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Easy Prep Homework For Kindergarten

Homework in Kindergarten: is it a good idea and how you should do it to make it valuable to your students and their families? Take a look at this monthly homework  for kindergarten printable and editable calendars .

Giving homework in kindergarten can be hard. You need parental involvement, and it can be difficult for some families to find time to complete it. One of my co-workers wanted a monthly calendar that students could do with their families. I created these editable monthly homework challenges so that families can complete the activities on their own time. They won’t need a lot of materials, and they can easily be done in a few minutes.

Keep reading to see what these are all about !

Homework for Kindergarten Printable Calendars

There are 16 challenges to complete every month. Some of them involve writing, some of the activities are hands-on. There is a mix of literacy, math and science challenges.  You only print and send home 1 page per month, no more worrying about photocopying a whole packet for each student.

They are editable!

I have made them editable so that you can change up the challenges to match up with what you are teaching that month. It is editable in PowerPoint, and all you have to do is type in the activity you want your students to complete.

Most asked questions:

Is this mandatory homework for your students? No. We don’t enforce homework for our students, if parents want something to work on at home, they can do these activities. I don’t believe in punishing kindergarten students for not doing their homework – that’s something out of their control.

What do you do when students bring back the completed homework calendar? We celebrate! We highlight their work to the rest of the class, I put a sticker on it and write an encouraging note and send it back home.

Try It Free

I am offering the Summer Challenges page as a FREEBIE! Send it home to families at the end of the year so that students can keep practicing skills that they learned over the summer months.

There is an editable version of this page included in the  paid product . If you would like to change out the activities to match the needs of your students, you can adapt it to fit your needs.

Find this free download in my  Resource Library !

Get students reading too

Encouraging students to read at home with their families is also very important. I have always sent home some leveled readers with students, on top of these calendars. Read about how I use Reading Log bookmarks to support home reading.

Want to try it out with your class? You can get it in my store now:

Do you assign homework in kindergarten? Let me know in the comments!

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10 comments

Do you have these available in Spanish also? I send my homework home in both English and Spanish.

I do not, but they are editable so you can change the activities to Spanish if you would like to use it!

I love this idea and I do want to try it in my classroom. I’m just curious on how you track it to see if they have been doing the things on the calendar. Honor system? Not much parent involvement in my school area. Just seeing how to get my parents and the student show me what they have done the work at home.

I don’t check to make sure all students do it. We do not have mandatory homework in kindergarten, so this is just for families that need ideas for home.

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I used these and they were amazing. Parents who wanted more homework liked the challenge. Thanks.

That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing!

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Teacher’s Brain

Elementary Educational Resources, Ideas, and Lesson Plans

Homework Ideas For Kindergarten

Homework is a tricky topic in most schools, especially in the younger grades. Homework in kindergarten is sometimes completely forbidden by the school, left up to the teacher, or required for all students. In my experience, homework for kindergarten students can be beneficial. It can reinforce the skills learned in the classroom and get parents involved in the learning process. However, it must be developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners. 

In order for homework to be perfect for kindergarten, it must be short enough to maintain students’ attention.

Pages and pages of written work will frustrate kids, and busy parents do not want to complete more school work for hours each evening. Short, meaningful assignments will keep kids and parents engaged. They will also be more likely to positively influence learning. 

In addition to the amount of time assignments take, the content of the assignments is also important to consider for kindergarten students. Research has shown again and again that reading with a parent (and independently) for 15-20 minutes daily is extremely beneficial to young learners. So reading together is probably the most important part! 

Assignments should also reinforce basic skills with targeted practice. It is not the time for learning completely new concepts. Additionally, assignments with oral components are perfect for kindergarten students. As they interact and talk with their caregivers, they are learning important communication skills. They are also cementing their understanding of the concepts they’ve been learning at school. 

So- short, meaningful, targeted homework that involves parents seems to be the perfect recipe for kindergarten.

That’s a lot to think about when making assignments. If you don’t have the time to plan and prepare assignments that fit your needs for homework- my Kindergarten Homework Packets might be the answer! 

This bundle includes homework packets for the entire year . They are editable, but can also be printed and used immediately. The homework packets are set up to go home every three weeks. You choose three books to send home with each packet, and your students will have everything they need for meaningful homework. 

Sight words as well as Common Core standards for reading, writing, math, science, and social studies are all addressed throughout the year. Activities include written and oral activities that are perfect for school-home connections. Your students will enjoy their homework, and you can rest assured that it is appropriate and engaging. 

What are your thoughts on homework in kindergarten? Let me know in the comments!

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Assigning Kindergarten Homework That Works for ALL Kids

• August 23, 2015

My first year teaching Kindergarten also happened to be the first year that I had ever assigned homework to students. You see, before I began teaching Kindergarten, I taught Pre-K. In Pre-K, we did not give homework.

When I moved up to Kindergarten, I had big dreams about the homework I would assign. I’d give out exciting and engaging assignments (never worksheets). I’d provide families with fun learning games that would bring them together. I’d send home different homework for different students, differentiating assignments based upon their needs. I was going to make homework an enjoyable and productive part of my students’ home lives!

And then…reality hit. My first year teaching Kindergarten, I had an extremely challenging class. After an 8 hour school day with my kiddos (yes, you read that right – those 5 and 6 year olds were at school for 8 hours a day), I was exhausted. I could barely manage to get materials ready for the next day, much less find or create engaging homework activities.

