One of my favorite parts of planning a new homeschool year is dreaming about all of the things we’ll learn outside of our “core” subjects. These are the extras that make our homeschool feel like ours. Some of these are formal curriculum, while others are simply habits and traditions I want to build into our family.

Bible

This year we are doing a deep study into Acts, working our way through Marty Machowski’s The Ology, and listening to the Nat Theo Podcast and the Tiny Theologians Podcast. We’ve spent the summer reading through the Gospel of John, and I’ve loved slowing down and talking through Jesus’ life with the girls.

One thing I especially want to prioritize this year is Scripture memory. My hope is that my girls won’t just memorize verses for school, but will hide God’s Word in their hearts so they have it to comfort, encourage, and guide them for the rest of their lives.

We’ll also be reading a few missionary biographies together throughout the year. I love exposing my children to faithful men and women who served God in extraordinary ways.

Music

For music, we’re continuing with The Good and the Beautiful Music Appreciation course while also keeping up with piano lessons through Hoffman Academy. My girls have enjoyed piano, and I’m excited to see their confidence continue to grow this year.

Art

Art is one of the subjects I’m most excited about this year because I designed our curriculum myself.

During the first semester, we’ll spend spend 15 weeks learning textile arts. We’ll explore sewing, embroidery, weaving, crochet, quilting, and other fiber arts while creating lots of hands-on projects along the way.

During the second semester, we’ll switch gears and spend the next 15 weeks studying famous artists using books by Mike Venezia. Each week we’ll learn about an artist, discuss their work, and create our own projects inspired by their style.

Poetry

My mom, who is a retired teacher, put together something really special for us: a collection of thirty poems that she believes every child should know. We’ll read one poem each week, memorize some of our favorites, and spend time discussing the language, imagery, and meaning together.

Physical Education

For P.E., we’ll be participating in our local sports league, but I also wanted to build a simple daily movement habit into our mornings.

I designed a quick ten-minute routine that includes stretching, balance exercises, and a few basic strength movements. I am hoping to help build healthy habits and remind us that taking care of our bodies is an important part of everyday life.

Geography

Our language arts curriculum already includes geography, but we’re adding a few fun extras this year.

I’d love for all three girls to memorize the U.S. state capitals. We’ll also be reading through Hungry Planet: What the World Eats and Material World: A Global Family Portrait. Both books offer fascinating glimpses into everyday life around the world.

I’m also considering adding one of Gather ‘Round Homeschool’s Europe unit studies if we have room in our schedule. We’ll see how the year unfolds.

Hospitality

One new addition this year that I’m especially excited about is a short hospitality unit. I want my girls to grow up knowing that hospitality isn’t about having a perfectly decorated home or serving a fancy meal, it’s about making people feel loved and welcome.

Over ten lessons, we’ll practice simple, practical skills like greeting guests at the door, setting a beautiful table, writing thoughtful thank-you notes, making conversation, serving others through food, and helping prepare our home when company comes over. We’ll also talk about what the Bible teaches about welcoming others and look for opportunities to put these lessons into practice.

Community Service

Serving others is something I want woven into our homeschool just as much as reading and math. This year we’ve planned several opportunities to serve together:

• Two intentional neighborhood litter clean-up days.
• Raising money to buy grocery gift cards for DFW Angels, an organization that supports foster families in our community.
• Participating in Operation Christmas Child later this fall.

My hope is that these projects will help my girls see that even children can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Cooking Class

I put together a ten lesson intro to cooking course for my girls to do this year. We will be learning some basic recipes, knife skills, and how to put flavors together without a recipe. I’m really excited about it!

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In conclusion, will everything go perfectly? Probably not. We’ll likely skip lessons, change plans, and discover new interests along the way.

One of the beautiful things about homeschooling. We have the freedom to build a life of learning that’s rooted not just in academics, but in faith, creativity, curiosity, and service. If, years from now, my girls remember painting like Monet, sewing their first stuffed animal, memorizing Scripture around the kitchen table, and serving our neighbors together, I’ll consider this year a success.