Feeling a little unsure about where to start with homeschooling this year? One of the things that can help is having a homeschool kindergarten schedule in place.
There are many great benefits of homeschooling, but when you’re first getting started you might be a little unsure about what it actually looks like.
How long should you do math? How many subjects should you tackle in a day? What about P.E., co-ops, and meeting friends?
Every family eventually settles into their own routine, but when you’re first getting started it’s super helpful to have some sort of structure..
In this post, I’m going to share with you our family’s homeschool kindergarten schedule as well as tips to help you create one that works for your family. That way you can confidently move forward with homeschooling.
Let’s get to it!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which I’m happy to promote. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Much love & thank you for your support. To learn more about my policy, click here.
Table of Contents
Our Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule
My homeschool philosophy is fairly relaxed and eclectic. I want my kids to develop a love of learning and independently seek knowledge.
I do like to teach a lot of the same information that is taught in public schools, but I’m less worried about sticking to the same timeline. Because of that, our homeschool kindergarten schedule is a little more relaxed.
I make sure we cover our main kindergarten subjects every day and then we add in the supplemental subjects throughout the week. I also make sure we keep our lessons short and make lots of time for free play.
Here is what an average day looks like:
- 9:00-10:00 am – Breakfast and morning chores
- 10:00-10:30 am – Reading
- 10:30-11:00 am – Outside time
- 11:00-11:30 am – Math
- 11:30-12:00 pm – Lunch
- 12:30-1:00 pm – Free Play
- 1:00-1:15 pm – Handwriting
- 1:15 – 1:45 pm – History/Science/Art/Music (Pick one a day)
- 2:00 – 3:30 pm – Sports/Co-op/P.E./Playdates, etc
You’ll notice that we don’t do any sit-down work for longer than about 30 minutes. Anything longer than that and my kids typically start to get antsy and distracted.
Subjects We Homeschool for Kindergarten
An important part of creating a homeschool kindergarten schedule is deciding which subjects you want to teach. I like to split those up into core kindergarten subjects and additional or supplemental ones.
I make sure we cover our core subjects every day and try to teach the supplemental subjects once or twice a week. The core subjects are the building blocks for most of a child’s education, so I feel they are the most important.
The supplemental subjects are worth teaching as well, but they typically don’t need to be covered every day. A lot of science and social studies can be picked up from just getting outdoors or into our community.
Core Kindergarten Subjects
Here are the main kindergarten subjects we cover:
- Math
- Reading
- Writing
Supplemental Kindergarten Subjects
Here are the supplemental subjects we cover:
- Science
- History/Social Studies
- Music
- Art
- Religion
Related Posts:
- 15 Tips for Homeschooling Kindergarten: How to Have a Successful Year
- What Subjects to Homeschool for Kindergarten – A Quick & Easy Guide
- Pros and Cons of Homeschooling Kindergarten: How to Decide If It’s Right for You
- Simple 1st Grade Homeschool Schedule for Kids That Really Works
Creating Your Own Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule
You are of course welcome to download a free copy of our homeschool kindergarten schedule and use it, but if it’s not quite right for your family, you may want to create your own.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re creating your own homeschool kindergarten schedule.
Ease Into Your Routine
If your child has never been to preschool or daycare then you’re definitely going to want to ease into your schedule. It can be hard for children to transition from being able to do whatever they want throughout the day to having to sit still and focus for long periods of time.
You can start with maybe 30 minutes to an hour of your routine, depending on your child, and start adding in extra 20-30 minute blocks each week. Within a few weeks, you’ll be sticking to your whole schedule.
This can save you and your child a lot of frustration.
Know the Homeschool Laws in Your State
Before you create any sort of homeschool kindergarten schedule it’s important to make sure you’re clear on the homeschool laws in your state. Some states have mandatory time or days that you need to homeschool.
You may also need to keep some sort of attendance or things like that. You can check here to see what the homeschool laws are in your state.
Once you know what, if any, attendance requirements you have, you can have a better idea of what your schedule will look like.
Be Clear on Your Homeschooling Goals
The next thing I suggest when creating your homeschool kindergarten schedule is that you get really clear on what your homeschooling goals are. Your homeschooling philosophy is going to dictate what each day looks like.
What subjects will you teach?
Your schedule is going to be heavily dictated by what subjects you’re teaching. Each subject is going to require a certain amount of time and you will want to make sure you can fit them all in.