And differentiation? Yeah, right. That year I had students who couldn’t read a Level A book, and other students who were reading beginning chapter books. I would have been up all night trying to get together 25 different homework assignments!

Needless to say, my grand homework plans didn’t exactly happen.

As the years went on, I slowly assembled a collection of activities to send home. I found and made games, activities, and worksheets to give my students meaningful practice opportunities.

But it still took a good bit of time each week to assemble my weekly homework packet. I only believe in assigning about 10 minutes of homework a night, so you’d think it’d be quick to pull together, but it wasn’t!

I was eventually able to differentiate homework some of the time, but not as often as I wanted to. I  really wanted a set of engaging materials – with a lot of different options – that would make it easy for me to assign and differentiate homework for my kiddos.

And then, about 9 months ago, I decided that it was finally time to make the set of materials I’d been dreaming of!

My goal was to create literacy homework for Kindergarten that met the following criteria:

• Easy to differentiate (leveled, so that a teacher could use a student’s guiding reading level to pinpoint phonics and other reading activities appropriate for that student)
• Clear for parents to understand (with written instructions, visual aids, and videos)
• Accessible for both English- and Spanish- speaking families
• Suitable for students who have family help and for students who do not have family assistance

I had these goals in mind because I’ve seen kids fail to complete their homework for many different reasons. The homework may have been too hard or too easy, parents may not have understood the directions, students may not have had family help at home, etc.

And I knew I wasn’t alone in my homework struggles – I’ve never met a single teacher who found it easy to get all of their students to do their homework (even though Kinders are usually super enthusiastic learners!). Homework can be helpful and fun for our little learners, but there are so many challenges to assigning quality homework and then getting it back.

While creating my literacy homework series , I came up with some ways to overcome homework-related obstacles. In this post, I’ll share with you the solutions I’ve found to various challenges. Be sure to download all of the freebies, too!

Challenge: My kids don’t have the supplies they need at home to complete their homework.

Solution: Survey families about their needs several times throughout the year, and provide a take-home bag of school supplies.

The more information we have about students’ home situations, the better! Click on the image below to download a free parent survey (in English and Spanish). This survey will give you information about what supplies families have at home. If you’re worried about not getting the survey back, why not have parents fill it out during Back to School night or another school event that most parents attend?

Once you know what supplies students do and do not have, you can do several things. First, you can prepare take-home bags of supplies that students leave in their backpacks.  Local churches and libraries will often hold school supply drives – if you are in need of duplicate supplies to send home, just ask around!

Another option is to be selective about the homework assignments that you give, sticking to assignments that don’t require many supplies. This doesn’t mean that your assignments have to be boring, however! There are lots of interactive activities that kids can do with a paper and pencil.

For example, check out this “Super Tic-Tac-Toe” game (download it below). A parent and child take turns “claiming” a space by saying the name of the alphabet letter inside it, and then tracing the missing upper or lowercase letter. Play continues until one person has claimed five spaces in a row. Two different colored pens or pencils are needed- no cutting, pasting, or coloring required!

A third option is to give different homework assignments to different kids, depending upon what supplies they have at home. This takes a little time, but my Kindergarten Homework series makes it easy.

For example, to have students practice determining whether pairs of words rhyme, you could send home a) Rhyming Memory or b) a “Rhyming Or Not?” worksheet. Both activities address the same skill, but the memory game requires cutting while the worksheet does not. Download the activities below.

Challenge: The kids in my class have very different needs, but it takes way too long to differentiate homework.

Solution: Keep a file folder for each child with activities appropriate to the student’s skill level. Quickly pull an assignment from the folder when you want to differentiate.

The photo below shows the “Homework Folder” concept in action:

On the outside of the folder is a list of the activities that are at the student’s level. All of the literacy activities on this particular list are designed for students whose instructional reading level is a Guided Reading Level A.

Inside the folder are copies of all of the activities on the list. To differentiate homework, just grab an assignment for each child from his/her folder. So quick and easy – and you don’t have to do it for every single assignment.

Challenge: I can’t seem to get out of the “worksheet rut” when assigning homework!

Solution: Create a weekly “formula” for your assignments.  For example, in Kindergarten, you might assign 1 leveled book, 2 family games, and 3 worksheets per week. If you stick to that routine, then you’ll be less likely to rely only on worksheets for your homework assignments.

And if you use my Kindergarten literacy homework series , then you’ll have leveled books, family games, and worksheets at your fingertips. There’s no need to waste time searching online or in reproducible workbooks each week!

Challenge: My students’ parents are often confused by homework assignments. Some of them don’t read English, so they don’t understand the directions.

Solution: Send home assignments that have simple, predictable directions. Spend some time in class teaching students how to complete homework, so that they can teach their parents. Provide visual directions or directions in parents’ native languages whenever possible.

Below is an example of a homework assignment that has simple and predictable directions. These sight word sheets have students reading the word, tracing it, writing it, and reading it again in a sentence.

Each time, the instructions are the same – only the sight words and sentences vary between worksheets. Even if parents can’t read in English, students will be able to complete these assignments if you show them how to do it in class.

Another solution is to provide visual aids in your directions, as well as instructions in both English and Spanish. All of this definitely takes a lot of time to put together, but if you use my Kindergarten homework series , the work is done for you!

In my pack, each book and assignment (with the exception of simple worksheets), comes with 5 different options for parent direction sheets. You can choose written instructions with or without visual aids, as well as directions in English or Spanish.

