Our Homeschool Philosophy

We started off as unschoolers and then over time through a variety of different experiences and circumstances we landed in Classical Education. I like aspects of unit studies, Charlotte Mason, and some other methods of education as well so the best way to describe what we do is Eclectic. Next year will be our 5th year of homeschooling and the first year I'll have two kids in full day schooling: Grade 4 and Grade 1.

My current goal is for my kids to have a well rounded and accelerated education. This means a strong foundation in the arts and in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

I believe the best way to ignite a child's love for learning is to model the passion for learning in yourself. When they see what's possible, they start dreaming bigger dreams too.

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Everything you need to know!

All About Homeschooling Kindergarten:

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Our Curriculum Plan

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Supplies List

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Read Aloud Books Organized By Subject, Audio Books & Reference Books

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Extra Resources (DVD's, YouTube, Netflix, Music CD's and more)

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Read Alouds by Subject, Audio Books & Reference Books

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT SCIENCE

• “One Small Square: Backyard” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Pond” By Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Woods” By Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: African Savanna” By Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Cactus Desert” By Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Seashore” By Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: The Night Sky” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Coral Reef” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Woods” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Swamp” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Arctic Tundra” by Donald Silver
• “One Small Square: Tropical Rain Forest” by Donald Silver
• “Rain” by Peter Spier
• “Four Seasons Make a Year” by Anne Rockwell
• "How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World" By Faith McNulty
• "In the Town All Year 'Round" by Rotraut Susanne Berner

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT POETRY

• “Talking Like The Rain: A Read-to-me Book of Poems” by X.J. Kennedy
• “Rain” by Peter Spier
• “Sheep in a Jeep” by Nancy Shaw Seussian
• “Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose”
• “The Llama Who Had No Pajama”

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT SOCIAL STUDIES

• Usborne: “Houses & Homes, Then and Now”
• “A Mountain Alphabet by Andrew Kiss
• “Follow That Map! A first book of mapping skills” by Scot Ritchie
• “People” by Peter Spier
• “Stories from Africa” Sonlight
• “Whats Under the Sea? Sonlight
• Usborne: “Wild Places”
• Usborne: “Living Long Ago”

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

• “Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC’s to Help You Grow” By Kenneth Taylor
• “God Made Seasons” by Amelia Shearer
• “God Made Outter Space” by Heno Head Jr.
• Egermeiers Bible Story Book

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT HEALTH & CAREERS

• “A Day in the Life of a Zookeeper” by Nate Le Boutillier
• “The Post Office Book: Mail and how it moves” by Gail Gibbons
• “The Usborne Book of Things People Do” by Anne Civardi
• “Milk: From Cow to Carton” by Aliki
• “Seven Little Postmen” (A Little Golden Book) by Margaret Wise
• “Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?”
• Usborne: “Things People Do”

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT ART

• "The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse" by Eric Carle
• “Child's Book of Art" by Lucy Micklethwait
• "Draw and Learn Faces" by Harriet Ziefert
• "Draw and Learn Animals" by Harriet Ziefert
• Usborne: "The Big Drawing Book"

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT MATH:

• “How Do You Lift A Lion?" By Robert E. Wells
• “What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?" by Robert E. Wells
• “Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?" by Robert E. Wells
• "What's Faster Than a Speeding Cheetah?" by Robert E. Wells
• "How Do You Know What Time It Is?" by Robert E. Wells
• "Can You Count to a Googol?" by Robert E. Wells
• Usborne: “Big Book of Things to Spot”

CLASSICS AND OTHER READ ALOUD BOOKS:

• “Big Sarah’s Little Boots” by Paulette Bourgeois
• “Dear Mr. Blueberry” by Simon James
• “The Year at Maple Hill Farm” by Alice Provensen
• “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson
• “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”
• “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie”
• “The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown
• “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister
• “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats
• “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch
• “Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes
• “The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear” by Don Wood
• “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni
• “George Shrinks” By William Joyce
• “The Adventures of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter
• Usborne “Lion Storyteller Bedtime”
• “Milly Molly Mandy”
• “Animals Animals” by Eric Carle
• “Children’s Book of Virtues”
• “Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit”
• “Uncle Wiggly’s Story Book”
• “The God’s Must Be Angry”
• “New Toes for Tia”
• “Five True Dog Stories”
• “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” Eric Carle
• “The House at Pooh Corner”

