Am I Covering Everything In Our Homeschool? {week 8-9 lesson plan recap}

One of the questions I am most asked when sharing the details of our interest-led learning plans is if I am sure that I am covering everything in our homeschool. In this post, I provide my answer, an explanation, and examples of what we cover to ensure that my son is progressing in his education.

Are We Covering Everything In Our Homeschool?

Are we covering everything? The only true answer is no.

The reality is, depending on what you are measuring, we are likely covering less. This is because we focus on going deeper with topics and subjects of strength and interest.

For example, on my eldest’s transcript for college, we showed extensive learning in history, particularly WWII and Cold War history. Much of the coursework shown for high school looked more like a college history program.

However, in math, we only covered the bare minimum.

Did we cover everything? Not even close. Did we cover what we needed? I would answer an emphatic yes.

While we did not cover everything, this approach meant an education that fostered:

• A love and passion for learning
• Self-Confidence (despite learning differences)
• The ability to research just about any topic needed
• Deepened family relationships
• Ultimately, the chance to move on to higher education

In short, we did not cover everything and it didn’t matter.

Public School vs. Homeschool Scope and Sequence

I don’t believe there is any way that we can possibly cover “everything” in any educational setting, not just homeschool. Even in a public school setting, teachers will tell you that they cover as much as they can in one given school year, knowing that there will be gaps in learning.

It is helpful for me to remember this when I feel anxious about my child’s progress. When the guilty feelings arise, I try not to look at the local high school’s scope and sequences for 10th grade and panic. Instead, I look at what we are learning and how much we are accomplishing in a much more relaxed and sustainable manner.

How This Works In Real Life

For this week’s lesson plan and recap, I thought I would walk you through this in real time. In order to give you the best possible snapshot of what we “covered” I will share our learning from the past two weeks. Then, using the same information, I will show you what we actually “covered” from an academic subject perspective.

Week 8 Lesson Plan Recap

• Monday
  • Physical Therapy – 2 hours
  • YouTube Video – Story of Edgar Allan Poe (my son is introducing her to Edgar Allan Poe this week)
  • Blood Plasma Infusion – 4 hours

• Tuesday
  • Museum and Science Center
  • Audiobook in car – Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven, The Pit and The Pendulum

• Wednesday
  • Rock climbing – 3 hours
  • Mapwork – Europe (a la The Pit and The Pendulum)
  • The Spanish Inquisition (also The Pit and The Pendulum inspired)
  • CTCMath

• Thursday
  • Rock Climbing – 3 hours
  • Music Technology Class
  • Time with friends at school
  • Audiobook – More Edgar Allan Poe

• Friday
  • Rock Climbing – 3 hours
  • CTCMath
  • Poetry Writing
  • YouTube videos

Week 9 Lesson Plan Recap

Monday

• Physical Therapy – 2 hours
• Blood Plasma Infusion – 4 hours
• Drivers Education
• YouTube – Salem Witch Trials

Tuesday

• Art Class – Japanese Art History
• Voice Class
• Audiobook and Discussion
• Current Events Discussion – Russian and Ukraine, one year later

Wednesday

• Rock climbing – 3 hours
• Creative Writing – If I lived in the time of the Salem Witch Trials
• Mapwork – Russia and Ukraine
• CTCMath
• Japanese Gothic Tales

Thursday

• Rock Climbing – 3 hours
• Music Technology Class
• Social Skills Group
• Audiobook in Car – discussion
• Current Events discussion

Friday

• Rock Climbing – 3 hours
• CTCMath
• Poetry Writing
• YouTube – Intro to Physics

What Did We Actually Cover In These Past Two Weeks?

Here is what the same information looks like if I break it down into a “record of learning”.

Language Arts 10

• Creative writing
• Poetry Study and writing
• Literature discussion

Integrated Math 10

• Pre- Algebra lessons with CTCMath

Social Studies (History, World Cultures, Geography)

• Salem Witch Trails
• Russia and Ukraine Conflict
• Eastern Europe map work
• Visit to the Natural History Museum
• The Spanish Inquisition

Science

• Intro to Physics
• Science Center Field Trip

Physical Education

• Rock Climbing
• Physical Therapy

Electives

• Music Technology
• Art
• Voice/Guitar

Although I still tend to feel some guilt over “not doing enough,” looking at this record of learning for only two weeks solidifies how much we are actually covering in our homeschool. Wouldn’t you agree?

Covering It All In The Younger Years

When I look back on learning in our early years of homeschooling, our records of learning actually look like a lot less. For ages 6-10, most of our records only account for reading, math, some very basic science and literature based history.

What’s interesting to me, looking back, is how much all the other things mattered in our homeschool –

• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Outdoor play
• Playdates with friends
• Bedtime stories
• Baking together

This list is what I remember most about the early years, now that an entire decade has passed. I can also see that these things have had a tremendous impact on my kids’ learning throughout high school and into secondary education.