All parent sheets also come with links to videos that parents can choose to watch. The videos explain the activities and give helpful hints, but families can also just read the written directions if they prefer.

Click here  to download a sample book and the accompanying parent directions sheets.

Challenge: I want to give my students family games and interactive activities. But not all parents are able to help out with homework.

Solution: Try your best to involve all families, but if you know that a child has to complete homework on her own, send activities that she can do independently.

When creating my leveled literacy homework series, I designed two types of activities for each skill: family games or activities that require parent support, and worksheets that students can complete independently.

The rhyming words activities (scroll up) are an example of this. The Rhyming Word Memory game is played with family members, while the worksheet can be completed independently (if students are given the directions at school).

It can be tempting to just send home worksheets with all students if  some parents can’t help out with homework. But many parents really appreciate interactive materials like family games. If you have a variety of activities available, you can select homework assignments based upon students’ individual home situations.

I hope that this post has given you some fresh ideas for preparing homework for your students! Finding materials can be time consuming, but I’ve seen my Kindergarteners benefit greatly from just 10-15 minutes of homework each night. And parents love the opportunity to be involved in their children’s learning!

To read more about my leveled literacy homework bundle, click here . You can also click on any of the images below to learn more about the homework activities for Guided Reading Level A, B, C, D, or E.

Happy teaching!

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Can the sight word worksheets be purchased separately from the entire homework series? If not where exactly can they be found? I have a current homework plan and these would fit in nicely with that. Thank you!

Hi Joanne! I don’t have them separately at this time – but if you email me at Learni[email protected] , we can work something else out. 🙂

Hi Alison, I am a kindergarten teacher and use my textbook tear out sheets and am frequently frustrated that even if we do the work in class and the homework is a review it is done wrong or not done at all. Have you considered online homework as a supplement to your present pencil paper method?

Hey Julie! Totally understand that. I think that a little bit of online homework or practice could work well as long as families have easy access to the tech tools. This post explains what I sometimes use for at-home practice: https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/how-to-differentiate-word-work-activities/

can I use the phrase “do at home” in order to inform my students’s parents of what the assignment is? Is it correct to use this phrase?

Hi! I think that phrase works for home assignments. I always find it best to be concise and direct with parents about what you need and want from them. Make sure you use the same language throughout the year and I think that will eliminate any unnecessary confusion about what you want and/or expect. 😊

i love this

So glad you liked it, Samy! 🙂

Frist time here

I’m Alison, a literacy specialist. I love getting kids excited about reading and writing – and sharing teaching ideas with other teachers!

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Free Kindergarten Homework

• Printables , Family Involvement

As teachers we want homework to be meaningful.  We want homework to enrich what you do in the classroom.  And let’s be truthful, we want homework to not be a burden to the teacher.  And so here is two weeks of Free Kindergarten Homework that I am sure will take all your homework woes away.

Each week includes all of the elements you will need to keep your students extending what you teach, get your families involved in a fun way, and to practice essential skills you may not cover in class that are so important!

Each week has a cover page (check it out above).  The cover page is loaded with practice:

•  Students will write their name neatly on the lines.
• A reading log that asks families to read together.  The parents will initial in the boxes that they read and each week the student is asked to write or draw about a different story element from one of the books they read.
• The practice of an essential skill.  Throughout the year the students will be asked to write their last names, initials, phone numbers, school name, city, state, and much more.

The upper left hand corner of the page has a fun graphic each week and is numbered on the right.  This will help you to organize them and help the students take some ownership in that process.

Each week also includes two pages of content review.  The concepts are scaffolded throughout the year so they match the diverse range of skills we teach in kindergarten.  These skills are meant to be done mostly independently (of course depending on the child).  Each night the students will do the review and move onto the next fun activity.

Each week also includes a family game.  These are print and play style games that the families can store in baggies to save to review all year long.  The families will color, cut, and play the game during the week.   Most of these games are two pages so they won’t put too much of a dent in your copying.

Most weeks are 5 pages in total (a few are 6 pages).  Print them off, put them in the copy machine, and hand them out.

It’s so easy, we want you to give it a try.  Click the quarter you are in below and we will show you exactly what is covered in it AND send you a free week:

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

And if you are already in love and want to go full force with our Kindergarten Homework , you can save big when you buy the bundle!  And the best part is, the full file is editable so you can truly customize it to your needs.  If you are teaching the letter J one week, you can make the handwriting review be that letter.  Or maybe you need it in another language, no problem!   Click here to check out the full years set on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Have you tried our Kindergarten Homework?  Let us know what you think in the comments below.  

“I love love love the games that are included in this packet. The parents in my class love them too! I print them off for them, and keep a set of games to play in class for small group interventions! It is the perfect homework packet!”

“I hate giving homework, but these are so pretty that it makes it okay!”

“I’m a huge Simply Kinder fan!!! I don’t often buy anything off of TPT…but when I do, it’s from Simply Kinder. All of her products are so developmentally appropriate and well thought out…this homework bundle is no exception. Not to mention, it saves this very busy teacher a whole lot of planning time!! Thank you so much!!”

With Unmatched Printables & Engaging Classroom Ideas, Simply Kinder is your TRUSTED TEAMMATE.

