I have been thinking a lot about planning lately. I am a planner. I always have been. However, my adult life has not gone exactly as planned. I planned to go to college (check), be a teacher (check), get married (check), have kids (check), and settle down and raise a family. To me, that meant putting down roots somewhere. Turns out, that part was not what was in store for me. If I’m honest, I have let bitterness and resentment creep in at times. If I’m even more honest, I have often let it stay for far too long.
I know I am not alone in that. We have all experienced unmet expectations at various times in our lives. But now, we are living in one big, collective unmet expectation. Planning sounds like a bad word.
So I want to be clear, that as I share our homeschool plans, I do it with somewhat of a heavy heart. I know that homeschooling is not for everyone. I know that nothing feels like the right answer. I know that if you do choose homeschooling in this season, there might be grieving that goes along with that choice. Resentment, even?
My prayer for each person that reads this, is that God will give you clarity and peace as you make a choice for your children this school year.
And if I may encourage you a little with what God says about our plans?
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB
“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NASB
“Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.” Proverbs 19:21 NASB
Lean in to where He is leading you. Trust Him. He will guide your way.
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out— plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11 MSG
I am (slowly) learning that my plans were not always the best for me or the people I love. I am learning that trusting the Lord’s plans for my life is a much sweeter place to live. And I am learning to count the blessings along the way.
Here are our plans for the 2020-2021 school year. My hope in sharing this list is that it may help some of you who are considering homeschool as you sort through the many options available. I would love to hear what you are thinking for the coming school year. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about homeschooling.
4th Grade
Math: Beast Academy– We will continue using Beast Academy this year. This was a good fit for 3rd grade, and S is looking forward to level 4. This is an academically rigorous program filled with fun games, puzzles, and comics!
Language Arts: Michael Clay Thompson– We will continue using this curriculum from Royal Fireworks Press, geared towards Gifted and Talented students. It is rigorous, while fun and engaging.
History/Literature/Bible: Sonlight– We are looking forward to returning to the Story of the World this year, using Sonlight’s History/Literature/Bible G. We chose the 4 day program, and will use this for our 4th and 7th grader.
Science: We will be using two different resources this year for my 4th and 7th grader: Aristotle Leads the Way and Newton at the Center from the Story of Science, along with the Student Quest Guides, plus NOEO Chemistry 3. One or the other would be plenty, but my boys are wanting to dig deeper, and I’m not going to argue with that!
Grammar: Fix It! Grammar We have experienced a lot of gaps in grammar. Some schools that the boys attended barely touched on grammar, so we are working on filling in those gaps.
History/Literature/Bible: Sonlight– We are looking forward to returning to the Story of the World this year, using Sonlight’s History/Literature/Bible G. We chose the 4 day program, and will use this for our 4th and 7th grader.
Science: We will be using two different resources this year for my 4th and 7th grader: Aristotle Leads the Way and Newton at the Center from the Story of Science, along with the Student Quest Guides, plus NOEO Chemistry 3. One or the other would be plenty, but my boys are wanting to dig deeper, and I’m not going to argue with that!
Foreign Language: Latin Alive! 1. This will count towards a high school credit!
You may be wondering what happened to my rising 9th grader after reading the 8th grade curriculum review. Although we thought we were set to homeschool through high school, we changed courses and he will be attending a private classical Christian school next year.
This was my first school year to homeschool all 3 boys at the same time. Facing another move, they asked to be homeschooled while we got settled and learned the dynamics of our new city. Our boys have attended almost every type of school- public, private university model, international school, and homeschool. Although I have homeschooled them previously during transitions, or when a school environment was not a good fit for one of them, homeschool was never my ideal choice for them. However, it really was a perfect fit for us this school year for many reasons: being able to address gaps in learning due to many moves, being able to set a more restful pace as we processed through reverse culture shock, and then a surprise blessing of being able to maintain a semblance of normal during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although I have a bachelor’s degree in education, I feel like I have learned more about the field through navigating my own children’s education. I describe my educational philosophy as eclectic, but lean towards the classical approach of pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty, with a Charlotte Mason twist.
Maybe not surprisingly, education continues to be a passion of mine, despite being disillusioned as a brand new public school teacher. I never expected to homeschool, but seeds were planted early on in various ways- through that disillusionment, friends who homeschooled, and trying to find a place for my very out of the box oldest child (more on that later, in time).
