It is really important that you have a defined
goal in mind whenever you begin to schedule your student's school
year. Whether you are a relaxed home schooler or a traditional/structured
one, it will give you a great sense of accomplishment to know that
by year's end you will have actually achieved specific goals for
your child.
My first couple years were really hit or miss as
far as goals were concerned. I was more worried about
getting through each day rather than focusing on what we wanted to
achieve. In hindsight, my lack of focus and planning caused
us to be disorganized and to lose track of what we were
doing. I often made curriculum changes mid-stream simply
because I thought something wasn't working right. This
jumping from ship to ship left some marks on my son and caused him
to feel uncertain about our entire school program.
Setting simply yet achievable goals should be top
priority no matter your schooling method. This year, I made
sure to add goals to our curriculum plans and have felt more in
control and more directed than ever before.
Six Easy Steps to Goal Setting
First of all, you need to know what are reasonable and attainable
goals for your child. Consider using the WorldBook
Typical Course of Study by grade for a guideline. See
what an average 1st, 2nd, 3rd or high schooler's curriculum looks
like and then use this overall program as a checklist to make sure
you are teaching similar things.
- Create a Goals Sheet (Simple
Goal Sheet / More Complex Sheet)
- Add Your Subjects
- Add All Requirements (reading, writing, special projects,
reports)
- Decide How You Will Assess Each Subject (tests, quizzes,
narration, etc.)
- Pick a Date to Finish a Book or Part of a Book -- end of
semester, year's end.
- Setup Your Curriculum to Support Your Goals and Create your
Lesson Plans
Once you know your goals, you can then determine how you will
go about achieving them. You can schedule your curriculum
weekly to make sure you are keeping on track and will make your
goals.
**Next: Create Your Lesson
Plans
Copyright 1998-2010. Carol Hepburn.
