Kindergarten Skills
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YOU can homeschool Kindergarten.
A few things to keep in mind:
Kindergarten at home doesn’t have to look like Kindergarten in a traditional school for learners to make progress.
Being “ahead in Kindergarten” doesn’t mean the child will be ahead by third grade.
Mastering skills doesn’t take as long when homeschooling one-on-one.
Kindergarten Skills
Math
Count objects in a group to twenty
Associate a number with a quantity
Identify more than and less than to ten (quantity)
Identify more than and less than to twenty (quantity)
Number words through twenty (one, two, three, four, and so on)
Understand that numbers eleven to nineteen represent tens and extra ones
Create a pattern with two, three, and four objects
Understand the concept of addition as adding two or more groups to get a sum total of all objects
Understand meaning of “all together”
Understand concept of subtraction as beginning with a large group and taking some away
Add sets with one to five members
Associate the action of adding two or more groups with a symbolic (equation) representation
Solve word problems
Count by one from a number other than one
Count to 100 by tens
Make positional statement about the location of an object: above, under, left, right, front, back
Name common shapes and the side associated with each
Understand difference between two- and three-dimensional shapes
Recognize coins
Associate coin with a value
Write the numerals in the phone number
Language Arts
Recognize upper and lower case letters
Writing upper and lower case letters
Match letters to sounds
Recognize the beginning sound of a word
Recognize the ending sound of a word
Blend sounds
Recognize rhyming words
State a word which rhymes with another word.
Recognize common sight words: a, the, and, to
Understand the role of author and illustrator
Move eyes across a page from left to right
Explore different genres (fables, rhymes, tongue twisters, biographies, fantasies)
Make a prediction
Tell a story
Retell a story
Understand cause and effect
Put pictures in a proper sequence
Answer questions related to something heard read aloud
Understand the first word of a sentence is capitalized
Understand first letters of names and places are capitalized
Understand that sentences have punctuation
Engage in a conversation
Spell first and last name
State street address and city of residence
Name the members of the family and state two sentences about each member
Name the days of the week, in order
Social Studies
Expose to differences in cultures and traditions
Understand how past influences present and future
Understand family culture and heritage
Understand the background and significance of holidays
Understand meaning of recycle, reuse, repurpose
Develop map skills (north, south, east, west)
Name and locate state and country of residence
Name the continents
Learn the difference between maps and globes
Explain how to get to a destination visited frequently (local grocery store, navigate neighborhood to get home)
Understand difference between land and water
Recognize landforms (lake, stream, river, ocean, mountain, hill, plain)
Learn about different types of shelters or homes
Learn the roles of community workers
Learn roles in sharing and taking turns
Understand importance of conflict resolution
Science
Learn personal safety - wear a bike helmet, bike on the right side of the road, supervision with sharp objects)
Identify major body parts and describe their action and function
Identify the five senses
Name the four seasons and corresponding characteristics
Observe weather changes
Identify and describe daily weather
Describe differences in day and night sky
Describe differences in nightly changes of the moon
Understand differences in characteristics of ocean, desert, mountain habitats
Investigate and observe characteristics of soil, rock, and water
Understand differences of living and non-living things
Observe local plants and animals
Understand and explain differences between plants and animals
Describe and identify basic parts of a plant
Observe behaviors of animals and describe how those behaviors are related to their environment
Explain the difference between insects, fish, mammals, and birds
Describe items in terms of which they are made (cloth, wood, plastic, paper)
Name the physical features of items in terms of color, texture, shape, size
Observe changes in matter (beaten egg whites, popped corn, ice cream)
Understand properties and uses of water in gas, solid, and liquid form
Understand terms and conditions of sink and float
Understand why magnets are attracted to objects
Make predictions
Make observations
Explain a process
Physical Education
Increase flexibility and muscle strength
Understand the health benefits of being physically active
Participate in cardiovascular activities
Play follow the leader
Participate in the Hokey Pokey
Climb stairs, alternating feet
Balance on one foot
Balance on a beam or line
Walk backwards
Run at different speeds, stop on command
Jump
Hop on one foot
Skip
Gallop
Kick a ball
Dance to a rhythm
Understands safety precautions for familiar sports equipment
Throw a ball overhand
Throw a ball underhand
Throw a ball at a target
Art/Music
Explore elements of art: line, shape, color, texture, space)
Develop art vocabulary
Hold a paint brush properly
Experiment with brush movements
Understand proper use of glue sticks and bottles
Understand proper care of art supplies (paint brushes, paper, paint, glue)
Clean up art area properly
Understand safe handling and use of child-friendly scissors
Cut in a straight line
Cut on a curved line
Understand and name primary colors
Know which primary colors (red, blue, yellow) can be mixed to make secondary colors (green, purple, orange)
Experiment with various art mediums
Create a sculpture with found materials
Describe etiquette for an art museum
Make observations of visual art
Keep a steady beat
Recognize differences in tempo, fast and slow (lullaby, march)
Recognize differences in dynamic (loud and soft)
Recognize difference in pitch (high and low—drums, piccolo, violin, bass)
Identify basic instruments
Listen for specific instruments in a composition
Listen to music and describe tempo, dynamics, and sounds heard
Experiment with singing voice
Experiment with kazoo, recorder, harmonica, or tin whistle
Move to music
Describe etiquette for a concert
Attend a concert or recital
Listen to variety of genres of music
Young children are naturally inquisitive, if we allow them the time and space to be curious and explore.
Teaching children to observe, take notice of differences, make predictions, and ask questions fosters their natural need to learn. Kindergarten is a perfect time to engage in these activities and nurture skills.
These lists are guidelines. Home educating parents are responsible to oversee the education of their children based on each child’s individual ability. When in question, consult with a professional.
