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 thinking ahead to what the next nine months of learning might bring. While it seems fairly uneventful on this side of our start date, I know from experience that what looks like a straight, sure path can often have some winding, 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 that all three of my grown-up 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) we'll all face.
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,
In the last few weeks as I've been making final curriculum plans and purchases, I've been thinking ahead to what the next nine months of learning might bring. While it seems fairly uneventful on this side of our start date, I know from experience that what looks like a straight, sure path can often have some winding, 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 that all three of my grown-up 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) we'll all face.
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. God will be with me. 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.
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.
- Read the day's corresponding devotion in New Morning Mercies for Teens.*
- Review previously learned manners with the 100 Manners to Teach Your Kids Before They Turn 18 list and read one page from 52 Modern Manners for Today's Teens.
- 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
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
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
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
I have followed you for years and graduated all 3 of my children. Homeschool will always be my heart so I had to read your email. Please listen to the podcast No Sanity Required to hear the author discuss her book, We Died Before We Came Here. The podcast runs in an area local to me and your teens will love it. It’s from a high adventure Christian summer camp.
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