OPEN ENROLLMENT COMING SOON!
This exciting year lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning. At Vineyard of Faith Academy, we are honored to partner with homeschooling families by providing encouragement, educational guidance, and helpful resources as you begin your child's formal educational journey.
As the parent, you are your child's primary educator. Our role is to support you with resources, recordkeeping, and encouragement while you provide a Christ-centered education in your home. Remember, every child develops at a unique pace, and we encourage families to focus on progress rather than perfection.Â
Below are helpful resources, encouragement, and parent guidance compiled through our homeschooling experience and ongoing educational research.
See our FAQs and Kids Corner page for more information and fun!
Every child develops at their own pace, and readiness is more important than age alone. While no checklist determines whether a child is "ready," many children entering kindergarten are beginning to demonstrate the following skills.
Follows simple directions.
Enjoys listening to stories.
Plays cooperatively with others.
Begins taking turns and sharing.
Communicates basic needs.
Shows curiosity and a desire to learn.
Holds a crayon or pencil comfortably.
Uses child-safe scissors with supervision.
Draws simple pictures.
Begins writing or recognizing their first name.
Enjoys coloring and hands-on activities.
Recognizes some letters of the alphabet.
Enjoys being read to.
Begins identifying letter sounds.
Recognizes their own name.
Shows interest in books.
Counts objects.
Recognizes basic shapes.
Identifies colors.
Sorts objects by size or color.
Understands simple patterns.
These goals are intended as general benchmarks to help parents plan a well-rounded kindergarten year. Every child learns at a unique pace, and flexibility is one of the many blessings of homeschooling.
Parents may wish to work toward helping their child:
Recognize uppercase and lowercase letters.
Identify common letter sounds.
Learn beginning sight words.
Blend simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words.
Enjoy daily read-aloud time.
Retell familiar stories.
Children often begin to:
Write their first and last name.
Form letters correctly.
Draw pictures and label them.
Copy short words and simple sentences.
Suggested goals include:
Count to 100.
Recognize numbers 0–20 (and beyond as ready).
Compare quantities.
Identify shapes and patterns.
Begin simple addition and subtraction using hands-on activities.
Explore God's amazing creation through:
Plants and animals.
Weather and seasons.
The five senses.
Nature walks and observation.
Simple science experiments.
Introduce concepts such as:
Family and community.
Community helpers.
Maps and basic geography.
Holidays and traditions.
Respect for others.
Encourage spiritual growth by exploring:
God's love and creation.
Prayer.
Bible stories.
The life of Jesus.
Scripture memory.
Kindness, obedience, and serving others.
Young children learn best through meaningful experiences with your full attention.
Ideas include:
Reading together daily.
Outdoor exploration.
Building with blocks.
Arts and crafts.
Music and movement.
Pretend play.
Nature studies.
Educational games.
Every family is different, and homeschool schedules can be flexible. Here's one example of a balanced kindergarten day:
Morning Bible & Prayer
Read Aloud
Language Arts
Math
Snack & Outdoor Play
Science or Social Studies
Art, Music, or Hands-on Learning
Quiet Time (Important for children AND parents)
Kindergarten is about building confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning, not rushing through academics.
Celebrate progress, enjoy the journey, and remember that learning happens throughout everyday life. Some of the most meaningful lessons are learned through conversations, family experiences, and exploring God's creation together.
As you guide your kindergartener, you may also find these Vineyard of Faith Academy resources helpful:
Parent Support
Attendance & Recordkeeping
Homeschool Tips
Private Facebook Community
Completing kindergarten is a wonderful milestone worth celebrating!
Vineyard of Faith Academy is honored to recognize the accomplishments of our enrolled kindergarten students by providing a complimentary Kindergarten Graduation Certificate upon successful completion of the kindergarten year.
Once your child has completed their kindergarten year:
✅ Complete the Kindergarten Graduation Request Form.
✅ Submit your child's name exactly as you would like it to appear on the certificate.
✅ (Optional) Share a graduation photo for our celebration gallery or private community (with your permission).
We'll prepare your personalized Vineyard of Faith Academy Kindergarten Graduation Certificate to help commemorate this special milestone.