Welcome!

I'm a wife to my "Mr. Right". A momma of five. A maker of slow food and simple living. A keeper of memories, a collector of books, and a champion for books that make memories. An addict who likes my half-and-half with a splash of coffee. A fractured pot transformed by the One Who makes broken things beautiful. I heart homeschooling, brake for libraries, and am glad you're here with me on the journey! Be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Or, follow along with Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2026-2027

 Morning Basket Curriculum

I've launched three kids from my homeschool. And I'm in the final home stretch with the remaining two. How is that even possible? When I began homeschooling back in 2009, I had no idea that the years would fly by so fast. 

In the last few weeks as I've been making final curriculum plans and purchases, I've been looking ahead to what the next nine months of learning might bring. While it looks fairly uneventful on this side of our start date, I know from experience that what looks like a straight, sure path can often end up having some windy, bumpy stretches. So, I want to be prepared.

As I do each summer, I've been prayerfully considering a verse that might act as a guiding light for my school year — a rhema word of Truth that I can cling to no matter what happens in 2026-2027. I already know in advance that all three of my grown adult kids will be embarking on some pretty big things. They'll all be adulting hard. I'm a mix of anticipation and angst for what I know (and don't know) lies ahead for us all.

So, it's no wonder that when considering what verse to choose for this school year, the Holy Spirit led me to Deuteronomy 31:8, which reads, 
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

With those words to direct me, I am stepping out in faith this fall, knowing that whatever happens in the lives of my five kids, God will be with them. I need not fear. 

But I digress; here is a peek at the curriculum we will be using for our 19th year of at-home learning.

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2026-2027

Please note: I am a firm believer that when teaching more than one child, a mother has to divide and combine. She has to remember that there are two different types of subjects: skills-based subjects (subjects that must be learned in a particular sequential order, like math) and content-based subjects (subjects that are rooted in broad information that can be learned at any time and in any order, like Bible and history).

With that in mind, be aware that this is only a list of our group subjects — resources that we'll do together (combine). In the coming days, I'll be sharing the subjects and passion projects that my last two remaining homeschoolers will be doing individually (divide). 

My commitment to a four-day-a-week schedule remains unwavering. As you review our curriculum choices, keep in mind that most items will be used four days a week unless otherwise specified. An asterisk denotes a new addition to our curriculum this year.  I don't strictly adhere to grade levels and can easily adjust these subjects to suit a variety of learners.

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Morning Time- every day


Our morning time is a non-negotiable part of the schedule — an immovable anchor for the past 17 or so years that has helped create calm in the daily chaos. While some moms pack their Morning Time full and overflowing, I prefer to keep it simple, including only the things that will build our faith and strengthen our relationships with God and one another. I figure if I can start our day peacefully with this short but very intentional benchmark, I can count the entire day as a success even if the rest of it gets derailed. 

Plus, Morning Time should only contain the most important things, in my humble opinion. If I cram a million activities into that time, then I'm essentially saying that everything is equally important, inadvertently making nothing truly important. 

And like Charlotte Mason, I don't feel like kids should sit for hours doing lessons. I keep each part of our day short. Do I read aloud a fun fiction novel to my kids? Yes. Have we covered most of our content subjects, such as history and nature study, as a group in the past? Yes. But I place(d) those activities in the day at other times. Because they are not the most important things. Bible study and faith building, along with pleasure reading, are my top two, so I put them first and set them apart in our agenda.

Some of the resources in our morning basket will be done daily, while others will be done in a "loop." (Not sure what a loop is? Be sure to check out The Quick-Start Guide to Brave Homeschool Schedules for more info.)