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Miss Kindergarten

Kindergarten Teacher Blog

Tips for Using Homework In Kindergarten

October 15, 2023 misskindergarten Leave a Comment

How do you set up homework in kindergarten that is appropriate, fun, and meaningful? This seems to be the million dollar question among many kindergarten teachers. It is hard to know what is too much or too little all while making sure it’s engaging and developmentally appropriate! Keep reading for some food for thought as you make the homework decision for your own classroom.

Should There Be Homework In Kindergarten?

When you first started out as a new kindergarten teacher , you likely noticed that there are two camps when it comes to homework in kindergarten: Those who like it and those who don’t! However, some districts require either daily or weekly homework, so you might need to regularly send work home no matter what camp you’re in.

I am a true believer in kids learning through play, and sometimes I think giving them the opportunity to play after school is MUCH more important than sitting down to do homework.

However, if you are required to send something home with your kinders or you DO like the idea of homework in kindergarten, let’s look at the positives!

Benefits Of Homework In Kindergarten

I used to dread assigning homework to young students and struggled with how to make it work. I learned over the years that there are some amazing benefits to having homework in kindergarten.

Grow in Responsibility

Sending work home for your students to work on after school can help teach them responsibility.

Homework isn’t all about academics, it’s also about helping students become responsible, lifelong learners. Teaching your students how to “be in charge” of something and take pride in it is an important life skill. They begin to learn that it feels good to do a good job and get work done on time!

I like to talk with my students about what it means to be responsible when doing homework. It means that you:

• Put your name on your paper first
• Complete all of the work on the page
• Keep the paper looking neat
• Check your work
• Turn it into the appropriate place on time

Practice Problem Solving

Homework allows students to practice being problem-solvers at home as they work independently and blast through challenges.

We all know those students that come running to us at the sight or sound of any problem. As teachers, it is our instinct to help them, but allowing them to be challenged is a GOOD THING! Homework in kindergarten encourages your students to problem solve, whether they are at school or at home.

Since this is a skill your students are still developing, it’s helpful to prepare students for being more independent problem-solvers when they are working on their homework at home. This will help keep your students (and their families!) from becoming frustrated with the homework process. One way to do this is to model different problem-solving strategies during your daily routine. Some ideas are:

• Reading or listening to the directions again
• Looking at similar problems
• Using anchor charts or posters around the room
• Using manipulatives
• Drawing a picture

Build Routines

Homework can provide a foundation for structure and routine as they progress through school.

By starting homework early on in their school years, you are helping to set up your students for success in the future. Having homework in kindergarten allows them to start learning and using those problem-solving strategies right away.

It is important to know your students, their abilities, and their families when assigning homework in kindergarten. You don’t want your students and their families to develop negative feelings toward having a routine of skill practice at home. You can avoid this by sending home developmentally appropriate homework that doesn’t place an undue burden on families.

3 “Musts” for Kindergarten Homework

Now that we know the benefits of homework in kindergarten, I am going to share my three musts for making homework actually WORK in kindergarten.

Homework Must Be Easy to Prep

This first must is all about you, teacher friend! No kindergarten teacher has time to prep, print, laminate, and hole punch homework! Just the thought of it makes me cringe. Keep homework prep simple! My Kindergarten Homework Weekly Bundle is designed to be low-prep and easy to manage. In fact, you can print off an entire week of homework on one page, front and back. Check it out  here  to get your homework for the entire year covered.

Homework Must Be Engaging

Homework tends to have a bad reputation for being boring and hard. It doesn’t have to be, though! Homework that is fun for your students will engage them in the learning, thus becoming more purposeful for them and you. It will also make it more likely that they will keep up the routine of grabbing their homework from their backpacks when they get home.

You can make homework more engaging for students by using kid-friendly printables with space to color. Students also love being allowed to use different writing tools on homework. (This is helpful for families who might have pens more readily available than pencils.) You can also incorporate a little bit of seasonal fun to your homework by using themed printables.

Homework Must Be Aligned to Standards

If you give your students random homework assignments, it just feels like busywork. Make sure that it is aligned to the standards and skills you are teaching. My weekly homework covers reading and math standards and follows a common sequence for spiral review. It is also editable to meet students’ needs every year. You’ll be able to ensure that you’re sending home developmentally appropriate homework that students can complete mostly independently.

Printable Kindergarten Homework Bundle

You can check out my year-long homework bundle that includes 32 weeks of weekly homework practice. These printables come in two size options, so you can decide how you’d like to assemble the homework. The activities in this bundle could also be repurposed for other parts of your daily routine.

For example, you could bind the printables into a packet that’s perfect to use for morning work, fast finishers , centers, and more! Click below if you’d like to take a closer look at this resource in my shop.

Kindergarten Weekly Homework

Save these tips for kindergarten homework.

Be sure to save these tips and resources for kindergarten homework! Just add the pin below to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to quickly find this post when you’re ready to set up a homework routine in your kindergarten classroom.

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Hello, I’m Hadar

Welcome to Miss Kindergarten. I’m so happy you’re here!

If you are looking for hands-on, engaging kindergarten activities, you came to the right place! I’m here to save you time by sharing tried and true kindergarten resources, and hopefully spark some ideas for your own kindergarten lesson plans!

Whether you need ideas to teach reading, sight words, math, or even some fun crafts, I have you covered. My ultimate goal is to help passionate educators and parents to young kids gain their valuable time back!

If you want to stay connected with Miss Kindergarten, please follow me on social media and be sure to sign up for the newsletter below.

