Often my homeschool plans are too ambitious. Other times they are reasonable, but unexpected things happen. In fact, last year, for various reasons, we were completely unable to meet our learning goals.
Now, after reading Crazy Busy, I’m deliberately scaling my expectations way, way back as I plan our school year. Hopefully this will lead to a year that is both more productive and less stressful, as I was hoping when I wrote ‘Relax about Schoolwork’ . It should also make learning more fun for everyone. At the very minimum, it will give us margin in case we again meet unexpected time challenges.
Keeping in mind that God may have other plans, here is what we hope to learn in the next school year. (Note: almost all links are to my reviews or blog posts; as usual there are no affiliate links.)
Learning we are doing together:
- We are continuing our multi-year Canadian history study. Although we will continue to do a lot of reading as well as learn from movies, museums, and projects, this year we will focus on textbooks as well. I’m also excited about having the girls make personalized, interactive timelines using Tiki-Toki.
- Bible: memory and reading
- Read alouds: Dutch, history, church history, novels
- Nature study/walks: with some guidance from Handbook of Nature Study, Ambleside Online, and Classical Astronomy
- Everyday French: 52 Weeks of Family French, Powerglide
- Documentaries: Canada: A People’s History; Chemistry 101; Blue Planet; Planet Earth; How Should We Then Live; Amazing Grace; Moody Science Videos; Foundations in Personal Finance; Canadian history and travel videos
- Movies: plays, including Shakespeare; other quality movies
Grade 12
Note: Miss 16’s courses may change emphasis depending on what she plans to study in the future.
Bible: Omnibus 6; finish Bible book summary project; study several of the following: A House for My Name (Old Testament); Total Truth, Truth Matters, The Church Preserved Through Fires; 40 Most Influential Christians; Amazing Grace (DVD).
Math: Pre-calculus (Singapore NEM #4 and NAM and/or Life of Fred, Math on DVD Pre-Calculus); Calculus (NAM and/or Life of Fred, Math on DVD Calculus 1); CEMC math competitions; math reading
English: Literature (Omnibus 6); writing (Format Writing, quick essays); grammar (Our Mother Tongue); How to Read a Book; book club.
Science: Apologia Physics; science reading and reports, Sir Isaac Newton physics competition.
French: Finish BJUP French 2; Begin French Three Years; Rosetta Stone; French reading; Do 52 weeks of Family French as a family.
Dutch: Stories, vocabulary, Rosetta Stone
Canadian History: Challenge and Survival, Canadian History for Dummies, and A Short History of Canada, with a focus on living books, museums, and Canadian history DVDs
World History: Modern times, ideas, and culture as part of Omnibus 6
Civics: Christian Citizenship Guide, current events
Logic: Finish James Madison Critical Thinking Course
PE: Daily exercise
Music: organ; continue to learn basic music history and terms
Guidance and Career: Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers; Foundations in Personal Finance (DVDs only); review How to Raise Your High School Grades by Half a Point in One Semester
Contests: CEMC math competitions; Royal Canadian Legion poster, essay, and/or poetry competition; Sir Isaac Newton physics competition
Grade 9
Bible: Write summaries of 16 Bible books; study these same books using Omnibus and Candle Bible Handbook
Math: Complete Key to Algebra; complete Singapore NEM #1 and #2; CEMC math competitions; math reading and reports
English: Literature ( English Literature for Boys and Girls, BJUP Fundamentals of Literature) Grammar and writing (Format Writing; Rod and Staff Grammar ; quick essays); dictionary based spelling and vocabulary; How to Read a Book;
Science: Apologia Biology; Science Roots; science reading and reports
French: BJUP French 1; Rosetta Stone French; French reading; Do 52 Weeks of Family French as a family;
Dutch: Stories, vocabulary, Rosetta Stone written work
Canadian History: The Homeworks Guide to the Story of Canada, with hints from Modern History Through Canadian Eyes, Canadian History for Dummies, and a focus on living books, museums, and Canadian history DVDs.
World History: Complete Streams of Civilization 1; study Streams of Civilization 2; (Note: there is a heavy world and church history load due to not completing last year’s work)
Church History: Continue Sketches from Church History. Begin Trial and Triumph.
Logic: The Thinking Toolbox
Computer: Finish Windows Programming from Kid Coder; also do Game Programming; CEMC computing competition;
Penmanship and copywork: Poetry from The Book of Virtues and from the Bible
Keyboarding: Goal for the year: 40 words per minute touch typing
PE: judo; maybe swimming and soccer
Art: Picture study from Ambleside Online, related art history reading
Music: Organ, guitar; composer study from Ambleside Online; music history, listening, and concepts
CM learning: composer study, art study, nature study, Shakespeare
Guidance and career: Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers; Foundations in Personal Finance (DVDs only); How to Raise Your High School Grades by Half a Point in One Semester
Contests: CEMC mathematics and computer competitions; Royal Canadian Legion poster, essay, and/or poetry competition; track and field
Grade 7
Bible: Show Me Thy Ways #6
Math: Complete Decimals, Percents, and Metric Measurement, all from the Key to… Series; Drill with Math Score; review with Singapore Math 4a-6b and Singapore PSLE study; math reading and reports. (Note that this will be a heavy math year because Miss 11 is significantly behind but she seems able to do the work now.)
English: Writing (Wordsmith); Literature (English Literature for Boys and Girls, Pilot Literature 1); Grammar (Rod and Staff Grammar ); spelling (use word lists in Rod and Staff Spelling 6)
Science: Apologia General Science; science reading and reports
French: French is Fun 1; French Rosetta Stone; Do 52 weeks of Family French as a family;
Dutch: Stories, vocabulary, Rosetta Stone
Canadian History: Canadian History: A Coloring Study Book (an early version of Courage and Conquest) with hints from Modern History through Canadian Eyes and a focus on living books, museums, and Canadian history DVDs; Timeline
Penmanship and copywork: Presidential Penmanship or selections from books we are studying
Typing: continue with Gentle Shepherd Touch Typing
PE: judo, maybe swimming and soccer
Art: Artpack 6; Picture study from Ambleside Online, related art history reading
Music: organ, guitar, recorder; basic history and listening and terms
CM learning: composer study, art study, nature study, Shakespeare (Nesbitt, Lamb)
Contests: Royal Canadian Legion poster, essay, and/or poetry competition; CEMC math competition; track and field
—
For more about Homeschooling in general, you can visit the Carnival of Homeschooling. For more about classical education, please visit Trivium Tuesdays.
Looks like a great list.
My oldest daughter will be using Omnibus VI this year as a resource for her study of the Great Books. I like that it has background material and plenty of questions to choose from for our discussions. 🙂
Looks like a challenging and engaging year of study for all of your children!
Did you like Crazy Busy? I guess I should go read your review =) Kevin DeYoung lives within an hour or so from me and I was able to hear him speak at a conference last year. My husband and I really enjoyed learning from him!
I am homeschooling a 7th grader this year. Just curious…do you study each subject everyday or do you break it up? This is our second year of homeschool and I find great inspiration from reading these types of articles 🙂
We like Omnibus too, Karen. There’s so much substance to it.
Yes, Ann, it will be challenging for all of us. I hope we’ll learn a lot and enjoy it too.
I think I would like to hear Kevin DeYoung speak too! That must have been a special treat. I think you would like CrazyBusy too. It’s a good help to busy people, and I know you are very busy.
No Trudy, we don’t study every subject every day, partly because of all the volunteering that is going on this year, but we do try to do a few basics regularly. Math is non-negotiable, because my daughter is way behind.