2025-2026 HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM CHOICES

This year we have a 5th grader, 4th grader and 1st grader!! I can’t believe it! I have been gathering our supplies for the new year and the books are all stacked on the shelves, art study and song lyrics are printed and in a binder- it’s happening so soon, and I can’t hardly believe it, but am also so excited to get going!!

This summer, we completed the Little School of Smith’s American Girl history Felicity curriculum, as a fun intro to colonial America and to ease into our history lessons since this year we will be focusing on Early American History, and boy did we LOVE it!! We follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy in our homeschool family, in that we read living books and narrate after each reading, we practice the art of notebooking and add entries into our narration notebooks, and we love our riches- folk songs, hymns, art study, nature study and handicrafts!
However, I have also found that my girl especially learns best and is more engaged when we do fun activities that relate to our readings, so I make sure to add in crafts, recipes, picture books and things of that sort to bring the books to life and make it more fun! It’s been a growing experience, and I’m so grateful I get to cater to her learning style and truly meet each of my children right where they are. Ahhh the beauty of homeschool- THIS IS MY WHY! 🙂

A SHIFT IN PLANS

The past 3 years, we have done AmblesideOnline and LOVED it, but for this upcoming year, I was feeling uneasy about it, and feeling a transition was needed and we needed to pivot a bit. I was looking at the booklists and schedule for Year 4, and it was just not sitting right with me. After much prayer, I was led to find another Charlotte Mason curriculum, that is beautiful and a great spread, but unique in that it is family-style, which for our season of life (adding Ollie as a 1st grader this year, and thus starting his true lessons, and with Sam, my nonverbal kiddo that adds spice into the mix lol), and so I’m super excited to share that we’re going to be using Without Doors Early America as our spine this year! Use my code KATIE10 to save, if you’d like to try it out yourself! There are lots of different plans to choose, including preschool, kindergarten, and high school!

Now we can all learn together and do history, nature study, literature, Bible, geography, handicrafts, hymn study, art study, singing… everything but math and handwriting- TOGETHER. What. A. Joy! This has seriously been an answer to prayer, and many nights staying up late trying to figure out our schedule. I have this undeniable PEACE about this upcoming school year that I haven’t had in a while! It’s like all of the stress I was feeling, has been lifted, and now I am looking forward to this year with clarity, a renewed sense of JOY, and excitement! You guys, there is no describing it except for the Holy Spirit! I could cry, I’m just so grateful and relieved!!!

A little aside: I felt in my heart that I was making an idol of our homeschool curriculum. What a silly thing, but here it is and there is my humanity, right? We make idols of the stupidest things, and it’s so easy to do if we don’t catch ourselves!! But now, shifting gears and choosing PEACE and less stress for me as the mother teacher (I was stressing myself out soooo much last year and was about to fall into that trap again), is such a gift and something I am so grateful to be able to do. And that’s where the freedom of homeschooling, and my own personal growth are evident- we homeschool for the freedom in choices and flexibility it gives us, and while it’s so great to have all of these curriculums laid out for us and created by others, ultimately it is MY choice to use as I see fit, and also to completely shift to another curriculum, and to cater to my specific students and our family’s needs- and that’s just what I’ve done this year and it feels SO GOOD!!!

Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Home Education

That being said, I love what a well-rounded and beautiful education Ambleside offers, and will still be using them for the hymn and folk songs, and their free read book lists (their book lists are phenomenal)!
In addition to the core subjects, we incorporate a folk song and hymn each month, artist and composer study each term (every 3 months), as well as poetry (simply reading a poem a day by a designated poet, which changes each term) and beautiful free reads that turn into our family bedtime read alouds, that we absolutely cherish. 🙂 I recommend everyone include these “riches” into their homeschool, whether or not you follow a Charlotte Mason philosophy, or even if you don’t homeschool. They are a delight and truly add such beauty and goodness to our lives! Plus, it’s pretty cute when your kids are singing classic folk songs throughout their day instead of (or in addition to!) Taylor Swift (just saying). 😉

A NOTE ON HOMESCHOOLING AND AUTISM:

My oldest son has nonverbal autism, so we have to get a bit more creative with his learning. 😉 Lots of movement and supports so he can be set up for success. He has an AAC device (his “words”) that he is getting better at communicating with, so this is how I’ll have him narrate after a reading. I’ll ask him what we talked about, and sometimes he blows me away with his responses! It is truly so neat and life-giving to see him grow so much, and I get a front row seat for it. 🙂 However, many times I’ll get nothing in response, and I am left to accept his nonverbal communication as his narration- a smile, a nod, simply being present and absorbing the reading. It is enough. After reading Comprehensive Literacy For All, I’m even more determined to teach him to read, and our lessons have been going slow but beautifully! We’ve been using All About Reading, with some modifications, and it’s been amazing! He LOVES reading lessons, and especially loves trying to verbally sound out letters and words- it’s so incredible! He has even begun to SPELL words during his lessons, which is INCREDIBLE! He is the hardest worker I know, and I’m constantly reminded to never underestimate him! I truly believe that he absorbs so much, and I always presume competence and know that he’s getting exactly what he needs. It takes a lot of faith, and has been one huge blessing in my life that has only grown my faith exponentially. How could it not?!

HISTORY:

We will be studying Early American history this year, as a family, from the explorers through 1860. I’ll also be incorporating California history since Sophie is in 4th grade and that’s the year to do so, if you live in California! We are so lucky to live in an abundance of history, and right in the middle of the gold rush area, so we’ve got lots of fun museums and opportunities around us to immerse ourselves in the history of California!

GEOGRAPHY:

Lessons, reading, map questions, and map-drawing assignments highlighting the Thirteen Colonies, the Mississippi River, and the Oregon Trail.

SCIENCE/ NATURE STUDY:

This is one aspect that I am not personally hugely gifted in, but this is where I like to outsource with some enrichment classes. The kids are taking a few science classes at enrichment centers nearby with friends, and for that I am so grateful! As for science at home, we focus on Nature Study, and will be going through the Burgess Animal Book, learning about different North American small mammals, and drawing them into our nature journals. We will also go on weekly nature walks, focusing on different topics each time.

MATH:

Math has been tricky for us. We used Math With Confidence for kindergarten and LOVED it, but it stopped working well for my daughter, so we switched entirely to Life of Fred. This year we’re going to be using Life of Fred for 1st and 4th graders, and Strayer-Upton for all three, as I see fit. I’m also grabbing an IXL workbook for each, to really hone in on math facts and work on what we need to. Following my husband’s lead mostly on this topic, as it is much more his forte than mine. 😉

LANGUAGE ARTS:

We will be reading six living books as a family, focusing on our history topic, and the boys will each be learning reading with All About Reading, my 1st grader will be using A Reason For Handwriting A for handwriting, my 4th grader will continue her cursive practice as well as adding copywork into her narration notebook each week, from one of our readings. My 4th grader will also be using these Gentle Grammar books, and just go in order, starting with the first.

BIBLE:

We will be reading through the Parables of Jesus each week, and also memorizing bible verses. We just started Leading Little Ones to God devotional which we love, and read a few days a week, as well as going through the Old Testament in the Child’s Story Bible.

MOTHER CULTURE:

Along with reading everything with my kids, and having my own narration/nature notebook to add in when I see fit, you know, just redeeming my own education over here, too! 😉 I’ll also be sure to always have a novel going, and a nonfiction, as well as my daily Bible reading in the morning. I plan on reading A Lantern in Her Hand, The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion this year, and am very much looking forward to both!

2025-2026 HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM CHOICES – Katie Did What