If you’re new to choosing a curriculum, start with my Homeschool Curriculum 101 post :)

Blog Title cover image reading Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum - by Hummingbird Homeschool

Are you looking for the best kindergarten homeschool curriculum, the most rigorous homeschool curriculum that’s guaranteed to make your child succeed?

You won’t find it here :)

What I can tell you is that the perfect homeschool curriculum is the one that works for you and your child - that's the perfect homeschool curriculum.

Kids are all different. There are approximately 8 billion options for teaching your child, so your best bet is not to get too focused on what everyone else is doing.

You went against the grain when you chose to do kindergarten at home; curriculum worries shouldn’t be the downfall that shoves back into the mold.

Focus on what will fit with your family.

What Do Kindergarteners Need To Learn?

Here's a comprehensive list of educational goals, foundational topics, and skills kindergarteners should learn during a typical year. This is a developmental list, not a state requirement list. I'll talk about that next.

It's an extensive list beyond letters and numbers because it details what parents may not realize has some form of formal instruction inside a classroom. But don't get overwhelmed! Many times kids learn these essential skills in everyday situations.

You might be pleasantly surprised that many kindergarten skills may not even need a curriculum or lesson plans! In these early years, homeschooling kindergarten should be about exploration and learning fun - not rigor!

Kindergarten Year Skills

Executive Functioning Skills

Understand and follow multi-step directions and daily routines
Master basic hygiene and self-care habits
Develop a sense of responsibility by participating in family chores and tasks
Engage in simple problem-solving activities

Social-Emotional Skills

Develop skills like sharing, taking turns, and communicating effectively
Participate in group learning activities (hit up the local library!)
Develop empathy and emotional awareness by recognizing and expressing feelings
Engage in dramatic play and role-playing activities to develop language and social skills
Learn about different cultures, traditions, and celebrations to promote diversity and inclusion
Encourage cooperative learning, teamwork, and positive interaction with others

Math

Develop number recognition and counting skills
Begin basic addition and subtraction concepts
Possess basic knowledge of shapes, colors, and sizes

Literacy

Learn to recognize and write their name and other simple words
Recognize and identify letters and letter sounds
Practice writing with proper letter and number formation
Develop basic phonemic awareness skills like identifying rhyming words
Develop essential pre-reading skills like print awareness
Exposure to various storytelling and literacy activities such as plays and audiobooks
Develop listening and reading comprehension skills through read-aloud sessions and discussions

Other Subjects & Skills

Explore basic scientific concepts like plants, animals, weather, and four seasons
Introduction to early geography concepts such as maps and locations (home, school, community)
Develop an understanding of time concepts, including days of the week and months of the year
Exposure to basic musical concepts, including rhythm, melody, and movement
Enhance creativity and imaginative thought through art activities
Engage in observation and contemplation through exposure to fine arts
Build fine motor skills through hands on activities involving cutting, gluing, and manipulating small objects
Participate in physical education activities to develop gross motor skills and coordination
Enhance critical thinking skills through inquiry-based learning activities
Cultivate a sense of curiosity and ask questions about the world around them

What Subjects Are Required For Kindergarten Homeschool?

This varies by what state you live in. I suggest checking out HSLDA for state requirements. If you are homeschooling parents in Pennsylvania, you can check out my post on PA Homeschool Laws.

Homeschooling Kindergarten Curriculum Options

Now that you have an idea of what they should be learning developmentally and you have checked into your state requirements, here are some options you can look into for your homeschool kindergarten curriculum.

How to Narrow Down Homeschool Curriculum Providers

First, define your family values to narrow down what curriculum to look for. If you look into everything, you WILL be overwhelmed.

If you do not want religion in your lessons, you'll search for a secular homeschool curriculum.
If religion has a place in your homeschool, you can narrow curriculum providers by your religious perspective.

Feel free to scope out any curriculum that looks interesting! You can adapt many to fit your worldview.

Choose your Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

A great place to check out a comprehensive list of curriculum providers is Cathy Duffy Reviews. She even has a guide you can purchase to help you choose your curriculum.

