Homeschool Plans 2015/16

Yay! Homeschool planning time is so much fun, no matter how the previous year ended; I’ve decided being a homeschool mom requires boundless optimism and just a touch of amnesia.

In the beginning of my journey as a homeschool mom, I got SO excited about curriculum. I still do, somewhat, but now I realize it’s really just a means to an end. All those pretty catalogs make it hard to remember it’s not THE THING. The real THING is all the new school supplies! {Okay, not really — but I do get a little giddy about new notebooks and pens.}

Anyway, without further ado, let’s talk about my plans for this year’s homeschool year!

This year’s Homeschool Plans:

First, a shout out to our littlest mascot, Piper the BatDog, formerly a tornado with fur. She is, without a doubt, my most-improved student.

We don’t follow a rigid schedule, but I’ve learned by trial and error that we need a basic routine. That part of the planning is the hardest part for me, because finding a happy medium is key. When I get that figured out, and once it survives real-life, I’ll share more about what’s working for us.

*Disclosure: some links in this post are affiliate links.

For my elementary kids:

Continuing our relaxed style of learning (or core phase), we’ll stick to the basics for both Scout and Jem: copywork, read-alouds, nature studies and nature journaling. Done right, this covers literature, science, handwriting, grammar, vocabulary, and social studies. Charlotte Mason is my BFF for the elementary years.

For elementary math, I plan to use the lessons at Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool, supplemented with worksheets from various sources.

Jem (age 6) is interested in reading. Although I’m not concerned about whether or not he reads this year, we’ll try Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and see how easily he picks it up; if he’s not ready, we’ll shelve it and revisit in a few months.

In addition to the basics, I’ll have Scout (almost 8) create a notebook about the 50 states. Because she loves writing, I’m going to let her have a go at Story Starters. Scout is a smart girl, but still has so much to overcome from her early years; more than anything academic, overall maturity is where I most hope to see notable progress this year.

The extras: Scout and Jem will both participate in Children’s Choir at church, and Choi Kwang Do (with Kathryn). We’ll incorporate art and field trips and such throughout the year, too.

For my high schooler:

Since Kathryn (age 14) has already been doing some high school level subjects, this is not a big transition except in regards to more thorough record keeping for the purposes of a transcript.

Kathryn’s basic subjects:

• Northstar Geography by Bright Ideas Press
• Apologia’s Physical Science
• English: Communicating Effectively by Rod and Staff
• A big ‘ol list of good literature
• Visual Latin 1 from Compass Classroom
• Math: we’re still on the fence about this. Maybe Khan Academy so she can go at her own pace. Maybe a basic textbook recommended from a former math teacher. Though we loved Teaching Textbooks for a number of years, it just wasn’t working for her last year for Pre-Algebra.

Kathryn’s “extras” are enrichment classes and her own hobbies/interests, including: Choi Kwang Do, creative pursuits (like crochet), astronomy, ukelele lessons, and life skills — like driving! {Pardon me if I hyperventilate a little.}

One of the best things about homeschooling:

If something isn’t working, we’ll change it. No problem, no pressure, no appeal process. There’s never been a year when I’ve stuck to 100% of everything planned, and that’s 100% okay. I won’t change on a whim, but if it’s really not working for us, I won’t force it just because it was on The Plan.

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Although I write on a variety of topics, sharing about our homeschool is the original reason I started blogging; subscribe to my weekly email updates if you’d like to follow along.

If homeschool moms enjoy anything more than new school supplies, it might be reading about other homeschoolers’ plans. Find more at iHN’s Not Back-to-School blog hop, and link up your own.