• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
A Quiet Simple Life

A Quiet Simple Life

Sallie Schaaf Borrink

  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Categories
    • Bible Readings & Christian Devotionals
    • Christian Faith
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • Gracious Christian Parenting
    • Homemaking
    • Homeschooling
    • Learning Themes & Unit Studies
    • The Library
    • Our Cozy Family Life
    • Simple Living
  • The Shop
    • Explore The Shop By Category
      • All Products For Women
      • All Products For Children
      • Clip Art & Digital Papers
      • A Full Year Shopping Pass
      • A Quiet Simple Life Series
      • Editable Homeschool Planners
    • Cart
    • Digital Products Terms of Use
    • Your Account Details
      • View Your Orders
      • Go To Your Downloads
      • My Account
    • Lost Password Help
  • More
    • Find Content By Tags
    • Recommendations
    • Donate
  • Go To SRA
You are here: Home / Homeschooling / Homeschool Planning / A Sample Kindergarten Homeschool Schedule For A Creative, Dreamer Child




Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement.

A Sample Kindergarten Homeschool Schedule For A Creative, Dreamer Child

November 20, 2011 by Sallie Borrink
9 Comments
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Remember the post How a homeschooled dreamer does preschool math? A year later, here is a rough breakdown of how my kindergarten homeschool schedule with Caroline might go on any given day.

Calendar Time: 10-15 minutes

Five minutes of actual learning and five to ten minutes of adding color and embellishment to everything we do. It is not enough to cross off the number on the chart with a single color. It must be filled in, striped, or otherwise colored with three to ten different colored markers.




Bible and Prayer: 10-15 minutes

This pretty much goes as is. I read a Bible story and pray.

Reading: 10-20 minutes

We read a couple of small readers and/or do other reading/phonics related activities. Every other page is a request for “Make the dog say something” or “Make the bear talk to me” or “Make the turtle tell me something” or “The zebra told me about the time when he…” or “Yesterday Big Bear went to see this squirrel and they…” Somewhere in the midst of all of it, reading instruction happens. She constantly surprises me with how many words she has already learned on her own via Starfall.com, Leapfrog videos, reading to her, looking at books, etc. (Update: I discovered she’s a right brain, visual-spatial learner which explains a lot.)

Biscuit Phonics Fun (My First I Can Read)Biscuit Phonics Fun (My First I Can Read)Biscuit: More Phonics Fun (My First I Can Read)Biscuit: More Phonics Fun (My First I Can Read)Reading Fun with Curious George Boxed Set (Green Light Readers Level 1)Reading Fun with Curious George Boxed Set (Green Light Readers Level 1)

&

Math: 10-20 minutes

We do a math activity and/or page or two. Every other problem provides an opportunity for “Make the cat say something” or decorative embellishment of whichever number she last wrote.

Handwriting: 5-10 minutes

This usually goes pretty normally except when she wants to first make a dotted line outline of the letter or number so she can trace it. Or there is a picture on the page which provokes “Make the horse say something” or “Make the pig talk to me.”

Storytime: 10-20 minutes

I let Caroline choose a book or two from a basket of books I would like us to read together. This usually goes pretty normally. (Here is a list of classic kindergarten picture books I put together.)




Craft Time: 1-3 hours

I set her free with her craft supplies and whatever else she is interested in doing. She lives for getting the other stuff done so she can draw, color, paint, cut, glue, etc.

I’m really okay with most of it. The thing that gets to me is the “Make the xxxxxx say something.” Truth be told, I’ve reached my max with it. Keeping a creative dreamer focused is like adding a part-time job to the homeschooling.

To be fair, I remember just wanting to get my work done so I could read. And David remembers just wanting to get his work done so he could draw. So the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

But all in all we are having a good time. I’ve learned to adjust my times to what works for Caroline. She isn’t ready to do school until much later in the morning.  Sometimes we do some before lunch and some after. I always thought I would get school done early in the morning to get it done, but she isn’t wired like that at all. So I’ve made adjustments and it works fine. (See update on scheduling here.)

The good thing about the craft time is that she’s perfectly content to do her own thing as long as I’m nearby. So I work on planning and organizing my things while she’s doing crafts. We turn on Mozart or Songs for Saplings and have a nice time together.  🙂

Songs for SaplingsSongs for SaplingsSongs for Saplings: 123Songs for Saplings: 123Songs for Saplings ABC and 123 [2 CD Set]Songs for Saplings ABC and 123 [2 CD Set]




&

534 9      
543
Shares
 
543
Shares
534 9     
Category: Homeschool Planning | Homeschooling a Creative Child | Homeschooling Elementary School | Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices | Relaxed Homeschooling | Right Brained LearnersTag: Grades K-2

More Helpful Reading For You

Number Ordering Activity 0-999

Using Minecraft In Your Homeschool – Educational or Learning?