The following lists give some of the more popular choices. They are not in any order of preference or experience.

Nature-based Kindergarten Curriculum

Many parents choose to start their homeschool journey with nature-based learning to connect with the outdoors before the rigor of textbooks becomes a priority. Here are a few programs with an emphasis on outdoor immersion.

Exploring Nature with Children: Our favorite science curriculum! This comprehensive, year-long curriculum encourages children to engage with the natural world through weekly nature walks and hands-on activities. It includes themed units, guided journaling prompts, and suggested reading lists, providing a well-rounded and engaging approach to nature study for homeschoolers. This curriculum can be used as a stand-alone resource or supplement your existing homeschool program.
The Habitat Schoolhouse: A gentle, nature-inspired curriculum focusing on early learning concepts through hands-on activities and outdoor exploration. It covers language arts, math, science, and art, using engaging, beautifully designed materials and lesson plans that encourage a love for learning and the natural world.
Waldorf Essentials: A holistic, nature-based curriculum inspired by the Waldorf philosophy. It offers a comprehensive program covering language arts, math, science, and social studies, emphasizing outdoor exploration, seasonal rhythms, storytelling, and artistic expression.
Earthschooling: Another holistic, Waldorf-inspired curriculum that integrates nature study, art, and academics. Covering language arts, math, science, and social studies, it offers thematic units incorporating outdoor exploration, seasonal celebrations, and hands-on activities, fostering a love for learning and the natural world.
Wildwood Curriculum: A secular, Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum with a strong focus on nature study. It covers language arts, math, history, science, and art, using living books and hands-on activities to encourage exploration, observation, and appreciation of the natural world.
Rooted Childhood: A seasonal resource collection emphasizing nurturing connections with nature and fostering creativity in young children. It provides monthly guides filled with nature-inspired crafts, recipes, songs, and stories, which can be used alongside your chosen homeschool curriculum to incorporate more nature-based activities into your child's learning experience.
Little Oak Learning: A nature-inspired resource site that offers printable materials, activity ideas, and support for parents seeking to incorporate nature-based learning into their homeschooling routine. While not a full curriculum, it provides a variety of beautifully designed resources such as nature study guides, seasonal activity packs, and educational posters that can complement your existing homeschool program, fostering a love for the natural world and encouraging hands-on exploration and discovery.
Tanglewood Hollow: A nature-based resource site that offers beautifully illustrated printable materials, activity ideas, and inspiration for incorporating the natural world into your homeschooling. While not a full curriculum, it provides a wealth of resources such as nature study guides, flashcards, and posters that can be used alongside your chosen homeschool program, enriching your child's learning experience with engaging nature-focused content.
Forest School: Forest School is an outdoor education model that encourages children to explore, learn, and connect with nature. While it's not a specific curriculum, you can find resources and guidelines online to help you create your own forest school-inspired homeschool program, incorporating nature walks, outdoor play, and environmental stewardship.
Tinkergarten: Another play-based learning program that focuses on developing essential skills like problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. While not a full curriculum, it offers online classes, DIY activities, and resources to supplement your homeschooling program, encouraging exploration and connection with nature through fun, age-appropriate activities.

Kindergarten Math Curriculum

birds eye view of a homeschool kindergarten child doing math problems in a math book — *This book is* *Singapore Math Kindergarten Essentials Book A*

Singapore Math: Known for its focus on problem-solving, visualization, and logical reasoning, Singapore Math offers the Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics program for young learners. We use Singapore Essential A and B for our kindergarten homeschool curriculum with lots of manipulatives for hands-on learning.
Math-U-See: This hands-on, multi-sensory curriculum uses manipulatives to teach foundational math concepts, with the Primer level designed for kindergarten students.
Saxon Math: Saxon Math K is a comprehensive, scripted program that introduces young learners to math concepts through engaging activities, manipulatives, and daily practice.
RightStart Mathematics: This research-based curriculum emphasizes visual and hands-on learning using games, manipulatives, and a unique abacus called the AL Abacus.
Horizons Math: This colorful, engaging curriculum follows a spiral approach, introducing new concepts while continually reviewing previously learned material throughout the year. While not a large component, it is not a secular math curriculum.
Everyday Mathematics: Developed by the University of Chicago, this curriculum emphasizes real-life applications of math concepts and includes hands-on activities and games.
BJU Press Math: With a focus on biblical integration, BJU Press Math K provides a balanced approach to teaching math concepts through hands-on activities, manipulatives, and workbooks.
Wild Math: Wild Math Curriculum is an outdoor, hands-on math program designed to connect children with nature while learning essential math skills. Although not a full curriculum, it provides a wealth of activities, games, and resources that can be used to supplement your chosen homeschool program, making math fun and engaging through nature-based learning experiences.