As we face an uncertain new school year, my hope is that in sharing our homeschool journey, it may be an encouragement to anyone who is considering this path.
Overall, the year went well, and C (7th grade) and S (4th grade) will continue homeschooling next school year. I will post our curriculum choices for the coming school year next. L will attend a private classical Christian school for high school next year.
I use the Well Trained Mind, along with Cathy Duffy Reviews as a starting place for researching homeschool curriculum options. The following is a list of the curriculum that we ended up using, with a brief review of each. There is some repetitiveness within the post where the same curriculum was used for multiple grade levels.
3rd Grade
Math: Beast Academy– We used the level 3 books as well as Beast Academy online. S loved the comic book format, the presentation of new material, as well as the puzzles and games. My older boys often express that they wish that they had Beast Academy at that age. They all read and re-read the books for fun. Although this is a rigorous curriculum, we had a lot of fun with it. We will continue to use Beast Academy for 4th grade.
Language Arts: Michael Clay Thompson– We worked through the level 1 language arts program, excluding the literature trilogies. Michael Clay Thompson makes learning grammar fun- truly! S was always excited to hear what would happen next during Mud’s adventure on Grammar Island. We will continue to use this curriculum for 4th grade.
Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful– This is more than a handwriting curriculum. The pages include images, artwork, poetry, Bible verses, drawing, spelling and grammar practice, and quotes that support high character, faith, nature, and creativity. We will continue to use this curriculum for 4th grade.
History: Notgrass Our Star-Spangled Story– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story, while the older 2 worked through America the Beautiful. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I like about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– The books that S read this year tied into our History curriculum.
Science: Master Books- Soil, Sea, and Sky– I chose to use this as the spine of our science curriculum for 3rd and 6th grade because it was advertised as a Charlotte Mason approach. Although it is a solid science curriculum, it was not a good fit for us. I felt like it was too worksheet oriented.
The Good and the Beautiful Marine Biology– I knew we wanted to focus on Marine Biology since we were moving to a city by the ocean. If you join their email list, you can receive the Marine Biology unit for free. We loved this unit. Another win from The Good and the Beautiful.
Additionally, he attended a homeschool science class at the local aquarium.
Latin: Song School Latin– This is really geared towards younger grades, but it is a fun introduction to Latin. S will be moving on to Latin for Children A for 4th grade.
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
PE: S played soccer and basketball with local leagues. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Language Arts: The Potter’s School Writing Fundamentals 6– I can’t say enough good things about our experience with The Potter’s School. They are an online homeschool resource for grades 4-12. They offer academically rigorous courses with a biblical worldview. C really grew in his writing this year and is looking forward to taking English from the same teacher next year!
Grammar: Fix It! Grammar– We have experienced a lot of gaps in grammar. Some schools that the boys attended barely touched on grammar, so we are working on filling in those gaps. I love this program and how it works through passages that cumulatively tell a story. It takes 10-15 minutes a day. Short and sweet.
History: Notgrass America the Beautiful– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. C and L worked through America the Beautiful, while S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I liked about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– These books tied into our History curriculum
Science: Master Books- Soil, Sea, and Sky– I chose to use this as the spine of our science curriculum for 3rd and 6th grade because it was advertised as a Charlotte Mason approach. Although it is a solid science curriculum, it was not a good fit for us. I felt like it was too worksheet oriented.
The Good and the Beautiful Marine Biology– I knew we wanted to focus on Marine Biology since we were moving to a city by the ocean. If you join their email list, you can receive the curriculum for free. We loved this unit. Another win from The Good and the Beautiful.
Additionally, he attended a homeschool science class at the local aquarium.
Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful– This is more than a handwriting curriculum. The pages include images, artwork, poetry, Bible verses, drawing, spelling and grammar practice, and quotes that support high character, faith, nature, and creativity. We will continue to use this curriculum for 7th grade.
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
Music: piano lessons
PE: C played basketball with a local homeschool league. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Science: Physical Science with The Potter’s School– I can’t say enough good things about our experience with The Potter’s School. They are an online homeschool resource for grades 4-12. They offer academically rigorous courses with a biblical worldview.
History: Notgrass America the Beautiful– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. C and L worked through America the Beautiful, while S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I liked about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– These books tied into our History curriculum
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
Technology: L took Computer Programming in Java through The Potter’s School. He participated in a homeschool Robotics league for part of the year, and he also enjoys coding through Scratch.
