How to homeschool kindergarten in Texas

Texas compulsory attendance starts at age 6. Under Texas Education Code §25.085, a child who is at least 6 years old, or younger than 6 and previously enrolled in first grade, must attend school. TEA's guidance measures age as of September 1 of the school year.

Kindergarten itself is not required. TEA says enrollment in kindergarten isn't mandatory, so a 5-year-old can learn at home without any paperwork.

Once your child is of compulsory age, a homeschool counts as a private school as long as it is bona fide, uses a curriculum in visual form (such as books, workbooks or online materials) and covers reading, spelling, grammar, math and good citizenship. There is no registration and no approval to wait for.

Enrolling is voluntary, but attending once enrolled is not. Section 25.085(c) says that on enrollment in prekindergarten or kindergarten, a child shall attend school. TEA notes that if an enrolled kindergartner has too many unexcused absences, compulsory attendance charges may be filed.

• Withdraw in writing. Send the principal or registrar a short, dated letter or email saying your child is withdrawn from a stated date to be educated at home. Keep a copy.
• No approval needed. TEA's guidance says schools should withdraw a student when they get written notice, and parents don't need to meet with officials or show their curriculum.
• Under 6 on September 1. TEA says a child who hasn't reached 6 by September 1 of the current school year may be withdrawn without violating compulsory attendance rules.

Don't simply stop sending your child. Until the school has your written notice, absences can be recorded.

Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) can provide up to $2,000 a year for an eligible student whose family selects homeschool on the application. Eligibility includes being able to attend a Texas public school or enroll in a public pre-K or kindergarten program, so a kindergarten-age child may qualify.

Places are limited, and there is a priority order and waitlist. Pre-K applicants face narrower criteria than kindergarten through grade 12. Check EducationFreedom.Texas.gov for the current age rules, dates and how the program treats a homeschooled kindergartner before you rely on funding.

Homeschoolers don't have to follow the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), but the kindergarten TEKS are a free, handy checklist of what public school kindergartners learn. In general terms:

• Phonics and early reading. Rhyming, hearing syllables and the individual sounds in words, learning the common sound for each letter, and blending sounds to read short words like "cat" and "stop."
• Writing. Forming letters, writing their name, spelling simple words by sound and dictating or writing short sentences.
• Math. Counting and understanding how many, adding as joining and subtracting as separating, comparing numbers, naming shapes and comparing objects by length or weight.
• Science, social studies and the arts. Exploring nature, weather, community helpers, holidays, music and art through books, walks and projects.

Keep good citizenship in your plans too. At this age that can mean sharing, taking turns, learning about the flag and talking about rules and why we have them.

Most kindergartners need only one to two hours of focused learning a day, broken into short sessions. Here's one example:

• 9:00 – Phonics (15 minutes). One new letter sound, a quick review and blending a few words with letter tiles.
• 9:15 – Wiggle break. Jump, dance or run around the yard.
• 9:30 – Math (15–20 minutes). Counting objects, a dice or card game, or building and comparing block towers.
• 10:00 – Snack and free play.
• 10:45 – Handwriting (10–15 minutes). A few letters, then drawing a picture and writing or dictating a sentence about it.
• 11:00 – Read-aloud (20 minutes). Picture books, poems and talking about the story.
• Afternoon – Explore. Library storytime, a park or nature walk, art, cooking, a co-op class or free play.

Stop while it's still fun. If a lesson isn't working, try again tomorrow or switch to a game.

Children develop at different rates, and there's a wide range of normal at 5. Signs your child may be ready for short, structured lessons include:

• Interest in letters. Asking what words say, or recognizing letters in their name.
• Hearing sounds. Enjoying rhymes, or noticing words that start the same way.
• Counting with meaning. Touching each object once while counting a small group.
• Attention. Sticking with a short activity for 10 to 15 minutes with your help.
• Fine motor skills. Holding a crayon or pencil and drawing simple shapes.

If your child isn't there yet, that's fine. You can wait and keep reading aloud and playing games. If you have concerns about speech, hearing, vision or development, talk to your pediatrician.

• The kindergarten TEKS. A free checklist of skills from TEA, useful for planning even if you don't follow it closely.
• Your public library. Picture books, early readers, storytime and summer reading programs.
• A systematic phonics program. Choose one that teaches letter sounds in a set order with decodable books to match.
• Everyday math materials. Blocks, dice, playing cards, counters, measuring cups and a calendar.
• Local homeschool groups and co-ops. Many run kindergarten classes, park days and field trips. See our homeschool groups and co-ops guide.