When homeschool families plan kindergarten, most of the attention goes to reading and math. That makes sense. But kindergarten is also the year children are learning to name their feelings, calm down when they are upset, take turns, wait, tell the truth, and make friends. In a classroom, those lessons happen constantly, whether anyone plans them or not. At home, they happen too, but they work better when you are intentional about them.
This guide is a gentle, year-long plan for character and social skills you can add alongside whatever kindergarten curriculum you already use. It takes about 15 minutes a day, a few days a week, and builds on things kindergartners love: stories, songs, games, and real-life practice.
Why Character and Social Skills Matter in Kindergarten
Kindergarten social skills are linked to how children do later in life. In a study that followed 753 children from kindergarten into early adulthood, children rated higher in social competence in kindergarten were more likely to graduate from college and hold full-time jobs, and less likely to have certain problems later on.[1] That study is correlational, so it does not prove that teaching these skills causes those outcomes, but it suggests they matter.
Research on social-emotional learning in schools shows that teaching these skills explicitly leads to gains in social-emotional skills, behavior, and academic achievement.[2][3] Those studies were done in schools, but the principles of short, regular, active practice apply at home too.
Kindergarten Social Competence & Adult Outcomes
Children rated higher in kindergarten social skills were significantly more likely to achieve these outcomes by age 25
Based on Jones, Greenberg & Crowley (2015). Results are correlational.[1]
What About Socialization?
Many homeschool parents hear the question: “What about socialization?” A review of research on homeschooling and socialization found that homeschooled children generally showed social skills, friendships, and well-being comparable to or better than conventionally schooled peers. The author also noted important limitations: many studies used small, non-random samples and relied on parent and child self-reports, so the findings should be read with care.[4]
The practical takeaway: homeschooled kindergartners can develop strong social skills, especially when families are intentional about teaching them and provide regular chances to practice with other children.
What Five- and Six-Year-Olds Are Ready For
Just learning perspectives
The ability to understand that others have different thoughts and feelings develops largely between ages 3 and 6. Kindergartners can begin to ask, "How do you think she felt?" but they need lots of support.[5]
Still need help calming down
Most kindergartners cannot calm themselves reliably yet. They learn self-regulation by being calmed by a trusted adult many, many times.
Learn through play & stories
Short lessons repeated often work much better than long ones done once. Stories, songs, games, and repetition are their language.
Short attention spans
Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty for a focused lesson. Keep it brief, active, and fun.
For more detail, see our guide to kindergarten SEL.
How to Use This Plan
About 15 minutes a day, three or four days a week. Morning time, after lunch, or before quiet time all work.
One theme per month, one focus per week. Repetition is the point.
A simple daily rhythm: a story or song, a short talk, a game or activity, and one thing to practice that day.
Real-life practice matters most. The best lessons happen during sibling squabbles, grocery store waits, and playdates.
Connect to your family’s values. Many families tie these themes to their faith or family traditions. The plan works alongside any of them.
How 15 Minutes Breaks Down
A Sample Weekly Rhythm
Monday
Introduce the week's focus with a picture book or story
Tuesday
Song or game that practices the skill
Wednesday
Role-play with stuffed animals or puppets
Thursday
Art or drawing activity about the skill
Friday
Real-world practice and a quick "How did it go?" chat
The Year-Long Plan
This plan is organized into nine months of school, with one theme per month. Move faster or slower as your child needs.
Expected Skill Growth Over the Year
Illustrative progression with consistent practice
Month 1
Feelings Have Names
Happy and sad. Make feelings faces in a mirror.
Mad and scared. Read a story and ask, "How did the character feel?"
Where feelings live in the body. "Where do you feel mad? In your fists? Your face?"
All feelings are okay. Some actions are not. "It's okay to feel mad. It's not okay to hit."
Practice: Name your own feelings out loud during the day: “I feel frustrated because I spilled the milk.”
Month 2
Calming My Body
Belly breathing. "Smell the flower, blow out the candle."
A calm-down spot at home with a pillow and a few calming items. See how to set up a calming corner.
Squeeze and let go. Squeeze fists tight, then relax.
Asking for help. "I need a hug" or "I need a break."
Practice: Breathe together when your child is calm, every day, so the strategy is ready when they are upset.
Month 3
Kindness and Gratitude
What is kindness? Look for kind actions in stories.
Kind words. Practice "please," "thank you," and "I'm sorry."
Kindness at home. Do one secret kind thing for a family member.
Thankfulness. Draw pictures of things and people you are thankful for.
Practice: Start a family kindness jar. Add a pom-pom or slip of paper for each kind act you notice. See kindness activities.
Month 4
Patience and Waiting
What does waiting look like? Practice waiting for a timer.
Things to do while you wait: sing, count, look around.
Waiting for a turn. Play turn-taking games.
Waiting when it's hard. Talk about times waiting is really hard, like before a birthday.
Practice: Use real waits, like lines at the store or waiting for dinner, as practice: “This is our waiting practice!”
