This post has been a long time coming (and as a result, it’s a doozie!) as I’ve been researching curriculum options and thoroughly questioning every homeschooling mom I come across for months now. I know I’ve overdone it a bit, as any homeschool veteran I’ve spoken to and every article I’ve read on the topic says that for kindergarten and first grade (anything before the age of 7 basically) things should be relaxed. In fact, I’m often told to simply read a ton of books, go out in the world to explore, and involve my kids in my day to day. That’s it!
Though I’m not super type-A, I need more structure than that so after months of researching and discovering there is a plethora of fantastic options for homeschool curriculum, I made decisions, bought what I needed, and finally am on my way to being set up for our adventure into kindergarten homeschool in the fall.
Before I dive into the nitty gritty, I want to share a few caveats:
- I’m a total newbie at this! This lineup is what I picked based on what I feel will fit Hailey and I best based on my research. If any of these options are a total bust, I’ll be sure to report back.
- You can’t do it all. No educational plan can. As tempting as it is to want a Chinese-immersion, STEM program, with ample outdoor time, and a deep focus on the arts, eventually you have to prioritize and pick a path. The ‘ol, you can have it all, but not all at once applies here.
- Our homeschool focus is not to raise the next Einstein. It’s to raise enthusiastic, life-long learners and problem solvers that are well-adjusted, confident, and contributing to society.
- I’ve received a lot of questions about why we are opting to homeschool. I wrote about it here, but in a nutshell: I’m excited to spend the extra time with my kids and continue to be the primary influence, have the ability to tailor their education to their learning styles, have more flexibility with our scheduling, and more. I totally respect and appreciate how many incredible education choices are out there and if you prefer a different path, that’s awesome! Like parenting, I don’t believe there is one right way to do things. This just feels like a great fit for our family at this time.
Alright, let’s dive in.
First I wanted to establish what a good rhythm and routine would look like for us. Kaitlyn (3 years old) will be going to a morning preschool program 3 days a week (9:00 – 12:00). I also have a wonderful sitter who comes one day a week to watch the girls (a non-preschool morning). This gives me 4 mornings one-on-one with Hailey (5 years old).
From there, I picked the core of what we felt is most important for our kindergarten homeschool: math and language skills (reading, writing, spelling, grammar, etc). Then picked secondary subjects: science, geography, and foreign language. That helped me develop a basic outline or routine that our days would follow. It is going to look like this (at least at first):
Since we are morning people, we will “do school” starting at about 9:15 am after talking Kaitlyn to preschool. I anticipate wrapping things up by 11:45 am as we go to pick Kaitlyn up.
As for the specifics, here’s what we’ve chosen:
MATH
We’ve chosen the Math-U-See program. It’s an incredibly popular program. It comes with a DVD with lessons, a student workbook, and a teacher handbook. I love that it utilizes manipulatives, as I feel Hailey will really benefit from the hands-on style.
I decided to start with the very first level, called Primer. Although I feel Hailey already has a grasp on most of this content (she does shapes well and can add and subtract small numbers), I want to start with strength and build her foundation and confidence.
Language Art
This arena took me the longest to tackle. I struggled to find a way to incorporate spelling, reading, handwriting, grammar, quality literature, and more into one digestible unit. I was piecing together programs like Handwriting Without Tears and Charlotte Mason’s reading lists, and I was quickly becoming overwhelmed. That’s when I came across Brave Writer.
Brave Writer is a program that focuses on building writers and encompasses all of what language arts is about in a timeline and style that is developmentally appropriate and progresses with the child. The more I read the site and reviews, the more I understood what people mean when they say it’s more of a lifestyle than a program.
There are a lo of moving parts to this program and I won’t claim to fully understand all of it. In fact, I think the layout of products is incredibly confusing. However, I read enough to feel that it’s a good starting place for us, so I purchased The Writer’s Jungle which is the cornerstone of the program and explains the philosophy and the how-to of the program.
I also purchased Jot It Down, which is designed as an intro to writing for 5-8 year olds, and The Wand which teaches the nitty gritty (phonics, spelling, word origin, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and vocabulary) using quality children books (designed for grades k-1).
If it sounds a little overwhelming, I agree. But I’m also giddy about some of the writing projects and lifestyle aspects in brings (like the very popular Poetry Tea Time). Julie Bogart, the creator of the Brave Writer program, really encourages parents to take a small step at time and not worry about doing it all at once. I plan to heed this advice and will report back once we are immersed in it.
