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Homeschool Plans 2015/16

13 July, 2015; Filed Under: homeschool

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:

Homeschool Plans 2015

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.

1st and 3rd

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.

9th grade

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.

. . . . . . . . .

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.

Jamie

Wife, mama, homeschooler, dog-wrangler. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and strength coach. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.

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Dawn
Dawn
13 July, 2015 7:00 am

I love your opening lines. I do think boundless optimism is the key. Your plans are great. I never stick to everything either. I also tend to plan to much so we never get to everything.
Blessings, Dawn

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Judy
Judy
13 July, 2015 10:31 am

I too have found a problem with TT once we hit Pre-Algebra. I thought it was just me but more and more I am seeing people say something. My son press through pre-algebra and has been working on algebra……PAINFUL! In my home, I use 80% as our benchmark for math. If they score less than 80 then the lesson gets deleted and they do it over the next day. I want to make sure they really understand a lesson before moving on. I found with algebra 1 my son was having to do a lesson sometimes 3 times before getting… Read more ยป

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Jamie
Jamie
Author
Reply to  Judy
13 July, 2015 10:54 am

We used Saxon one year when Kathryn was younger. Third grade, I think? Anyway, it’s a great program, but pretty rigorous. I think the problem was I followed it too closely, made her do more than was really necessary, and she ended up hating it. Many of my friends love and highly recommend it, though!

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Angela
Angela
13 July, 2015 2:42 pm

I’m going to possibly steal your plan since I know that we do things very similarly. Because we’ve been dealing with medical issues, my school planning has gone to the bottom of the list. I just need someone that knows our style to do it for me ๐Ÿ™‚

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Jamie
Jamie
Author
Reply to  Angela
22 July, 2015 12:55 pm

Emailed you; let’s get together and chat in real life soon!

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Kellie
Kellie
23 July, 2015 5:36 pm

I loved doing a 50 states notebook with my kids. Ah, those were the days. ๐Ÿ™‚ Have a wonderful school year and thanks for sharing — I didn’t realize until I saw your post that they start the blog hop up in July now, so I just got mine up a week late. Now, off to clean the school room. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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felicia
felicia
4 August, 2015 6:34 pm

do you write out a daily schedule to go by for the day? i saw the workbox post with the file folders and spiral notebook .. this is my first year homeschooling my daughter 2nd grade and i really want to try these things out. i also have made up a block schedule but i dont want to stress myself out doing to much organization! haha

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