Course Planning Intro

Start by focusing on the core subjects required by your state or those you consider nonnegotiable, such as Bible, History, Geography, English/Reading, Literature, Science, and Math.

If you plan to modify a subject—such as focusing on only one stream of History (e.g., World, Ancient, or US/Canadian for grades 4+)—make a note of it. Similarly, if you intend to combine students into a single grade level for a subject (e.g., 2nd and 3rd graders sharing a 3rd-grade Science course), make note of that too.

Refer to our tips on combining students for additional guidance.

Next, choose a few subjects that spark high interest for each child or that your whole family would enjoy together.

You can focus on the same subject throughout the year or rotate topics to explore a variety. For example, you might dedicate one term each to Shakespeare, Plutarch, and Composer Study if you don’t have room for a full year of each. If you prefer a slower pace, consider spreading a term’s worth of lessons across two terms.

This approach works well for subjects such as Art Instruction or Singing, giving you the flexibility to adjust to your students’ needs.

Review the remaining subjects and choose one or two that feel especially important to include, especially if they haven’t been covered yet. Consider options that:

• • Fulfill high school credit requirements.
• • Reflect your family’s priorities or interests.
• • Align with your child’s passions or future goals.

These could also be subjects where Alveary offers resources without daily lesson plans (e.g., cooking or car maintenance) or areas where you can incorporate non-Alveary resources, such as co-op classes or ACT prep courses.

Now that you’ve identified your subjects you are ready to create a schedule using Alveary’s scheduling tools. This is a great starting point for your school year.

If you have room for additional subjects—or think you might later—make a list of what you’d like to include and why each is important. Consider adding these subjects when time allows.

For guidance, refer to these Alveary resources:

• ∞ Relational Education (which subjects are intertwined)
• ∞ Balancing the Feast (often overlooked subjects)
• ∞ Tips for Combining Students