Science
Science is going to be relaxed and based on monthly units I’ve created that are tied to the seasons. For example, September is about apples and farms. A quick search on pinterest (hooray internet!) will yield plenty of apple science fun (like this apple browning experiment), and add in learning about animals and the working of a farm and we’ll have plenty of science to keep us busy.
Geography
This will be pretty relaxed for kindergarten. We’ll work on learning about our state, then the other 49. We’ll play with globes and world maps. We’ll cook up dishes from other countries, find where they are on the map, and learn a little about their culture. I plan for this area to be relaxed and a lot of fun.
Spanish
I wish I was fluent in Spanish. I certainly remember bits and pieces from high school (enough to impress a 5 year old), but am in no way able to teach it in any real way. This is a challenge I’ve looked into. There are online language programs for homeschool kids, Rosetta Stone even has a homeschool program, many suggest finding a mentor or sitter that speaks the language, etc. My goal for kindergarten is simply exposure so after a lot of searching and forum reading, I came across Whistlefritz.
It’s a Spanish immersion (the entire show is in Spanish) program for kids that teaches the basics (seasons, home, animals, etc) to children in a fun and engaging way. I bought the Ultimate Collection in Spanish (they also have French) which contains 5 DVDs and 3 CDs. I don’t have any intention of this teaching her to speak Spanish, but I believe the exposure will be good and she is really excited by it!
I intended to share some overall thoughts I have on the school year ahead including what I’m most excited about as well as our extra curricular thoughts (music, soccer, dance, etc). I also have a list of quality books for Hailey and I to read aloud together, but I am going to save all that for a future post.
I am so excited share this journey with you and will be open about our successes and struggles. If I’ve learned anything from my homeschooling friends, it’s to relax, make it fun, and adjust as needed.
Fellow homeschooling moms, what curriculum are you using?
How did you choose it?
There are so many amazing options and I would love to hear others’ thought processes!
If you have any questions about our homeschool curriculum, please ask away and I’ll answer to the best of my ability!
Heather says
Oh my goodness, can you please, please let me know about the Spanish program? My husband and I would love our son to get some exposure to the Spanish language as well. But like you said…..it can be tricky to do. I think something like this, that looks fun and engaging, would be awesome! Once you get rolling with it, let me know if you think you get a lot of bang for your buck with it.
As a teacher, I love this post! Bring on the love for learning early.
JOHN J STATHAS says
Awesome, Teach! You’ve certainly done your research. Hailey, and Kaitlyn, are so fortunate to have such a dedicated, loving, and adventurous Mom/Teacher! Good luck!!
Lauren says
So excited to follow along on your homeschool journey! We also want to homeschool. Our oldest is only 4 so we technically do homeschool since she doesn’t go to preschool. I’m also super excited you picked brave writer! Love that!! I love her podcast and think that if/when we homeschool I would also choose that! Good luck with everything!
-Texas bff 😁
Brittany Dixon says
Brave writer is so confusing to me but sounds so amazing at the same time- I’m excited to dive in! I need to start listening to her podcast too! Thanks my Texas bff 😉
Lauren says
I have only listened to season 2 because during that season she interviewed other homeschooling moms about how they applied the brave writer lifestyle to their lives/homeschool. Need to go back and listen to season 1 lol!
Sherry Stathas says
Wow–I want to be home schooled by you!!
Ali says
Not specific to homeschooling, but I still recall clearly one of my favourite gifts ever: a UNICEF cookbook for kids, that had recipes from around the world and pictures to go with them. I remember making things like hummus, tacos, mango ice cream, and other treats. I have no idea if it’s still in print (this was 30 years ago!). Thinking back, it was so many ‘lessons’ in one: food, geography, and multiculturalism, but also reading and math when I had to read out the recipes and measure ingredients. Nothing more motivating than making the mango ice cream properly 😉
Brittany Dixon says
That sounds incredible!! I’m totally going to go google it. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂 …yes, any excuse to make tacos and mango ice cream!
Ali says
Ooh, I just found it online – it’s called “The Little Cooks”. Seems the only way to get it is old used copies, but it’s a gem!
Ali says
Hi again – alternatively, I see that there are a bunch of more updated, current international kid cookbooks, and awesome online resources, too….you know, if you want something where “east” and “west” Germany are not two separate countries, and all the Soviet Block countries are actually listed. Oh how much changes in 30 years….