AUDIO BOOKS

• "James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Animal Tales" Audiobook
• "The Adventures of Frog & Toad Collection" Audiobook Series

REFERENCE BOOKS

• Usborne Illustrated Science Dictionary
• Better Homes & Gardens Junior Cook Book
• “Family Math” by Jean Kerr Stenmark

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Extra Resources (DVD's, YouTube, Netflix, Music CD's and more)

DVD’s, YouTube, Netflix

• Little Pim: Fun With Languages DVD’s & Books 
• Rock N’ Learn DVD’s
• “Ballet Class for Kids: A Fantasy Garden” DVD
• "Dancing for Kids (Baby Ballet, Tot Tap, Junior Jazz)" DVD
• YouTube: “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic” (from 1989)
• YouTube: Sight Words songs from “havefunteaching” channel 
• YouTube: Baby Robin’s Hatching
•  YouTube: “Central Park: Possum’s Pop-Up ABC’s Song”
• YouTube: "Central Park: Salamander's Bubble Counting Song"
• YouTube: "Central Park:  Marmot's Map Shapes Song
• YouTube: "The House on Melody Street" - interactive book App

MUSIC CD's 

• "Sing the Word: from A to Z" Music CD by the Harrow Family (Scripture Verses, easy to memorize)
• "You Are My Little Bird" Music CD by Elizabeth Mitchell
• "Family Tree" Music CD by Francis England
• “Cedarmont Worship for Kids" Music CD
• "Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture" Volume 1, 2, and 3
• "Cedarmont Kids: Classic Hymns for Children" Music CD
• "Bible Story Songs: God's Design - Creation, Volume 1"
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MISC. RESOURCES

"Let's Tackle Kindergarten" Kit by Learning Resources

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Supplies List

GENERAL SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

• No. 2 pencils
• Large vinyl erasers
• Pencil sharpener for both sizes of pencils
• Pencil grippers to improve grip and writing skills
• File folders for making Lapbooks
• Hilroy half-size notebooks: the ones with a blank top and lined bottom are great for copy work and drawing pictures to match words. Use one for a journal (Nature journal is one idea, or something like a vocabulary journal). Let child narrate what they want to write, you write it for them and then they can copy the words.
• Shoebox to store a nature collection: cool rocks, pine cones, pressed dried flowers, etc.
• Field Trip Scrapbook or worksheet to record photo’s and things learned from field trips.
• Stapler
• Scissors
• Whiteboard
• Whiteboard Markers
• Whiteboard Eraser
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Chalkboard Eraser

ART SUPPLIES:

• LYRA jumbo pencil crayons - Made in Germany
• Watercolours (in the tube)
• Liquid Tempra Paints
• Oil Pastels
• Chalk Pastels
• Washable Crayola Markers
• Sharpie's in a variety of colours and tip widths
• Air Dry Clay
• Embellishments: Glitter, googly eyes, feathers, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.
• Washable non-toxic glue
• Scotch tape and hands-free dispenser
• Magazine scraps for collage
• Painting Paper
• Paper Cutter
• Sponges
• Child Safe Scissors
• Painters Palette
• Variety of paint brushes
• Glitter Glue
• Stencils
• Drawing Books

*disclaimer: this post does not contain any affiliate links

Homeschooling Kindergarten: Our Curriculum Plan

LANGUAGE ARTS - 20 to 40 minutes per day PLUS 20 minutes read-out-loud time

Learning how to read:

• “Get Set For The Code” Workbooks by Explode the Code
• Various iPad Apps (Word Wizard, Hooked on Phonics, Reading Eggs)
• Leap Frog DVDs (Letter Factory, etc) and phonics videos from Discovery Education

Read Out Loud Books:

Will choose about 50 books from Sonlight.com, Timberdoodle.com, “Come Sit By Me” and “Five in a Row”. Will purchase our favourites, and borrow some from the library. Do poetry picnics. Have a picnic indoors or outdoors while reading poetry out loud.