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THE Best Way to Handle Kindergarten and Preschool Homework

Shared by Mary Catherine 30 Comments

Learn how to create a meaningful preschool homework plan for your students using a homework calendar. Be sure to check out the rest of my free preschool printables next!

Below I’ll share how to incorporate a preschool homework calendar into your plans. These homework activities are perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students.

Be sure to note that this isn’t a “traditional” homework plan. Not by a longshot! Instead, it’s focused on hands-on, age-appropriate activities (rather than inappropriate worksheets and such).

“Miss Mary Catherine, what about homework? Her brothers have homework most nights, and I could really use some help in that department.”

Questions like this one aren’t unusual at preschool and kindergarten Back-to-School Nights or Meet the Teacher gatherings. At least not for me.

Parents want the best when it comes to their children’s education, and it’s often assumed homework is an integral part of that.

But early childhood educators want to do what’s developmentally appropriate and best for their students – and research has shown that traditional homework doesn’t fit into that. So how to do we merge each of these viewpoints?

Table of Contents

Do We Really Need Preschool Homework?

As I mentioned above, I’ve noticed that many parents ask about homework. I think some people assume school and homework go hand-in-hand. I’m referring here to the traditional view of homework, with kids sitting down at the kitchen table to fill out pages and pages of worksheets.

I’m inclined to disagree with that, especially when it comes to early childhood students. Young kids need hands-on learning experiences , both at home and at school, to grasp important early learning concepts. I most definitely don’t think the traditional worksheet homework is appropriate for young kids.

Listening to books read by their parents, free play time at home, and maybe some additional hands-on learning activities are more along the lines of the kind of homework I recommend.

The BEST Way to Handle Kindergarten and Preschool Homework

So we’ve established that sit down, pencil to paper homework isn’t that great for preschool and kindergarten. How, then, should homework be handled?

My suggestion: create a preschool homework plan centered around monthly activity calendars.

Explain the research to the parents, and have a quick chat about developmentally appropriate practice . Stress the importance of down time after school, and encourage daily reading snuggled up with the kids.

At this point, parents might still want something more. That’s where the homework calendars come in.

Kindergarten and Preschool Homework Calendars

The printable homework calendars I’ve sent home are definitely not preschool worksheets . They include a variety of tasks that kids can do – sometimes with their families, and sometimes on their own. My goal is for my students, and their parents, to see how learning can take place in a wide variety of ways. Additionally, kiddos with older siblings love having their own “homework” to complete like their big brother or sister.

To put together homework calendars for your students, brainstorm ideas that cover topics such as:

• Fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills
• Helping others
• Self-help skills

Try to keep the daily activities simple, with some ideas the kids can do on their own and some they can try with their parents or siblings. Some of the calendar ideas can relate to your preschool themes , seasons or holidays, or everyday helping tasks.

These homework calendars can go home in their personalized folders at the beginning of the month, with the kids returning them at the end of the month. They can also just be used as suggestions when parents ask about homework for preschool kiddos.

Preschool Homework Ideas

As I mentioned earlier, using monthly calendars for preschool homework is NOT like traditional paper-and-pencil homework. The calendars are meant to be filled with developmentally-appropriate activities kids can do at home.

If you need some ideas to add to the calendars, here you go:

• Go for a walk outside and count the trees.
• Tell your family about what you did on the playground today.
• Listen to a family member read a book.
• Try to do 5 jumping jacks.
• Draw a picture of your favorite animal.
• Sing a song to your family.

As you can see, these are simple and very appropriate activities for young children. And none of them are focused on tracing the number 1 twenty times.

I’d love to hear your thoughts now! How do you handle preschool homework (or kindergarten homework)?

A Year’s Worth of Preschool Homework Calendars

I’m so excited to share with you how you can get a hold of the rest of the calendars now! I’ve received a lot of wonderful emails asking for an entire year’s worth of calendars. Thanks so much for reaching out – I love hearing from you!

So here it is – a full year’s worth of editable homework calendars. It’s a set that includes homework calendars for every month of the year. Each calendar is an editable printable, and there are three versions:

• One has seasonal clip art,
• One has non-seasonal clip art, and
• One doesn’t have any clip art. Each month has a version that’s already full of activity ideas, along with a blank version (but you’re able to edit every single version).

Click on the image below to get your own set of preschool or kindergarten homework calendars from Preschool Teacher101:

Be sure to join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101’s waiting list . Members get access to all we have to offer – fully-developed lesson plans, digital games, dramatic play packs, circle time song activities, STEM challenges, and so much more!

Free Printable Preschool Homework Calendar

I’m happy to share one of my homework calendars with you. It’s even editable! That way, teachers (and parents!) can put their own spin on the homework.

How to Use the Activity Calendar

Grab the September homework calendar PDF and open it up. Click on any of the editable areas and make your own changes. You can change:

• The directions at the top of the calendar
• The date (just the number)
• Each of the homework tasks within the squares

Then print out the calendar and share with your students’ parents. You’re welcome to leave everything the way I’ve written it too. That’s what I am loving about editable PDFs – the flexibility of customizing documents.

Take a look at the homework calendars in action in the video below:

Get the Free Printable

This free printable preschool homework calendar is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community . If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable as a welcome gift!

You can also access the form in a new tab if you’d prefer.

Supplies to Keep at Home

Our homework calendars have some great examples of short learning prompts to give to challenge your children with. On top of those prompts, I think it’s really important to spend quality time playing with your children each day as well.