Heather says
Very cool! Part of me isn’t sure if I’d be any good at homeschooling, but then part of me really wishes I could. Playing “teacher” was always my favorite thing as a child and I’m incredibly Type A and love planning and scheduling and reading this makes me giddy and thinks it would be such a fun challenge. Who knows… maybe one day? I homeschooled myself my last two years of high school and loved the freedom it allowed to get things done at a faster pace and I think my son would benefit from a program that wasn’t all day long and at times boring for him. Plus, you really can’t beat the one on one time.
Brittany Dixon says
I’m so curious about the story about you homeschooling yourself! How did that come about?
Heather says
I struggled in high school a lot. I was dealing with depression and was bullied a bit so I talked my parents into letting me homeschool so I could finish up earlier and more easily get a job. It ended up working out really well and I managed to bring my grades back up and not deal with the cliques and unpleasant social aspects. I’m a highly sensitive introvert, so high school was kind of torture for me. Ha!
Brittany Dixon says
That’s awesome that your parents were so open to other solutions and that you had the drive to follow through with it with great success! Pretty cool! Thanks for answering my nosy question 😉
montessoriishmom says
I’m excited to read more about this! It sounds like you have a wonderful plan. I was a teacher before becoming a SAHM and love all things school and learning. Have fun on this adventure!
Heather Warner says
Just looking at this makes me anxious! Such a big task to accomplish so kudos to you on tackling such a daunting task!
This is a total side note but I had a United States placemat as a kid and LOVED learning the states that way. After dinner, my mom would always “quiz” me on where states were. I was one of only a few kids in COLLEGE to be brave enough and stand up in front of my class and label the entire US. I totally equate that with having that placemat as a kid. Such a great learning tool for capitals too when she gets there. Just another little place to add in learning to day to day 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
Haha, it all sounds so much more intimidating than it is! Researching was the most stressful part 😉
I love the place mat idea! I’ve seen a few versions of those and now am thinking about snagging some. Thanks for the suggestion!
Amber says
Yay! I have been waiting for this post! Thanks so much for sharing! I am a former 2nd grade teacher and am excited to homeschool my own son in a few years (he is only 2 right now.) I am looking forward to following your journey knowing I will be in your shoes in just a few short years! I do have a few questions for you based off what my husband and I have already started to process for our own family… How did Hailey react to learning she won’t go to an actual school in the fall? Especially after going to preschool with friends? We had thought about sending our son to preschool and starting homeschool with Kinder but I have wondered what that transition to being back home would be like. Also, have you had any pushback from family or friends? Or all they all supportive? And finally, as you begin this process do you plan to homeschool throughout high school? Or is just for the primary grades? As you can see, my mind is already going full speed and we are still a few years away 🙂 You are going to be so great and both of your girls are lucky to have a mom that focuses on a love of learning!!
Brittany Dixon says
Oh I’ve had so many of the same questions fly through my head! I was actually really nervous about how Hailey would handle going from “school” to homeschool. At first she thought it meant I was the teacher and all her classmates would be coming to our house for class, haha! Once I explained it further, she got it and she hasn’t said a single negative. She’s asked me some questions about what her friends are doing, but honestly most all of them are going a different route anyway (private, public, charter, homeschool/school hybrid, etc). Now we are focusing on all the adventures we want to take on (we want to create a restaurant at home with menus and prices and everything) and other fun things and she seems pretty pumped. I think it helped that she’s only ever gone to preschool 3 days (mornings) a week so it’s not that big of an adjustment.
Overall I have had really supportive family and friends (at least to my face ;)). I’ve gotten a lot of “oh I could never do that” and several “what about socialization” but for the most part all questions have been out of true curiosity, which I don’t mind at all! I’m grateful for the encouragement I’ve received overall.
I have no clue how long we will homeschool for. Planning on taking it a year at a time right now 🙂
Great questions! I’m super excited about it and will share as much as I can to give a clear picture of the experience (not just the pros). If any other questions come up, ask away! And good luck to you on your own adventure (in a couple years ;)).
Kelly says
I used MathUSee with my kids and LOVED it. I had a Lego fanatic and he really took to the blocks. I wish I had been taught math that way. Happy Homeschooling 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
I wish I had been taught that way too! So glad to hear you liked it; that’s encouraging. I’m looking forward to jumping in!
Jenny Stevens says
For your geography lessons you’ve got followers all around the world. Take advantage. We’d be thrilled to help.
Brittany Dixon says
Oh my goodness, that is the coolest idea I’ve heard yet. I would LOVE to find a way to have readers involved in this. Now my mind is spinning- how could I make that happen/work? Hmm.. I will have to think about this- thank you!! Where do you live?
Sarah says
Yes, I would help too. That would be fun! I live in Connecticut.