Kindergarten Language Arts

All About Reading: This is the reading program we use and I absolutely love it. It's linked all over my blog! All About Reading is a comprehensive, phonics-based program that teaches reading skills through engaging activities, stories, and hands-on learning using multi-sensory techniques that are proven to successfully teach all children, including those with dyslexia and other learning difficulties
Foundations (Logic of English) is a comprehensive language arts program that teaches phonics, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. It is designed to help students become proficient readers and writers by developing their understanding of the English language.
Starfall Reading Resources is an online reading program that offers interactive activities to help children learn how to read with confidence. The program includes fun games, stories, songs, and printable worksheets.
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: This popular book offers a step-by-step approach to teaching reading using the Distar method, focusing on phonics and comprehension. We have used this with great success in conjunction with All About Reading. It helped my children become more fluent and less robotic when learning to blend sounds. However, I would strongly advise against this program as stand-alone reading instruction because kids will struggle past that 3rd-4th grade level without proper phonics and decoding skills. It’s also poor setup for children and spelling.
The Good and the Beautiful: This faith-based curriculum integrates reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and art through literature-rich lessons and hands-on activities. We tried this for a hiccup of time to see what all the hype was about and I found it to be inadequate for teaching my children to read. I liked some aspects, like the beautiful art, but not enough to continue with the curriculum.
Explode the Code: This phonics-based workbook series helps children develop foundational reading skills, including letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and decoding.
BJU Press Phonics & English: This faith-based curriculum emphasizes phonics, reading, handwriting, and listening skills through interactive lessons, workbooks, and manipulatives.
Reading Eggs: An interactive online program that combines digital lessons, games, and activities to teach phonics, sight words, and reading comprehension skills in a fun, engaging manner. This is not a curriculum but can be used as an extra activity.

All-in-One Kindergarten Curriculum Packages

The following curriculum providers are considered All-In-One. They provide a comprehensive year's worth of lessons across all subject matter.

I have never used an all-in-one, or complete kindergarten homeschool curriculum, but they are popular and many have support groups on Facebook.

Secular Options

Build Your Library: Build Your Library is a secular, literature-based curriculum inspired by the Charlotte Mason method. Covering history, science, language arts, and art appreciation, it uses living books, narration, copy work, and hands-on activities to create an engaging learning experience, fostering critical thinking skills and a love for reading.
Torchlight: A literature-based, secular curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, empathy, and global awareness. Covering language arts, history, science, and art, it offers engaging books, activities, and online resources, providing a well-rounded education that encourages independent learning and intellectual curiosity.
Blossom and Root: Blossom and Root is a nature-based, secular homeschool curriculum inspired by the Charlotte Mason and Reggio Emilia approaches. Focusing on language arts, math, science, and art, it promotes hands-on, experiential learning through outdoor exploration, engaging literature, and creative projects, nurturing children's love for learning and the natural world.
Global Village School: A progressive, secular curriculum emphasizing peace, social justice, and environmental responsibility. Integrating language arts, social studies, science, and the arts, it offers customizable, thematic units that encourage critical thinking, creativity, and compassionate action, fostering a well-rounded education and global citizenship.
BookShark: BookShark is a secular, literature-based curriculum that covers language arts, history, science, and math. It offers engaging, age-appropriate books, hands-on activities, and detailed instructor guides to help parents cohesively teach multiple subjects, promoting a love for learning and a strong academic foundation.
Timberdoodle: A customizable, hands-on curriculum focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With kits covering all core subjects, including language arts, math, science, and social studies, it provides an engaging learning experience through interactive materials, games, and activities, making learning enjoyable for parents and children.
Moving Beyond the Page: A secular, literature-rich curriculum that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on learning. It covers language arts, science, and social studies, offering integrated, thematic units that promote deep exploration of topics and help children make connections across subjects, fostering a love for learning.
Calvert Homeschool: Calvert Homeschool is a secular, comprehensive curriculum that combines online learning with hands-on activities for a well-rounded educational experience. Covering language arts, math, history, and science, it offers flexible, self-paced courses with detailed lesson plans, interactive multimedia resources, and assessments to track progress and mastery.
Oak Meadow: A Waldorf-inspired, holistic curriculum that emphasizes creativity, imagination, and experiential learning. Covering language arts, math, science, social studies, and the arts, it offers a flexible, interdisciplinary approach with engaging materials and activities, nurturing children's natural curiosity and love for learning.