But it can be difficult to bring out our-inner child to play with our actual child. That’s why I’ve created this list of some things to play with your kids. Check it out below!

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

• Build with blocks
• Play with toy vehicles
• Pretend play with various play sets
• Play dress up with costumes and masks
• Work a puzzle
• Play age-appropriate games with the whole family
• Bounce, throw, and kick playground balls back and forth
• Color in coloring books or draw pictures
• Read stories
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Create crafts
• Let your child decide!

Just follow your child’s lead and the two of you are sure to have a blast! Remember – your child will cherish any time you spend with them. They’ll cherish that quality time even more when you’re investing in them and doing something they love. So don’t worry about embarrassing yourself or looking silly. In my book, the sillier – the better!

Originally published August 8, 2016

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August 8, 2016 at 10:52 pm

What a great idea and the clip art- so cute! I could definitely use this with my little ones!

August 9, 2016 at 12:39 am

Thanks so much, Dana!

August 9, 2016 at 9:27 am

will you have the rest of the months available? this is good!

August 9, 2016 at 10:46 am

Thanks so much, Mary! I’ll be working on the rest of the months soon, yes. Glad you like it. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 5:21 pm

I would love to win this CD! I am a preschool teacher and would use it for my class. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 6:39 pm

Wonderful, Stephanie! It’s pretty awesome. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 7:01 pm

Thank you so much. This calendar is perfect for “homework.” I’d love to buy the rest of your calendars, if you chose to create them!

August 9, 2016 at 9:19 pm

You’re so sweet, thanks Christina! I’ll be working on the rest of the calendars soon! 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 8:48 am

What an awesome calendar and a fun way for “homework” I would use the CD for my preschool room!

August 11, 2016 at 5:00 pm

Thanks, Olivia. 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 2:08 pm

As a kindergarten teacher that is reticent to give “homework,” this calendar is perfect! I can’t wait to utilize it and to see the future months.

I love making different signs and worksheets for my classroom to make things cute and bright and the Kiddlywinks CD would be perfect! No more searching! Thanks so much!

August 11, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Thanks, Maegan! It is a pretty versatile clip art collection! 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 11:33 pm

What a great idea. This is my kind of homework!

August 12, 2016 at 10:02 am

Thanks so much, Danielle!! 🙂

August 12, 2016 at 1:24 pm

Great giveaway! I would love to win and use for these for creating printable for my Homeschooling students.

August 13, 2016 at 9:51 am

Thanks, Jenny! 🙂

August 25, 2016 at 8:21 am

I would love to have the kidillywinks CD for newsletters and preschool activities. I love all of DJ Inkers ciparts and fonts! This CD has some really cute things! Thank you for the homework calendar!

August 26, 2016 at 10:36 pm

Glad you liked it! 🙂

September 19, 2016 at 2:30 pm

Hi!! I really like this calendar! Do you have the rest of the months? I have parent’s who WANT their children to have homework. So I have been looking for easy things to “assign” my 3s. Your calendar is PERFECT!!

September 22, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Thanks, Mary! 🙂 Yes, that’s part of why I started setting up homework too – parents and kiddos who want it coming home. I just updated this post so it has links to where to find the year’s worth of homework calendars , along with where to check out the Preschool Teacher 101 community .

September 19, 2016 at 3:19 pm

I absolutely love this Calendar and want to start using it with my preschool class. I look forward to seeing the other month Calendars that you create! Thank you so much for this!!! It’s such a great way to get the parents more involved.

September 22, 2016 at 12:09 pm

I’m so glad that you like the calendar, Sarah! I just updated this post with the information about where to grab the year’s worth of calendars –> Here at Preschool Teacher 101’s shop . I’d also love for you to check out the resource of Preschool Teacher 101 here .

September 24, 2016 at 9:51 am

Hi Mary Catherine! Love your blog! What a lovely job you’ve done. Was hoping to print out the calendar for use at home, but when I click the link it’s a blank template. Is there another link for the filled out version? Thanks so much and looking forward to following you! 🙂

September 24, 2016 at 8:35 pm

So glad you stopped by Fun-A-Day! 🙂 Here’s the direct link to the printable – https://fun-a-day.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Sept-Cal.pdf . It should pop up as a PDF with the ideas already in there (although you’d be able to edit it). Click in a box to change up the text if you’d like to. 🙂

September 27, 2016 at 1:51 pm

I want to buy your homework calendars but can’t figure out out to purchase them. I am able to put them in a cart but that is all. Do I have to purchase a membership in order to buy them?

September 28, 2016 at 10:41 pm

No, you don’t have to become a member to get the calendars. Once you’ve clicked “Add to Cart”, select “View Cart”. Then click on “proceed to checkout” and enter all the details regarding billing. If you are doing those steps and it is still not working please let me know specifically where you are having trouble, so I can help. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the calendars! 🙂

July 31, 2017 at 5:06 am

Any early childhood teacher that has had child development knows that that kind of pressure on young children is not age appropriate. I would not put recommend a preschool or kindergarten that required their students to do real homework.

I have sent home games that children really like and want to share with parents. I have also suggested games and activities that parents can do with their child to help develop a skill but I always emphasized the need to be careful not to force a child to do an activity.

July 31, 2017 at 11:21 am

Love your ideas! That’s why I like the activity calendars – suggestions for families but no stress if it gets done or not. Definitely no traditional homework (I honestly don’t like it for elementary school either).