Jenny Stevens says
New Zealand. I have a nearly 4 and a 1 year old.
Laura says
What a great idea! We would love to get involved somehow. I have a 5 and a half year old daughter who is entering Grade 1 next year. We’re in Canada, and very fortunate to live in a city with a thriving homeschooling community. Socialization has not been an issue for us at all this past year with many extracurricular activities available for homeschooling families. It’s actually been harder finding time to do any actual school work! Thanks so much for sharing your plan. I am still in the process of trying to decide what we will use next year and am looking forward to hearing how things go for you. Good luck!!!
Brittany Dixon says
That’s always what I hear about socialization. I understand it’s the first thing everyone thinks of (it was for me too!), but the more I learn about how real homeschooling works, the more I love the kind of socialization Hailey will have with all sorts of people and ages. Thank you for sharing and that’s so wonderful that you live in such a homeschool-friendly place too!
Angela says
I would love to hear how you will integrate social activities with other kids into homeschooling. Social development is so important! I have a feeling you have a plan. 😊
Betsey says
This is so interesting to read! I am now in my 30’s with a one year old child, and I was homeschooled for kindergarten through high school with my three siblings and, in general, loved it. We all went to pre-school and also all went to “normal” liberal arts colleges. We used the Calvert curriculum for K-8 for the most part (switched out a few subjects as we went along over the years like Saxon math) which has been around for FOREVER. My parents’ approach was similar to yours. We did lots of extracurriculars: sports, scouts, music lessons, etc. Also, lots of trips to the library and things like that. Looking back on it the whole environment was just really fun and laid back – the opposite of how stressed so many kids are now. I’m not sure if I’ll homeschool (my husband is a fan of public schools), but this is so interesting to read this from the mom perspective of starting a homeschool since when I think of homeschooling I think of it from the student perspective. Best of luck, and I can’t wait for updates along the way!
Emily K says
I am so excited to finally see your post on this! I love all of your research and it keeps calling to the home school nerd somewhere inside of me. My girls 1 & 4 are currently in Montessori and I work full time so we have to decide whether to keep my oldest there through 3rd grade, choose a private school, go with public or go with homeschooling over the next year. I love your perspective and I am going to look up all of the resources you linked to!
Sarah says
I am an elementary school teacher and I’ve got to say, I’m impressed how you’ve really covered all your bases academically. Good job! Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
Brittany Dixon says
Oh thank you Sarah!! It’s always awesome to get a seal of approval from a pro. Send any suggestions you have my way 🙂 I’m always open to learning more!
Amanda Yanetsko says
This looks great! I can’t wait to hear more about the language arts program you picked! For our kindergarten homeschool this year we picked: Sonlights Core A (bible, history, geography, & literature), Sonlight K science, Saxon math K, explode the code phonics, handwriting without tears & artistic pursuits! I am going to look into the Spanish you picked, my son would love that and it looks easy and fun! Awesome. Can’t wait to chat with you more about homeschooling!
Brittany Dixon says
Awesome choices! I loved the look of HWT ad I know both Sonlight and Saxon are hugely popular. Can’t wait to chat more about it all at some point!! 🙂
Lauren B says
This all looks great! Giving me some ideas and things to look into… we will be starting pre-k this fall, and as a Type A, I have to keep reminding myself to relax and not stress and make it fun! Especially with a newborn thrown into the mix! Exciting times!
Nicole says
I just finished homeschooling kindergarten with my daughter. We used the Abeka curriculum. We found that most Christian schools use that program so if we ever decided to enroll her she would be familiar with the work.
She has done wonderfully with it. At the start my daughter could only read a few words- her name, mom, dad and her sisters name. Now she can read a variety of books from the library and she is so proud of herself. We also used the cursive program instead of the regular print. It went over letter formation and then gradually into the formation of words.
Good luck with homeschooling Hailey! 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
I’ve heard wonderful things about Abeka! So glad it works so well for you. And cursive- awesome!!
Nicole says
Yeah I found the Abeka material super easy to work with. I think cursive is a dying art, I think most schools either don’t teach it or if they do, just enough to sign documents. It is definitely nothing like when I was in school. We took it really slowly with a week on each lowercase letter and then to uppercase. I think I had a harder time trying to teach her the ‘proper’ formation of uppercase letters haha.
Rebekah says
Yes! My daughter who just did K5 Abeka is writing full sentences in cursive. It’s actually easier for her than print, tho we practice both. I was skeptical, but the curriculum & sequence convinced me & she was so enthralled with how “fancy” she could write! I think we underestimate kiddos!
