When our kids were 7 and 9, we thought homeschooling might be a good fit for us. We started with a Calvert Homeschool boxed curriculum, a basic platform that allowed us to plan our days and supplied a vehicle for growth. Quickly realizing I could make the learning more fun, I added workbooks, reading time, board games, sports, poetry, and art projects.
Boxed Homeschool programs are an excellent start for young families. They provide basic starter kits for learning various subjects and guide us on what is expected when teaching multiple, simultaneous grade levels. Pre-school through 5th grade should have some structure, but also plan on science experiments, field trips, art, nature, reading books (together and alone!), music, etc. For example, Kiwi Co. was a stellar source for us, offering monthly subscriptions to fun, age-appropriate at-home science experiments mailed right to our door. We attended reading hour at our neighborhood library, volunteered at the local food pantry, and spent time outside daily.
From the get-go, branch out from your starter kit lessons and explore topics that excite your unique kids. When ready, shift away from the pre-determined branded lessons and into a more eclectic school year plan.
Buying a boxed curriculum at every level of homeschool does not mean that all you have to do is use that boxed curriculum. Like any school, lessons are not the education, but springboards for real learning, which happens in real time, outside, over time, in and around, over and above the required workbooks and papers.
My advice to homeschoolers with Preschool to grade 5 kiddos is to mix up the daily workbook lessons by inserting joy. Read together, play board games, make art, go places, grow plants, build things, write poetry, have fun with math, etc.
In grades six through eight, the scales tip to a more structured approach, and expectations on math, reading, and writing in particular get higher; continue to require reading time (together and alone!). Many branded homeschool curricula switch to online models at this age, but options exist to balance this.
A completely online curriculum at any age is a mistake. Online, self-learning will crush an inquisitive preteen soul. Middle-schoolers need time outside. Bump up the level of board games, books, and discussions. Seek out art and science museums, enroll in art classes, and most importantly, encourage a life that does not include sitting alone, staring at a screen. When our tweens were this age, we added presidential libraries, sports teams, art, and piano lessons, and traveled extensively.
For college-bound homeschoolers, High School is a time to really discover what your students are interested in and encourage them to pursue their passions. What is the best way to find out what they like? Ask them. Do not plan a school year curriculum based on what someone else says they should learn. Obviously, obey any state laws regarding mandatory subjects. Otherwise, tailor each student’s courses to tickle their individual curiosities. Remember that your job is to guide, not govern.
Add International Debate and Model UN. Live, virtual courses are available for students (ages 8-18) to learn how to debate and discuss real-world events with students in other countries during the academic year. Westfield Academy is an extracurricular community based in CT. It has students from the US and worldwide who learn together and compete in Model UN and Debate conferences, sending teams to local and global competitions year-round. Need to beef up your teen’s high school history in a particular year? They also run a summer program, including one and two-week micro-sessions.
At Westfield, students gain the skills and the confidence they need to speak powerfully about the issues that matter to them.
-Ann Walsh Henderson, founder Westfield Academy
Do your kids love science? In addition to school-year science, add a week of summer biology labs or a condensed summer class on Human Anatomy & Physiology. Based in Tennessee, College Prep Science offers engaging high school science online classes with labs focusing on building critical thinking skills. Professor Greg Landry works with his students to develop a research and inquiry mindset. Learning to write a quality lab report and developing thinking skills will affect every area of a college-bound student’s academics. Additionally, Mel Science offers exciting, high-level at-home science experiments to augment teen learning.
Music lessons, art classes, community service, and sports teams are all vital to rounding out a homeschool student’s life experience. These balance other online high school courses with real teachers, classmates, and different points of view. Delight-directed learning will give your homeschooler a unique learning life that does not feel like school.
Now is your part. Document everything. Every class, course, book read, life experience, field trip… write it all down. All of these outside learning opportunities are unique to your student’s education. They can be added to augment a course or listed as a high school activity on your student’s transcript.
The most important thing to understand is that prescribed boxed curricula for high schoolers will likely provide enough learning for your student to graduate from high school. However, an online or boxed curriculum alone will not prepare your homeschool student for the competitive college application process, nor college itself. They have to do more, and you have to do more.
An online or boxed curriculum alone will not prepare your homeschool student for college. They have to do more, you have to do more.
It is your job to provide a professional transcript, and then colleges will understand the deep and expanded education your student has been exposed to. Be one of those homeschool families—the kind that colleges seek out and give scholarships to—and your child will continue to thrive with a lifetime love of learning.
Have questions about how to set up your homeschool? Ask me!
Links:
Westfield Academy Model UN and Debate
Calvert Homeschool starter kits
Homeschool questions, Transcript polishing, etc
©2025 Lynne Rey
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