September 29, 2022 at 11:12 am

How can I get October- May homework calendars? I will pay for them if you have them for sale on your site. I love your philosophy about hands-on age appropriate activities to foster the love of learning.

October 4, 2022 at 9:49 am

Hi Kristen! You can get an entire year’s worth in our Preschool Teacher 101 shop here . They’re all editable and come with variations for you to choose from. Thanks so much for the kind words! That’s exactly what these are meant to be – hands-on activities that encourage kids and families.

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Homework in Preschool and Kindergarten

Homework from vanessa on Vimeo .

Preschool Homework

To do or not to do, that is the question! The topic of homework for young children is one that is fiercely debated in the field of early childhood education. Many parents and administrators are all for it, many teachers are against it.

Some schools mandate homework for Pre-K because they think it’s going to close the achievement gap, others do it because they think parents “expect it” and still others assign homework because it’s what they’ve always done. There’s a little something here for everyone, no matter what your situation.

Different types of homework has been shown to benefit different populations. The type of program you work in may also dictate the type of homework you send home, if any.

Parents and Homework

My goal for homework in my own classroom is to support and encourage parents as partners in their child’s education. It is my responsibility as the teacher to teach the required skills, but it is the parent’s job to help support me in my efforts. In other words, “It takes a village…” Some parents need more help and encouragement than others, it is also my job to offer that help and encouragement to those who need it.

Reading Aloud to Children as Homework

If you’re interested in reading more on this topic I encourage you to check out the online book study I hosted for The Read-Aloud Handbook .

Meaningful Homework Activities for Parents to Do With Children

The book Just Right Homework Activities for Pre-K offers many meaningful activities that parents can do at home with their children. It includes detailed instructions for parents for each activity as well as blackline masters.

Structured Homework

When working with Title 1 and programs that serve at-risk populations it may be necessary to provide parent training through educational sessions. All parents want to help their children, but not all parents know how to do so.

I created the video at the top of this page to show to parents at our “Homework Help” educational session.

Printable Personalized Practice Cards

With just one click of a button in ESGI , you can quickly generate parent letters for each child in your class along with corresponding flash cards, specifically aligned to each child’s individual needs.

Click HERE to try ESGI free for 60 days and use promo code PREKPAGES to save $40 off your first year!

In the beginning, some components of a structured homework program might include:

• First Name Identification & Writing Practice
• Number Identification and Counting
• Color Recognition- for those that need it
• Shape Recognition-for those that need it
• Letter Recognition
• Books for parents to read aloud to their child (See my take-home book program )

As young children mature and their needs change some changes to the homework may be necessary, such as:

• Last Name Identification & Writing Practice
• Sight Words (for those who are ready)
• Number identification, 20 and up
• Rhyming and other phonemic awareness skills
• Letter sounds

Of course, differentiation for students performing above or below grade level expectations should always be taken into consideration when assigning homework.

How Do I Get Started Setting Up a Homework Program?

Step 1 : Prepare your materials. Prepare the following materials to give to each child.

• Name Card and Letter Tiles : Prepare a name card for every student using ABC Print Arrow font (see resources section) then print on cardstock and laminate. You could also use a sentence strip and a permanent to create name cards. You can use letter tiles from Wal-Mart or Staples or you can cut a matching sentence strip apart between the letters to make the name puzzle.

• Number Flash Cards: You can use a simple font to type the numbers into a document in Word, print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost. You can also find free, printable number flash cards on-line.

• Letter Flash Cards: The letter flash cards at left were made in Word using the ABC Print font, just print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings. Don’t forget to make one set of upper and one set of lowercase. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost.

• Color Flash Cards: The color flash cards pictured above were made by placing color stickers on paper. You can also find free, printable color flash cards on-line. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost.
• Shape Flash Cards: You can also find free, printable shape flash cards on-line. Just print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings.

Step 2: Next, you will need to create a system to communicate what activities you expect your students to do each night. One of the most effective ways to do this is by creating a monthly “Homework Calendar.”

You can download free calendars online that you can customize to meet your needs. In each space on the calendar indicate which activities you want parents to focus on each night, this helps parents from becoming overwhelmed. At the bottom of each space on the calendar there is a place for parents to sign indicating they have helped their child complete the assigned tasks. You can mark each space with a stamp or sticker to indicate your acknowledgement of homework completion. The homework calendars are kept in our  BEAR books and carried back and forth by the child each day in his or her backpack.

If this method is too much for you then you may prefer the simpler Reading Log method .

Step 3: To implement a successful Pre-K Homework Program in your classroom you must meet with all the parents to explain your program. Do not expect your program to be successful without this critical component. Have an informational meeting or “Parent Night” and send home flyers to invite the parents. Make sure to include this event in your weekly newsletter as well.

When having parent education sessions such as this it is best to have some sort of prior arrangements made for the students and siblings to be outside of the classroom in an alternate location so the parents can focus on the information that is being presented.

• After parents have arrived and you have welcomed them and thanked them for attending, show them the homework video (see top of page).
• Next, use your document camera to show them the actual materials they will be receiving. Model how to use the materials and how to do each activity they were shown in the video.
• Show them a sample homework calendar and what to do with it.
• Explain your system for sending materials home in detail, for example will materials be sent home in a bag or a folder?
• Make sure parents thoroughly understand the purpose and expectations for your homework program as well as your system.
• Allow parents to ask questions and thank them again for attending.

