#homeschooling

As this school year winds down many of us are looking forward to the next year. Some of us are even holding ourselves back from throwing our current curriculum out the window. Trying to convince our children to start a new year as soon as that 180-day chart is filled out…(or is that just me?) Really, though I am just kidding. This year has been our best year homeschooling so far. In part, I owe that to my homeschool planning. However, I have had no urges to throw out the curriculum and move on, and in fact, I find myself wanting time to slow down! It feels like we just started this year, and I am not ready to move my kindergartner on to a new grade, especially since he is my youngest.

*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I could make a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase from one of these links.*

This year we tested out the year-round schedule. We have loved it, though I do find us wrapping things up a bit earlier than I originally planned. We are falling a bit short of being a true year-round, but as I said, we were testing out the waters. Read the highlighted post to find out how I did a year-round schedule.

Homeschool Planning: Is a Perfect Year Possible?

Is this really possible? Have I found some sort of secret sauce that has never been shared with the world? (I have found out that adding a bit of mayo to your homemade honey mustard takes it to another level, but that is neither here nor there.) To be honest, a truly perfect homeschool year is just not possible. We are learning every day, week, month, and year how to better our homeschool experience. Every family is going to be different. I can say, however, that I have found contentment with our schedule, planning, and style. This took us about 3 years to do. (Trust me, I know this isn’t what a new homeschooling parent wants to hear.)

I talk a lot here about finding your groove and allowing yourself to grow through that process. But it is just that, a process. To expect you will hit your stride right away and that it will be the stride that you stick with for the rest of your homeschooling journey, is just not realistic. I say this to not only warn you but also to encourage you. If you feel like you should be there and you just aren’t yet, it’s okay. So how do you go about the process of finding your groove? Every step counts, so here is tip number one, and in no certain order.

Homeschool Planning Tip # 1

Homeschooling IS NOT Public School At Home

When I started out I was under the impression that I needed to follow closely with what the public school was doing. Part of this was because homeschooling was not in my plans prior to Covid. I was wanting to keep my son in line with the school in case he went back. However, after we decided we were going to keep homeschooling, I was still trying to replicate public school in our home. This is counterproductive and unnecessary.

So what does this mean to you? Do not worry about what other children who are in public school are learning. Stop thinking your child is behind, or even ahead for that matter. Yes, your child needs to know how to read, write, add and subtract, and all that jazz. But, do they need to learn it at the exact same pace as another child in their age group? Think of it this way, grade levels in public schools are designed for the teacher to easily assess a group of children, but not as easily an individual child.

So start to wrap your mind around the fact that your child’s homeschool experience, will very likely be more powerful than if they were in a public school. I have also heard it say that there is no behind in homeschooling. When I started to understand this, that is when I started making improvements toward who I wanted to be as a homeschool mom.

Homeschool Planning Tip #2

Consider Banishing Grades and Grade Levels When Planning Your Homeschool

Hear me out here. Just because you have a child who would be in 3rd grade in public school, does not mean they need to be in third-grade levels in homeschooling. And unless your state requires it, consider banishing grades as a way to see progress. I live in a state that has very low requirements for homeschooling. I’ve said before that I could teach my kids to pick their nose and call it school…Maybe not that lax, but you get the picture. I am not aware of what other states require as far as testing or if grading is required anywhere. However, if you have the freedom to get rid of that idea, then, by all means, do so.

If your child excels in reading or math, consider putting them at a higher level with reading or math. Be sure they are not missing any fundamentals, but you know your child the best. You can follow state or standardized guidelines as to what a child should be learning, but don’t view these as strict or rigid. Homeschooling allows a lot of individual expression, that’s what makes it so fun!

How I Started This Process

*For instance, I have a third grader who is in a level 2 in language arts. And I will have a first grader that I am likely going to put through a level K language arts. I have my own reasons for doing this, and it is not because either of them is “behind” in language arts. It is simply because of the curriculum I switched over to. When we started homeschooling I bought the curriculum the school was using. (Not knowing if I was going to send him back, I wanted him to be familiar with the curriculum.) However, in mid-third grade, I switched him over to The Good and the Beautiful language arts. (We had already been doing their math for third grade.) I decided to take him down a level in language arts, to level 2.

This was not because he was struggling, but because I knew that when it came time to move him into the fourth-grade level, he would be overwhelmed. Their fourth grade language arts had a writing workshop, and I knew my son would struggle with this, as I have a hard time getting him to write anything in a story form.

