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starting kindergarten homeschool – a laid-back schedule and resources

August 31, 2020 · In: motherhood, productivity

Starting kindergarten homeschool (whether you planned on it or not)? Read on to hear about our process, resources to get started, and our chosen curricula for this year. 

What do you think of when you hear the word “homeschool”?

For me, I can think of the many steady, patient, gentle-and-quiet-spirit moms I know who currently teach, or have taught at home. 

But also – I never considered myself joining them. Not part of the plan. I grew up going to public school. I didn’t see any reason why my kids wouldn’t do the same. 

And along came 2020. After thinking through the uncertainty of this upcoming year, the flexibility, and the reassurance that kindergarten homeschool is fairly tame – we decided to go for it. 

So, kindergarten homeschool it is. But where to begin?

Homeschooling is a rabbit hole for people like me. I dove deep into all the opinions and research and resources out there. Suddenly learning philosophies, learning styles, teaching styles, and curriculum choices became VERY VERY IMPORTANT. 

Are you in that boat? Take a deep breath, and relax, Mama.

Here are some resources that were so helpful for me.

Homeschool On provides free quizzes to figure out your child’s learning style, and your homeschool style.

This list from TheHomeSchoolMom shares the different homeschool learning philosophies, so you can start figuring out which curriculum to go for.

Cathy Duffy provides the most thorough Homeschool curriculum reviews on her site, and she covers any curriculum you can think of – all the ones I looked up, anyway.

Teachers Pay Teachers are lesson plans and worksheets by (you guessed it) real teachers. Some are provided free of charge. You can also find colorful free worksheets for any age level on Canva (under “worksheets”).

Pinterest all the things. There are SO MANY resources on there, including free lesson plans, worksheets, activity ideas, and more. Check out my Smart Mom Tips & Ideas Board for some of the fun ideas I’ve found.

Use this free homeschool planner from Cultivate What Matters (I’m a huge fan of their goal planner) for all your planning purposes.

And finally, find homeschool supplies, workbooks, and more at your local dollar store or warehouse store. Find lightly used curriculum, classroom furniture and decor at local secondhand stores.

How do I choose a kindergarten homeschool curriculum?

First, be sure to look up the homeschool laws and standards in your state. Make sure you know what the requirements are for you to teach, records you need to keep, etc. 

Next, consider what you want. We all have different styles of teaching and learning. I know for me, I am not Type A. I would much rather have lessons planned for me than put together my own. My kids and I love to read together, so I was drawn to curricula with a literature focus. Hands-on activities sounded fun to me, and I knew my kids would enjoy that.

What are your preferences? Do you want a spiritual or secular-based curriculum? What is important to you for your kids to learn? Would you like more freedom in studies, or a more rigorous schedule? Try the quizzes above to give you some initial direction.

Once you have your preferences in place, start looking through some reviews. Again, Cathy Duffy is a great resource; also look through YouTube – there are many review videos there.

You can choose an all-inclusive set (we found Our Father’s World and SonLight for spiritually-focused, Book Shark for secular), or put together multiple curricula.

For our curriculum, we chose:

Teaching Language Arts Through Literature from Common Sense Media

Math-U-See

Blossom and Root for Art, History/Geography, and Science

Do you have to have a curriculum?

Not necessarily. Check your state guidelines. It seems fairly flexible when it comes to kindergarten. You can opt to do educational activities, like reading or baking together. Grab a workbook and go through it together. Spend a lot of time outdoors in nature. Work on the basics – reading, writing, numbers, and simple math. Just a few ideas.

Why are we following a curriculum? Because I lack discipline, and I probably would drop it all after a few weeks. Real talk.

Making a laidback schedule.

I felt a little overwhelmed as I thought about how we would fill a school day like a public school day – all 6 hours of it. Luckily a friend set me straight – homeschooling for kindergarten takes between 1 to 2 hours. And since it’s your schedule, you can arrange it your way, and change as needed.

I shared our preschool at-home schedule in the spring, and while that worked for the time, we’re changing things up a bit for kindergarten. We’re currently aiming for a 4-day week.

Daily Schedule:

Morning Routine (talk about the day, date, and weather)

Bible time and prayer

Reading and Language Arts

Math

Weekly Schedule:

Monday: Arts and Science

Tuesday: History and Geography

Wednesday: Arts and Science

Thursday: Art Project

We’ll break it up with exercise, outdoor time, indoor play, creative time, and more.

Here’s what our daily routine will (mostly) look like:

The best part? Adjust as needed. Playing more in the morning and want to start school later? Simple. Take the whole afternoon and go on a hike? Done.

If you want to build your own schedule, download a blank version here.

How about you?

Are you starting kindergarten homeschool this year? Or trying homeschool this year, in any grade? What helped you get started?

Photo Credit: 

1 – Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

2 – Gautam Arora on Unsplash

3 – Jason Sung on Unsplash

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how grace wins over guilt

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Hi! I'm Jenn Schultz - wife, mom, writer of life-giving words. I share my messy faith journey to empower you to live freely and fully in grace.

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📚 FAVORITE READS OF 2022: (save for later!) 📚

ENCOURAGING: Known by @aubsamp 
ENLIGHTENING: Wintering by Katherine May 
PERSPECTIVE: Growing Slow by @jenniferdukeslee 
PRACTICAL: Fervent by @priscillashirer 
EYE-OPENING: Inspired by Rachel Held Evans
FLAVOR: Taste by Stanley Tucci
HISTORICAL: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray 
RECOMMENDED: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by @johnmarkcomer 
ROMANTIC: American Royals III: Rivals by Katherine McGee
HEARTBREAKING: The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
GRIEF: What Cannot Be Lost by @melissazaldivar 
REREAD: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

In case you’re wondering…
I read 31 last year
And I’ve read 7 so far this year 📚

What books are you loving lately? Leave them below so we can generate a huge list of recommendations! 