Writing:

• Handwriting Without Tears (wooden letters, CD’s, workbook)
• Various iPad Apps

Spelling - not until Grade 1 or 2

MATH - 10 minutes per day

• Miquon Math
• Math Apps

SCIENCE

• read "Let's Learn and Find Out Science" series

SOCIAL STUDIES - about 1 hour per week

• Apple Press “My First Mapping Book”
• Interactive Globe
• “My House”, “My Neighborhood”, “My City”, “My Province”, “My Country”, “My World” - drawing activity.

BIBLE - 10-20 minutes per day

• “Everything a Child Should Know About God” by Kenneth Taylor
• “The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes” by Kenneth Taylor

FINE ARTS (Music, Art, Drama) - 2 hours per week

• Ballet
• Art at home using resources like DeepSpaceSparkle.com
• Music: listen to various types of music, maybe start lessons. Learn about rhythm. Learn about various instruments.

PHYS ED & HEALTH - 2 hours per week

• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Videos about stranger safety, fire safety, community helpers, etc. from Discovery Education.

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Resources & Books We Like for Kindergarten:

ART SUPPLIES:

• LYRA jumbo pencil crayons - Made in Germany
• Watercolours (in the tube)
• Liquid Tempra Paints
• Oil Pastels
• Chalk Pastels
• Washable Crayola Markers
• Sharpie's in a variety of colours and tip widths
• Air Dry Clay
• Embellishments: Glitter, googly eyes, feathers, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.
• Washable non-toxic glue
• Scotch tape and hands-free dispenser
• Magazine scraps for collage
• Painting Paper
• Paper Cutter
• Sponges
• Child Safe Scissors
• Painters Palette
• Variety of paint brushes
• Glitter Glue
• Stencils
• Drawing Books

MUSIC CD’s and AUDIO BOOKS

“Sing the Word: from A to Z” by The Harrow Family (Scripture Verses, easy to memorize)

“You are My Little Bird” Elizabeth Mitchell

“Family Tree” Francis England

“Cedarmont Worship for Kids”

“Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture” Volume 1, 2 and 3

“Cedarmont Kids: Classic Hymns for Children” 

“Bible Story Songs: God’s Design - Creation, Volume 1”

“James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Animal Tales” Audiobook

“The Adventures of Frog & Toad Collection” Audiobook Series

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT POETRY

• “Talking Like The Rain: A Read-to-me Book of Poems” by X.J. Kennedy
• “Rain” by Peter Spier
• “Sheep in a Jeep” by Nancy Shaw Seussian
• “Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose”
• “The Llama Who Had No Pajama”

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT SOCIAL STUDIES

• Usborne: “Houses & Homes, Then and Now”
• “A Mountain Alphabet by Andrew Kiss
• “Follow That Map! A first book of mapping skills” by Scot Ritchie
• “People” by Peter Spier
• “Stories from Africa” Sonlight
• “Whats Under the Sea? Sonlight
• Usborne: “Wild Places”
• Usborne: “Living Long Ago”

READ OUT LOUD BOOKS ABOUT HEALTH & CAREERS

• “A Day in the Life of a Zookeeper” by Nate Le Boutillier
• “The Post Office Book: Mail and how it moves” by Gail Gibbons
• “The Usborne Book of Things People Do” by Anne Civardi
• “Milk: From Cow to Carton” by Aliki
• “Seven Little Postmen” (A Little Golden Book) by Margaret Wise
• “Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?”
• Usborne: “Things People Do”

OTHER READ ALOUDS:

• “Big Sarah’s Little Boots” by Paulette Bourgeois
• “Dear Mr. Blueberry” by Simon James
• “The Year at Maple Hill Farm” by Alice Provensen
• “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson
• “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”
• “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie”
• “The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown
• “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister
• “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats
• “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch
• “Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes
• “The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear” by Don Wood
• “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni
• “George Shrinks” By William Joyce
• “The Adventures of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter
• Usborne “Lion Storyteller Bedtime”
• “Milly Molly Mandy”
• “Animals Animals” by Eric Carle
• “Children’s Book of Virtues”
• “Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit”
• “Uncle Wiggly’s Story Book”
• “The God’s Must Be Angry”
• “New Toes for Tia”
• “Five True Dog Stories”
• “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” Eric Carle
• “The House at Pooh Corner”