Month 5
Sharing, Turns, and Friendship
Sharing and taking turns with siblings or friends.
How to ask to play: "Can I play too?"
What to do when someone says no, and finding another choice.
What makes a good friend?
Practice: Before a playdate or co-op, rehearse one skill, like asking to join a game.
Month 6
Understanding Others
How can you tell how someone feels? Look at faces in picture books.
Same and different. How are you and a friend the same? Different?
Helping someone who is sad.
Including others. "What could we do if someone is playing alone?"
Practice: At the park or library, gently point out other children's feelings: “That boy looks sad. What might help him?” See empathy lessons.
Month 7
Trying Hard Things
Mistakes help us learn.
The word "yet." "I can't do it yet."
Trying again when something is hard.
Celebrating effort, not just success.
Practice: When your child struggles with reading or writing, connect it: “Your brain is growing right now!” See growth mindset.
Month 8
Honesty and Responsibility
Telling the truth, even when it's hard.
Taking care of our things.
Helping at home with simple jobs.
Saying sorry and making it right.
Practice: Give your child one small daily job, such as feeding a pet, setting napkins, or putting away shoes. See teaching honesty and teaching responsibility.
Month 9
Solving Problems and Celebrating Growth
Small problems and big problems. Which ones can we solve ourselves?
Simple problem-solving steps: stop, calm down, say the problem, think of ideas, try one.
Solving problems with siblings or friends.
Look back at the year. What has your child learned?
Practice: When siblings argue, walk them through the steps instead of solving it for them. See problem solving for K-5.
Simple Tools That Work at Home
Picture Books
Stories about feelings, kindness, and friendship are one of the easiest ways to start conversations. See SEL read-alouds.
Songs
Kindergartners remember what they sing. Original feelings and friendship songs stick. See sing-along songs.
Puppets & Stuffed Animals
Role-play social situations with toys before practicing them for real.
Feelings Faces
A simple chart of faces helps children name what they feel.
Games
Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, and Freeze Dance practice self-control. See SEL games.
Building Social Practice Outside the Home
Social skills grow best with real practice. Look for regular opportunities such as:
Homeschool co-ops or group classes
Library story times
Sports, dance, art, or music classes
Regular playdates with the same few friends
Faith community or community groups
Nature groups or park meetups
Before each outing, choose one skill to practice. Afterward, ask one question: “Did you get a chance to ask someone to play? How did it go?”
Teaching Siblings Together
Use the same theme for everyone. A kindergartner and an older sibling can both work on kindness, at different levels.
Give older siblings a role. They can read the story, lead the song, or model the skill.
Use sibling conflicts as lessons. Real disagreements are the best practice for problem-solving.
Keep the kindergartner’s part short. Let older children go deeper while the younger one moves on.
What to Avoid
Long lectures
Kindergartners learn by doing, not by listening to explanations.
Only teaching when there’s a problem
Practice skills when everyone is calm so they are ready during hard moments.
Expecting perfection
Five-year-olds will still grab, cry, and yell sometimes. Look for faster recovery and more words, not perfect behavior.
Rewards for everything
Stickers can help occasionally, but kindness that is always rewarded may come to feel like a transaction.
Isolating practice from real life
The lesson matters less than using the same words during real moments.
Tracking Progress
Keep a simple monthly checklist. Look for growth over months, not days:
Can my child name at least four feelings?
Can they use one calming strategy with my help? Without my help?
Can they wait a short time without melting down?
Do they take turns and share with siblings or friends?
Can they say what someone else might be feeling?
Do they try again after a mistake?
Can they use simple problem-solving steps with support?
Final Thoughts
Homeschooling gives you something many classroom teachers wish they had: time, a small group, and lots of real-life moments to practice character and social skills. A gentle, consistent plan—about 15 minutes a day with plenty of real-world practice—can help your kindergartner learn to name feelings, calm down, take turns, be kind, and solve problems.
Short lessons. Real practice. Lots of patience. That is kindergarten character education at home.
References
- [1]
Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283-2290.
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630 - [2]
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x - [3]
Cipriano, C., Strambler, M. J., Naples, L. H., et al. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis of universal school-based SEL interventions. Child Development, 94(5), 1181-1204.
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13968 - [4]
Medlin, R. G. (2013). Homeschooling and the question of socialization revisited. Peabody Journal of Education, 88(3), 284-297.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2013.796825 - [5]
Wellman, H. M., Cross, D., & Watson, J. (2001). Meta-analysis of theory-of-mind development: The truth about false belief. Child Development, 72(3), 655-684.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00304
A Ready-Made Plan for Your Homeschool
Be The Buffalo gives you 40 weeks of short character and social-emotional lessons, with a K-1 band built for kindergartners: stories with Benny and Bella the buffalo, original songs, interactive activities you can show on any screen, and printables. Every lesson is available in English and Spanish, and there is no prep. The first four weeks are free.
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