How far in advance do you plan your children's education?

[tntgoodwin]

Do you have a pretty good idea of what topics you will cover from Kindergarten all the way through graduation? Do you just do one year at a time without an over-arching goal? Somewhere in between? What about curriculum? Do you re-evaluate every year? Only if something isn't working for some reason?

 

TIA

[Heather in OK]

My oldest will be in 8th grade this coming year. Starting last year I planned out most subjects through graduation. Curriculum we use may change but the general idea of what we need to get done (subjects required, # of credits, etc) is planned.

 

With my others I will follow the same plan starting in 7th grade and adjust for each as needed.

[Plucky]

I planned all my oldest son's school through high school when he was in 7th or 8th grade. I like to have a plan. We did not follow it all. My ds started running start his junior year instead. I pretty much have the same plan for my other kids, but already we are deviating from it for better things. It all works out. :)

[tntgoodwin]

Whenever you first started, how far did you plan at that time?

[Garga]

My kids are entering 1st and 4th grade. I do not have an over-arching plan.

 

But once they hit the start of 8th grade, I will plan it out thru graduation.

[MeaganS]

You mean like how my daughter is only 2 but I have a spreadsheet with what curriculum I want to use all the way through High School? ;)

[Melissa B]

I have a K-12 plan for each of my children. I revisit and adjust every term - three times per year. :)

[myfunnybunch]

Somewhere in between.

 

I make a detailed plan for each year. I have a list of goals that we'd like to meet by the time my boys finish high school, and that list guides my yearly choices. But I haven't got a detailed course of study planned for each child's entire homeschool education.

 

Cat

[Wyndie]

Whenever you first started, how far did you plan at that time?

 

I do one year at a time. My kids are going into 1st, 4th and 6th. My two oldest learn in very different ways so there is always reassessing going on here.

 

We just finished school a week ago and I am planning next year. I started planning next year about a month ago but very loosely. Now I am doing it with intention and vigor. :D

[sewingmama]

One term at a time :001_smile:

 

I have a basic idea what we will cover in a year but the detailed planning I do term by term (we have 4 terms a year in Aus - about 10-12 weeks long).

 

The reason I do it this way is that the little ones change so much in this short amount of time in terms of their abilities and concentration. I find if I plan for a year that about half way through I realise I have underestimated what my child is able to do and so I need to readjust to make things "meatier". KWIM

 

Plus I like to take things term by term because life changes, new opportunites come up etc and I like my children to take advantage of things as they happen and not be locked into a strict plan.

 

Just today I was offerred a great opportunity for both my 3&5 YO and although I already had next term planned out I was able to readjust it to fit this in - without having to worry about messing up a whole years schedule.

 

 

It works for us anyway.:001_smile:

Edited June 27, 2011 by sewingmama

[nono]

Well, I approach this like any business planning I've done.

 

So, for our homeschool, we have Objectives, Strategies and Tactics.

 

In the Strategies section is where I mapped out all 12 years for both children when I was starting 1st grade with my dd (about a year ago). It's a general framework of how to accomplish our overall objectives within the years available.

 

From that Strategies doc are links to our Tactics level spreadsheet on a yearly basis, which is our nitty-gritty planner. At the end of first grade a couple weeks back, I sat down immediately and planned the tactics for Q1 in the fall, so I could truly have my time off for the summer. If I didn't already have the Strategies in place, I wouldn't have been ready to drill to the tactical level.

 

That being said, I revisit the Strategies doc several times a year, and amend as information reveals itself and decisions are made to use/discard.

 

This sounds way more regimented than it is. I just like to have a clear plan and scorecard as we progress on this journey. Maybe by next year, I'll be writing my year end reviews, and making my kids do 360 evaluations of me... :lol:

[Dirtroad]

Pretty much have the general framework planned through high school - they are in 5th & 7th this fall. I know the history, grammar, and math breakdown and know which publishers/formats that I will use. Science is a whole other can of worms. I know the general area... but not which company/publications, etc.

[tntgoodwin]

Well, I approach this like any business planning I've done.

 

So, for our homeschool, we have Objectives, Strategies and Tactics.

 

In the Strategies section is where I mapped out all 12 years for both children when I was starting 1st grade with my dd (about a year ago). It's a general framework of how to accomplish our overall objectives within the years available.

 

From that Strategies doc are links to our Tactics level spreadsheet on a yearly basis, which is our nitty-gritty planner. At the end of first grade a couple weeks back, I sat down immediately and planned the tactics for Q1 in the fall, so I could truly have my time off for the summer. If I didn't already have the Strategies in place, I wouldn't have been ready to drill to the tactical level.

 

That being said, I revisit the Strategies doc several times a year, and amend as information reveals itself and decisions are made to use/discard.

