…if you have preschoolers
How sweet it is to introduce our littlest learners to absolutely everything! Well-meaning folks will suggest you need curriculum with books and workbooks, but there’s a much better way.
Marvel at ant hills. Read aloud together. Fly kites. Establish good habits. There’s plenty of time for book learning later, and research says that is not a disadvantage! In fact, it may be a decided advantage. Play and movement are the primary ways that preschoolers learn.
We’ve prepared a preschool overview for you here. If you’re hungry for more practical help, one of our board members has recently published a helpful guide on the subject which you can purchase here.
…if you have 1st-3rd graders
You just completed your annual assessment, so use that information to help you plan the year. Remember to relax––you’re still teaching your kids to love learning! Besides, kinesthetic learning is still the primary way these younger students grow and retain information.
CHEWV members have access to a variety of helpful resources for this age. Find our Planning Pages and a fun cookbook to help you get in a healthy groove this fall. Keep “school” active and practical! Consider field trips, board games, and counting bears. Cement basic math facts and reading ability as your child is developmentally ready. And by all means, have fun!
…if you have middle schoolers
You have arrived! This is the crux of the learning years. Building on the solid foundation you’ve already established, you’ll use more textbooks and a variety of teaching strategies during these years. From 4th to 8th grades, students are ready to master lots of information and learn how to think.
As they move into 7th and 8th grades, fill in weak areas from 4th-6th, and particularly address any holes in integrity. Education is so much more than book work! It’s about building character, too. You need to be able to trust your child so that they can move toward mature independence.
Soon, it will be time to consider high school course credits to build a credible transcript. To prepare for high school, you can attend CHEWV’s high school seminar, read our high school information (found here and here), and start educating yourself on what’s ahead. Remind yourself that thousands of parents have already successfully walked this path! You can do it, too––on a road already paved and ready for you!
…if your students are in High School
Where are your students headed after high school graduation? That’s what will drive your high school years. If they want to enter college as the next step, they must meet certain requirements. Hopefully you have already educated yourself and gradually prepared.
Consider summer jobs, enrichment activities, travel, volunteerism, and using “regular life” as course enrichment. Examples include
- Gardening, harvesting, and canning food
- Working alongside masons, mechanics, and others with practical skills
- Running a lawn care or other business
- Working alongside parents to pay household bills
- Shopping/cooking for the family
Opportunities like these can be used either as extracurricular or curricular. The opportunities for learning practical life skills are endless! Use your imagination and teach your children what you wish you had known as a young adult.
In addition, consider what upcoming academic courses you’ll choose for the year. Determine how each fits into your overall four-year plan. What you do grade 9-12 will appear on the student’s official transcript. Ensure that you have a transcript template and that previously completed 9th-12th courses are already recorded along with supplemental course descriptions.
You’ll find helpful high school information from CHEWV here and here. This article from our counterpart in Indiana might also be very helpful.
ABOVE ALL
We have a few short years to teach our children to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls and minds. When you plan for your next homeschool years, keep first things first! Have you read our free booklet, reThinking Education? Summer might be the perfect time!
Related resource: Homeschooling Goals for Next Year
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