How Far In Advance Do You Plan Curriculum For?

[Jumping In Puddles]

EDIT: Sorry for the bad grammar in the title, I would change it if I could! :)

 

I am making an outline right now and trying to come up with overall goals for K-8 and HS.

 

Some things are more general, for example: critical thinking or clear communication.

 

Others are more specific like: Physics in 10th grade or fluency in Spanish.

 

I have absolutely no curriculum plans yet though. I would like to at least fill in what I would like to do for first grade. It is so overwhelming!

 

How far in advance do you plan your children's curriculum? If not at all, do you have a general idea of what you want them to know before graduation?

[PeterPan]

Some of this is going to come for you as you find your groove and works best for your dc. At that point it becomes very "do the next thing." If I could suggest, as one who's just a step ahead of you but can look back, instead of thinking K-8, think grammar stage. Get SWB's Writing Without Fear cd and her new book Writing With Ease. Read through the WTM grammar stage recommendations for each subject. Make yourself little charts and see how the skills build each year so you can see the path of where you're going skills-wise. That's what I wish I had seen. I thought in terms of curriculum progression, but it never occurred to me to chart out ahead and get the big picture on the development of SKILLS. Once you see how the skills develop, then you can just keep going at your dc's pace, be it a bit faster or slower. I know WTM has summaries at the end of each chapter, but those summaries don't show how the skills connect for a grade between the subjects (how the writing recs interact with the history recs). So that's what I'd do, make your charts and correlate those, focusing just on the grammar stage. Then tackle the dialectic stage as you get closer to it. I know it's taken all my brain power to sort through the grammar stage as we've been doing it. I don't think I could have possibly imagined in K5 how she would think and what she would need or be strong in come 5th or 6th grade, kwim? You don't really see yet their PERSON, their strengths and weaknesses. You're going to focus on those and work with them. I know I spend a lot of time and curriculum emphasis on history for my dd that I wouldn't do with a dc who wasn't bent that way. You really can't see that yet because they aren't quite there. So that's my two-cents: focus on the grammar stage skills and sequence. Then when you hit 3rd and 4th, start thinking about dialectic.

[8filltheheart]

I only plan yr by yr for my kids until they reach high school.

 

We have a general idea of what they want to take during high school, but even that is open to change. Our oldest ended up taking more classes dual enrolled than I thought when he was in 9th grade.

 

I wouldn't waste a lot of time planning the future. Life happens, things change, kids fluctuate in their abilities, they become closer to adulthood and a lot more vocal in their educational goals........basically-----I focus on goals for a single yr. Sometimes we exceed them, sometimes we don't even reach them. I can't plan for the next yr until I see where the current one ends up. :)

[Closeacademy]

I have a 12 year sketch so that I can see the big picture and where we are heading but I keep in mind that it is only a sketch and not a true picture.

 

I plan year by year and sometimes even month by month. I have a good idea on where we will be next 12 to 24 months but anything further than that is pure speculation. Sometime even the next 4 to 6 months can be a little sketchy as needs change, they mature and we discover new ways of doing things.

 

A lot of this is guess work and you just learn to ride the waves and enjoy it as you eventually reach the goal or at least the end of the ride with your children as they take off on their own.

 

Good Luck and good journey.:001_smile:

[rafiki]

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[Jumping In Puddles]

<snip>

 

So that's my two-cents: focus on the grammar stage skills and sequence. Then when you hit 3rd and 4th, start thinking about dialectic.

 

You're right, I need to think of the stages as opposed to K-8. Great advice in this post :)

[Jumping In Puddles]

... I can't plan for the next yr until I see where the current one ends up. :)

ahhh, very true. I'm guessing this also takes away some stress of feeling "behind".

 

...

 

A lot of this is guess work and you just learn to ride the waves and enjoy it as you eventually reach the goal or at least the end of the ride with your children as they take off on their own.

 

Good Luck and good journey.:001_smile:

 

Thanks :) I'm looking forward to the kids telling me what they want to study but I need goals. My goals may change though... I am flexible!

 

subjects down the side, grade levels across along with school year. Listing the school year helps me plan each year when I can line up all the kids instantly. X off any that do not apply, such as handwriting in 3rd+ (we do HWOT in K, script in 1st, and typing in 2nd) or grammar after 8th, spelling after 5th, etc.. I make a list of materials we love and what levels they are available for. I start filling in the 12th grade column with generals like CC math, CC lab science, taking 2 years for TRISMS AOR, etc.. Then I use my material list as a guide, pluggin in things like Horizon math K-6, etc., Prentice Hall Science for middle, etc., and really after I did all this I had very few blanks left. For those with blanks, I keep a folder where I watch for ideas and add curriculum samples to look over.