 

This sounds way more regimented than it is. I just like to have a clear plan and scorecard as we progress on this journey. Maybe by next year, I'll be writing my year end reviews, and making my kids do 360 evaluations of me... :lol:

 

Oooh! I like this. Is this a Word doc? Would it be at possible to get a generic copy of what you have created? If not, I understand. :001_smile:

[Year Round Mom]

This year for my K-4, my K-5, and my 2nd grader I made two tables (I love making charts) for K-12. The first one outlines the subjects that I want to keep all my kids on the same rotation for, like History, Science and Bible. This chart is labelled by school year (2011-2012, 2012-2013, etc.). For example, for 2011-2012, we'll do VP OTAE. For 2012-2013, we'll do VP NT Greece and Rome.

 

The second chart is for the skills-based subjects, like language arts and math and is labelled by grade (in K and 1st grade, DC will use Handwriting Without Tears; in 2nd, DC will use Classically Cursive for writing).

 

My charts are mostly blank, admittedly. I haven't figured out much past third grade! But I like having the structure already in place. And I change it whenever I find something else. It's fluid. Ha!

[Jan in SC]

I purchased work for the fall, but I haven't even looked at it, yet. I won't plan next year until next spring. When I start planning too far ahead, I buy items I don't need and then I end up not using them.

 

I guess, somewhere in the far reaches of my mind, I have a general idea of where they are going with this education. Maybe?

[kalanamak]

I re-read WTM yearly, and go over where we are and the next year with a fine comb twice a year.

 

I found things got a little hairier as I got to 3rd grade. Kiddo is ahead in some and behind in others. At this point we are just marching forward with what we started in 2nd and 3rd grade, and I keep shifting gears if things get bogged down. My biggest problem is how he blows through science.

 

I'm also doing a little extra reading on what to do this upcoming year to prepare for 5th grade. This may mean scaling back on grammar and spending extra time on writing and spelling, e.g. It seems like sometimes I'm pulling from ahead, and other times I'm pushing from behind.

 

I keep waiting for more maturity ... or at least more consistency. One day he charges through math, other days he I hear him struggling with 3 x 6. Half the time I think I'm just teaching him HOW to learn/retain/focus and that the content is unimportant. Then I wake up from my brain-numbing frustration and realize it is both. If you have to eat, you might as well eat good food.

 

So, for next year we will keep on with what is in my siggy, and I will wrestle with how much time on Latin; can I find a decent piano teacher; can I find a third physics curriculum to chew up, or should I go for something completely different; should I send the boys overseas; how can I get him to like doing hands-on art or at least not make it a burden.

 

While I'm wrestling that, I'll be biting my nails and getting books for fifth grade, teaching the material to myself, and deciding what parts of kiddo's knowledge base and skill need shoring up before July 2012.

 

So, in short: I keep pulling at the traces, but do lift my eyes to the goal as often as I remember to.

[BabyBre]

Do you have a pretty good idea of what topics you will cover from Kindergarten all the way through graduation? Do you just do one year at a time without an over-arching goal? Somewhere in between?

 

I've got specific curricula or ideas for specific curricula for each subject very tentatively scheduled out through graduation.

 

 

What about curriculum? Do you re-evaluate every year? Only if something isn't working for some reason?

 

 

 

I re-evaluate mid-year if necessary, if something doesn't seem to be working. The customizability is one of my favorite things about homeschooling so, yes, I re-evaluate every year and decide if the original plan is still the right one for each child.

[AndyJoy]

You mean like how my daughter is only 2 but I have a spreadsheet with what curriculum I want to use all the way through High School? ;)

:iagree:Or hypothetically when your child is -10 and you do the same?:lol: Of course, this list has changed quite a bit over the last 11 years.

 

Yes, I know I'm not being helpful but it's 11:21 and I'm wired after talking with a long-time friend and feeling silly. I hope you'll forgive me.

[Parrothead]

When we first started (K'er) I planned a year in advance. This spring I sat down and tentatively outlined through high school.

[Rosie_0801]

I blame it on my inner Capricorn. I had a preK to 12 plan roughly sketched out before dd was born, I think. Of course it has been revised as reality met theory. It's not like I expected a child who would choose to be language delayed in favour of mastering jigsaw puzzles and clothes-line climbing.

 

Rosie

[Carpe]

I have a rough plan for the 18 years from birth until the kids are out from under my thumb. I have notes on subjects that need to be covered and vague ideas about when to cover them.

 

So my 16 month old has a "homeschool plan" which includes things like nap time, bed time story, french board books, trip to the zoo. And my middle-school-aged step-DD has a "homeschool plan" which includes things like 'follow charter curriculum without complaining,' handiwork, reading, gymnastics and field trips.