You could also create a video like the one at the top of this page to show to parents.

Additional Information:

• Homework should last no more than 5-10 minutes total each night including the book that parents read to their child.
• Worksheets should never be sent home as homework. This sends the message to parents that worksheets are an acceptable form of “work” and it is a good teaching practice when the exact opposite is true.
• Homework at this age should be fun and children should enjoy doing it. Advise parents that if their child does not seem to enjoy homework time they should make an appointment to see you so you can help them determine what is wrong and how to make it fun.
• Emphasize that reading to their children every day is the single most important thing they can do as parents. It is also highly recommended that you show the parents one of the following short video clips about the importance of reading to their children:

How to Help Your Child Read (English) How to Read Out Loud to Your Preschooler (English) Como ayudar a tu hijo leer (Spanish)

Homework Links

• Homework Tip Sheet
• Name homework explanation
• Ways to Help Your Child Learn the Alphabet at Home
• Supporting Math Skills at Home

More Teaching Tips from Pre-K Pages

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Fun Family Projects for Kindergarten: Ideas and Tips

As you know, I’m not a fan of assigning daily homework in kindergarten .  However, I still think it’s very important to involve families in learning experiences at home with their children.  One of my favorite ways to provide these experiences at home is through family projects!  In this post, I’m going to share some tips and ideas for using family projects for kindergarten. You’ll be able to use these ideas to engage families in learning at home!

What are Family Projects?

Family projects are fun activities that give students a learning experience at home.  These projects are typically done either monthly or quarterly. Students are usually sent home with an instruction sheet along with a task that they need to complete at home with their families.  

There are several benefits of using family projects for kindergarten students:

• Set the Tone: Since this is a child’s first year of being in elementary school, this can set the tone for family involvement! It shows students (and their families) that learning doesn’t only happen at school!
• Encourage Communication: Students are able to practice their communication skills as they discuss their vision for the project with family members.  Students can also use their communication skills as they describe their completed project to their teacher and classmates.
• Homework Alternative : As mentioned before, I’m not a proponent of daily kindergarten homework.  Family projects are a great way to involve parents in their child’s education without the need for homework every evening.
• Create Classroom Community: When students all complete the same project away from school, they are so excited to return to school and see what their classmates have come up with!  This is a fun way to create a sense of community in your classroom.
• Make Memories: Projects can be a fun way for students to make positive memories with their families! (Are you worried that these projects will make stressful memories instead of pleasant ones?  Keep reading for some tips to make this a smooth experience for families!)

Tips for Successful Family Projects in Kindergarten

Before you start sending home projects with your students, I have a few tips. There are several things you can do to make this a great experience for your students and their families.

1. Make Them Seasonal

I suggest using seasonal family projects whenever possible. By using activities that are relevant to the current season, you can channel the holiday excitement into a fun family experience. Here are a few seasonal family projects that I’ve done with my students:

• Build a Jack-o-Lantern
• Disguise a Turkey
• Design a Holiday Sweater
• Disguise a Gingerbread Man
• Design a 100th Day T-Shirt

2. Be Consistent

Routine is important for students and their families, so it’s helpful if you can be consistent in the family projects.  From the timing to the instruction sheets, consistency can make the experience more routine and predictable. If the overall experience is similar each time, families will know what to expect when they hear that you’re sending home a family project!

3. Give Students a Chance to Share

As a parent, if I knew a completed family project was just going to sit in a turn-in basket, it would squash some of the fun.  I’m sure I’m not alone! I think that families are more motivated to complete a project together when they know it will be discussed in class or displayed somewhere.

There are many ways that you can give students a chance to share their completed family projects!  Students can share them in a show-and-tell format at circle time.  You could also hang up the projects for some seasonal classroom decor!  Classroom projects also make great seasonal bulletin boards, which parents can see when they come to visit. You could also save each project and bind them into a book to send home. This makes a great keepsake at the end of the year!

4. Don’t Stress About Student Completion

While it should be communicated to families that the projects should be completed together (including the student), you don’t need to analyze each project to see how much was completed by the child.  The point of these learning experiences is to get the families involved, whatever that looks like for each family.

Some teachers might worry that these family project displays will look like a Pinterest-inspired competition between parents.  Even if a project comes back looking Pinterest-perfect, at least that means someone put time and energy into the project.  You never know, the student could have cruised Pinterest with their parent until finding the inspiration for their project.  

5. Keep It Simple

Finally, it’s important to keep family projects simple.  When parents see these activities come home in their child’s take-home folder, you don’t want them to groan in frustration. A family project should not be a time-consuming hardship! Instead, it should be a simple but fun learning activity for them to complete together.

One way that I like to simplify projects is to make it possible for families to complete with just crayons and writing utensils if necessary.  There is no need for them to cut out anything or use additional supplies unless they WANT to.  This is especially helpful for students who might not have a lot of family involvement in completing the projects.

Printable Family Projects for Kindergarten

Would you like to use family projects to engage your families in learning at home? I have put together a bundle of seasonal activities for students to complete with their families.  This bundle includes 11 different projects to choose from, so you can keep the fun going all year long! Each project includes a digital and print version, so you can choose which format works best for your students. These activities can also be completed in class!

If you’d like to take a closer look at everything included in this resource, you can find it in the Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers .

Save These Family Project Ideas

Would you like to come back to this post?  Be sure to add this pin to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest!  You can quickly find these family project ideas and resources whenever you need them.

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