When your children are small, life is the curriculum. We’ve got the inspiration you need to fill your days with playful learning.
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Recommended Reading for Your Homeschool Kindergartener: A Free Kindergarten Book List
Are you searching for good-quality, living books to read with your homeschool kindergartener? Look no further! We’ve rounded up a list of beautiful picture books on all sorts of topics from history, to science, to poetry and more, as well as some recommended chapter books to help your child build […]
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Introducing A Picture Book Preschool: A Gentle, Affordable Program for Preschool at Home
If you’ve heard us say anything about homeschooling the early years, it’s probably that you don’t need an official curriculum for preschool. We wholeheartedly believe that the best way to spend these precious years is with a good stack of picture books. That’s why we’ve created A Picture Book Preschool […]
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Our Favorite Picture Books About Shapes and Colors for Preschoolers
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! The preschool years are a great time to help your child begin to recognize and name basic shapes and colors. You can do this quite naturally as you go throughout your day just by pointing out and discussing […]
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Is My Child Ready to Read?
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! This statement may come as a surprise to you, but you have been teaching your child to read since shortly after birth! The very first time you read your baby Goodnight Moon, pointed to a stop sign while […]
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100 Books Every Homeschool Preschooler Should Know
Finding worthy picture books to place before your preschooler can sometimes feel like wading through a garbage heap looking for a few precious pearls. We have endless options available to us, but not all books for the 5 and under crowd are created equal. In this list you’ll find the […]
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Can Music Improve Learning? The Importance of Nurturing Musical Experiences in Childhood
Music makes great contributions to the child’s cognitive development and this starts even in the womb. Before birth, the baby (in the twentieth week of gestation) can hear sounds such as heartbeat, breathing rhythm, mother’s voice, and at the same time respond to these stimuli by moving or kicking. Thus, […]
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Free Calendar Printable Pack for Your Homeschool
Your preschool and early elementary children will love learning all about the calendar using this free printable. With traceable calendar pages, months of the year flashcards, Spanish practice pages, and worksheets that help your kids track each day’s weather and temperature, these are the perfect addition to your daily homeschool […]
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Ten Reasons Homeschooling May Be the Best Place for Your Child with Special Needs
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! Your homeschool may be the best place for your child with autism, Down syndrome, specific learning disabilities, or other special needs. You can T.E.A.C.H. your child to give him unique advantages from the comfort and safety of your […]
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Back to School Printable Pack
As the summer winds down, it’s almost time to turn the corner and start a new school year! The first day of school calls for the perfect photo ops. Take pics of your kiddos holding up these posters, or start decorating your school room to celebrate the start of your […]
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Homeschooling Your Littles: The Value of Learning Through Play
When you’re eager to get started on your homeschooling journey and you see the lovely pictures other homeschool families are posting online, let alone their traditionally-schooled peers, it can be really tempting to fill your preschooler’s days with structured activities, workbooks, and flashcards. Sometimes this impulse is born out of […]
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10 Favorite Picture Books for Summer
Summer is finally here! When you need a break from the beach or the pool, these picture books are just right for slowing down and savoring the magic that is summer. The Raft by Jim LaMarche Nicky isn’t looking forward to spending the summer with his quirky grandmother in her […]
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Muddy Hands: Encouraging Little Scientists in Your Backyard
After the long days of winter, spring has finally arrived and the daylight hours are getting longer. Maybe cabin fever has taken your family by storm. There are many different activities that you and your child can do with those “extra” daylight hours. Getting outside is a great remedy for […]
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Free Printable On the Farm Activity Book
Learn about the farm with your younger kiddos with this fun and colorful printable pack! This PDF is perfect for a farm unit study or as a field trip companion packet, with beginner math, counting, phonics, coloring pages, and more. In this packet you will find: Visiting the Farm Worksheet […]
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5 Favorite Picture Books for Memorial Day
Memorial Day is an American holiday that honors those who lost their lives in military service to the United States. These heartfelt picture books bring Memorial Day to life and help kids understand the great service that these men and women gave. The Wall by Eve Bunting This restrained yet […]
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20 Favorite Picture Books about Farms
Do your kids love learning about animals and nature? If so, these endearing farm picture books are perfect for your homeschool. Baby Farm Animals by Garth Williams Simple, humorous text identifies each fuzzy, furry, or feathery farm animal capering about the farm. This longtime favorite has been reissued for a […]
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7 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Family Read-Aloud Time
1. Start Small, but Read Often! Establishing a routine is key to read aloud success with little ones. If your kids are young, or haven’t had much read-aloud experience, keep it short. Ten to fifteen minutes is a great place to start. Set apart a consistent time in your day […]
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Teaching Science to Little Ones at Home
Doing hands-on science activities at home is a great way to fuel your young child’s natural curiosity and innate sense of wonder. You don’t necessarily need a formal science curriculum in the early years. Engaging projects using materials you already have around the house will go a long way toward […]
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10 Favorite Picture Books for Spring
With the days getting longer and sunnier, we’ve got a wonderful list of spring themed picture books for you. These books are perfect for reading under a shady tree, packing with a picnic for a stroll through the garden, or cuddling up with on the couch after a morning out […]
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Free Scripture Memory Printable + Activities
When your children memorize Scripture, they gain a wealth of Biblical knowledge that they can draw on for the rest of their lives. As Charles Swindoll has written, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life that’s more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture…No other single exercise […]
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Home Education: Is it a Pursuit or a Passion?
