Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule: Simple and Easy to Follow!

Homeschooling kindergarten can be a daunting task to navigate.

What subjects are you supposed to cover in a homeschool kindergarten schedule?

How much time should a kindergarten student spend on school work?

If I screw up, will that derail their entire education (spoiler alert: No!)?

I have homeschooled two of my kids through kindergarten (my youngest went through last year), and I can absolutely relate to these questions!

I have been a homeschooling mom for a total of 6 years, but I was definitely nervous in the beginning. Overall, they were fun years that I was so happy to share with my kids. 

We had a flexible daily routine we followed, and I’m excited to share with you a day in our simple kindergarten homeschool schedule!

First, Why Do You Need a Daily Homeschool Schedule?

• A homeschool kindergarten schedule gives your day structure.

• Everybody in the family knows what the expectations are for the day

• Kids tend to thrive and be more compliant in a solid routine

• A schedule will make you more likely to follow through and be consistent with homeschooling – than if you were just flying by the seat of your pants every day.

• When you have completed everything on the schedule, you know you’re done and free to move on to extracurricular activities, free time, field trips, screen time, etc. No guilt about not doing one more thing.

5 Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule Tips

Before I get into what a day in our homeschool kindergarten looks like, I want to first talk about a few things you need to keep tucked in the back of your brain for your homeschool year.

These extra tips will make all the difference as you start to shape your own homeschool kindergarten schedule.

1. Don’t Watch the Clock

When it comes to homeschool kindergarten, you want to have a loose hold on the clock. Constantly looking at the clock creates stress in the home and takes away from the educational environment you’re trying to build.

Try to think of it as more of a flexible routine, than a strict schedule that has to be met. You and your kid will definitely enjoy your homeschool day more.

Also, I use my phone or Alexa to set timers for breaks and things like that.

2. Keep Lessons Short

Kids do not need to be sitting in a chair for hours a day to progress.

In fact, doing too much can actually hurt your progress and create a resistant or reluctant student.

Every day is a little baby step forward, but after a year, you will be amazed at how much your child has learned!

Keep the lessons short (10-30 minutes) and your kid will be much more likely to come back the next with excitement to learn!

3. Take Regular Breaks

Breaks are important at every age, but especially for 5 and 6 year olds.

I actually give my kindergartener a break after almost every subject.

She knows that, so I find she has an easier time coming when I call her to do school.

She knows that if she sits down to her work, she can take another break and go back to playing.

****These breaks are also wonderful times to work with older kids you are also homeschooling!

4. Provide Lots Of Opportunities for Movement

During the breaks (and sometimes during the lessons) young children need to move.

It has been shown that kids learn much better when they are able to expend their energy!

I have an indoor trampoline that my kids love and I also have this wobble cushion for my kindergartner to sit on.

It’s like a balance ball, but much less distracting.

Lots of fun to sit on, play on, and still do quality school work!

5. Read Your Kid

I know your best friend may have said something was the perfect kindergarten homeschool curriculum, the perfect method, or the perfect schedule, but EVERY homeschool is different for a reason.

Take a look at the schedule below, but don’t be afraid to mold it into something that is better and more customized for your homeschool kindergartner.

For example, through trial and error, I have learned that my kindergartner does MUCH better in school if we start earlier in the day. If I wait to start school till later, she has usually found something more interesting to do.

She transitions very nicely from breakfast to school…but not so nicely from building a fort in her room to school work.

Don’t be afraid to take this daily schedule and spin it to meet the needs of their learning styles and your specific homeschool.

That is the beauty of homeschooling!

Our Sample Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule

6:00 am – Mom Wakes Up

I usually wake up at 6 am or earlier. I am a natural early riser and love to be up before my kids.

This gives me time to myself to wake up, drink coffee, and get it together before my kids are climbing into my lap.

7:00 am – Kindergartener Wakes Up/Breakfast

My kids are also early risers and they are usually up at this time.

I always try to cherish this morning time with them. We cuddle for a bit, and then we make our way to the kitchen to start breakfast and get another cup of coffee for me.

There is no hustle and bustle in the morning and I savor how slow and easy this schedule is for my homeschool kindergartener.

No rushing through breakfast, getting dressed, and running out the door to be in the classroom by 7:40 am.

8:00 – 9:00 am: Morning Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime in this window, I will start “Morning Time.”

Morning time means everyone is on the couch together and wrapped in a blanket.

We always start with a Bible story from this book (we love the questions at the end of every story!) and prayer to get our day going.

Then I switch to our read-aloud books.  High-quality children’s literature is a must in any homeschool.

