Mr. F is almost 4. He counts to 20, knows all his letters and their sounds, is writing letters very well (at his request to learn), and recognizes a few sight words. Needless to say, many of the options out there for “preschool” at home don’t feel like a good fit.

Kindergarten curriculum is an excellent option for families with very bright and precocious preschoolers who have already mastered the skills typically taught at that level. We were introduced to Kendall Hunt RPD Kindergarten Stepping Stones and it has been a delight.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for review and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What Makes Kindergarten Stepping Stones Curriculum Awesome

Kendall Hunt RPD Kindergarten Stepping Stones curriculum is awesome. This is a straight out of the box, completely laid out, activities and printable worksheets included curriculum.  There is minimal preparation required and most of the activities for our unit, were done with things we already had around the house or didn’t need anything for like animal walking.

The daily lesson guide helps you plan language arts, worship, math, science, hands on activities, phonemics, music, art. etc. It is full of so many options that you are sure to find several activities your little learner will love. The Teacher Manual is jam packed with information on how to teach subjects, methods to employee, ways to encourage excellence, and more. The guides are very helpful and easy to understand and implement.

Themes:

Kindergarten Stepping Stones includes 9 themes over the year, each with a corresponding focus:

• Heroes – Let’s Be Friends
• My World and Others – Who’s My Neighbor
• Living Things – Deep in the Forest (This is the theme and focus we have been using.)
• Spiritual Journey – Giving Gifts
• Friends and Family – We are Family
• Environment – Brrrr! It’s Cold!
• Personal Feelings and Growth – Wonderfully Made
• Yesterday – Moving On
• Social Issues and Culture – I’m on a Mission!

There is also an Introduction theme that lasts 2 weeks, but since we’ve always homeschooled we don’t worry about transitioning. This would be very helpful for children coming home from preschool or daycare and acclimating to a more structured learning environment.

Each theme lasts 3-4 weeks, covering one of the themes books each week. Daily lesson plans are laid out with activities, scripture notes, science activities, etc. in the Daily Lesson Guide. This is perfect for moms who aren’t sure where to begin or are in a busy season and don’t have the time to dedicate to creating their own lesson plans from a variety of materials. I found the CD with material to print very helpful and easy to use.

This is a very user friendly curriculum.

Books:

The books that you use with each theme are exceptional. My favorite things about the reading selections:

• Written well and without talking down to the children
• Incorporating God and creation without sounding preachy  or childish
• The illustrations are beautiful, whimsical, and very engaging.
• Each book in each theme’s lessons is integrated into every subject creating cohesive units that are fun for children. We love unit study learning!
• I can’t keep Mr. F from sneaking them into the reading nook, his bed, or the car. That speaks volumes for the quality of these books because he is very picky about which books he attaches himself to.

How Kindergarten Stepping Stones Integrated Curriculum Works

We have been very happy with this program. The songs are sweet, the activities are fun, Mr. T enjoys listening to the story and singing with us, the learning materials are solid and while the curriculum is faith-based, it seems to be very non-denominational and would work well for any Chrisitian family.

While it was made for classroom instruction, Kindergarten Stepping Stones is very easily adapted to the homeschool’s young scholars.

I recommend this excellent resource for:

• Homeschoolers just beginning their journey who are unsure of where to start with lessons
• Mothers who have older children and want something that is through and easy to implement
• Parents of preschoolers who are craving more learning and wish to provide a rich education your child will be challenged by and enjoy
• Homeschoolers who love literature and activity based learning

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