If you’re not sure what subjects you want to teach, check out this post on What Subjects to Homeschool for Kindergarten. It walks you through each subject and you can decide if it’s right for you.
What habits do you want to develop?
Also, take the time to think about what habits you want to teach your child. Homeschooling isn’t just about teaching academics.
It’s also a great opportunity to teach your child how to manage a household, take care of their finances, cook, clean, and generally be a good person. Teaching these skills takes time just like anything else.
So make sure your schedule includes opportunities to teach and practice these skills.
Check Your Schedule
Before you start writing out your homeschool kindergarten schedule, I highly suggest taking a look at your family’s overall schedule for the day and week. Do you or your family have prior commitments that you will need to factor in?
As a working mom who also homeschools, I have to take into consideration my work commitments when I’m planning out our homeschool schedules.
I also have 3 kids. They all need help and guidance with their work throughout the day, so I have to factor that in as well.
If you’re heavily involved in your church or community you want to consider all of that in your homeschool schedule.
Understand Your Teaching Style
Another great tip for creating your own homeschool kindergarten schedule is to factor in your teaching style. How do you like to teach?
Do you like to spend lots of time creating hands-on projects and diving deep into a subject? Do you prefer a straightforward book that tells you exactly what to say?
Would you rather be hands-off completely and find a curriculum that does all the teaching for you?
There’s no wrong answer, but each style requires a different time commitment from you as the teacher.
With my current work schedule, I don’t have time to personally instruct my children on every topic. So I pick the ones that I feel they need my attention on the most, and then I choose curriculums for the other subjects that allow me to be more hands-off.
I’ve written about our favorite kindergarten curriculums here.
Understand Your Child’s Learning Style
As important as your teaching style is, your child’s learning style is equally important when creating your homeschool kindergarten schedule. You can be totally aligned with your teaching style and be giving it your all, but if that isn’t how you child learns, you won’t see much progress.
The three main learning styles are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Auditory learners learn best by listening.
Visual learners learn best by watching. Kinesthetic learners learn best by physically doing.
Your child might fall into one or two of these categories or maybe even a mix of all three.
Each style requires a slightly different time commitment and will affect how long you spend teaching each subject.
If you already know your child’s learning style, then take that into account when you’re planning your schedule. If you don’t know it yet, you can opt for kinesthetic (that works well for young children) and start exploring the other styles as you go along.
Make Time for Free Play
An important part of any homeschool kindergarten schedule is lots and lots of time for free play. At this age, most kids have way too much energy and the attention span of a goldfish.
The more opportunities they have to just play and explore the better. Play is how children learn best at this age, so it’s important that this doesn’t get pushed aside for more “important” learning.
It also helps them burn off a little bit of that extra energy so they are more able to focus when you want to do any type of sit-down work.
Be Realistic
As you’re making your homeschool kindergarten schedule, make sure you are being very realistic. Try to only plan what you can reasonably get done in a day.
You’re only one person and you can only do so much. Plus, with kindergarten, most kids are just starting more formal schoolwork.
It’s going to be an adjustment period for everyone and it’s best to start off slow. You can always add in more if things are going well.
Don’t Overpack Your Day
Along with being realistic with your homeschool kindergarten schedule, it’s important not to do too much. It’s very easy to plan “all the things” when you first start homeschooling.
I made this homeschool mistake more than once. I would plan far more than we could actually get done in a day.
Then I would end up rushed and frustrated as we tried to complete it all. It made for a very stressful day.
Plus, we never actually got it all done.
Not everything needs to be done every single day. Experiment with doing some tasks or activities just once or twice a week and see how things go.
Schedule Time for Yourself
When you’re planning your homeschool kindergarten schedule, make sure that you schedule some time for yourself. It’s very easy to get burned out when homeschooling.
We spend all day with our kids and that can be pretty tiring. Especially when you’re in charge of what they eat, what they’re learning, chores, bedtimes, social skills, and the other 34,876 things that go along with parenting.
Make sure you schedule a little time for yourself to get a little self-care and relax throughout the day too.
Be Flexible
Using your homeschool kindergarten schedule for some structure in your days is nice, but be sure to keep it flexible. Being able to sometimes do things on a whim is one of the perks of homeschooling.
Random playdates with friends or field trips to fun places are some of the things that kids in public school just don’t get to do. Having a schedule makes sure you get the important learning done regularly but feel free to mix it up a little when a good opportunity comes along.