PE: L played basketball with a local homeschool league. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Additional: 4H Agricultural Mechanics Project
The freedom of homeschooling allowed our family time to pursue individual interests, travel during the off season, raise a flock of chickens, start a garden, include our boys in home improvement projects and much more. I plan to elaborate on those endeavors and much more in the near future.
I am not a morning person. I thought that it would automatically happen when I grew up, but alas, it has not. When I had children, I quickly realized the importance of getting up before them, and the effect it had on our day.
As we started homeschooling, I felt like we were struggling in our transition from waking up, to morning chores, to starting school lessons and activities. After a bit of trial and error, I feel like we have found our rhythm.
First, I get up and start the coffee and get a healthy, protein packed breakfast going. I like to sit and do a morning devotional or bible study and order my thoughts before the kids are up. I turn on music (usually a Pandora station like Indelible Grace, David Nevue, JJ Heller, Ellie Holcomb, Bethel, or NeedtoBreathe), then wake the boys.
They come downstairs for breakfast and I read aloud while they eat. This works well for us because it limits chatter that can easily turn to careless words that can easily spiral and throw our day quickly off course. This time really does set the tone for our day. Currently, I am reading from Character Sketches. It is an older book, but all three of my boys are captivated by the fascinating animal facts, beautiful illustrations, and stories from Scripture.
The title page reads:
From the Pages of Scripture
God’s biographies reveal the secrets of warning and instruction for our daily lives. ” Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11
Illustrated in the World of Nature
“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you.” Job 12:7-8
Dedicated to the vision of God raising up a vast host of men who are committed to His standards and their responsibility to build character and to meet the basic needs of each one in their families.
Volume I studies the character traits loyalty, responsibility, courage, determination, orderliness, initiative, and decisiveness by highlighting an animal that exhibits these traits in nature, followed by a character sketch of a historical figure from the Bible.
When I am done reading, I review their daily schedule with them, then the boys are responsible for cleaning up the kitchen, and beginning their morning chores. For our family, that means brushing their teeth, combing their hair, getting dressed, making their beds, and completing their animal chores, which currently includes a dog, a cat, 3 rabbits, and 4 chickens.
After the morning chores are complete, the younger two (3rd and 6th grade) then ease into handwriting while we all regroup and get ready to tackle the assignments for the day.
How about you? What is your morning routine? What helps your day get off to a good start?
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I think sharing a little of our story is a good place to begin. I didn’t plan to homeschool. In fact, I think it is safe to say that I did everything I could to avoid it.
I have a degree in education from the University of Texas and taught 6th grade for one year at a middle school in Houston. After getting married, my husband and I moved to central Texas, and I landed a job as the Education Curator at a zoo. I was quickly introduced to the world of informal education and fell in love with teaching in that capacity. After starting our own family, I assumed our children would go to public school. If I met someone who homeschooled their children, I would feel compelled to say that I would never be able to do that. I didn’t necessarily feel that it was wrong for them, I just thought I knew that it was not right for my family.
When it was time for our oldest to head to Kindergarten, he was filled with so much excitement. He loved learning and loved people, and he couldn’t wait to go. When school started, the excitement quickly turned to dread, and suddenly our bubbly boy was coming home from school in tears, saying he wasn’t allowed to learn. We assured him that it would get better, that it always takes awhile to sort out a new class, and encouraged him to be patient. Unfortunately, things did not improve for him, and continued to get worse. We met with his teacher often, identified that he was bored, and tried to come up with solutions. He tutored other kids in class, was a teacher’s helper, and he loved those times. But there was still a huge chunk of the day where he was literally bored to tears. He came home every day with stacks of completed worksheets, along with stacks of blank paper with his own stories and drawings, and buckets of tears. I was concerned that if this continued much longer, his desire to learn would be squashed completely. Before Christmas break, I withdrew him from public school, with the intention to homeschool short term while we figured out an alternative.
Our first semester of homeschooling went well. My son’s excitement for learning quickly returned, but I was convinced the situation was temporary. I assumed we would reconsider public school again the next year, and also spent a lot of time researching alternative educational options for him. We had friends who attended a university model school, and after attending an open house, we applied. That following year, he thrived in an environment with a teacher who challenged him. He went to school two days a week, and was sent home with work for the remaining three days. This seemed like a perfect fit for our family. He received outside instruction, a consistent peer group, and I got a break. He spent one and a half years there, and continued to grow in his love of learning.
