Back to School in Homeschooling with The Kissing Hand

Back-to-School Homeschooling with The Kissing Hand

The first days of a new homeschool year are full of excitement and a little nervousness—for both parents and children. When my kids feel uncertain or shy about starting fresh, I turn to a special story that always brings comfort and warmth: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

This gentle book tells the story of Chester Raccoon, who worries about going to school until his mother shares a secret—the “kissing hand” that will remind him of her love all day long. It’s a perfect way to talk about feelings, courage, and reassurance at the start of any school year.

To make the story even more meaningful, I created a Kissing Hand printable pack designed for early elementary children. It includes:

• Word Search — fun practice with important vocabulary from the story

• Character Analysis — encouraging kids to think about how Chester feels and why

• Tracing Pages — handwriting practice that connects to the book’s theme

• Matching Game — a playful way to boost memory and story comprehension

These activities are simple to prepare and use, making them ideal for busy homeschool mornings or quiet afternoons. You can find the full pack here:
👉 The Kissing Hand Pack – Word Search, Character Analysis, Tracing, and Matching

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Creating a Gentle Morning Routine

Starting the day with a calm, predictable routine helps children feel safe and ready to learn. Here’s a gentle morning routine I use alongside The Kissing Hand activities:

Morning Routine Chart

Start Your Homeschool Day with Calm & Connection

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1. Storytime Connection

Read The Kissing Hand or another favorite book together.

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2. Focused Activity

Pick one page from the Kissing Hand printable pack:

• Word Search

• Character Analysis

• Tracing

• Matching

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3. Gentle Transition

Use a calming signal to move on:

• Ring a bell or chime

• Play soft music

• Dim the lights or light a candle

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4. Encouragement Moment

Share a kind phrase, like:

• “You are loved and ready to learn.”

• “We’re going to have a wonderful day.”

• “I’m proud of you.”

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How to Use:

• Use a clothespin or dry-erase marker to check off steps.

• Keep the pace relaxed—this routine is about connection, not rushing.

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This approach helps my children settle their worries, build literacy skills, and feel connected before starting the day’s learning. I hope it brings as much comfort and joy to your homeschool mornings as it does to ours!

Confidence with Phonics Practice

Helping Kids Build Confidence with Phonics Practice

One of the biggest challenges I’ve seen when teaching reading is helping kids build confidence while tackling tricky phonics patterns. It’s so important for them to practice sounds like blends, digraphs, and vowel teams, but it can quickly become frustrating if the activities feel boring or overwhelming.

That’s why I created the Sound Star Challenge, a simple but engaging game designed to make phonics practice something kids actually want to do. The game breaks down different sound patterns into manageable columns of words — like “ch,” “th,” “igh,” “magic e,” and more — so kids can focus on one sound at a time. Each column has about 10 words, and the goal is to read as many as possible correctly to earn a star. Once they earn five stars, they get to celebrate by choosing a book to read that uses many of the same sounds. It’s a fun way to motivate steady progress.

What I really love about this game is the flexibility. The words can be read right from the page or cut apart and arranged on a table or floor, making the practice more hands-on. You can mix and match the columns, too, so you can adjust the challenge to fit your child’s current needs. Whether you’re homeschooling, tutoring, or just looking for a fresh way to help your child practice reading, this game is easy to set up and really effective.

If you’re interested, the Sound Star Challenge is available on Teachers Pay Teachers. It includes everything you need—a cover page, clear instructions, 25 columns of words covering essential phonics patterns, and a star tracker to celebrate progress.

I’ve seen how consistent practice with activities like this builds not just skill but also confidence. And confidence is half the battle when it comes to reading. If you want to check it out, here’s the link:

[https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Word-Work-Challenge-Blends-Digraphs-Silent-E-Vowel-Teams-Reading-14151542](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Word-Work-Challenge-Blends-Digraphs-Silent-E-Vowel-Teams-Reading-14151542)

Reading should feel rewarding, and this game is one small way to help that happen. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it works for your family or students!