Keep It Fun
One of the best tips I’ve learned about homeschooling kindergarten is to make sure you keep things fun. And this definitely applies to your homeschool schedule too.
There is no reason that homeschooling needs to be boring. You don’t have to reproduce public school at home.
Plan fun activities, go on field trips, and get silly. Not only will your child be more engaged, but you’ll both enjoy your days a lot more.
Don’t Forget Daily Routines
When planning your homeschool kindergarten schedule, make sure you don’t forget to add in your daily routines. Things like chores, meal times, and things like that.
Homeschooling is all about learning in a home environment and that includes the regular parts of your daily life. If it takes time during your “school day” then make sure it goes on your schedule.
That way you will have a more accurate idea of how long you have to give to each task and activity.
Plan for Outings Out of the House
Within your homeschool day, you want to make sure you plan for outings outside of the house. Put on your schedule things like field trips, social activities, or sports.
While important, these activities take time out of your day. If you forget to put them on your schedule, you might overschedule your time and quickly get behind.
(Or if you’re like me, get frustrated with everything as you scramble to somehow magically still get it all done.)
Do yourself a favor and keep all your outings in mind when you’re planning your schedule.
FAQ’s About Making a Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule
If you still have a few questions about how to make a homeschool kindergarten schedule, you’re not alone. Here are common ones that come up.
Can you homeschool without knowing your style?
Absolutely! Although knowing your teaching style ahead of time is nice, it’s certainly not required. As you get further into your homeschooling journey you’ll have more of an opportunity to try out different curriculums and see which one you like.
My only advice would be to not invest in any expensive curriculums until you know for sure which one works best for your family.
How many hours a day do you homeschool kindergarten?
I probably wouldn’t spend any longer than 2 hours max on direct instruction for kindergarten. And even that’s pushing it.
You’re most likely going to be able to get all the learning done that you need in about an hour to an hour and a half each day.
What is a typical homeschool schedule?
I honestly don’t think there is a “typical” schedule. Everyone’s schedule depends on their family’s needs. That’s one of the perks of homeschooling.
However, if you’re looking for some idea to get you started, here is one you can use:
- 8:00-9:00 am – Breakfast and morning chores
- 9:00-9:30 am – Reading
- 9:30-10:00 am – Outside time
- 10:00-10:30 am – Math
- 10:30-11:00 am – Free Play
- 11:30-11:45 am – Handwriting
- 12:00-12:30 pm – Lunch
- 12:30 – 1:00 pm – History/Science/Art/Music (Pick one a day)
- 1:00 – 2:30 pm – Sports/Co-op/P.E./Playdates, etc
For you, that schedule might start a little later, a little earlier, or you might include a few more subjects. You can try it out and start tweaking it and changing it to suit your family’s needs.
What if I don’t know my child’s learning style?
If you don’t know your child’s learning style, I recommend starting with plenty of hands-on activities. These work great for younger kids no matter their learning style.
Then you can start adding in a few activities here and there that incorporate other learning styles and see what works and what doesn’t. Over time, you’ll figure out how your child learns best.
Why do I need a homeschool kindergarten schedule?
Honestly, you don’t have to have one. If you can keep your homeschool day organized and on track without one, more power to you!
I personally have found them to be super helpful because it’s easy for things to get missed or forgotten in the chaos of homeschooling. With 3 kids to homeschool, a part-time job, and a blog, staying organized is the only way I get anything done.
Plus, when you’re new to homeschooling having a schedule laid out to make sure you are covering all the topics you need can provide a lot of comfort and confidence that your child will be prepared for the next grade at the end of the year.
But like I said, if you don’t want one, you don’t have to use one. Do what works for you.
Final Thoughts on Homeschool Kindergarten Schedules
I hope this information on how to create a homeschool kindergarten schedule has you feeling confident to get started. Whether you want to use ours or create your own, feel free to download a copy with the form up above.
Did these tips on creating your own homeschool kindergarten schedule help? If you have more questions or concerns, feel free to reach out. Comment below or email me at admin@atouchofhomeschooling.com.
Follow me on Pinterest for more homeschool and parenting advice.
Pin this for later!!
You might also like…
Candice is a mom of 3 who has been homeschooling since 2013. She has an A.A.S. in Early Childhood Studies and cares deeply about helping other parents get the information and resources they need to help them homeschool their children with confidence.