4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum 2021-2022

Fourth grade always marks a transition year in my homeschool. It's the year when all of my kids have learned to read and have begun reading to learn.

This newly acquired independence allows each of my kids the opportunity to forge ahead with more self-directed learning activities. I no longer need to be the dictator of their days. 

To be honest, autonomy has always been a struggle for my youngest. In typical last-born tradition, he follows the lead of all of his older siblings and sometimes finds it difficult to occupy himself So this year, we'll be working on developing the skills of self-directed learning. 

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2021-2022

And then there were four. 

From here on out, my homeschool will get smaller and smaller. My daughter graduated last fall and my oldest son will soon follow in the next couple of years. So, it is with a mix of excitement and sadness that I make curriculum plans for a pared-down homeschool. 

Like in years past, we will adhere to a four-day-a-week schedule. When reading through our curriculum choices, you can assume that the following items will be used four days a week unless otherwise indicated. An item with an asterisk is new to us this year.

The Quick-Start Guide to Homeschooling Multiple Ages

As I look around at our homeschool spaces today (the couch, the big comfy chair in the library, the dining room table, and one solitary desk in a bedroom for a child who just feels more comfortable in a more formal learning environment), I am reminded of the fact that although I've been teaching in some capacity for over two decades now, both in the classroom and out of it, these last fourteen years have been vastly different from the first seven.

What We're Reading in July 2021

July is a month on the go for my family. In the next few weeks, some or all of us will go from Minnesota to Arizona to Pennsylvania to Washington D.C., and back again. Many days on planes and in the car will add up to hours upon hours of reading, reading, and more reading.

In related news, I've joined a book club. As a work-at-home, homeschooling mom, my life can feel rather insular. I have to be extra intentional about the Biblical command to "go into all the world" in order to build relationships and spread the Good News.

Mega List of Homeschool Co-op Class Ideas

Field trip groups, nature troops, enrichment co-ops, STEM leagues, book clubs, university model classes, PE & Park meetups--after fourteen years of homeschooling, I've participated and/or led every type of homeschool co-op imaginable. 

The problem with homeschool co-ops

Some of these groups became like the bread and butter of our homeschool. These co-ops were indispensable to us. They offered engaging classes that filled in the holes of our homeschool. They were packed with friendly and generous people--families willing to invest in each other. And they gave us all an opportunity to learn subjects and skills that we'd otherwise never be drawn toward.