Part 2: Coming up with a year plan or theme

I create context and connection for our family's education in yearly focuses, monthly themes and then the four lenses.  You can add "daily vegetables" of math facts, work, music practice, etc. but those are things that can just be ongoing and fit in where you need them to be.

Remember the mantra?

The goal of my homeschooling is not to cover "everything." (As if this were even possible!!!) The goal of my homeschooling is to create thinking, responsible and compassionate adults who know how to learn, know how to work and know how to serve.

What is yours?

What do you want for your year?  Ironically enough, I find myself approximately following the four year cycle of Bauer:
-Ancient History
-Medieval/Renaissance (sometimes I will put Medieval with Ancient)
-American Revolution (it is that important to me)
-Modern History

I can see their relevance this way: we learn from the mistakes and finding of history better than on our own.  Also, the kids can be exposed to science, math, art and literature in how they emerged in history to enable better context and connections.

It is my place to start.

So I use these historical periods as a place to start, but I look at them a little differently than most might though.  When I see these time periods, I think, what relevance does this have with my children in their lives?

-Ancient History: foundation, who you are, where you came from, beginnings, basics
-Medieval/Renaissance (sometimes I will put Medieval with Ancient): conquest, learning, trying, experimenting, growth, exploration
-American Revolution (it is that important to me): freedom, responsibility, application, structure
-Modern History: what do I do with what I have learned?  Where do I go now? 

As you can see, each of these time periods can represent a different time or place in your child's or family's lives and you can use the year to teach deep truths through devotionals, history and other mediums to help them prepare for those times and journeys.

I will post a video soon about how I am doing this, but for now, reflect on where you are at or what you want to study this year historically.  Yes!  You can study what you enjoy!!  You can start with where you are at and just go from there!

We are doing ancient history next year, having just finished modern history.  How much did they learn about modern history?  Bits and pieces :).  But they loved it.  And they learned a lot more than they realized through the books we read, the art we studied, the science we read and watched and even through who we covered in devotionals!  More importantly, we talked a great deal about where they are at and what they are going to do with where they are at.  Little conversations and experiences over the course of a year are what make up our education!