in a child’s life. The innocence and excitement over the littlest of things bring such joy to a home. Everything is new and exhilarating. Everything is an opportunity to learn and grow.

In my previous post, I discussed why a formal academics-based preschool was not necessary for all children to do well in future instructional settings. I also discussed the importance of balancing opportunities for play, nature exploration, and relationship-building. So, what exactly can you do with your preschooler?

Homeschool Preschool Fun

Talk with your child. Include him in your daily tasks. Pray together. Clean the house together; bake cookies. Prep snacks. Go for walks. Notice the bugs and the leaves and the moon and the stars. Create invitations to play with bowls of lima beans or seashells. Sing songs, read poems, and engage in fingerplays. Dress up, or snuggle up, and read books together.

Buy watercolors and paint rocks. Make lemonade, or build a fort. Use sidewalk chalk; blow bubbles, or just play with dirt. Dance in the rain. Jump in puddles. Go to story time at the library. Play with puppets or blocks. Or let them take a bubble bath.

Color in coloring books or on plain paper; put together puzzles. Play with homemade play dough or a large empty box and markers. Go to a park. Visit with friends. And allow plenty of time for free play, without prompting and without intervention.

If all you do is embrace life together, I truly believe that your child will be fully prepared for whatever type of formal instruction will arise in the future. The sights and sounds of the grocery store, library, park, etc. along with the simple acts of conversation, reading aloud, and play all create the platform for cognitive, social, and emotional development. There is no pressure to do more.

If, however, you are finding that you need a bit more inspiration, and you’re looking for more tangible ideas or something a bit more consistent, then I hope these homeschool preschool and kindergarten resources will encourage you. Each of these options offers fun and gentle ways to learn and connect with your child. We'll explore all-subject "big-box" curricula and single-subject curricula so that you can find what best works for you and your family.

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All-Subject Curricula

Many curriculum companies offer all-subject packages that are integrated and designed to work together. They include options and packages that include everything from Bible, history, and literature, to reading, language arts, math, and science.

These are wonderful for homeschoolers, who prefer a plan that is laid out and complete. They also work best when your preschooler or kindergartener is the oldest child because they usually require more time and commitment. These options are often more expensive as well, so that is something you will want to take into consideration when preparing your budget and plans. The following are a few of our favorites.

(If your preschooler/kindergartener is the youngest, then you may want to skip to the "Single-Subject Curricula" section.)

My Father’s World

I am so in love with My Father’s World. Their heart behind their curriculum has inspired me in so many ways. We have used "God's Creation from A to Z" for kinder 4 and kindergarten all the way up through "Creation and the Greeks" in the family cycle. Each teacher's manual is filled with hands-on activities, unit studies, and booklists that bring the learning to life. This curriculum has truly taught me how to disciple our children and point them to Christ in all that we do. (If you’re interested in seeing a video review of any of them, let me know in the comments below!)

For homeschool preschool, we purchased many of their hands-on activities, books, and games, available for purchase individually on their site. Once they created their homeschool preschool curricula, I used "All Aboard the Animal Train" with my youngest, and she absolutely loved it.

It took us about two years to get through it all; we only used it from time to time, but when we did, it offered such a sweet way for us to connect. Each curriculum is filled with a booklist, so we checked out plenty of books each week to learn more about the topics we were studying. These books were also perfect for “Buddy Reading” with her big sister and big brother.

"All Aboard the Animal Train" recommends four key components: Together Time, Outdoor Time, Story Time, and Activity Time. For us, it offered just enough learning and independent fun to balance our days and add a bit more variety.

Sonlight

We used Sonlight A World Cultures for homeschool kindergarten one year and had such a wonderful time connecting through books. Sonlight also has a heart for missions, and I really appreciated the opportunity to reach out and explore new books and topics that I wouldn’t normally find on my own. It led the way to deeper conversations and learning without a lot of fluff or extras.

We simply spent time reading, but the ideas ignited a spark in our children. They often carried over what they learned into their imaginative play and creations. It was so neat to watch them learn and grow in such an organic and natural way.

Sonlight has homeschool preschool curricula available, and we own many of the books that they offer. All of them have been such a sweet addition to our time together. Find out more about Sonlight here.

The HomeGrown Preschooler

I was introduced to The Homegrown Preschooler at a nearby homeschool conference and fell in love! The gentle and hands-on approach to it all was exactly what I wanted for my preschool (middle) daughter at the time.

"A Year of Playing Skillfully" is filled with monthly activities that are centered around a variety of subjects: Home Life and Social/Emotional, Language and Literacy, Math and Manipulatives, Science and Sensory, Art and Music, Gross Motor and Outside and Field Trips.

The curriculum is set up with a monthly checklist that you can post and complete as you see fit. It is not a daily set up, so there’s flexibility to use the parts that work for you when they work for you. These activities can also be done year after year as your child grows and develops.

I do have to warn that "A Year of Playing Skillfully" is very hands-on, so if you don’t like messes or dealing with a number of materials, this may not be the best fit for you. If, however, you want to dive in to the fun and just say “yes!”, then it can be such a neat way to make extra special memories with your child.

For those who prefer summer inspiration, A Summer of Playing Skillfully may be a good option to help you be more intentional throughout the summer months.

If you’re not interested in the curriculum but want all the inspiration, check out their book The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live.

