Homeschool: How to plan
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I recently had a reader email some questions regarding homeschool scheduling. Specifically, she was wondering how I knew what to teach each year…how to make sure you are covering all the bases. I thought I would just share some things that have helped me over the years. While it is good to take our plans to the Lord and allow Him to guide our steps, it does help to have some sort of framework to start with…a set of “benchmarks” that can guide us as our children move from one grade to another.
First off, I want make clear that there is no one way that is the “right” way to homeschool. There are as many different “ways” as there are homeschooling families! So…with that understanding, there are many different “scope and sequences” or “courses of study” out there, depending on the method of homeschooling you choose, the curriculum company you choose, etc. There are basically two different ways you can put together your homeschool curriculum for your kids:
#1 – BUY ALL YOUR CURRICULUM FROM ONE COMPANY: If you choose to buy all your curriculum from one curriculum company, then you basically follow their course of study by purchasing the materials they suggest for each year.
#2 – PUT TOGETHER YOUR OWN CURRICULUM: If you choose to pick and choose materials from different curriculum companies, then there is more of a need to have some sort of “guide” to go by.
I fall in the #2 option above, as I have enjoyed the freedom of picking and choosing materials that interest me and my kids through the years. We have enjoyed quite a variety of materials from lots of different curriculum companies. Now I want to share a few resources that you can use as a “guide” when scheduling the curriculum for your children. Some of these are free online, some you have to purchase. Just remember, these “guides” are to be tools only. Use them as a starting point to plan your year, but allow the Lord to guide you as you plan according to your own child’s needs, interests, and skill!
FREE SCOPE & SEQUENCES or COURSES OF STUDY:
Abeka – Scope & Sequence for Preschool through Grade 12 (PDF file)
World Book Typical Course of Study – Preschool through Grade 12
Bob Jones University Scope & Sequence (PDF file)
Classical Christian Homeschooling Scope & Sequence
Veritas Press Curriculum Guides
Scope & Sequence from ACE (PDF file)
Simply Charlotte Mason’s Curriculum Guide
Trivium Pursuit’s Suggested Course of Study
RESOURCES TO BUY:
What Your Child Needs to Know When by Robin Sampson
Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum by Rebecca Rupp
The Three R’s (Grades K-3) by Ruth Beechick
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8 by Ruth Beechick
I know there is a wealth of resources here to wade through, but choose one that fits your method of homeschooling, then use that as a guide when planning your curriculum for the year. This year I am using the Ambleside Online’s Grade 1 suggestions as a guide for my 1st grader. It should be fun!
Happy planning for the new school year!
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