I want to encourage you to plan out some of your own curriculum for the coming year. There are several reasons why you make the best “curriculum planner” for your own children:
- God has given parents the responsibility to train and teach their own children.
- You know your children better than anyone else.
- You are aware of areas in which your children need more training.
- You have special topics that God has placed on your heart, to teach to your children.
However, it can be overwhelming to think about making your own curriculum.
This is how I begin.
- I get an empty 3-ring binder.
- I fill it with a few dividers, plus some inexpensive notebook paper.
- For a few days (or weeks or months), I brainstorm all over several (or many) sheets of notebook paper.
- Before I start the official planning, I review our family’s homeschooling philosophy, goals, and methods. I’d bathe all the plans in lots of prayer.
- Inside the front cover of my binder, I’d keep a running list of books, websites, documents, and materials that I want to include in the curriculum.
Now don’t be overwhelmed! This sounds like a lot, but if you’ll take your time and slowly… over time… give your brain time to mull over things… it’s not hard at all.
At this moment, I have 3-ring binders for many different subjects going: history, science, Bible, character studies, Spanish, Hebrew, typing, math, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, Latin, logic… Seriously! I have a lot of binders! 🙂
Okay, when you’ve plotted and planned, it’s time to print out some planning sheets.
>> You can download Do-It-Yourself-Curriculum-Planning Sheets here.
- Print out 2 “Course Objectives” sheets. One is a rough draft, and the second is your final version.
- How many weeks per year do you homeschool, or how many weeks do you want this course to last? Print out that many of the weekly planning sheets, plus a few extra for mess-ups.
- Hole punch these sheets, and insert them into your planning binder.
- Start filling in the grids — in pencil!
I’d love to hear about the curriculum you’re planning!
Anne, this is basicly how I do it too, but some how it sounds so much neater and more organized in your bog than it does whe nI do it here at home.
Katie, this made me laugh out loud! If you could see my desk!!!!!!!!! The ONLY thing neat and organized is cyberspace…. LOL!!!
Anne,
I came across your website last week and immediately signed up for your e-zine newsletter. Sooooo glad that I did! I am a 59 year old missionary in New Mexico. God has sent us to an exciting “training center” for 2-12 ‘grade’ students. It has only two rooms and is run much like homeschooling…. all ages being taught different subjects in these two rooms (: and ALL Bible-based, of course. I have only taught one subject, sign language, to adults! Now I will be teaching Creative Writing, Deaf Culture and ASL (American Sign Language), Jewish Culture, Customs, and Festivals, and Herbology. Until I perused your website, I was at a loss as to how to write curriculum for each of these subjects!! Now I have help, thank you!! and I don’t feel so utterly lost! You have instilled confidence in my ability to do this (: I am also a grandmother of soon to be 11… and 8 are homeschooled by my daughter, Heather… a TRUE pioneer woman! She’ll be having number 8 in July, and I get to be there to assist her, as I have with 10 of my 11 grandchildren 😀 I have a very loving and supportive husband of 42 years (:
Thank you again for your loving support (:
In YHVH’s loving service,
Terri
Terri, shalom, and it is such a pleasure to meet you! Please write any time and ask questions! I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve got lots of great, experienced, homeschooling moms I can ask! 🙂
Our family lived in Pinon, Arizona, about 45 minutes west of Canyon de Chelly, from 2002-2005. Are you located anywhere near the Navajo reservation? I would certainly love to visit out your direction again someday. I can just picture what your little school must be like! It sounds like home….
Hugs,
~Anne