As for my kindergartner, we were also using the public school systems curriculum for reading. Because this is not set up for homeschooling, I want to make sure I didn’t miss any fundamentals. Though he is just fine and is a good reader, and isn’t struggling, I felt The Good and the Beautiful’s language arts K level will be perfect even for a “first grader”. Both of my boys will be “on level” with their math…*

No More Grade Levels

Take these factors into consideration when doing your homeschool planning. Your third grader may love a book that is above or below their reading level. Take time to feel out your child’s individual learning styles before making the jump, but know that it is absolutely fine to get them away from their grade level!

Find the Right Curriculum

This can be easier said than done. There are so many more choices today than there were ten to twenty years ago! To say it’s overwhelming is an understatement, and not only for new homeschoolers. For some homeschool planning revolves around curriculum. Be assured your homeschool curriculum may change from year to year, or even mid-year…There is a learning curve, no pun intended. Some of what we have used include:

• Reading Street *not a homeschool curriculum, but what public schools around here use*
• Evan-Moor
• Hooked on Phonics
• Memoria Press
• The Good and the Beautiful

As you can see it took me a few years to find the right curriculum for us. All of these curriculums served their purpose for us, and at times we mixed and matched. Slowly, but surely, I am switching us over completely to The Good and the Beautiful.

It Can Take Time and Patience

Is there a certain curriculum that excites you? Does it seem to fit into the style you are seeking for your homeschooling? If so, try it out! There is no harm in trying something, and if it doesn’t work out, then you know to move on next year.

I am not a sponsor for The Good and the Beautiful, I genuinely love their approach to learning. Prior to switching to their LA program, my third grader was doing 6 or more books just to cover subjects like geography, spelling, reading, and writing. When I realized TGB (short for The Good and the Beautiful) had a comprehensive LA program I was thrilled. All these subjects plus more, like art appreciation, are covered. We had already been using their math for this whole year, so mid-year or later I switched my older son over to LA 2 with TGB.

I love their math as well. It includes nature, social studies, geography, and more in the math units and lessons. I am excited to switch my five-year-old over to language arts. We will approach history and science as a unit study next year as well.

Less Is More

Over the years I have realized that having a curriculum that is comprehensive is best. As much as I love filling my shelves with books, and dreaming about what the next year will bring, I also have to be realistic. Will we really read every single book on our shelf? Instead, try keeping the books that will relate directly to your teaching style, or curriculum. I tend to get nostalgic about books, however, I have realized we cannot read all the books, so we need to be selective about what we do have. Once you have enjoyed a book, consider letting it go.

Learn to Relax

As I stated before, not worrying about what level your child is at compared to others will greatly decrease stress. This will allow you to relax. I have not always been the most relaxed person when it came to our homeschool schedule. This last year has been a great change in how I do things, but all for the better. I have also moved from a more rigid daily schedule to a more relaxed one.

Choose Your Schedule

There are many schedule types to choose from when homeschool planning. Know that it is ok to change your style, combine styles or use different styles at different times. There is no right or wrong way to do it. When we started I was more strict. Naturally, I have gravitated towards a reverse schedule. My planner for the day actually starts blank, and I add things in as we go. I find more things to write down this way, and our learning becomes more relaxed and child-led. This has contributed to our happiness in our homeschooling.

Planning Your Perfect Homeschool

While planning THE perfect homeschool may not be possible, planning YOUR perfect homeschool is possible…Time, patience, planning, and creativity are all you need! Enjoy the journey! Remember to relax, keep things simple and have fun!

As shocking as it is, I am writing about a relaxed homeschool schedule. We started our homeschool journey almost four years ago. I would not have imagined I could become as relaxed as I have become. Now, I am not saying I am drinking wine in the middle of the day, allowing my kids to do as they please, never picking up a book, and calling it school…(I will not lie the thought has totally crossed my mind…)We thrive on structure. However, I have allowed myself to relax a great deal in my four-year homeschool career.

The Evolution of My Relaxed Homeschool Schedule

I am pretty uptight when it comes to plans, schedules, and wanting things to go my way. While I still enjoy planning things out, I am not as strict as I once was. I knew what I wanted my homeschool style to look like, but it was a process to get here.

Previously I used a strict checklist style. If it wasn’t on the list, it didn’t get done, and there was no room for anything else. This caused a lot of tension in the room though. This strict schedule did not allow for additional subjects or interests to be explored. I was so worried about what had to be done that I didn’t consider my boys were not interested in some of the subjects.