When my oldest was in 3rd grade, and middle in 1st grade, the company my husband was working for filed for bankruptcy. My husband was offered a job in a new town, and we moved three hours north.
After our success with the university model approach, we applied to the university model school in the new town. It turns out all university model schools are not the same. My boys were pushing worksheets, and again in tears over not being able to learn. But this time, it was two of them. I was still not ready to embrace homeschool, and after many friends and neighbors spoke highly of the local public school, we decided to give public school another try. And it was good. There was a specialist who advocated for my boys in ways I didn’t know how, and before I knew it, they were both accelerated a year in math. The teachers, administrators, and staff made my boys feel known and loved.
Unfortunately, after a year and a half there, my husband was transferred to a new city, and my boys had to say goodbye to their new found friends and community.
After our successful public school experience, I focused our home search on an area in our new city where the schools were known to be some of the best. All three struggled tremendously during the transition. I dismissed their complaints as being the new kid again, encouraged them to push through and prayed that things would get better. The new school district did not accept the accelerated math from the previous district, and my oldest had to attend grade level math during the day, in addition to taking an online course at home in order for them to accept the acceleration. When that semester ended, we were all more than ready for summer break. With a few new friends, I was convinced things would get better. They didn’t. Although other families and children seemed to thrive, mine didn’t. My oldest was bullied incessantly, and all three were in tears for various reasons. My youngest cried and fought me every morning that he did not want to go to school, and my middle son was showing signs of depression and anxiety. I knew something needed to change.
I looked into university model schools in the area, and found that there was one up the road from us. I went to an information meeting, and was cautiously optimistic that this might be the answer. I signed the boys up to shadow for a day and prayed and worried most of the time they were there. When I went to pick them up, I was greeted with kids smiling ear to ear, and exclamations that it was the best school ever. The school was willing to take the younger boys mid year, and we made the switch. A few days in, I had my boys back. They loved their new school, were learning amazing things, and we were starting to feel like we were part of a precious community. Things continued to get worse and worse for my oldest, and I withdrew him a few weeks before the end of the school year, with the intention of him attending the university model school in the fall.
That summer, we received news that we were moving again. This time, to China. Not knowing what the international school system looked like, we decided to homeschool during our time there. However, the Chinese Communist Party confiscated most of our homeschool books in customs. After meeting some expats that attended a specific international school, we decided that would be the best option for our boys going forward. Although there were some challenges, it was truly a gift. My oldest was recognized as Most Outstanding in Science and Technology in the 7th grade, after only attending one semester. They were challenged academically, and again, all three boys felt known and loved by the teachers, administrators, and staff.
Our time in China was cut short, and we left a year earlier than we expected. We were heading back to Texas, but again, to a new city. This time, when all three boys asked to be homeschooled, I didn’t hesitate. They needed familiar in the midst of all the change. We needed time to process the previous year’s culture shock, subsequent reverse culture shock, and years of moving. For the first time in 8 years of having school aged children, I had complete peace that this is what we needed to do.
We are wrapping up our year of homeschool that was carefully planned over months of research. We still experience good days, bad days, and everything in between. Overall, it is working, and we know without a doubt that it is what the Lord has for us for now.
You may not have moved 6 times in the last 12 years (more on that later), but you were just thrown into a very unexpected, unplanned situation. Maybe you are trying to navigate how to work from home with children schooling from home, while dealing with the stress and anxiety of a global pandemic? My heart goes out to you. I have felt so burdened for everyone in this situation, and yet, so proud to watch everyone gather and share resources, and dedicate yourselves to making this happen.
There are many reasons to homeschool. And many reasons not to. Although a global pandemic was never one of my reasons, I want to offer some encouragement in this season. I think we can take this opportunity to show love to our children in a very unique way. You were made for such a time as this. I am praying there will be a revival of truth, beauty, and goodness in homes across America and around the world.
Be kind to yourself. It will take a few weeks to find your rhythm. And my boys and I will be sharing more about how we are finding ours.
The resources below have encouraged and guided me during our transition to homeschool. I highly recommend all of them. As always, feel free to reach out if you are looking for specific advice. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I might be able to guide you to someone who does!
In Every Season 