Jen says
I’m really looking forward to following you on this journey! My daughter is Kaitlyn’s age, so we won’t be really thinking about school-school, if you know what I mean, for a couple of years, but we plan to keep her home. I think we’d like to focus on student-led learning, AKA unschooling, but I think we’ll want throw in some more structured things here and there, especially when it comes to learning to read and math and such, so I’ll be very interested in seeing what works for you guys. Also, just out of curiosity, we also live in NC, so any advice you have for people who want to home school about the kinds of hoops you have to jump through to make it legal would be very interesting.
Rebekah says
I’m so glad I popped back on your site today to see this. Looks like you’ll do great! I started K5 with my daughter last year, and I was so intimidated. But we took it day by day. Also have a 3 yo and 1 yo (she was 4 months at beginning of last school year). It aS overwhelming so I bought ABeka K5 curriculum. Loved it actually although I adjusted & supplemented as year went by & I learned more about my learner. I just loved not having to plan huge picture & even say by day with the no-sleep of newborns. But you can’t beat the one on one, even with all the sibling interruptions… Good you’re planning to stay home 4 mornings, dedicated, tho, cause trying to fit it all in is stressful when little ones just have basically one window of time…😜. You’ll do great! My kindergartener is going into first grade this fall and has been reading all summer…now to her younger sibs! It’s been amazing to see the progression. No rushing and trust a sequence & repetition! Even silliest & simplest learning games (to us) they love. 🙂 love the language idea. I might buy that too! I want to add a language exposure as well this fall. Good luck! Will follow your journey.
Hali says
I know this post is old..but how did homeschooling go?! What did you like /dislike?
Brittany Dixon says
We love it! Hailey is in 1st grade right now and Kaitlyn is in K4. It’s going really well right now. We love the flexibility and the time together most, as well as picking curriculum that works best for their personal needs.
K says
Can you please share how (and your girls) liked the Brave Writer and Spanish programs you mentioned here?
Brittany Dixon says
The girls loved the Spanish DVDs. They thought they were fun, but I’m not sure how much they actually retained as far as language. I’m a big fan of the BraveWriter lifestyle and we certainly enjoyed the books and the writing project from Jot It Down, but it doesn’t feel like a complete LA curriculum to me.
Heather says
Love to hear how you liked the math curriculum. I am researching homeschooling my children (K & 1st grade). There’s a ton of choices and I would love to have a physical curriculum versus all online.
Hannah says
Hi I am a mom living in NC soon to be homeschooling my 5 year old. I was wondering if you had to file a notice of intent before kindergarten? Everything I have read so far seems to only apply if your child is 7+. Thank you so much for all the wonderful content you put out, it has been a lifesaver as we have been at home for many months!
Brittany Dixon says
Hey Hannah! You have it right; no letter of intent before they are 7. We didn’t send one in until first grade. 🙂
Dwayne Johnson says
Hi Brittany,
My wife and I have decided to home school our 4 year old. It’s been a thought and a conversation for sometime, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve decided to do it. I have found this blog post so easy to read, concise and so clear. It’s removed a bit of the fear that I have had in finding the best route to homeschooling. I am curious to know over the time since you made this post if there is anything you would have changed. I am particularly interested in the resources you suggested in the post, were they successful? Would they all still be your recommendation?
Thank you
Brittany Dixon says
Hi Dwayne! I’m excited for you and your family’s journey. I’d say the biggest thing that has changed since this post is my need for structure. Now that I have a third and first grader, I realize how much is learned through reading and playing, especially in the early ages. We follow a routine but not a strict schedule and we adjust as needed. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. You may also find this post helpful:
https://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/5-solid-homeschool-curriculum-options-for-pre-k-kindergarten/
Chelsea says
Hi Brittany!
I was wondering if you used the same curriculum picks for Kaitlyn’s kindergarten year? Thank you!
Chelsea
Brittany Dixon says
I did not use the exact same. I didn’t record it so I don’t remember everything, but I do recall that we used All About Reading, handwriting without tears, math u see (but switched to Singapore during the year). We also did the Beautiful Feet around the world (with Hailey).
Tegan says
How did the Brave Writer Program go? Did you continue it? Do you recommend it? Or do you have a follow up blog post on it? I am new to your page and thankful for it.
Brittany Dixon says
Hi Tegan! I enjoyed Brave Writer but did not stick with it. I went looking for more structure and assurance that I was giving them everything they needed, but in hindsight, I definitely feel it’s a quality program that is engaging.