#readersofinsta #readerslife #booklover #bookish #bookstagram #faithjourney #christianbooks #christianauthor #ilikebigbooksandicannotlie #readinglist2023 #toberead #booktokbooks
While everyone has their eyes on THAT biography đź‘€ think about this:

Sometimes a feeling creeps of being a spare part to God, a useless cog in a finely-tuned machine. A worry of not being _________ (fill-in-the-blank) enough to be useful. (Smart? Talented? Strong?)

What if purpose is reserved for the most faithful, the best of the best? Maybe some of us only get put to work if God had no one else to send.

These were lies that built up over time for me, situated on the faulty foundation of a wrong view of who God is; cemented with shame, fear, and feelings of inadequacy.

Here’s the problem: We often gauge our journeys and our value based on someone else’s life and what she’s doing. “If God saw me as useful and valuable,” we think, “he would do for me what he’s done for her.”

And we build our own individual kingdoms, ones with crumbling walls and shaky floors. Meanwhile, God’s purpose for us has always involved us playing our own parts as we work alongside each other to build his kingdom.

There are glorious parts to play, and then there’s the not so glorious parts. There are seasons that are fun and joyful, and ones that are unexpected or downright difficult.

But we can take confidence that God doesn’t make any spare parts. And he turns our worldly ideas of “useful” and “valuable” on their heads. Who are we to even make that call?

1 Corinthians 12 is where I go when I have a hard time with this. Here’s an excerpt (but go read the whole thing): 

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” - 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let us renew our minds about what we find valuable, about our own value, and about her value. And let us move away from the individual and work toward the common good. 

Now I want to know: what’s something you’re good at? What do you bring to the table?

#spare #bibleverse #bibleversedaily #shereadstruth #womenintheology #womensministry #lifegivingsquares #faithjourney
My word of the year is… R E A C H . rēch : v My word of the year is…

R E A C H .

rēch : 
verb
1. to extend; to pick up and draw toward
2. to get as far as
3. to encompass, make an impression on, communicate with
4. to hand over, pass

noun:
1. a continuous stretch or expanse
2. extent or range especially of knowledge or comprehension

This year, I plan to extend my arms out to be close to the God and family and friends and community I love. I want to pass on my faith to my kids and those who come into contact with me. I hope to make an impression with my book this fall. 

Reaching up, reaching out, expanding my reach physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s time to stretch a little.

How about you? Make your own word mood board below - a word or group of words you hope this year will feel like.

Also - is it weird to make a mood board of photos from your life? These are vibes I want to take with me into 2023! 

#wordoftheyear #newyear2023🎉 #goals2023 #faithjourney #faithforward #womenintheology #christianwomen #shereadstruth #blessedisshe #hertrueworth #worthywomen
This trend, but make it baby ❤️ Truly some of This trend, but make it baby ❤️

Truly some of the sweetest moments have happened in the past few weeks. There’s nothing quite like a baby drifting off to sleep in your arms. They nuzzle close. Their eyelids droop. They nod off, comfortable and warm. They feel absolutely safe with you. 

Sleep is one of the most vulnerable states. As a mom of littles who refuse to sleep if they have a scary movie villain on the brain, or even as a woman who can have irrational anxiety, I know this to be true: it’s very difficult to doze off with your guard up.

David talks about sleep in psalms like this one: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” - ‭‭Psalm ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬. This comes from a man who spent much of his life on the run, hunted down by assassins. How could he possibly find peace? 

In a post-2020 world, with every year, we’re both longing for relief but also apprehensive, waiting for another shoe to drop, another disaster to hit. How do we make it through, without toxic positivity or overwhelming anxiety? Know you are held by God, who loves you dearly and values you highly. You’ll be held, whatever comes. 

When we know we’re gently protected and held, we can let down our guard too. The doubts and fears, while maybe still there, don’t have to win out. We can release. We can rest. And with practice, as we watch how God comes through, maybe we can surrender more readily the next time. Life may not get easier, but surrender just might. 

What’s something you’re looking forward to or hoping for this year?

#graceupongrace #acuriousfaith #faithjourney #shedelights #blessedisshe #lampandlight #soulscripts #proverbs31ministries #womensministry #bibleverseoftheday #bibleversedaily #wellwateredwomen #womenoftheword #womenlivingwell #sheworkshisway #hertrueworth
My Word of the Year for 2022 was “delight,” bu My Word of the Year for 2022 was “delight,” but it should have been…

…”unexpected”.

There were wonderful unexpected things that brought delight. 

There was unexpected loss that brought grief and pain.

There were unexpected challenges that seemed insurmountable at the time.

I have an attempted goals planner that barely saw its way into March. I can only echo the verse that says:

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” - ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love New Year’s Eve, and all the hope and goals and excitement it can bring. I try to look ahead with intention. But truly, we never really know what to expect in the upcoming year. 

Here’s what I know: everything we didn’t think we could make it through this past year, we did. We made it to where we are now. And God, who establishes our steps, is walking right alongside us through it all.

Whatever 2023 has to bring, it won’t beat us. We’ll keep moving forward confidently. We’ll grow.

Happy New Year, dear friend. Thank you for meeting me here, through the good and the bad. Let’s keep moving forward and growing together.

Do you have a Word of the Year or goals for 2023? Let me know below! I’ll share mine soon.

#wordoftheyear #newyear2023 #happynewyear2023 #godsplannotmine #womensministry #agodlylady #daughterofdelight #graceupongrace #givemejesus #thepointedlife #nye2023 #nye2022 #dailydevotional #coffeeandjesus #faithjourney

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