Kindergarten Curriculum Picks: 2023-2024
Woohoo! We have just completed our first two weeks of kindergarten! This was not a typical week since Elani had camp at church three of the five days this week, but I still wanted to get us started. I knew it would be a fun week to start because we could take it easy, be flexible, and slowly start introducing a flow. With camp sprinkled in, it added to the excitement of this week. Next week, we will focus more on creating a routine.
I have shared EVERYTHING that we are using for kindergarten on my YouTube channel. If you are not following along over there, make sure you take a look. I also documented our whole first day in my stories on INSTAGRAM. Those are two places that I try to share a lot more! If you are still looking for curriculum that is affordable and effective, check out what we are using, below.
If you are looking for a literature-based curriculum that includes almost everything that you need, then you should look into Torchlight for your learner. This curriculum includes literature, poetry, character building, science (for an additional cost), social studies, art, and cooking. And it teaches all of this through studying countries from around the world! For my video on Torchlight, click here.
Eureka Math is a free program that is designed to help learners form a deeper understanding of numbers by building on key concepts year after year. We used this at the school that I taught at and it taught me new ways to approach math and problem-solving. As a student, math was not a subject that I was confident in, but I truly loved the way that Eureka Math taught my learners to be both confident and capable. There is also a free math program online with games that align with the Eureka Math curriculum. For my video on Eureka Math, click here.
I purchased the complete set for Dash into Learning as well as the poetry books. I had not realized until after purchasing the poetry books that they are meant for after your child has mastered the phonetic learning books, but I do not have an issue with that. The poetry books have three sets, similar to the phonetic learning books and after completing the first set of learning books, your child should be ready for the first set of poetry books. I have completed multiple trainings about the science of reading and Dash into Learning is not fully based on science, but I believe that I will be able to make adjustments (not necessary, just my preference) for these early readers to work for my family. These books have beautiful illustrations and approach phonics skills in a gentle and fun way. For my video on Dash into Learning, click here.
I truly love Explode the Code. Elani completed the first three books (Get Ready, Get Set, and Go) last year and is now working through Explode the Code, Book 1. I purchased one through four, but I do not know how many we will complete this school year. The only complaint that I have ever had about these workbooks is that the illustrations can be confusing. Elani has had difficulty identifying illustrations representing words such as television, radio, and newspaper because she is either unfamiliar with those things or they are drawn in a way in which she does not recognize them. We go over the illustrations together so it does not cause too many issues. She enjoys these books and they have helped her with both her letter sounds as well as her writing skills.
Science is said to be included in Torchlight Level K. Though the animal studies are, Be Naturally Curious, which is referenced throughout the curriculum, comes at an additional cost. There was a discount provided after I purchased Torchlight Level K. I decided to purchase it, but I believe that you can use any science program that you prefer. We did not use it yet within our first week, but I have looked through the different themes and activities. I like that there are fun stories included with each theme as well as movement activities and chances to get outside. If you are interested in more information, check out my Torchlight YouTube video.
You may notice that I have not included a program for handwriting. Elani with be working on letter formation through Explode the Code, number formation through Eureka Math, and will be tracing sentences through the activity packs that the in the Dash into Learning complete set. If I find that Elani needs more than this, I will add more but I did not find it necessary to add a writing curriculum at her age. I listen to Brave Writer Podcast and am excited to add that to our learning next year, or the year after (when both of my girls can participate).
Even writing about this all makes me so excited! I have been planning out the right curriculum for Elani for years and I am so excited to see how it works for her. Our first two weeks were successful, but we have many more to go and my biggest goal is for her to be proud of all that she accomplished at the end of the year! Make sure to follow along on YouTube and Instagram if you want frequent peaks inside our homeschooling journey.