 

Lots of good ideas here too. Making a list of good material is a great idea.

[LadyAberlin]

I have on computer my curriculum plans for prek through 12th. But I go in a tweak things when I like something better that just came out. Each year I analyze what we are about to use and decide if the plan is still going to work or not. I don't have problems feeling bad if I change it, but it makes me feel better to have an idea of where we are going.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I have an overall outline through 12th grade. For curriculum that is working well that I am sure I will stick with, I fill that in (Singapore Math through 6th for example). Otherwise, it's one year at a time based on what worked, what didn't, and what direction we need to head in.

[ABQmom]

I think ahead a little in my mind as I plan each school year, but I really only plan out one year at a time. Too many things change as you make your way through the homeschool journey. New and better curriculum becomes available, the children change a lot in one year, and sometimes we just get bored with curriculum or the routine and need to do something different.

[nutmeg]

I have a 12 year sketch so that I can see the big picture and where we are heading but I keep in mind that it is only a sketch and not a true picture.

This is what I do. I made up a big plan when dds were in 3rd/1st grades, and roughly fit in the history cycle, our curricular faves (Singapore/R&S), a plan for the upper maths, etc. I call this my road map. I pull it out a few times per year to tweak.

 

As for specific curricula, I only look ahead a year or two. And I don't make purchases until the summer before I need them.

 

This big picture was a huge help for me. It probably depends on your 'planning personality'. I don't sweat the day to day details, but I like knowing where we are headed.

[G5052]

I realized earlier though this year that with one in the logic stage, that I need to start being a little more definite so that we can meet certain goals by the end of high school. So now I do indeed have a plan for both children through grade 12, but it's not written in stone by any means. I also outlined some alternatives that we'll have to decide when we get there.

 

Prior to this year though, I frankly didn't sweat it much. We just "did the next thing"...:)

[angela in ohio]

I really just went year-by-year until about 5th grade, other than an eye on our overall goals. At that point, I decided what we needed to do in high school and worked backwards to plan 6th-8th.

[Parrothead]

We are still in the early stages of our journy so I only plan a year in advance. I tend to keep in mind the following year though. Right now I'm working on 4th grade planning. While doing this I think about how the plan will carry though to 5th grade.

[mcconnellboys]

Specific curricular plans I make for next year only. I begin this in about early January, when I have some down, indoor time, usually around the holidays.

 

I did sit down during logic stage for my older son and track out how we could get various areas of study covered over the course of several years. I did track out potential courses of study for him through the end of high school. I ended up changing those around in the end, due to his wishes, and he ended up going back into a private school this year, for tenth grade. But I do have those and will look at them again as I begin to move my younger son in that same direction.

 

I have the majority of my plans in place for next school year, written into a planner for my daily use. I will finalize those over the course of the summer. In late summer, I will begin to line up outside activities for the fall.

[Rosie_0801]

My daughter is only one and I'm busy writing out a plan for her entire education! It could be because I'm a Capricorn, but I like to have a plan. A plan can be changed when it needs to be, but if you have no plan, you never get started. I have a table drawn up with the grade level down one side and the subjects across the top. I'm slowly filling in the squares with my intended curriculums (or books.) I have long lists of products available on each topic. Some I have discounted, some I'm not thrilled with but feel they may be useful in the future if the kiddies don't like my current choices. (Everyone seems to swap maths curriculums, for example.) It also helps me think about how I want to teach something, not just when or what. I also have a list of things that I'd like the kids to learn, or stuff that looks too cool to miss out on, but doesn't fit in the yearly plan. I figure that may be fun stuff to "work" on with Dad during his holidays. I know Hubby will be miserable if he feels like he has no involvement in their schooling. He's a teacher himself, so somewhere in his brain seems to be the idea that his academic involvement only counts on weekdays during daylight hours.

:)

Rosie- with a very long wishlist on amazon!

[Jumping In Puddles]

I wish I could change the title of this thread. Wow, that is one awkward sentence. :confused: I don't think I had my coffee yet when I posted this one!

[tinkgumby]

I decided I love Sonlight, so I bought Cores K, 1, 2, and 3. Yes, I am three years ahead of myself . . . ;)

[4wildberrys]

My daughter is only one and I'm busy writing out a plan for her entire education! It could be because I'm a Capricorn, but I like to have a plan. A plan can be changed when it needs to be, but if you have no plan, you never get started. I have a table drawn up with the grade level down one side and the subjects across the top. I'm slowly filling in the squares with my intended curriculums (or books.) I have long lists of products available on each topic. Some I have discounted, some I'm not thrilled with but feel they may be useful in the future if the kiddies don't like my current choices. (Everyone seems to swap maths curriculums, for example.) It also helps me think about how I want to teach something, not just when or what. I also have a list of things that I'd like the kids to learn, or stuff that looks too cool to miss out on, but doesn't fit in the yearly plan.

