A course of study is the plan for your child’s education. A course of study shows what a student will accomplish in their education.
A course of study can simply be a curriculum, a list of required courses, or a list of books to be completed.
A template to create your own course of study is included at the end of this article.
Many parents who use Classical Conversations, Abeka, Acellus or Power Homeschool use the entire course of study for their children’s education. This means that they have their children do all the work laid out in the curriculum.
You do not need to use a full curriculum to create a course of study.
Eclectic, delight directed, unschooling, Charlotte Mason and any other type of homeschooler can easily create their own course of study to plan their year of learning or to plan the entire course of your child’s education at home.
Eclectic homeschooling parents may choose to make their own course of study that looks something like this:
Fisher 8th Grade:
Math – Horizons Math 8
English – Read: Hatchett, Diary of Anne Frank, The Outsiders, Animal Farm
Compose 5 paragraph essay in response to writing prompt
Complete Rod and Staff Grammar 8
History – Drive-Thru History: American History
Science – Co-op Class
PE – YMCA Homeschool Fitness
Art – Outschool Drawing Class
A course of study may also be a list of skills. This is more common in younger grades.
A sample course of study for kindergarten math may look like:
Rosie Kindergarten:
Count to 100
Count Backwards from 30 to one
Order Objects Least to Greatest
Read a Calendar
Listen to Stories
Make Predictions Based on Pictures in Books
Identify Uppercase and Lowercase Letters
Read 10 Sight Words
List What Plants Need
Observe Magnets
Identify the American Flag
Describe the Position of Objects on a Map
A course of study defines an academic path.
You can use this worksheet to create a course of study for your student for one year.
If you would like more guidance you can head over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store for grade level specific resources and a multi year course of study template.
Planning For Multiple Years
It can be very helpful to plan for a group of years at once.
For instance, your child may have chosen a university and you have looked into their acceptance requirements to use as a guide.
You may plan the 4 years of high school to match those requirements.
Your course of study may look like this:
| 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th |
| Algebra 1 | Geometry | Algebra 2 | Pre Calculus |
| World History | Geography | Civics | Government |
| English 9 | English 10 | Composition | Persuasive Writing |
| Biology | Earth Science | Anatomy | Chemistry |
| French 1 | French 2 | French 3 | |
| Art 1 | Art 2 | Drama 1 | Drama 2 |
| Service Hours: 12 | Service Hours: 12 | Service Hours: 12 | Service Hours: 12 |
This is a complete course of study and it is similar to the way Virginia Public Schools lay out their graduation requirements.
Read more about high school requirements here.
You see how this approach allows you to plan to get to where you are going, one year at a time.
Of course, remember that you are the principal of your homeschool and you can change your plans at any time.
Let your course of study be a guide, but not a law.
