This is our second year officially following along with a curriculum. It's been so much fun already and we are only half way through week 2. (Keep reading to see our curriculum choice for this year). Although I was homeschooled myself till high school, I underestimated the amount of thinking, processing, and planning accompanied the many choices surrounding homeschooling. I hope as I share, it will help you along on your journey.
Resources
The first step is to deiced which method of schooling you gravitate towards as well as which subjects and topics you wish to cover. This book greatly helped me process all these questions and many more.
This year I read another great book on my large "hope-to-read" list. It was a quick read that was very impactful and insightful.
Another huge resource I found valuable when first starting out (and even now) were Treehouse Schoolhouse blogs. She beautifully breaks down daily rhythms, goals, and curriculum reviews. I especially appreciate her Homeschool Style Quiz.
I am currently reading Home Education by Charlotte Mason in order to gain a better understanding of her methods along with fun ways to integrate nature learning into our every day. Gentle + Classical Press created a nature study based on the ideas in this book. I am hoping to jump into this after the first month of school when things have hopefully calmed down a bit.
The Beginning
Our oldest was turning 3 years old and showed interest in learning more than just our fun laidback exploring and outdoor play. To utilize all our supplies, I would rotate our craft items, toys, books, and activities each week with the goal of allowing exposure to more than just crayons and markers - think dot-paint, paint sticks, acrylic paint, sensory bins and the like. If I do not have some sort of plan, I would never utilized all the tools at my fingertips. I started making simple plans/schedules to help remind me of all the fun things we had access to inside of our home. Every winter leading up to Christmas, I would lead the girls in a fun homemade craft that they would give as presents for Christmas. (Check back later for our favorite ones!) Our oldest especially delighted in these planned art projects and asked for more once they were finished. This started me down the trail of looking into more "official" homeschool curriculum, classically bent with Charlotte Mason flavors.
Some fun learning games
Curriculum
2023 - Fall
Starting off our more "official" homeschool journey, my intentions were to slowly add more learning structure to our day in a fun book-based way that intentionally incorporated art projects, everyday skills/chores, and character. I found Treehouse Schoolhouse's free sample of their Fall Nature Study and dove in. I stretched that one week free sample into one month. Then, beginning in the winter, we launched into our journey through all four seasons. We thoroughly enjoyed the book lists, hand rhymes, picture study - especially the fun questions - and playlists.
Treehouse Schoolhouse
For Christmas, I purchased the girls these sweet booklets which walked us through seven different Christmas Hymns, connecting them to Jesus with simple coloring pages, stickers, and Bible reading. We thoroughly enjoyed this Pre-K curriculum.
Not Consumed
2024
We continued with the Nature Study through Spring and Summer. Come Fall, we began Peaceful Preschool from The Peaceful Press. This is such a wonderful curriculum! I thoroughly enjoyed it along with all of our children. It is so very simple, focusing on one letter a week. It included picture books, everyday chores, art projects, weekly Bible verses to memorize, and phonogram practice. It was exactly what we needed. By the end of the school year - which we completed in March with an Alphabet party with our friends - our oldest (4 years old) was reading BOB Books, with our second (3 years old) attempting a few words as well. It was the perfect gentle and fun introduction we needed.
The Peaceful Press
For Thanksgiving and Christmas that year, we utilized Brighter Day Press holiday guides: The Thanksgiving Guide (4 day guide) and Come to the Manger (4-week guide). Both are book-based guides that included hands-on crafts and simple math and phonogram practice. They have lots more holiday guides. Take a look!
Brie O.
Ryan Thies
2025
For Spring we continued through Treehouse School House Nature Study but were much more relaxed, often skipping activities or even weeks entirely. By the summer, I regrouped and added more crafts and projects into our nature study. Over the summer the girls also enjoyed completing sticker books from Usborne/ Paper Pie covering numbers and letters. Our oldest was thoroughly engrossed in practicing her cutting skills with their Scissor Skills Book.
Contemplating curriculum for the new school year, I settled on The Gentle + Classical Primer (geared for K-1st Grade) since our oldest will be 5 years old shortly after the school year begins and is academically excited and ready.
This program stood out to me because it is an "all-encompassing" curriculum. It covers: Character, Catechisms, Scripture, Wonder Tales, Nursery Rhymes, Manners + Hygiene, Creation Science, Art + Music, and a little bit of Math and Reading. They encourage adding a more robust Math and Language Arts curriculum, which we chose The Good and The Beautiful Math (K) and Logic of English Foundation A. They both provide assessment tests to help with placement.
The Good and the Beautiful
Our oldest is thoroughly enjoying this curriculum and flying through the lessons, completing up to 4 lessons a day instead of the recommended 4 lessons a week. It truly is a beautiful book and creatively draws students in with sweet stories and play-based activities.
Logic of English
We are still awaiting the arrival of this curriculum. I will share our experience once it arrives.
Other Resources
Teacher Planner
This year for the first time I am using a teacher planner. I chose the one from Treehouse Schoolhouse and I am thoroughly enjoying all the detailed sections for organizing and planning.
Treehouse Schoolhouse
Daily Rhythm Cards
I have used these visual daily rhythm cards for one year now and the girls are absolutely enthralled by them. They love seeing what the day holds - even though most days are exactly the same. Honestly, I forget to switch them out, but all-in-all it is a great way to glimpse the flow of our day.
Treehouse Schoolhouse
The cards are now sold as a bundle with these chore charts.
I hope this was helpful. I am constantly learning about curriculum, methods of teaching, and ways to keep myself engaged and learning too. I have barely scratched the surface but am looking forward to a lifetime of learning alongside my children.