Before Five in a Row

Before Five in a Row is such a sweet curriculum centered on children’s literature. It includes a list of beautiful children’s books, along with multiple ideas for engaging with the text through the course of the week. Children love repetition and favorite stories, so the goal is to read each story five times, focusing on a specific area or two each day.

Book activities and discussion topics are centered around different subjects, including: Bible, literature, science, math, language, art, and more. Before Five in a Row also includes creative ideas for reading readiness, gross and fine motor skills, along with a bank of activities for bath time, in the kitchen, at the store, and more. It’s such a sweet resource filled with plenty of ideas for cognitive and emotional development.

For more inspiration, also check out More Before Five in a Row.

Single-Subject Curricula & Resources

Some companies offer specific resources and curricula for individual subjects. You can then pick and choose the ones that best meet your needs. This style of homeschooling is often much better suited to those who also have older children to homeschool. This allows for the younger children to join the older children in their studies, while allowing them to grow in their independent studies. It also provides more flexibility and is often more affordable. (For a list of Christian homeschool curricula for older children, click here.)

This is often referred to as "eclectic" homeschooling, and it can include a variety of curricula, styles, and approaches from different sources. Simply jot down the subjects you wish to cover, and find the best resource for each. Here are some options to consider.

Skills Workbooks

Workbooks make it easy to open and go when you’re short on time or want to focus on specific skills. We loved the simplicity of the Rod and Staff workbooks, beginning with “About Three” followed by an ABC series that includes numbers, letters, handwriting practice, cutting and pasting, sorting, and more.

Workbooks G-L also teach about habitats, animals, and more. All of the Rod and Staff workbooks are printed in black and white, so they are not highly stimulating, which can be helpful for some children as well.

I also like the Kumon Learning Workbooks that target specific skills, such as "Cutting" "Tracing" and more. Having a variety of these on hand makes it easy to work in a couple of pages a day.

Reading

When your child shows interest in letters and reading, you may consider teaching the alphabet, along with common letter phonemes or sounds. This instruction should be short, meaningful, and gentle. It should inspire a love for language and learning and can easily be done with magnet letters and a poster. Nurturing Connections in Reading: Level A is an open-and-go curriculum that does just that. You can find out more about it here. For other specific reading options, visit Christianbook.com.

Math

A gentle introduction to math helps children value the role that numbers play in our world. Most of this can be done through real-life interaction, counting steps and treats and discussing shapes and patterns. Check out this post for hands-on activities and puzzles that teach math concepts through exploration and discovery. These activities can easily be set out for young children to provide independent play while you work with older children in your homeschool.

For homeschool preschool workbooks that can be done in 10-15 minutes a day, we personally love the instruction found in Rod and Staff's Counting with Numbers. It uses short rhymes to teach number formation, and provides plenty of practice in handwriting and counting.

For additional practice or for homeschool kindergarten math, we like Masterbooks: Math Lessons for a Living Education-Level K and Masterbooks: Math Lessons for a Living Education-Level 1. This curriculum is inspired by Charlotte Mason principles and combines story, copywork, and hands-on activities to teach math from a real-world perspective. Click on any of the links above to view sample pages and reviews. Or go directly to Masterbooks to take a placement test and overview of each level. (Click Homeschool-->Subject-->Math--> Math Lessons for a Living Education.)

For more math options, visit Christianbook.com.

Booklists

What you read with your children matters, and finding books filled with truth, goodness, and beauty is so worth the hunt. I love Honey for a Child’s Heart, Read for the Heart and The Read Aloud Family. These books offer such a strong case on the importance of reading aloud with your child, along with booklists for the different stages in your child’s life.

I also have a curated booklist that I put together to include 52 book titles that connect with the letters of the alphabet. The books I selected are full of beautiful and rich literature, centered on that which is true and good and beautiful. Ambleside Online Curriculum also has a free booklist for little ones on their site.

Through carefully-selected books, you can then introduce your children to a variety of topics and subjects organically and effortlessly. Study the geography of the setting, learn more about the time period, explore the animals in the text, discuss human relationships, and so much more! Simply designate 10-15 minutes a day for reading aloud, and be open to the possibilities.

Digital Resources

I’m hesitant to share these because of how highly addicting they can be for little ones. Digital resources can also affect brain development, and it has been the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics for parents to wait until at least 2 years of age before introducing children to screens.

If your child is over the age of 2, digital resources can be used intentionally and with healthy boundaries to help teach certain skills in an engaging and fun way.

Some of our favorites are by Leap Frog are The Letter Factory and Numbers Ahoy.

We also like the sweet inspirational stories in Veggie Tales and the scriptures shared in ABC Say It With Me and Hide 'em in Your Heart. The children also LOVE Charlie Church Mouse computer games.

Homeschool Preschool/Kindergarten Planner

If you're overwhelmed with the choices and don't know where to start, check out my Homeschool Preschool/Kindergarten Planner! This planner is set up with my Bucket Planning System, making it easy to create a homeschool preschool or kindergarten plan that suits the unique needs of you and your family.

It also gives you a place to record all of your favorite resources, track your child’s progress, and create custom lesson plans that work for you. It’s available for instant download, entirely customizable, and includes a step-by-step video tutorial for planning your homeschool preschool and kindergarten (now available for FREE for all members!).