With time, a lot of tears, and some thought I have been able to find my homeschool groove.

What I Wanted My Homeschool Schedule to Look Like

Before we started this current year, I knew what I wanted to achieve. More freedom, more time spent in nature, less stress, less yelling, and way less crying. (And it wasn’t only my boys who were doing the crying, trust me.)

Mid-year this year is when I feel we started to finally hit our stride! What changed? Overall this year we started a year-round homeschool schedule. A three-week on, one week off every month schedule has worked wonders for us!

A few months ago we switched over to The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts (we have been using their math all year.) This switch has greatly reduced the number of books we have each day, increasing the relaxation of our schedule. (read the review linked above to find out why I love this curriculum.)

Gradually I ditched the strict checklist and naturally gravitated toward the “reverse checklist”. Oddly enough, I didn’t even know this was a thing. One day I read a homeschool mom talking about how she “reverse schedules”. I asked her what this was, thinking it may have been what I was doing, and sure enough it was!

What Is “Reverse Scheduling”?

Instead of having every page, book, and subject planned out to a T, now I go in reverse. My planner for the day starts out blank! As we progress through our day I write down what we have done, instead of what I want to get done! It’s amazing! Guess what? This has proven to be more effective for our learning too! Instead of writing what I think we should learn, I am writing down what I know we have learned!

I still plan out extra subjects, such as nature studies. However, even here I have become more relaxed. I had planned to learn about insects next week. But after seeing a snake eating a frog on our nature walk the other day, my son now wants to learn about snakes! I am glad to change the plans. However, I would not have been willing to do this years ago.

I have noticed myself including minor details as learning. Perhaps my son noticed an ant crawling on the ground, while we were outdoors doing school. And he tells me a bit about what he knows about ants…This is something I hadn’t planned for, but it goes on the reverse schedule, as I can see he has learned something from a previous conversation. Tree climbing finds itself on the schedule more lately, as my boys are learning from this experience too.

Quite naturally, and by accident, I stumbled upon reverse scheduling. Perhaps you can make it work for you too.

Homeschool Schedule Planners

Check out these other options for homeschool planners! Tested and created by me! I have been using my 180-day chart for a few years now since it has worked great for me, I created one for you! Check it out here!

How Can You Make a Relaxed Schedule Work for You?

Follow Your Own Schedule

I had to allow myself to come out of the fog that the public school system had it all figured out. You do not need to copy public school at home. This actually works against you. When we first started homeschooling, we went weeks upon weeks without a break. I was also trying to copy what they were doing in public school, here at home. This was not going to work for us long term. So allowing yourself to relax, and not worry about anyone else’s schedule or method, but your own, will work wonders for you to relax.

Fall Into a Groove

We have fallen into several different grooves over the course of four years. Lately, with other schedules needing to mesh together, we have fallen into a new groove. Currently, our schedule is Tuesday-Friday, with Mondays being our community volunteer day. Tuesday-Friday we are starting around 10 and working through a lunchtime, and finishing in the early afternoon. Doing things this way gives me time to slowly start our day. Certainly, this may not work for others, but as I do not work secularly out of the home, it works fine for us. Our afternoons and evenings are then free for family time.

Know That Learning is Constant

Additionally, I have come to see that learning is being done at all times. Learning is not restricted to the hours you are sitting around the homeschool table reading a history book. My five-year-old was climbing a tree the other day. He was having a particularly hard time with one branch…He said something interesting after climbing down, and back up again…”I am smarter now than I was before.” This really struck me. He had learned what not to do, and what steps to try next. And guess what? He succeeded! Our children are learning all the time! Most of what they are learning is not coming from books. (However, I am a huge advocate of books and children reading, don’t get me wrong!)

Relaxing Takes Time

In a previous post, I talked about how I did not like hearing that finding my homeschool groove could take a while. Generally, it is said it can take about three years to find where you want to be. Do not despair! You will get there…(Hey, that rhymed.)It’s kinda like when your children were infants…you just did what you had to do to survive. You will be just surviving for a little while when you start out. That is ok, that is where you find yourself, and what you do and do not want to do! This is necessary to the process.

Relaxed Schedule, It May Not Be For You

A relaxed homeschool schedule may not be for you. And that is ok. That is what makes the world go round as they say. I would have said a relaxed homeschool schedule wasn’t for me either when we started.