To be done daily

  • Call to worship- I'll use Spotify to play the entire audio of He Will by Francesca Battistelli.
  • Use the Formation Prayer Cards as Scripture Memory Prompts*--We will pick one prayer prompt and over the course of a few weeks will seek to memorize all four verses that pertain to that prayer. 
  • Go over a few catechism questions from Truth & Grace Memory Book 1. (This is a protestant catechism book of basic theology and tenets of our faith.)
  • Use the Truth & Grace Memory Book 1 to help us memorize and/or review the following lists to anchor our Biblical literacy: the books of the Bible, the names of the twelve apostles, the Ten Commandments, the days of creation, the ten plagues, and the Nicene Creed.  
  • Instead of learning a new hymn each month like we normally do, we will spend the year reviewing the 100+ hymns we've learned in the last 19 years and rereading their origin stories using Then Sings My Soul Book 1 & Book 2.
  • Listen to the headlines portion of The World & Everything In It podcast or one full episode of the KidNuz podcast. (This is not a Christian podcast, but it is edited in kid-friendly sound bites, is only 5-6 minutes long, and gives us many talking points to explore regarding current events. Sometimes, we agree with the show, and sometimes, we don't, but we have good discussions either way.)
  • Occasionally complete a MadLib just for funsies.


  • Read for 15 minutes at the end of Morning Time. We will each grab the individual books we're currently reading for pleasure and read, even me!

To be placed in a "loop"


Bible
Read one or two chapters from the New Testament - 2x a week

Theology
The Names of God* - read a few sections 1x a week


Missionary Story
We Died Before We Came Here*- read one chapter 1x a week


Cooperative Learning- 2-3x a month


We've been members of a local co-op for the past six years and will continue with that monthly enrichment throughout the coming school year. My sons will take two to four grade-level-appropriate classes taught by other homeschooling parents each semester, for a total of four to eight classes each during the entire year. Since our co-op combines all the 9th through 12th graders into one group, they will both be in the same classes.

Fall High School Co-op Classes

  • Video Production Careers
  • Art + Meaning: Creative Expression Lab
  • Navigating Healthcare & Holistic Health Choices
  • Hands-On Missions

2026-2027 Curriculum By Grade Level


Stay tuned in the coming days. I'll be sharing the curriculum that I've chosen for the individual subjects like math, English/grammar, science, history, and electives for the following grades:

12th grade
9th grade

Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2025

Books on a shelf

I've kept a reading record since 2013—a list of all the books I've read for the past thirteen years. It's nothing fancy, just a handwritten inventory in a journal I found haphazardly tossed into a clearance bin years ago. But whatever it lacks in form, it most certainly makes up for in function. Each entry includes the title, author's name, dates I started and finished the book, my star review of the text, and any thoughts I want to remember when recommending it or discouraging others from reading it.

4 Ways I'll be Increasing in 2026

Crocheting while homeschooling

I'm not a farmer. Truth be told, I'm not much of a gardener, either. I've kept very few plants alive in my life. But though I've never cultivated a crop, I do know this one simple truth about gathering a good harvest: very few things will ever grow on a mountaintop. The soil is not deep or rich enough on a peak. Growth happens in the valley. The valley is where the best fruit grows.

Tips & Tools for a Budding Young Artist

Award winning teen Artist

When my son was little, he never played. Not with one single toy. He only wanted to make and do and create. Of course, at his age, all of that making and doing and creating looked more like a mess than a masterpiece. Once, when he was almost three, he found a black Sharpie marker that I had accidentally left on my dresser and proceeded to draw pictures on my bedroom wall, the curtains, the carpet, my brand-new bedspread, and himself, in less than five minutes. Around that same time, he became obsessed with drawing pictures in spills. He would intentionally go to the fridge, find a bottle of this or a box of that, spill it on the floor, and use his finger to make shapes in it.

12th Grade Homeschool Curriculum 2025-2026

12th grade homeschool curriculum picks

He may be the middle child, but he’s anything but middle. He’s a servant leader with a sharp wit. Loves antique car shows, watching FI racing, and tinkering under the hood of whatever you’re driving. Big fan of reading Shakespeare and studying ancient history. But don’t come at him with American history; it’s not old enough. Has strong political views and enjoys a good satirical meme. Avoids cooking whenever he can, but loves to eat, especially if there’s rice, beans, or pasta involved. He's never met a soup he didn't like. If you can’t find him, check the gym; he’ll probably be there lifting something heavy. This fall kicks off his last year of homeschooling!