:)

Rosie- with a very long wishlist on amazon!

 

Does this type of trait apply to Sagittarius too??:tongue_smilie:My kids are older (7th and 10th) but I also need a plan to see where we are going, so I have and have had their plan all penciled out for years. Yes, the plan changes if something does not work---but we are flexible! I have tried many things, want to try many others and ditched lots over the years. I also have HUGE wishlists on paper and on my favorite curriculum buying sites :D

[Kay in Cal]

I have a 12 year sketch so that I can see the big picture and where we are heading but I keep in mind that it is only a sketch and not a true picture.:001_smile:

 

This is close to what I do. I have a spreadsheet showing general ideas for all 12 years for both my children (and my oldest is in 1st). I know it will keep on changing and developing over time, but it gives me some idea where we are headed and when I want to implement certain things. I think one key is fitting the schedule to the child, and not the other way around.

[Langhaven]

A wise person told me that I needed to plan where I wanted my children to end up at the end of high school and work backwards to their current age. It makes sense. If I want my chlidren to make it to Calculus, I need to put that in the 12th grade docket and plan backwards to where they need to be this year to get to that goal. We have done this idea for our children since then, and it has worked well. It also keeps the year to year pondering about what to do to a minimum. Hope that makes sense.

 

Pam

[Trivium Academy]

I've planned K-4 in detail and have broad, general ideas for 5-12th. I do have a few details figured out for 5th-8th but really only time can truly tell. I suspect by the end of 4th, I'll have 5th-8th more nailed down. Having the broad, general ideas really help with the now though. Good luck!

[8filltheheart]

Well, I am going to respond again. ;)

 

I just want to encourage you to not worry about the future. Your kids are so little. You really have no need to even think beyond primary grades.

 

Children just don't develop in neat little packages. While having a goal of reaching college at the end of high school is great, it is simply unrealistic to plan the path there in K. Here are very real examples from our own family......my current 6th grader is math brilliant and will be taking high school geometry next yr but he spells like a 3rd grader, reads slowly, and writes like an average 6th grader. There is no way I could predict that when he was 5. Conversely, my 8th grade dd is pretty much on the advanced side of 8th grade, but when she was in 1st, she was reading on a 3rd-4th grade level and was pretty advanced across the board. I didn't expect her to struggle with some of the things that she did.

 

Curriculum functions as a tool to meet educational objectives on the short-term. The beauty of homeschooling is that they don't have to conform to someone else's level or pace. We can educate them exactly where they need to be. Therefore, curriculum selection for the next yr should be dependent on their current level, not a pre-selected title.

 

Until you are facing decisions that are going to really impact high school (like taking alg in 8th grade or not), the best planning you can do is making sure you are meeting your child where they are.

 

Setting realistic yrly objectives is a more vital scenerio in my mind. Having objectives for your current educational yr provides you a guideline for evaluating the skills that are supposed to be mastered. Those are the nitty-gritty details that are sometimes hard to remember day to day as we slog through endless days of school with spring beckoning us outside. :)

[Lizzie in Ma]

I have written down many suggestions for curriculum. Based on those and WTM, I have a general outline of how it is going to look K-12 at any given time.

I have made changes over the years here and there and I am not married to my high school ideas yet, not all of them anyway.

I must say that if it were not for all you ladies, I would have made more uninformed decisions. It is wonderful to have the Hive to bounce ideas off of and glean from.

So, yes, I do have a list I work from heavily penciled in and written in the margins are other possibilities based on new knowledge.

I do it because otherwise I might forget a great resource and because, honestly, I am a geek who enjoys that sort of thing. :001_smile:

[rafiki]

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[8filltheheart]

I hope you didn't/don't take my posts personally. :) Obviously we all do things are own way.

 

It is simply my personal opinion that pre-selecting curriculum is counter-productive. The availability of current products is not guaranteed in the future; better products may become available, outsourcing might be a chosen route, etc.

 

Listing courses/topics, or as someone else posted, keeping a running list of recommended titles so that when you get there you can peruse them and make decisions.......that may be prudent. Developing a curriculum specific plan for k-12 is probably developing a false sense of security if you are discussing Kers......it is a different discussion if you are talking about 5th graders. By 5th grade, you at least have a more accurate assessment of skill progression. It is nearly impossible to predict future academic strengths and weaknesses based on 5/6 yr old abilities.

