How to Start Homeschooling Preschool: A Complete Guide for First-Time Moms
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've been thinking about homeschooling your preschooler for a while — maybe even a long while — but you're not sure where to begin. Maybe you're worried you're not qualified. Maybe you've looked at curriculum options and felt like you were staring into an abyss.
I want to make this really simple for you: you can do this. And you don't need a teaching degree, a dedicated schoolroom, or three hours a day to make it work.
Here's how to actually get started.
Step 1: Let Go of What Homeschool "Should" Look Like
Most of the anxiety around homeschooling preschool comes from imagining that it needs to look like a tiny classroom straight from Pinterest. Little desks, aesthetic organizers, full classroom decor, a chalkboard, and a full schedule.
Real preschool homeschooling looks more like: sitting at the kitchen table for 15 minutes, reading books together, doing a simple craft, and going for a walk where you point out bugs and leaves and ask questions. That's it. That's genuinely good preschool.
Your goal at this age is not to create a miniature college, it's to build curiosity, a love of learning, and a few foundational skills. Everything else follows from that.
Step 2: Know What to Actually Teach
Preschool (ages 3–5) typically covers:
• Letters and letter sounds (the alphabet)
• Numbers 1–10 or 1–20 and basic counting
• Shapes, colors, and patterns
• Beginning sight words
• Fine motor skills (cutting, coloring, tracing)
• Basic science and social studies concepts through themes
• Listening, following directions, and sitting for short periods
You don't need to cover everything every day. A well-structured curriculum will rotate through these skills so nothing gets left behind. (More on that in a minute.)
Step 3: Choose Your Curriculum (and Don't Overthink It)
You have a few options here. You can piece things together yourself from free printables and library books, which works fine if you enjoy planning. Or you can use a done-for-you curriculum that handles the scope, sequence, and activities for you.
I'll be honest — I built Preschool Star because I wanted something that a busy mom could just pick up and use. It has 20 themed units, over 1,200 printable pages, daily lesson plans, and it's aligned to real preschool standards. You print it, follow the plan, and focus on being present with your child instead of searching for the next activity.
If you want to check it out, you can find it here. But whatever you choose, just choose something and start. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
Step 4: Set Up a Simple Routine (Not a Rigid Schedule)
Preschoolers do better with rhythm than with strict schedules. Instead of "we do school from 9:00–9:20am," try "after breakfast, we do our learning time." That anchor — after breakfast — is enough to create a routine your child will start to anticipate and enjoy.
Keep it short. Fifteen to twenty minutes of focused learning is plenty for a 3 or 4 year old. You can add more time as they get older and their attention span grows.
Step 5: Don't Skip the Fun Stuff
Crafts, sensory bins, outdoor exploration, read-alouds, songs — these aren't extras. They ARE the curriculum at this age. A child who is playing with shaving cream and writing letters in it is learning just as much (probably more) than a child sitting at a desk filling out a worksheet.
A good curriculum will have these activities built in. If yours doesn't, it might be worth upgrading.
What If My Child Doesn't Want to "Do School"?
Some days your kid is going to refuse. That's normal. At this age, if there's a meltdown, stop. Come back tomorrow. Forcing it creates a negative association with learning that's really hard to undo.
Most of the time, resistance comes from one of two things: the activity isn't engaging enough, or the child is tired or hungry. Solve the practical stuff first.
Listen to your child, and take it easy. The great news is that by starting early you are already giving your child a headstart.
If you want a detailed curriculum, order my Preschool Star curriculum now.