 

I like planning, it's much easier to deviate from the plan when you have one. I've amassed plenty of resources for going wider and deeper if/when I need them to keep the kids from racing ahead. And a plan B if they need to go faster anyway. And a plan C if they need to go slower. There is not, as of yet a plan D, but who knows, they're still pretty young. :lol:

[kolamum]

Um.. well.. Kinda.

 

I DID have it all planned out from K - 8th. Yep, I thought I had it made. In fact, I could have probably stretched it through 9th grade and then I was debating a particular something for 10-12th.

 

Only, as is normal, we hit a speed bump and my plans went one way and we went the other! I was mortified and terrified at first. Now I'm rather enjoying the difference. :lol:

[Pamela H in Texas]

In 1996, I wrote, no less than 100 plans through high school for my daughter. Over the years, I probably wrote 100 more between both kids.

 

As one at the end of that journey (my dd graduated a couple years ago and my son will graduate next year), I can promise you that not one single plan was even close to accurate. However, I don't regret writing them. It's what I needed at the time and it was probably good for a few things even if not accurate.

[tntgoodwin]

Thanks for sharing!

[EKS]

I have a loose plan all the way through graduation. It evolves over time. Whenever I make a major change to the course of study, I evaluate what effect the change will have down the road. This becomes more important starting at the middle school level.

[ocelotmom]

We have vague ideas of what we'd like through high school (ie. we'll follow the standard public school sequence closely enough that they have their options are open after graduation), but in detail, really only a year at a time. I consider being able to work at a child's pace and follow their interests to be some of the major benefits of homeschooling, and planning in detail years in advance doesn't really allow for that.

 

I do create book lists to follow the 4 year history cycle and things like that, though. But that's because I get silly about books that I loved as a child more than an actual desire to have a set-in-stone schedule.

 

I did have a plan to get the kid on the same rotation (do Modern informally/independently through lit, and start Ancients when DS is in 4th and DD1 is in 1st). Now I'm reconsidering this - DS LOVES history, and may not be a particularly strong reader by 4th grade (or he might - he's going through another improvement spurt right now), while DD1 hates listening to me read history. If she doesn't change her tune by the time she reaches 1st, I may give her the extra year to get over that (and hopefully do little reading-aloud of history during that year), go through modern history with DS, and start her on ancients in 2nd.

Edited June 27, 2011 by ocelotmom

[Guest]

When ds was in preschool, I wrote and re-vised our K-12 plan many times. It seems like in the last year, however, I've been focusing more on the here and now. This next year - 2011-2012 - is ready to go. Right now I am thinking about 2012-2013. That's about it at this point. Occasionally, I'll plot out a K-12, but I normally lose interest by the time I get to Jr. High/High School.

 

After being around here a few years, I've seen how much stuff changes and new stuff is released, and I think that has taken away the excitement of uber-planning.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I have a long term spreadsheet with my short list ideas. I also note below why I ruled out programs to avoid researching it again. it's always changing on the kids and curriculum available and our current thoughts about education. but I have at least 2 ideas for every subject all the way through on the spreadsheet laid out for me.

[waa510]

I have a vague idea of what I'd like to cover when for the upper grades (middle/high school level) but I feel as though, for me, it's better to plan for each stage. So, I have a structured plan for the grammar stage laid out but nothing else yet. I'm the type of person who can get very overwhelmed easily so I'm trying to look at their education in small chunks of time so that it seems more do-able. :tongue_smilie: I may need to get a more solid structure in place though as I hope to combine my girls if I can. DD1 is so ahead of the game atm that I'm not sure that I'll be able to do so without enough 'tweaking' and 'subbing' to make it pointless to me. We'll see in a few years how that goes!!

 

My girls are young now though...I imagine as we enter the logic stage it will be more crucial to have an idea of where we are going for the rhetoric stage as well. I consistently look over WTM to ensure that I'm implementing everything in the way that I should. My dd1 has been so asynchronous in her development among her subjects that I'm sure any plan further than the grammar stage would be completely tossed aside later on.

 

It's interesting to see how those with older kids have approached this..:bigear:

[nono]

Oooh! I like this. Is this a Word doc? Would it be at possible to get a generic copy of what you have created? If not, I understand. :001_smile:

 

Combo of Word and Excel. Let me see if I can distill it a bit and copy it into a PM for you. Heading to the beach now, so no promises for today! :)

[AvasMom]

What a fabulous thread! I have a loose plan in my head for both of them but I really should get it onto a spreadsheet to make it more concrete and tweakable. Great ideas!

[AvasMom]

Combo of Word and Excel. Let me see if I can distill it a bit and copy it into a PM for you. Heading to the beach now, so no promises for today! :)

 

I'm interested in this as well! Thanks!

[mycalling]

I have a plan of general courses to cover per subject through mastery or graduation, plus I add/delete curricula choices I like as options to use for each course as I come across them or we use them. Just a general game plan so I know we'll have time to cover everything. Plus, with so many it's hard to remember what we liked for 1st grade or what didn't work for an ADHD child.

