A Charlotte Mason-style education can be a richly rewarding experience! We’re happy to provide our suggestions to help you walk through the years with confidence and freedom. Learn more by reading about the heart of the SCM Curriculum Guide.
Here at SCM, we encourage you to teach all your children together for as many subjects as possible. Our free curriculum guide will give you detailed book lists and resource recommendations to enjoy a feast of Charlotte Mason-style studies. Use it as is or simply as a starting point to customize a delightful plan for your family. You can view it with the options below.
Explore on Your Own
Use this chart to explore our suggestions. The Family Subjects chart will show you which subjects we recommend you teach with all your children together. The second chart details the grade-level subjects that we recommend you teach individually: math, science, and language arts. Click on the links to see our specific book recommendations.
Family Subjects (all grades combined)
| History, Geography, Bible | One study per year, choose from Genesis—Deuteronomy & Ancient Egypt Joshua—Malachi & Ancient Greece Matthew—Acts & Ancient Rome Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles Early Modern & Epistles Modern Times & Epistles, Revelation |
| Scripture Memory | Verse Packs 1–12, one per year |
| Picture Study | Three artists per year |
| Music Study | Three composers per year |
| Hymn Study | Hymn Groups 1–12, one group per year |
| Handicrafts & Art | Three projects per year |
| Shakespeare | One play every other year |
| Foreign Language | Hear and speak, then read and write the language |
| Nature Study | Outdoor time and nature notebooks once a week |
| Poetry | One poet study sometime during the year, plus selected poems |
| Literature | Read aloud favorite books to the whole family; older students may have additional silent reading |
| Personal Development | Work on habits; older students read and discuss additional books with parents |
Math, Science, Language Arts by Grade
| Grade 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math | Hands-on math courses | Pre-Algebra | Algebra | Geometry | Algebra II | (Electives) Stewardship or Pre-Calculus | (Elective) Calculus | |||||
| Science | Living books and nature study OR Conversational science courses and nature study | General Science | Physical Science | Biology | Chemistry | (Electives) Advanced Courses | ||||||
| Language Arts
(plus Shakespeare, Poetry, & Literature mentioned in Family Subjects above) |
Beginning reading and writing; reading and writing practice; oral narration | Studied dictation; typing; English grammar; oral and written narration | ||||||||||
Step-by-Step Guide
Use this guide to customize a year of studies for your own family in 3 steps! You can jot down your selections on this free Plans for My Year download.
1. Choose a History time period for the whole family to study together.
Each study includes history, geography, and Bible. We use a 6-year history rotation because we want to emphasize Bible history alongside world history; therefore, we spread the ancient civilizations over three years so you’re not rushing through Genesis to Acts in one year.
If you are just starting out, you may want to start at the beginning of history with Genesis. If your children have already studied a time period, feel free to pick up from there and move forward in subsequent years. Or just select a time period that would be interesting to your students.
2. Then make a selection from each Family Enrichment subject listed below that you want to include.
Literature
Poetry
Picture Study
Handicrafts & Art
Hymn Study
Music Study
Shakespeare
Personal Development
Foreign Language
Or grab one of these ready-made plans:
Enrichment Year Ideas 1
Enrichment Year Ideas 2
Enrichment Year Ideas 3
Enrichment Year Ideas 4
Most of these subjects will take only 5–15 minutes, once or twice a week. They are the variety that adds spice and spreads a feast of a wide curriculum.
3. Last, add math, science, and language arts for each student.
Additional Resources
Here are a some other good resources you might find helpful:
- Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education book and DVD
- Our blog post series on planning your CM education
- Curriculum guide discussion area on the SCM Community Forum
- See the Preschool Guide for our suggestions for the Early Years (3–5 years old)