However, almost four years in I am so happy I have found my place. My children are happier, my homeschool is more peaceful, and I owe that all to a relaxed homeschool schedule.

Likely you have heard of The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum. This homeschool curriculum was developed by Jenny Phillips and focuses on good literature and takes Charlotte Mason’s approach to homeschool. I have been integrating this curriculum into my homeschooling for almost a year. The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum Review will tell you all about my experience with the program after almost a year.

I am not being paid for this post. All opinions are my own.

The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum Review

Does The Good and the Beautiful Follow Common Core Standards?

As the website states, they do not follow Common Core standards, however, they claim to match or exceed national standards. I have found this to be the case.

The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum: Math

We have been using The Good and the Beautiful curriculum in our kindergarten and third-grade math for this entire school year. I am so happy that I made the switch when we started kindergarten this year. We only have experience with the kindergarten and third-grade levels so far.

I really love the spiral method of learning in the math curriculum. The spiral method presents a new concept in a lesson and then moves on to another concept.

For example in kindergarten math, you will cover Matching: Part 1 in lesson 8. Lesson 75 will cover Matching: Part 2. I have found that this keeps the child engaged, and not overwhelmed with a new concept. However, you may at times feel like you are jumping around to different subjects, something to take into consideration. Perhaps your child is having a hard time with a concept that will not be covered again for a while. You can either keep practicing that skill until you see improvement. Or simply take a break from it and allow them to naturally develop that skill. There is no need to worry that they will never master it. There is plenty of time for these things, promise.

Grades K-3 come with an adorable math box. These boxes vary depending on the level, but they all have the manipulatives you will need for that level. In the third-grade book, there are useful punch-outs that are used and then thrown away after one use. (Again I am sure they are in other levels, but I am only familiar with the third grade and kindergarten)

Why I Love The Good and Beautiful Math Curriculum

We have had a blast with this curriculum so far. Throughout the books are many games to play. The games have been exceptional for the times my older son hasn’t understood a concept at first. After we have played the game once or twice he is better able to understand the concept. My boys are both very active and always moving. This was a big factor in choosing a curriculum to switch over to in third grade. Again, this is where the games have been so vital for peace in our homeschool day and year.

When I purchased my books for math levels K and 3 the kindergarten book was spiral bound, and this did cause the front and back cover pages to fall off after a few months of use. I have not found this to be a huge problem, however, the first couple of pages have come off. I believe the company was addressing this concern, however.

Social Studies, Science, and Geography Integrated Into Math

Yet another feature I love about The Good and Beautiful Curriculum is that it integrates a variety of other subjects into math and even Language arts. (More on that later.)

kindergarten

For example with Math Level K there are many basic science concepts, mainly featuring nature. I love this. At times in the program, your child is asked to go outside and collect items in nature to use in the lesson. How fun!

Third-grade

The third-grade math level focuses on social studies and geography. It is done so nicely with the customs, foods, and cultures of people in other countries. My son really loves the riddles that are used as well. The riddles are great for solidifying new concepts.

I have found myself not worrying about doing every little problem in the lesson practice and independent practices. I have seen that they will come back to the concept, and in due time the concept will be grasped.

How Long Can You Expect Math to Take?

In both kindergarten and third-grade levels there are 120 lessons. We are able to do one lesson a day in our year-round schedule.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten lessons are no more than 3 pages, usually only 2 per lesson. The lessons are fun and engaging and keep things interesting for my son and me. One lesson a day will give you more than enough time to finish the book in a typical 180-day year. Depending on the lesson you can spend 10-15 minutes on one lesson.

Third-grade

Thirty minutes is all it usually takes to get through a lesson for my third-grader. (I believe they say between 30-45 min per lesson.) This can vary if there are games or not. Most lessons are 3-4 pages. The first 1 or 2 pages are parent-led, as it is the main part of the lesson. (There is a lot of reading for the parent up until third grade, however, I do know fourth grade is more child-led for the whole lesson.) Then there is 1 page for Lesson Practice, and 1 page for Review and Activities.

I see the benefits of starting with the program from kindergarten on as my son is not very good at doing the child-led pages on his own. Perhaps if he had been using The Good and the Beautiful math from day one he would be more willing. Time will tell if this is the case with my kindergartner.

What Can I Expect My Child to Learn With The Good and the Beautiful Math?