Feeding Caroline’s Creativity With My Froggy Stuff

How To Start Homeschooling A Kindergartener

Previous Post:Blessed With A Small Life
Next Post:Simplicity, Downsizing, Gifts, Children, and Christmas

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christian @ Modobject at Home

    November 20, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    Kinda fun to read a brief outline of your school day. Caroline just oozes creativity, doesn’t she?! My favorite part of this post is the very last sentence that you wrote… that you have a nice time together. What a blessing!

    Reply
  2. Melissa

    March 19, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    I will be homeschooling my 5 year old for Kindergarten. We just moved to a VERY small town and therefore she and I both have no friends. I am worried about what we will do all day everyday if “schooling” only lasts a couple of hours. My daughter WILL NOT play with toys, so she expects me and her father to entertain her or play her made up games constantly. There is only so much of that that I can take. Do you have any advice for how to make the day longer!? No, there are not even any mom’s groups in this town for us to get involved in, and also, I STRONGLY dislike heat, and here we are, right in the hottest/most humid state of Mississippi, to where I don’t want to be outside hardly at all in the summer/early fall. Please help!

    Reply
    • Anna

      December 1, 2015 at 12:14 pm

      What area of Mississippi? My family just moved back to Mississippi after 12 years away. We are also in a very small town and I will be homeschooling my kindergartener.

      Reply
  3. Sarah

    May 25, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    Hey there!

    We are about to start 1st grade in August, and I’d love it if you maybe would have a printable schedule? Maybe I should check your shop?

    My daughter is also not a morning person, but is wildly creative. I think this will be my new favorite Homeschool hang out. LOL.

    Shttps://sallieborrink.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_bye.gif

    Reply
  4. sarah

    June 17, 2016 at 12:44 am

    Hahahahahah. I love this creative dreamer child!  I totally have one if those. Wakes up in the morning and could color and intricately it out stuff and craft for hours before he realizes he hasn’t had any breakfast.   Glad to see how a day goes for you. I will be homeschooling my creative kindergartdner this year!

    Reply
  5. Em

    August 30, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    Ahhh this post totally spoke to me. My daughter is almost exactly like yours! This will really help me schedule our kindergarten homeschool routine this year! Thanks!!!

    Reply
  6. Rebecca

    January 31, 2019 at 9:59 pm

    I love songs for saplings!!!
    How do you organize the crafts supplies?

    Reply
    • Sallie

      February 9, 2019 at 8:33 am

      Hi Rebecca,

      Most of the time, I organized them primarily based on how frequently they were being used. When we changed our living room into a learning room, I had a craft cabinet. You can see that here.

      Stocking Our Homeschool Arts and Craft Cabinet

      Sallie

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

The maximum upload file size: 128 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

Thank you for your comment. I read and appreciate each one even if I am unable to respond.

Sidebar

I’m Sallie, Christian wife, mother, homeschooler, and homebody. Do you desire to create a quiet simple life for your family? If so, I invite you to explore my helpful content about the faith-filled and home-centered life. Please start here. Welcome! ♥ 

Chit Chat

~ Did you put on the Armor of God this morning? Ephesians 6:10-20

~ If you turn off your adblocker, I truly appreciate it. ♥

~ This website is funded by ads, donations, monthly supporters, sales in my shop, and affiliate purchases. 

 

Only $47!

Categories

Popular Right Now

  • Home Page
  • Your Invitation To Sallie’s Rebuilding America
  • The Ultimate List of AIP Comfort Food Recipes
  • The Cozy Life In America (and Why I Prefer It To the Danish Hygge)
  • Why I Reject Minimalism
  • Groundhog Day Word Search For Kids
  • The Ginghams Paper Dolls (Free!)
  • Copywork Printables in Print & Cursive
  • Why We’re Relaxed Homeschoolers (and Not Unschoolers)
  • Online Art Classes For Beginners
  • Embracing the Simplicity of Homemaking
  • 100 Wholesome Books For Girls And Tweens

Our Favorite Timeline

Providential History

Mighty Works of God - Not Memorizing Facts

Check Out The Many Free Resources!

All About Learning Press

Receive new post notifications from A Quiet Simple Life

Powered by follow.it

Archives

My Blogroll

  • Adventures In Keeping House
  • The Blessed Hearth
  • The Bluebirds Are Nesting On The Farm
  • By Sun and Candlelight 
  • Coffee Tea Books and Me
  • Creekside Cottage
  • Elefantz
  • Exquisitely Unremarkable
  • Generations Before Us
  • Heavenstretch
  • Homemakers Thoughts
  • Hope and Thrift 
  • A Housewife Writes
  • Jane Austen's World
  • The Legacy of Home
  • Like Mother, Like Daughter
  • Love My Life
  • Mama's Learning Corner
  • Mountain Housewife
  • The 1940s Experiment
  • North Ridge Farm
  • Rural Revolution
  • Something From Almost Nothing
  • Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth
  • Stories of an Unschooling Family
  • Sugar Pie Cottage
  • Thinking About Home
  • Thrive On One Income
  • Upon Hope
  • Vox Popoli
  • A Working Pantry 

Contact Me • Privacy Policy • Disclaimers & Affiliates

Copyright © 2023 · A Quiet Simple Life · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Scroll Up