A social-emotional curriculum for homeschool kindergarten
Most kindergarten curricula cover reading, math and science well. Anger, fear, waiting and "I can't do it" usually get a line in the parent guide, if that. This is a twelve-week block for that part of the day: two 20-minute lessons a week, one key phrase per week, and a three-minute app your child uses on their own.
Sign in with a code from your email — no password, no card. Three lessons are open without signing in.
Why it fits a homeschool week
Sits beside any curriculum
It doesn't teach letters or numbers, so it doesn't compete with what you already use. Two 20-minute lessons a week, on days that suit you.
Scripted for the parent
Each lesson has the aim, the materials, a minute-by-minute flow, the exact sentences to say, what not to say, and how to tell it landed. No prep beyond reading it once.
Secular
Built on ideas from Stoic philosophy — what's in my control, courage, fairness, not giving up — in a five-year-old's words. No religious content, so it works in any family.
Light on screens
The lessons are hands-on: two baskets, a paper button, a scarf for a wave. The child's app takes about three minutes a day and ends the session itself.
What a week looks like
Two lessons, a few one-minute moments, nothing to grade. A sample week — move the days to fit your schedule.
| Monday | Lesson one of the week | 20 min |
| Tuesday | Daily mission in the app, and the key phrase once when it fits | 3 min |
| Wednesday | Daily mission; an evening question at bedtime | 3–5 min |
| Thursday | Lesson two of the week | 20 min |
| Friday | Daily mission; notice one moment the phrase was used | 3 min |
The 12 weeks
Three months, four weeks each. Every week has two lessons and one key phrase the whole family uses.
What's In My Power
Your child learns to tell apart what depends on them and what doesn't, and gets their first tool against anger — the Pause.
“That's in my basket.”
Two Baskets — What depends on me
Wind and Sail — What doesn't depend on me: take it and let it go
“My dragon woke up.”
The Dragon Inside — Meeting anger
The Pause Button — The gap between what happens and what I do
“Right now I feel…”
Weather Inside — Naming what I feel
The Wave — A big feeling always passes
“I thought it — and then I got mad.”
It's Not the Thing, It's the Thought — What happened → what I thought → how I felt
The Basket Tournament — Everything from month one, at speed
The Compass: Four Strengths
Courage, wisdom, self-command and fairness stop being words and become things you do. This month aims squarely at fears and at "I want it now".
“Brave means scared and doing it anyway.”
Courage — Scared doesn't mean stop
The Bravery Ladder — One small step into the fear
“Is this big or is this small?”
Wisdom — What matters and what doesn't
True or Made Up — Checking a fear against the facts
“I'm the boss of my want.”
Boss of My Want — "I want it now" and the ability to wait
Enough — Noticing what's already here
“I play fair.”
Fair Play — Fair means the same rules for everyone
Stepping In — We were made for each other
The Obstacle Is the Way
Your child learns to not give up, to change the plan, and to notice what they already have. The course closes with a set of rules they write themselves.
“Not yet.”
Not Yet — A mistake is practice, not a verdict
Two Roads — Heracles at the crossroads
“Oh good! Now I can…”
"Oh no!" → "Oh good!" — The obstacle becomes the way
Plan B — When it all goes wrong
“I'm glad this is here.”
Imagine It's Gone — Noticing by subtracting
The View From Above — Looking at it from higher up
“This is who I am.”
My Fort — The rules I keep
The Little Stoic's Day — Finishing it properly
How it maps to CASEL
CASEL's five competencies are the framework most U.S. schools use for social-emotional learning. If you report on it, or just want to see the coverage, here's where each one is practiced.
| Competency | Where it's practiced |
|---|---|
| Self-awareness | Weather Inside, the dragon, thought → feeling (weeks 2–4) |
| Self-management | The pause button, the wave, waiting tricks, the bravery ladder (weeks 2, 3, 5, 7) |
| Social awareness | Two puppets, two thoughts; stepping in; imagine it's gone (weeks 4, 8, 11) |
| Relationship skills | Fair play, stepping in, class rules (week 8) |
| Responsible decision-making | Two baskets, big or small, two roads, plan B (weeks 1, 6, 9, 10) |
What you get
- 24 scripted lessons — aim, materials, flow, exact wording, common mistakes, signs it landed, and what to do if it didn't.
- A parent's handbook: the developmental psychology of ages 5–6 in plain language, and what to say instead of the things most of us say.
- The child's app: 24 illustrated audio stories (your child doesn't need to read), daily missions, evening questions and a fort built a brick at a time. Works offline.
- Free printables: sorting cards, a pause button to cut out, a feelings chart, a calm-down poster and more.
- A list of picture books that go with the lessons. They're optional; every lesson works without them.
If you keep records
- 24 lessons of about 20 minutes: roughly 8 hours of direct instruction over 12 weeks, plus the short daily practice.
- Each lesson states its aim and lists the signs it landed, so a short note per lesson is enough for a portfolio or a log.
- The things your child makes — the two baskets, the weather map, the compass, the fort — are natural portfolio pieces.
- Check your own state's requirements; this is a supplement, not a full kindergarten program.
Questions from homeschool parents
Is this a full kindergarten curriculum?
No. It covers the social-emotional part only: feelings, self-control, courage, fairness and not giving up. Use it alongside whatever you use for reading, math and the rest.
What ages is it for?
It's written for ages 5–6. Some four-year-olds and some seven-year-olds enjoy it too; you know your child best. The stories are narrated, so reading isn't needed.
How long does it take?
Two lessons of about 20 minutes a week for 12 weeks, plus about three minutes a day in the app. Many families run it as one term and repeat favorite lessons later.
Is it religious?
No. It draws on Stoic philosophy — Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius — as practical ideas, with no religious content. Families of any faith or none can use it.
Do I need to buy materials?
No. Each lesson lists what you need, and it's almost always things you already have: two baskets or boxes, paper, a scarf, a flashlight, building blocks. Books are optional.
Can siblings do it together?
The lessons are written for one parent and one child, but most activities are games that a younger or older sibling can join. Keep the 20 minutes; it gets harder to hold attention with more children.
Can we start mid-year?
Yes. It's twelve weeks, so it fits any term. Start with week one — later lessons build on the two baskets and the pause button.
What does it cost?
It's free right now, while the course is new. You sign in with a code from your email; there's no card and no trial to cancel.
Questions about fitting it into your year? Write to hello [at] raisingstoics [dot] com.