If you have been homeschooling for any length of time, you will eventually question your pursuit of this education-at-home idea. Difficult seasons, difficult children, difficult life circumstances—all can cause you to pause and wonder if you can keep going. Especially in the winters of our lives, we need a reason, […]
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Home Education: Choices, Challenges, and Faith
Educating a child’s mind is the ultimate goal in developing a lifetime love for learning by means of experiences. Education is not merely grasping concepts forced into the brain to dissipate shortly after the information has been regurgitated through quick ways of testing. Our home education journey was a choice […]
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Pancakes Recipe & Coloring Page
Have fun making pancakes with your kids with this easy-to-follow recipe and coloring page to keep the kids busy while they wait to flip the pancakes. Bon appétit! Click here to download your pancake printable.
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Summer Learning and Fun!
While many parents see summer as a time of vacation and not education, preschool children need year-round learning. I’m not talking about year-round workbooks or sitting at a desk, but about daily planned learning combined with fun. My motto for the past 28 years has been, seize the summer and […]
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Ladybug Color Mixing Activity
Learn how to mix colors with this cute ladybug project! Materials you will need: Crayons Washable paint or watercolors Cup of water Paint brushes Plate or palette Cardstock or watercolor paper Scissors Glue stick Step One: Print out the Mixing Colors! Worksheet. Put red, yellow and blue paint on your […]
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Teaching Handwork to Young Children
The work of childhood ought to be filled with joyful discovery. – Charlotte Mason As a child I loved creating with my hands, no matter the season. Summer daisy chains and mud pies, autumnal pocket treasures, frosty window drawings, and pressed spring flowers float through my childhood memories, like sparkles […]
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7 Ways to Appreciate the Outdoors While Mastering Early Writing Skills
I’m always more than ready to go outside and dig in the dirt at the first sign of spring. Planting flowers in pots and small flower beds just makes everything beautiful again! The fresh air, crisp wind, and sparkling sunshine are good for my soul. Children naturally love the outdoors. […]
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When to Begin Formal Math
Does thinking about teaching math keep you up at night? Do you wrestle with wondering if your child is ready to begin formal math lessons? Or are you wading through a mountain of curriculum catalogs looking for that perfect math curriculum to help your struggling student? I hope this article […]
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Nature Study Ideas
My kids and I love nature studies. My assistant, Andrea and her family love nature as well. Here are a few things we have come up with together: 1. Find a local field guide. Some nature centers sell field guides which are incredibly helpful in actually identifying plants and animals. […]
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Teaching Preschool Math at Home
Preschoolers are some of my favorite people. They are full of energy, they’re naturally inquisitive, and they’re not afraid to let you know how they really feel. While their short attention spans and boundless enthusiasm may mean they aren’t able to engage with a formal math curriculum, that doesn’t mean […]
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Ideas for Entertaining the Littles While You Teach the Big Kids
Keeping little ones busy so you can buy enough time to teach your older students is one of the biggest challenges homeschoolers face. I cannot overemphasize that these suggestions are merely that—suggestions. As one homeschooling mom to another. These are some things that worked for our family dynamics and in […]
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Frustrated When Teaching Your Child to Read? Here’s Help!
Your child may be frustrated from constantly being corrected. You may be frustrated from constantly correcting your child. Your child is going to make some mistakes; that is part of learning to read. Some children are used to being corrected so often that they look up after every word to […]
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Organizing Your Preschooler and Your Preschool
As a Mom of a preschooler, I was overwhelmed when my mentor asked me what I was doing to help organize my preschooler and my preschool. All I could think of is, “How do I organize a hurricane?” I knew I didn’t want a rigid schedule but knew I needed […]
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History for Preschoolers
It is never too early to encourage your child to love the study of history. From baby and toddlerhood into the preschool years, reading historical stories together sets the stage for a fascinating journey for a child.1 Real stories from the past do more than entertain a preschool child; they […]
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Nurture Your Children’s Language Development
Parents—whether or not they homeschool their children—are in the best position to give their children a solid foundation in English. Here are some things they can do. General Recognize that each child is an individual. Avoid comparing one child’s language abilities with another’s. Talk to your children about a variety […]
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