I thought I was the only one who planned this early! 🙂
So far my plan is for us as a family to use Beautiful Feet’s California history and Real Science Odyssey Chemistry. Also continue bible, poetry, composer/artist (still need to pick who). For lit read alouds I will probably just be picking as we go along.
For individual studies:
11yo/5th tentatively LLATL purple, if orange continues to go well; MUS delta/epsilon, beast academy 3c once a week, one written narration per week, continue oral narration. And I maybe need to plan some fiction reads for him. This year I’ve given him nonfiction to go along with what we’re studying in history and science, but have let him read what he wants for fiction. I think next year I’d like to be more specific.
9yo/3rd AAR 3&4, spelling you see wild tales, MUS gamma. Continue oral narration. I need to plan some books for her to read on her own as well.
6yo/K AAR 3, HWOT for letter formation, spelling you see listen and write, MUS primer/alpha. I need to make sure he gets a daily story.
3yo need to put together some activities to keep him happy and busy
Can’t believe I haven’t even given a thought to next year. This is about the time of year that I start planning!
Part of it, though, is that we are returning to Ancients in history next year and (ugh!) I really don’t enjoy it. I really love Early Modern and Modern Times. I’m so tempted to stretch Modern Times through another school year….
jawgee – if you don’t love it then skip it! Think about public schools, they often don’t cover it at all, especially in middle or high school. When we really burned out on chronological history we took an entire year off for world geography and cultures. It was the perfect break year for us. This year we were ready to come back to ancients and begin the cycle again. Oh, and we don’t do a 4 or 6 year cycle. We have materials that are laid out for 3 years but that gives us flexibility to linger in spots and spread it out over more than 3 years if we wish.
I love reading what everyone is planning sharing your goals with us 🙂 It helps me to read stuff like this.
I haven’t done much planning for next year yet . I hope to solidify things by the end of Feb.
This is what I have so far:
Continue using SCM’s History & Bible Modules. Next year will be module 3 – Ancient Rome . We will do the suggested Bible reading and all the literature reading that comes with it.
Right start math – Level D for 5th grader , Level C for 3rd grader.
California History ( required) – Will use Beautiful Feet and all the literature that comes with it.
Artist study – Will continue with this as we enjoy it , just haven’t picked out our artists yet.
English- I am going to need to think about some possible changes here. But we have tried PLL and ELTL for english and both were a flop. I stopped doing ELTL last month with my 4th grader. He was retaining the info from the lessons ( what a pronoun is etc. ) but did not like it one bit. I want to make it fun for him so I decided to shelve it . I thought it would interest him more than PLL , but not the case. I also have him do 1 written narration per week – I think next year I will increase it to 2 written narrations a week . Not sure if I need to try something else to replace PLL & ELTL or just let it go for awhile. Currently we are using AAS for spelling which has been going pretty good . I was looking at ULW from SCM but I would need to use SW to go with it and am hesitant to switch spelling curriculums ( AAS appears to be working for both kids).
Writing – We will continue using Story starters for my son . I think I may use it orally with my daughter to work on her narration skills from the section I read and then creativity to think about an ending ?? Not sure yet.
Copywork- We will just continue using excerpts from our literature , science or scripture .
Reading – My daughter adores the pathway readers so we will continue with those for sure. My son – I will have to brainstorm and come up with a list.
Science – we tried Apologia last August and both my kids were not interested at all so we bounced back to using the Outdoor hour challenge for nature study. Not sure about next year if I will do a formal curriculum or just pick topics and create my own unit study . I need to poor over the science posts on this forum to glean some ideas and suggestions !!
Foreign language – I would like to continue with spanish. Thinking about using Learnables but still am open to other suggestions.
Typing – Considering this for my son for 5th grade. But if our plate seems too full then I will let this one go.
Art/ Handicraft – this area has always gotten thrown to the curb. It’s always the first thing that gets ignored. I would really like to pick out some fun stuff and at least one thing that has purpose or is practical in some way.
Composer – Haven’t picked any out yet but intend to keep going with this.
Habits – will continue in this area just need to pick some out.
Book of centuries / some sort of timeline – I would like to do a family timeline of some sorts. A group project to work on 1-2 times a month. I know we would all enjoy connecting the dots even more . Contemplating whether or not to make a wall timeline that goes down the hallway vs. entering things into a book….. hmmm.
Scripture – Continue memorizing new scripture and try for longer passages.
Hymn – Haven’t picked any new ones out yet but will continue this for next year.
