After taking a true summer break this year, I finally feel like I’m emerging from the homeschool burnout that lingered at the end of last school year. Instead of scrambling to piece together lesson plans, I’m finding myself genuinely excited and inspired.

This year I’ll be homeschooling a fourth grader, a second grader, and a Pre-K student. While I love seeing what everyone else is using, I always enjoy these posts because they become little snapshots of our homeschool over the years. So, here’s what we’re planning for our core subjects this school year!

Math

For math, we’re sticking with what has worked for us: The Good and the Beautiful Math. My girls will be working through Levels 4 and 2, and my preschooler will mostly learn through games, manipulatives, and everyday life.

Alongside our main curriculum, we use my Morning Math Cards each morning to review concepts in bite-sized chunks. They’re one of my favorite ways to start our day.

My fourth grader is also deep into multiplication facts from last year, so we’re trying out Wrap-Ups for extra practice. I’ve heard wonderful things about them and love that they encourage independence. We also make room for plenty of logic puzzle books throughout the year. They don’t always feel like “school,” but they build problem-solving skills.

Language Arts

Language arts is another area where we’re continuing with The Good and the Beautiful, using Levels 4 and 2 as our foundation.

One thing we do differently is skip their literature program. Instead, I create personalized reading lists for each child based on their interests, reading level, and the historical periods we’re studying. Every week they complete literature logs. I’m planning on doing a more in-depth post into our literature log method soon.

Of course, we also make our weekly library trips, and there’s almost always one or two read-alouds happening in our house. Planning our family read-alouds has become something my husband and I genuinely look forward to. We choose books intentionally, and those evenings curled up together are some of my favorite homeschool memories.

For handwriting, we’re trying something new this year with the Draw Write Now books. My second grader will be using the print edition, while my fourth grader will begin working through the cursive version.

I also wanted to add a little more grammar instruction this year, so both girls will be working through Fix It! Grammar Level 2.

For enrichment, my mom, who is a retired teacher and an incredible resource for our homeschool, is putting together a poetry reading list for us. I’m excited to weave more poetry into our days and expose the girls to a wider variety of voices and styles.

History

History is staying fairly simple this year. We’re continuing with Gather ‘Round’s American History Unit 3, and many of the novels and biographies on our reading lists are intentionally chosen to complement the historical time periods we’re studying.

I love when subjects naturally overlap, and literature is one of my favorite ways to make history feel alive.

Science

After spending last year exploring chemistry and physics, we’re slowing things down this year with a nature study.

Our main guide will be The Nature Guide from Brighter Day Press, alongside one of John Muir Laws’ excellent books on nature journaling. I’m going to incorporate Hollow and Hoot’s Nature Study as well. Each of the kids will keep a detailed nature journal, learning to observe the world around them with curiosity and intention.

During the second semester, we’ll switch gears and study the human body using Gather ‘Round’s Human Body Unit. It should provide a natural opportunity to begin age-appropriate conversations about puberty with my older girls.

We’re also planning several hands-on projects throughout the year, including building ecosystem dioramas, creating life-sized human body posters, and working toward a long-term family goal: getting our backyard certified as an official wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. I love having projects that extend beyond a single lesson and give the kids something meaningful to work toward together.

Pre-K

My youngest is officially entering Pre-K this year, which is hard for me to believe! She’ll be attending a wonderful two-day-a-week preschool program at our church, giving her plenty of opportunities to learn, play, and make new friends.

At home, we’re keeping things simple and joyful. We’ll be working through Playing Preschool, which I love for its gentle, play-based approach to early learning. Rather than rushing into academics, it focuses on building curiosity, language, motor skills, and a love of learning through hands-on activities.

We’ll also be using The Good and the Beautiful’s Pre-Writing & Handwriting Doodles book to help her develop the fine motor skills she’ll need for writing in the coming years. At this age, my biggest goal isn’t checking off academic boxes—it’s fostering wonder, confidence, and a love of books. If she spends her days asking questions, playing outside, listening to stories, and creating with her hands, I’ll consider it a successful preschool year.

I’m sure our plans will evolve as the year unfolds (they always do) but having a framework in place gives me so much peace. More than anything, I’m looking forward to another year of learning together around our kitchen table, filling notebooks, reading wonderful books, exploring outside, and making memories that I hope my girls will carry with them.