As I stated before the curriculum meets and exceeds national standards, in their math. I can not speak so much from experience for the standards in third grade, but I believe they exceed the math standards for kindergarten. For instance, my kindergartner is learning how to tell time to the hour and has mastered it. Also, he is learning how to count by 5’s and how to recognize the Penny, Nickle, and Dime. I do not think my son learned these things in public school when he was in kindergarten, that is why I say they exceed the standards here.

What About The Religious Aspect of the Curriculum?

As far as the math curriculum goes, religious doctrines do not find their way into the lessons. If you believe in the basics of God and Jesus then you will not find anything controversial here. I take great care in making sure that what we read and the study doesn’t conflict with our beliefs, and have yet to find this in The Good and the Beautiful.

There are many things I love about The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum and one of those things is also their Language Arts Curriculum. Let me tell you about it.

The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Curriculum

I will preface this by saying that again, I am fairly new to The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum. We have only been using the Language Arts curriculum for a few months, and only with my third-grader. I will base my review on what I know so far.

Level 2 language arts

Yes, you read that right, level 2. Prior to starting level 2 Language Arts, we had tried only a couple of different reading curriculums. The first one we tried was Reading Street from kindergarten through second grade. (Reading Street is not a homeschooling curriculum.) Also, we went through one book from Memoria Press (at the beginning of third grade) This was based more on reading and comprehension more than anything else. These both were fine, and Reading Street is what I am currently using for my kindergartner in conjunction with Hooked on Phonics.

Why is your third grader doing LOWER-LEVEL language art?

It is not because he was behind in reading or any language skills. I did this mainly because of his lack of desire to write. Every child will learn at their own rate. When I first started homeschooling, I would not have wanted to put my child in a lower level of anything. However, I have relaxed quite a bit in my homeschooling style.

However, I did know I wanted to switch my son over to a more comprehensive Language Arts curriculum. Looking into the level 4 Language Arts I found it included a lot of writing workshops. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this idea. Everything included looked like something I would want for him. I worried that he would revolt though. This much writing for him seemed like we would be doing nothing but fighting. I decided to start him off at a slightly lower level to prepare him for the higher levels. Our writing had been lacking quite a bit. We were doing handwriting, but as far as other things went, I wanted to be doing a bit more.

Previously, geography, writing, spelling, and more were divided between several books…I wanted everything to be condensed into one book, and that is what I got by switching to The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts!

Reading that Keeps My Son Interested!

The feature that sold me on the Level 2 Language Arts was the reading books that came along with it. I love the side-by-side reading. The parent has a section to read, and the child has a part to read. This has been a game-changer! My son knows how to read, but he isn’t an avid reader. He doesn’t get too excited about books, especially chapter books. That being said, he was begging to read the books included in the curriculum! One book that has really caught his attention is “Wesley and the Wolves”.

The chapter books that come with the curriculum are designed to go along with the “Booster Cards” or daily practice cards. Instead of chapter titles, the chapters focus on the reading skill the child is learning. The story has been full of adventure, curiosity, and a bit of mystery that has kept my son interested.

Art Appreciation, Writing Practice, Geography, and Spelling

If you are looking for a comprehensive Language Arts Curriculum, I really can recommend The Good and the Beautiful! Included subjects are art appreciation, writing practice, geography, and spelling, just to name a few!

Did you know all of that can be yours for FREE?

Jenny Phillips definitely knows what value her curriculum has, but she is kind enough to provide it for free! I know for sure the Language Arts and Math are free, but I haven’t looked into other subjects. They are available for free download. I find having physical copies of the books works best for me. Right now you can get the whole Language Arts curriculum for less than eighty dollars!

I certainly plan to stick with this curriculum for the foreseeable future. I am eager to start Level 1 with my kindergartner, but I am in no rush to get kindergarten over with. (It has gone too quickly!) I would love to come back and give my review of the next levels as we progress!

But before I go, let me tell you about Science for Little Hearts and Hands.

Science for Little Hearts and Hands

This Science unit has been so fun for us so far! It is certainly nature-based, with lots of trees, flowers, and insects. The description for the curriculum states it is perfect for preschool to second grade, but I would venture to say it can go beyond that! The lessons are short and engaging, with videos! I hope we get to enjoy it even more with the warm weather now here!

In conclusion, this curriculum has been such a thrill to find! It has everything I could ask for, and at a price that I know I can’t beat! My wiggly boys have been able to learn so much with the interactive activities that were lacking prior to our switch! I can’t wait to come back and let you know what we think of the next levels!

Until next time! Remember, keep things simple, and have fun!