 

I tweak it each year according to the student then figure out specific topics to consider a year's worth in each course. Also things like more grammar this year for this child, less computation/more word problems for that child, to customize their education but know they will all cover basically the same stuff by graduation.

[Luckymama]

I only have this upcoming year planned.

 

I have a very loose idea of what I need her to accomplish/learn by the start of high school. Nothing is written down at this point. I expect in her 7th grade year I'll formalize my ideas.

[Mom0012]

I know 90% of what I will be using for my kids through 8th grade. I know what I plan to use for math and history/literature for each child all the way through high school. Up until last year, I made decisions one grade at a time. Now that I know what works for me and my kids, it's easy to see what our path will be at least through 8th grade.

 

Lisa

[reet3]

I have a plan through 12th grade (started in 5th) but re-evaluate every year.

[Sevilla]

I plan in detail 1 year at a time. I plan in a general sense one 'segment' of education at a time. For me, it looks like this (I'm using typical labels instead of 'classical' labels):

 

PreK (early education + learning to read)

1st phase: Early Elementary (K-2nd)

2nd Phase: Later Elementary (3rd-5th)

3rd Phase: Middle School (6th-8th)

4th Phase: High School (9th-12th)

[Spy Car]

I started thinking about the long-range goals when my son was in utero.

 

Things are subject to change, revision and modification. But yes, I have a long-term strategy.

 

Bill

[Mommy22alyns]

Somewhere between. I have an idea of where I want to go, but I know that things change so I don't have it iron-clad. I re-evaluate everything yearly.

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm still new at this whole homeschooling gig, but for my ds I don't feel the need to overplan too far in advance. He's just 6, we've got years ahead of us. For now the extent of my planning is to complete a math program within the next year, read, read, read, and have fun exploring things that interest him.

 

I just don't ever see myself planning more than a month or two in advance when my kids are this young. That will probably evolve as they get older, but for now one of the absolute biggest things about homeschooling that appeals to us is the ability to move at our own pace and just keep our lives as flexible as possible.

[Elizabeth in WA]

I have a loose plan through high school for my rising 4th grader, a more definite plan for rising 6th grader, pretty well defined plans for rising 8th grader, and very definite plans for rising 10th grader. For some things, like high school math, science, and Latin (or other foreign language) it really pays to work backwards and have a clear understanding of the minimum you need to have accomplished at several checkpoints to achieve that goal. For instance, we will do Latin intensively all summer because ds15 is weak on what I consider foundational Latin I skills and does not have time to be behind if he is to be prepared for AP Latin Caesar-Virgil his senior year. To get there well we need to cover grammar in two years plus another year of reading easier original authors before a full year of studying the AP exam texts in preparation for the exam. For sciences, I need to be certain they will have the math background to cover the desired science courses at the desired times in high school. Now if you have no definite ideas of what sciences you want to cover in high school, this might not matter. I have very definite ideas about what I believe should be covered in a college preparatory high school course of study and work backwards from that to make sure that my children will be ready to cover those subjects at that desired level when the time comes.

 

So in answer, I do plan far ahead, and I think at least a general plan is good because it helps you to understand where you are trying to go with what you are doing. In elementary, I tend to focus on skills, by middle school I want to see definite mastery of a basic body of knowledge* (to allow deeper study in high school within a framework of known information) as well as skills, and in high school I want to see a solid liberal arts education along with high levels of math and science. My children are mathy and sciency which makes history, literature, writing, fine arts, etc. all the more important to me in high school because that is likely to be the last time they ever seriously study those subjects. They need to leave high with the at least the minimum body of knowledge I deem necessary to an educated person in those subjects. In order for that to happen they need to have acquired the necessary skills and introductory knowledge in elementary and middle school. My oldest will not perfectly meet this target because he is an aspie with some language issues. However, he will achieve as highly as he is capable of in this regard, furthermore history and literature are particularly important for him to study because they help him unlock a least a little the impenetrable (for him) social behavior of other people.

 

*Seeing my rising 8th grader struggle with gaining this mastery this year because he seems to have forgotten everything he ever studied in history before has increased my resolve on this. He could not achieve the desired mastery in high school from the near zero start he had at the beginning of this year. Older brother had a much easier time starting with more foundation. So rising 8th grader will acquire some foundational historical and literary knowledge and context between this year (done, barely, with a plan of continuous review through the summer and next school year) and next if it kills us both. :p Similarly, younger two will suffer from their mom/teacher's lessons learned about demonstrated mastery of content areas and continuous review.

[tntgoodwin]

Combo of Word and Excel. Let me see if I can distill it a bit and copy it into a PM for you. Heading to the beach now, so no promises for today! :)

 

Sounds great, no rush! Very much appreciated. :D