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How to Homeschool Kindergarten: Curriculum Ideas & Lessons Learned

How to Homeschool Kindergarten: Curriculum Ideas and Lessons Learned

One of my new favorite t-shirts says, “Hold on. Let me overthink this.” It’s perfect for me.

"Let me overthink this" pink t-shirt

I’ve always been a Type-A, planner-loving, I-prefer-my-ducks-in-a-row momma. I tend to over-analyze and over-complicate most things – especially when it comes to our homeschool. 

Thankfully, over a decade of homeschooling has mellowed me out a little bit. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful spontaneous teachable moments can be. I’ve witnessed my kids retain more from playing made-up games than from carefully crafted lesson plans. I’ve realized that it’s less about finding the “right” curriculum and more about nurturing relationships and encouraging a love of learning.

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Kids Are Always Learning (Even on the Weekend)

Kids Are Always Learning Even on the Weekend

The other day my six year old asked me what we’d be doing for school that day. 

“No school today,” I reminded her. “It’s Saturday.” 

With a delighted sigh of relief, she found a comfy corner of the couch and started reading Life of Fred: Butterflies. 

Side Note: If you’re not familiar with the Life of Fred series, it’s a quirky but effective math curricula adored by many homeschooling families. We’ve used it as a math supplement over the years and all three of my kids love it. 

When her brothers picked up other books in the Life of Fred series and proceeded to read math books for over two hours… on a Saturday… for fun… the inspiration for this post was born.

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Super-Easy DIY Phonogram Game for Pre-Readers

Super-Easy DIY Phonogram Game for Pre-Readers

I’m not sure why this simple, homemade game has been such a hit with all of my kids. Maybe it’s the shaking. Maybe it’s the dumping. Whatever the reason, they’ve all loved it!

I wish I could recall where I heard about this game first. I’ve seen variations of it floating around, but I’m not sure who came up with the original idea for Phonogram Sound Shake. Whoever you are, thank you! 

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Year 5 Homeschool Progress Report: The Good, The Bad & The Unexpected – Part One

Year 5 Homeschool Progress Report The Good The Bad & The Unexpected Part 1 on striped colored background

A lot of homeschool bloggers like to post their yearly curriculum choices (like I’ve been doing in this series) for their readers. Over the years, I’ve found it incredibly helpful to see what other families are using.

But sometimes these “what we’re using this year” lists give the impression that choosing curriculum for the year is a once-and-done kind of thing. 

Totally not the case!   

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5 Reading Incentive Programs and How They Can Work for Your Family

5 Reading Incentive Programs and How They Can Work for Your Family on cartoon background with boy reading book

There’s an ongoing debate as to whether or not reading incentive programs are a good thing. (Just so you don’t get your hopes up, this blog post isn’t going to settle the matter). 

Some parents and educators say reading incentives have absolutely helped motivate their reluctant readers. The kids just needed a little outside motivation to get them started and now their love of reading has taken off.

Others point to the dangers of external motivation and warn that incentive programs backfire. They say the programs are essentially bribes and when the incentives stop, so does the reading.

In my experience, there’s truth on both sides. 

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