Taking the leap into homeschooling can be intimidating. You might think, where do I even start? How do I know if I’m doing enough? Every homeschool family’s journey is different, there is no right or wrong answer of how to homeschool. What matters most is that you start with intention, you define your values, and you allow space for change when things aren’t working. This gentle guide will help you get started, from defining your “why,” to finding curriculum, to building a daily rhythm that actually workds for your family.
Step One
Define your intention.
Answer the question; Why?
– Why are you homeschooling?
– What kind of education do you want to provide for your child?
– What do you want your days to feel like?
– What are your child’s strengths? Where do they need support?
Journal your answers and reflect. Return to your answers periodically, and journal what has changed. When things become difficult, return to your why.
Step Two
Understand What Kindergarten Actually Requires.
One of the biggest suprises to most new homeschool families is how little formal instruction kindergarteners actually need. Research consistently shows that children ages 5-6 learn best through plat, movement, stories, and hands-on experiences.
For kindergarten, your core focus areas are:
– Early literacy — letter sounds, phonics, early reading.
– Early math — counting, patterns, number sense.
– Fine motor skills — drawing, building, crafting, prewriting.
– Social-emotional learning — self-regulation, empathy, independence.
– Nature and science — wonder, curiousity, connection.
– Arts — music, art, movement.
You do not need to cover every subject every day. Many families spend only 1-2 hours a day schooling their kindergartener in a meaningful way.
Step Three
Find a Curriculum (or Don’t)
This step is optional. Some family’s decide to “unschool,” some decide to develop their own curriculum, while others prefer to have a program to follow. Curricula vary wildly. Some are very rigid, others are very loose. Are you the type of family to need a lot of structure, or would you rather have a loose picture for your lesson plans that you can change depending on your week?
Acorn to Oak’s Alphabet Forest is an Early Learning Curriculum (Ages 3-7) that teaches reading and phonics through the Rhythmic Reading Method — an original approach using real poetry, stories, nature walks, and hands-on activities. Letters are introduced through animal and plant studies, morning baskets, finger plays, yoga, nature crafts, and recipes. No worksheets. Entirely child-led.
You can try a free sample lesson here.
Kinder Forest (Ages 5-8) is the natural next step, building on letter mastery toward full reading independence. Each lesson is a complete nature study integrating phonics, writing, science, math, art, and social studies — taught entirely through the natural world.
All of our curriculum is available either digitally or as a physical book.
Step Four
Find Your Rhythm.
A rhythm is not a schedule. A schedule says “at 9 am we do math, at 10 am we read.” A rhythm says “first we go outside, then we do our morning basket, then we do a focused reading lesson, then we play.” A rhythm gives space, but also remains consistent. A rhythm gives children the predictability they need to feel secure, without feeling too rigid.
A simple kindergarten rhythm may look like:
– Morning — cooking and eating, meditaiton, yoga, or free play
– Mid-morning — morning basket (a book, poem, and finger play about the letter of the day)
– Late morning — one focused activity (phonics, nature journal, art)
– Afternoon — free play, library, nature-walk, co-op
More than likely, your homeschool will grow and evolve as time goes on. You might need to try different schedules, habits, activities, etc. until you find what works for you. Trust the process.
Step Five
Research your local laws and requirements.
Every state and country will have different requirements to legally homeschool. It is important to know these requirements ahead of time so you can be prepared for documentation or evaluations. A good starting point is to check the HSLDA state laws page or your state’s homeschool association website.
Step Six
Find your people.
In recent years, homeschooling has become a lot more popular. Chances are, there are many homeschool groups around you that provide an opportunity to create friendships. If you can’t find one, start your own! Facebook groups are a great way to make these connections locally.
And finally, you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to start. Your homeschool will naturally grow and evolve. Give yourself permission to change, and give yourself permission to start.