 

The OP sounds overwhelmed by the process. There is absolutely no reason for her to be. If writing out a list of book titles encourages you, absolutely go for it. If it stresses you, there is absolutely no need.

[Jenny in Atl]

I have till 8th in detail, and a general outline of 9-12. Still up in the air about what to do at that point. :confused:

[Jumping In Puddles]

I...

The OP sounds overwhelmed by the process. There is absolutely no reason for her to be. ...

 

Oh yes, I am overwhelmed. Exactly. I've got kindergarten down pat and I thought I would just look-see what would be coming up and I had no idea there were so many choices! This thread, and this forum in general is making me see the light though. Thanks, all :)

[LisaKinVA]

Another Capricorn here (but it probably has more to do with me than my birthday).

 

I'm one of those who works with the end-goal in mind. I've been this way (personally) since I was a young girl. I remember figuring out what I needed to take in high school, so that I would be able to get into college -- and I was in the 5th grade.

 

It gives me a goal to work towards, work consistently, and remain sane.

 

I started "planning school" for my oldest before he was born. I was just so excited about "when" we'd get to "do" school. I still have those choices/plans written down.

 

Real life intervened, and my son isn't doing anything the way I had "planned." There were issues with curricula I *thought* would be perfect, but wound up not being "perfect" for my son, me or both of us. We changed a lot along the way.

 

But, those plans are still very important to ME psychologically. I enjoy making them. I also enjoy working from where we are and "seeing" where we could be in 5 years (and yes, I write it all down).

 

Actually purchasing stuff, though, I tend to only buy things I am pretty sure we would use regardless (great resource materials, literature, things like that). Although, there are some things I could now confidently get further in advance (such as the VP Bible Series... or the Latin for Children B & C, Story of the World on CD), because they HAVE worked well for us.

 

As new curriculums come out, sometimes I'm tempted to try them -- but more often than not, I stick with what has worked thus far (even though money isn't a huge issue -- I still like saving by being able to re-use).

 

My general plans go through high school (I have some "top picks" written down to look at later -- but haven't purchased anything).

 

So, I guess you could say, I have a general plan from pre-school through 12th grade. And specific "plans" about 1-2 years from where each child is currently.

[triadofchaos]

But, those plans are still very important to ME psychologically. I enjoy making them. I also enjoy working from where we are and "seeing" where we could be in 5 years (and yes, I write it all down).

 

This is me. I have a general outline of subject matter to cover in a matrix for all three kiddos so I can see how the material will line up with all of them. For example- my kids are 3 years apart, but my eldest is an accelerated learner, so it turns out that we are starting SOTW and the WTM history/science rotation with her this fall, which means that if we continue with the rotation all the way through, the twins will pick it up when they are 6 and starting 1st and she will be 9 and starting 5th (i am fully aware this might totally change depending on life). And she will be able to do a sort of independent study for 12th having completed the roitation 3x by 11th grade. I have this through 12th. I also did the backwards planning thing with math.

 

But specifically, I usually plan in depth, one year ahead on a rotating basis. As we finish one quarter (we go year round) I look ahead in detail 3 quarters.

 

Most of this planning is merely for my self-confidence/sanity/enjoyment and a little for show for my husband so he stays reassured about our commintment to hsing through to college.

[Wildiris]

I think devising a general plan with some goals to be attained by the first four grades and then another set of goals for the next four grades and on through high school works much better than picking curriculum early on for some future plan that doesn't meet the student's needs when they arrive at this future time. Kids change, curriculum evolves and you develop a deeper understanding of topics as you teach.

 

With all of those big plans I once had to read the "Classics," when I first started the home school journey, I think it interesting that when it came to reading the "Classics" I was confronted with reason why I never read many of them before~they can be tedious and boring. Possibly one can be rescued from this tedium by books on tape, but unfortunately, that too can fail to ignite the imagination.

 

Plans are good: flexibility is better.

 

Wildiris

[mcconnellboys]

We might just have a semantics thingy going on. When I say that I make out plans for several years, I don't mean that I necessarily decide what specific books I'm using for particular topics - just that I rough out what classes dc will do and what sort of time frame we'll try to adopt, etc. I don't actually buy my books, make my booklists, or firm up plans unitl sometime in the months before we start a new school year.

[Tiffani]

I have long range goals for several reasons. I'd want to use materials that can be used again and again. I like to know where we're going....I have WinterPromise scheduled for all 4 boys from now until 2022. Overkill? Maybe, but I like to see the big picture. But on that note I do reevaluate after every 6 months to see what's working and what's not. Notice I said "working", not what we "like"...that's not an issue w/ me.

 

HTH

[Nestof3]

I have made my science plans all the way until graduation.