Faith-Based Options

Sonlight: A literature-based curriculum that integrates multiple subjects, including language arts, history, science, and Bible studies. It encourages critical thinking and fosters a love for learning through engaging books, hands-on activities, and a comprehensive instructor's guide, making planning and teaching more manageable for parents.
My Father's World: My Father's World is a Christian-based curriculum that combines classical education, Charlotte Mason, and unit study approaches. It incorporates Bible, language arts, math, science, art, and music into thematic units, offering a well-rounded education while simplifying lesson planning and organization for homeschooling parents.
Heart of Dakota: A Christ-centered curriculum that combines Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy with unit studies. Integrating language arts, history, science, math, and Bible studies, it provides a well-balanced education through engaging literature, hands-on activities, and guided lesson plans, simplifying homeschool planning for parents.
The Good and the Beautiful: The Good and the Beautiful is a faith-based curriculum integrating language arts, literature, history, geography, science, and art. Focusing on high-quality literature, character development, and family-centered learning, it offers academically rigorous yet enjoyable lessons to inspire a love for learning and strong moral values.
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool: A free, Christian-based online curriculum covering all core subjects along with Bible studies, art, and music. Daily lessons, printable worksheets, and interactive activities offer a comprehensive education while simplifying lesson planning and organization for homeschooling parents.
Masterbooks: Masterbooks is a faith-based curriculum that integrates biblical worldview and values into language arts, math, science, and history. Using engaging literature, hands-on activities, and multimedia resources, it offers academically solid instruction while reinforcing biblical principles, helping children develop a strong educational foundation and spiritual growth.
Rod and Staff: A Mennonite-based curriculum that offers a traditional, structured approach to education. Integrating Bible teachings into language arts, math, science, and history lessons, it emphasizes character development, moral values, and strong foundational skills using textbooks, workbooks, and teacher's guides.
A Beka Book (Abeka): A popular, comprehensive Christian curriculum known for its academically rigorous, traditional approach. Covering language arts, math, science, history, and Bible studies, it offers engaging textbooks, workbooks, and multimedia resources that emphasize memorization, repetition, and mastery of content, along with a focus on biblical principles.

While it can be overwhelming, especially when just starting, finding a new curriculum quickly becomes a super exciting time in the school year. It's a lot of fun once you know your homeschooling style!

Be Wary of Influencers...

Don't fall victim to the curriculum hype in the homeschool world. Just because you hear lots of people are using it doesn't mean it's what will be the best fit for your family. Some of these companies are legitimately good, and others just have good marketing.

If you follow someone for any length of time, check their history to see if they consistently promote the same company or if there's been a switch. Switching could mean it no longer serves their child's needs (perhaps age?), they didn't actually love it, or they found a better affiliate program.

Toss Out Curriculum That Isn't Working

While it might seem like you want some guidance, and influencers love to help guide you, homeschooling means you have the flexibility to try something out, then ditch it if you don't feel it's working for your family's needs.

You'll need to do your own footwork. Look into what seems like a good fit - try samples of free resources if they're available, then make an educated decision.