Thankful it’s only January and there is still time to iron out the details. Looking forward to reading other responses !
I’m working on it, too. Here’s what I have so far.
ds (7th grade)
Bible-not sure if we’ll keep the same reading plan or switch to another.
Scripture memory-taking verses mainly from the Seeds CDs
Math-still not using a formal curriculum. What we cover depends on how far we get this year, but want to cover multiplying and dividing decimals, remainders as decimals, area of shapes whose formulas include fractions or decimals, volume, percents, problems with units of measurement and time, GCF/LCM, and word problems that include multiplication, division, and fractions.
Science-he wants to study Agriculture, so I’m working on a course that includes Your Calf and Your Goats (Storey Publishing) and some 4H materials.
History-undecided. We’re finishing a two-year study of US History, and I’d always planned to start Ancients in 7th. But we may do Middle Ages instead.
Language Arts-for Grammar I’m considering ABEKA 6 (not CM, I know, but I think we need something like this for now). Read the poetry of Rudyard Kipling and Edna St. Vincent Millay from the Poetry for Young People series. Still finalizing Reading and Literature lists. Will continue copywork and 1000 commonly used words list
Haven’t decided on the “extras” yet (fine arts, foreign language, keyboarding)
Dd (4th grade with special needs)
Bible-I recently finished our Bible story book and am using Adventures in Mommydom’s Bible in Two Years. Only thing is, I’m using it daily and will finish long before two years are up. After that, I’m not sure. I’d like to find a plan that both of them can use together.
Math-undecided. Depends on how far we get this year. Right now we’re stuck on regrouping. Would like to cover addition and subtraction of 3- and 4-digit numbers and multiplication and division facts. I may have to buy a curriculum for her. If I do, I’m looking at some materials from Child 1st publishing.
History-world geography using Children Just Like Me and various picture books I’ve found.
Science-partially planned. Will be using picture books that coincide with world geography and reading some that we missed the first time. Considering James Herriott’s books and Magic School bus
Language Arts-she writes on her own, so I haven’t focused on writing much. She’s been resistant to copywork in the past, but I’ll try again 1x. Also, spelling 1-2x/week, sentence building 1x (using a printable I found at This Reading Mama), and games for contractions, compound words, and other language concepts. Poetry of Lewis Carroll and Christina Rossetti. Still finalizing literature lists.
Reading-undecided. Will try either Boxcar Children or A to Z Mystery series
Why did that “permission” from you allow me to open up my mind?! I’m now thinking about doing some US Government or learning about the Constitution for the first semester (presidential election year!), and then finishing up Modern History second semester (so that we can get into WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc.)
Thanks, Tristan. I feel silly. Why do I lock myself into the four-year cycle?
jawgee – I find myself doing that too. Thinking I *have* to do a history cycle in a specific order. So great to have someone remind me it is not the only way 🙂
I am not a big fan of ancients when kids are young, but it took me a while to let go of thinking I had to do it. I plan to study them, but waiting until kids are older and I *think* I can let it go (for now, LOL)
I’m looking forward to ancients! We don’t start next year (modern times) but the following year. I will have a year 3, and year 1, and toddler. I love learning what is gong on in the rest of the world while learning the bible.
Have no plans going except that my oldest will be a senior and needs Gov/Econ. I’ve been searching a bit for both of those courses but nothing definite, yet. He’ll carry John Adams over through next year and probably some American history but I don’t have a clue what else.
my3boys – I love that we all plan at our own pace! My sister and I have talked a good bit about next year already (she homeschools her 4 kids) because they are a military family heading to Germany in a few months. She wants to have purchased everything for the next school year while here in the US so it’s all ready when they get to Germany. I usually do planning in Feb/Mar before the homeschool convention happens in my area, even on years I don’t plan to attend. (I go about every other year)
@Tristan, I normally plan in advance, (way in advance) but I have some health problems that just don’t allow that anymore. It takes too much energy to do the planning, then to have it not really be what we end up doing is a lot of energy I can’t afford to use up these days. Sad, but true.
Hopefully, my oldest will take at least one online class and/or a class or two at our local city college. He will continue The Power in Your Hands until it is finished or take a writing class somewhere, not sure yet about that. I do have a generic from Landry Academy that could be used, I think.
Ha! I am seriously not ready to plan next year. LOL
my3boys – how are you liking The Power in Your Hands? It is one of two possibilities for Makayla next year for 10th. I’m curious what it is like. (And I’m too lazy to go up to the attic and pull it out right now to browse it…)