Homeschool Curriculum & Methods
This page of resources belongs to the Homeschool Help Library.
Our homeschool curriculum is a complete course of study which may include ready made materials and resources (and usually does) but is not limited to those resources.
We have a curriculum, a course of study, it’s called life. And we live it, study it, take it apart and put it back together, every day.
Our methods are how we "live" our curriculum, how we make it happen. They include: reading, play, making stuff, media, conversations, projects, travel, field trips, lessons, and more. And the methods change for each age and stage of learners.
- Lighting Design, Homeschooling Freedom, and Project-Based Learning (an interview with the Warfels) - Patreon interview where we explore the potential of homeschooling not just on our kids' education but our own career paths and family culture. And see how it all comes together in one family's experience with project-based learning and living.
- The October homeschool update (with a wee bit of parenting melancholy, philosophy, and practice), part 2 - I probably shouldn't be surprised, but I am, with how much hands-on homeschooling work I still need to do.
- Project Based Learning Video Presentation - A video presentation on Project Based Learning.
- Project Based Learning as both a mindset and methodology - I use the term mindset to encapsulate the idea of "an approach to life", and methodology as shorthand for the "how to do it".
- Introducing Black Widow - Real life project-based learning is driven by a person's natural need or want to make or build something; they arise from an innate desire or interest to figure something out, express an idea, have an experience, or participate in community and culture.
- Letting them grow up into who they are meant to be - An apprenticeship with my dad is partly about learning practical skills but it is about building relationship.
- A goal-driven curriculum - We are here to help, to remove what roadblocks we can, and assist her in moving past and through others, but the work is hers.
- Project-Based Learning & Interview Assessments - Why quitting projects is not the end of the world and how I learned to interview my children through our experience managing a large-scale student-directed project.
- Interest-led learning (& living) career planning - We don't ask our kids what they want to be when they grow up, we ask them what are you inspired to do today?
- Evenings are for Inspiring - That phrase helped give structure to an otherwise unplanned, and probably wasted, part of our days.
- Transition to Scholar with Project-Based Learning ~ Hello High School - Our objective is that our young adult children will take responsibility for their education in their scholar years.
- Our Homeschool Methods - As a parent, teacher, mentor, and facilitator I motivate and inspire interest in our curriculum largely through the methods I choose.
- A Middle Years Curriculum (with Canadian studies focus) - The overarching course of study for our "middlers" is a continuation of late elementary with some in-depth study and projects.
- Late Elementary Learner-Centric, Family-Friendly Homeschool Curriculum - My homeschool planning starts with evaluating who my children are and asking for Divine wisdom to meet their needs and guide them to where they need to go.
- An Emerging High Schooler, Interest-led, Learner-Specific Homeschool Curriculum - An almost high school, emerging scholar curriculum.
- State of The Union ~ Late Elementary and Middle Years - The middle school years is the time when we introduce more formal learning lessons, slowly and as needed by the learner and our family.
- Our Elementary Homeschool Curriculum - You build a curriculum around your family values and educational goals.
- This Past School Year's Curriculum - A post at Simple Homeschool about the the curriculum we used this past year during our big year of transition from interest-led elementary into the middle school years.
- Finding Our Late Elementary & Transition Years Homeschool Groove - To make record keeping easier and also because I like seasonal rhythms, I divide the year into Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall "school terms".
- Changes in These Middle Years (Video) ~ Defining Structure - How does interest-led learning work within a structure?
- Learning with Littles - Interest-led learning when our children were little was very family and home based.
- Summer School - The intentional, parent-led teaching and regular practice of certain skills is what we call "school".
- Project learning ~ Bedrooms and Dollhouses (& Pond building too) - Going further and farther with project based learning.
- Summer non-boredom - My job as a mother is not to fill up my kids' days with activity after activity.
- School's Out ~ School's In - We have morning lessons but I'd say most of my kids' learning takes place outside of that time.
- Confessions of an errant homeschooler - We may not have followed through exactly on our plans but that doesn't mean we're not learning!
- A little more structure - My early forays into developing our own curriculum, based on Charlotte Mason's teaching.
