Last week, I submitted our paperwork for homeschooling, which meant I needed to nail down our plans for the coming year. I'll share what we're planning to do, but... please realize that these are plans that are designed for my family, not yours! I truly believe each family is unique and should make homeschooling decisions that serve them. That's all to say, feel free to use my choices as inspiration, but don't set out to follow them!
Here's what we're aiming to do, with links (not affiliate links) when I could add them.
Math: The eldest will do Math Mammoth, which has worked well for us. It's inexpensive and structured in such a way that it can be self-taught with a parent helping along as needed. We've never bought the quizzes/tests. My youngest will finish Miquon Math. This program is very hands-on, and to be honest, it wouldn't be a great fit for most families or students, but it has worked well with my youngest. It doesn't have any formal text or teaching aids, but with my math degree, I find no problem in using the worksheets as I see fit. Even so, I was hoping we might transition to Beast Academy, an expensive but top-notch curriculum designed by the Art of Problem Solving folks who excel in providing advanced math programs. But my youngest wants to stick with Miquon, so we'll finish it out.
Language Arts: We'll integrate some writing projects with our other studies. I have Brave Writer materials to help. My youngest will continue with All About Spelling and handwriting with Zaner-Bloser. We'll continue phonics using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. My eldest will work on vocabulary with Wordly Wise and we'll incorporate more essay writing.
History: We'll be covering US History this year. I purchased The History of US by Joy Hakim both in physical copy and on audio.
Science: We're going to try unit studies that supplement what my kids learn in their once-a-week program. I'll have to wait to find out the exact topics they are studying this year, but we have science books and nonfiction resources in our house, so I'm not too concerned about finding any materials right now.
Fine Arts: Both my kids will have drama and art as part of a weekly program. The eldest will continue orchestra and start choir, and the youngest will continue piano. We also have the Artistic Pursuits K-3 program to dip into.
Foreign Language: My family probably does more in this area than many families, but that's because my kids LOVE foreign languages. My eldest requested to learn four (!) languages this year. We'll use Latin for Children, Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek, and Babbel for French and Spanish. My youngest will try Song School Spanish. We've used both Song School Latin and Greek in the past, but this will be our first time with the Spanish program.
This looks like a lot. Maybe it will be and we will trim as the year goes on. But many of these subjects we will not do every day, but take small steps here and there.
How about you? Do you have your plans for the coming school year? I'd love to hear about your favorite programs. You can use my contact form to connect. If you want to stay in the loop to have this kind of content delivered to your inbox, join my email list and receive a free guide to help you rock your homeschool!