We are currently reading Ella Enchanted and the kids are loving it!

After our read aloud book, I like to read a handful of library books that the kids pick out too.

After reading, I switch over to science.

All my kids LOVE science and get very excited to listen to whatever I have to read to them from our curriculum.

I often have a youtube video ready to go after the reading that will help bring the concept to life for my kids.

Morning Time usually takes about 30 – 60 minutes total. This varies based on how many books or chapters the kids want me to read, how long we spend discussing things, and how long our youtube video/science documentary is.

This is a bit long for some kindergartners to sit. But my kid really enjoys all the elements of Morning Time, so it’s not a challenge for her.

9:00 – 9:30 am: Reading

Since so much of Morning Time is fun stuff, she usually doesn’t need a break before transitioning to her next subject.

We usually go get a snack together and I will crack open her reading work at the breakfast table.

Depending on which part of her lesson we are on, reading takes about 15-20 minutes.

We are big fans of All About Reading Pre-Reading and Explode the Code for homeschool kindergarten!

9:30 – 10:00 am: Break

After reading, my kindergartener knows that she has a break.

She will go play outside, jump on our indoor trampoline, or play with her sisters.

I usually set a timer for these breaks so that it’s the timer calling her back to work – not me.

10:00 – 10:10 am: Handwriting

After the break, my kindergartener will work on the subject area of handwriting with this curriculum for about 5-10 minutes.

It is a mercifully short amount of work that she has to do, but her handwriting has come along very well.

10:10 – 10:30 am: Break

Yep, another break. She runs off to play after I have checked her handwriting work and she has corrected any errors.

More running around the house, drawing pictures, and playing with play dough.

10:30 -11:00 am: Math Lesson

We tried several math programs and through our years of homeschooling, and finally settled into Horizons Math. 

The workbooks are full of bright, colorful workbook pages that offer tons of spiral review. It is considered advanced by most homeschoolers and will definitely give your kindergartener a solid start in math. 

11:00am – 1:00 pm: Break

Another nice long break. My kindergartener has lunch, runs outside, explores, builds things, pretends, asks me questions, and listens to music.

She enjoys just being a kid – it’s natural!

Sometimes we will also fit in an art craft during this time that compliments what we are studying in science.

I do not put a lot of pressure on myself for art with a kindergartener. I just provide craft supplies, some loose ideas, and she usually runs off her own creative direction anyway.

1:00pm – 1:30 pm: Music Lessons (Piano Practice)

Sometime after lunch, I sit down with my kindergartener to walk her through her piano practice.

She loves piano and it has been great to see her take to music so well. 

Done!

Before 2pm my kindergartener has completed our core subjects of Bible, literature (read aloud time), science, reading, writing, math, music, and art with tons of time to spare for snacks, playing, and fun!

It is such a simple and manageable homeschool kindergarten schedule that I usually do not get much resistance from her.

She knows the lessons are short and there will be time for breaks and playing.

****I would strongly recommend setting up a quiet time in the afternoon. It is a great time for you and your kindergartener to have some downtime. 

So How Long Should Homeschool Kindergarten Take?

If you went in and added all that up, school is approximately 2 hours a day.

Actual seat work with a pencil and paper is well under an hour.

A far cry from the 7 hours a day most kindergartners have with a public school schedule. And no homework!

Homeschool Kindergarten Schedule Recap + Free Printable!

You may have seen some sample homeschool schedules in other blogs that were overwhelming.

Color-coded specific times for circle time, free play, social studies, language arts, and reading books.

Very formal education style.

And a great way to help kids lose their natural love of learning. 

Hopefully, you see that a simple homeschool kindergarten schedule can benefit your kid without being too rigid.

Remember: The important thing is to be flexible, keep the lessons short, take lots of breaks, let your kids move as they need to, and customize the schedule as best you can for your kindergartener.

I know you’re worried (because you’re a mom), but teaching and learning alongside your kid will be such a blessing to your family!

Are you a little bit concerned about keeping your kindergartner motivated and on task with the schedule?

There will be days! We are all human and that sort of thing just happens.

I have a fun chart that I use with all my kids to keep them accountable and motivated to complete their work.

I have been using it for years and it works!

You can download the chart and see how it works today for free!

All you have to do is subscribe to The Simple Homeschooler (no SPAM ever! Unsubscribe anytime)!

You will receive Monday morning emails full of homeschool tips, encouragement, support, and laughs! 

Fill out the form below and download your kindergarten motivation sticker chart today!

 

Want to save all this info later? Definitely pin it to your favorite Pinterest Board and share with friends and followers who need homeschool kindergarten help too!

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