Course of Study for 6-16 Year Olds

Course of Study Samples for Vermont Homeschoolers

The following samples have been used by Vermont homeschoolers in the past and have met with approval from the Vermont Department of Education. Feel free to copy and use at will. Change or add your own activities, unit studies, book titles, etc.

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Course of Study
(6-8 year old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: critical thinking skills, listening skills, comprehension, recreational reading, spelling, oral reading, language arts, letter writing skills, story writing skills, use of dictionary, library skills, heavy emphasis on phonics skills, vocabulary, penmanship, grammar, addition, subtraction, use of a calendar, fractions, symmetry, reading and writing numbers through 5,000, count by 2's, 5's and 10's, percent, reasoning skills, measurements, sequencing, patterns, money, estimating, comparisons, sorting, decimals, place value, weights, shapes and logic.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: strong emphasis on the U.S. Constitution, critical thinking skills, Vermont history, family history in relation to U.S. History, the American presidency, American & local government, current events, personal responsibility, law, geography, American Revolutionary War, map skills, current events and regional travel.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment, use of protective gear, human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems, food pyramid, the 5 senses, critical thinking skills, cooking and food preparation, abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac, effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness, survival skills.

4. English, American, and other Literature: improve critical thinking skills, frequent trips to town, city and regional libraries, continue to read silently and aloud, story telling, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, mythology, legends and folklore, biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books and magazines: Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, Oliver Twist, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Little House on the Prairie Series, Frankenstein, Kidnapped, Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, Highlights, Cobblestone, New Moon, Ranger Rick.

5. The Natural Sciences: human and animal biology, basic human needs (physical and emotional), care and feeding of pets, immediate environment, investigative science, archeology, geographic skills, nature walks, gardening, camping, recycling, basic human needs, types of shelters, climate, food sources, diseases, deserts, insects, weather, astronomy, pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: painting, drawing, clay, crafts, collage making, papier mache, attend galleries, museums, art shows, attend theater and dance performances, creative dramatics, basic musicianship to acquire skills in hearing and differentiating musical instruments, listening to all types of music from country to classic.

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Course of Study
(8-9 year old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue with spelling skills, critical thinking skills, comprehension skills, recreational reading, oral reading, language arts, letter writing skills, story writing, use of dictionary, library skills, strong emphasis on phonics, listening skills, kinds of sentences, plurals and possessives, homonyms, synonyms, vocabulary, penmanship, addition, subtraction, fractions, symmetry, decimals, reading and writing numbers through 100,000, long division, geometric concepts,percent, reasoning skills, and probability and estimation.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: continue strong emphasis on the U.S. Constitution, critical thinking skills, Vermont history, family history in relation to U.S. History, the American presidency, current events, personal responsibility, law, geography, American Revolutionary War, American Civil War, map skills, current events and regional travel.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: continue swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment, use of protective gear, human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems, food pyramid, the 5 senses, critical thinking skills, cooking and food preparation, abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac, effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness, survival skills, and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: improve critical thinking skills, frequent trips to town, city and regional libraries, continue to read silently and aloud, create own written works, story telling, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative writing, biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books and magazines: Oliver Twist, Sarah, Plain and Tall, The Diary of Anne Frank, Little House on the Prairie Series, Frankenstein, Kidnapped, Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew Mysteries, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, Highlights, Cobblestone, New Moon, Ranger Rick.

5. The Natural Sciences: continue with human and animal biology, care and feeding of pets, immediate environment, investigative science, archeology, geographic skills, nature walks, gardening, camping, recycling, basic human needs, types of shelters, climate, food sources, diseases, deserts, insects, weather, astronomy, pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: continue painting, drawing, clay, crafts, collage making, papier mache, attend galleries, museums, art shows, attend theater and dance performances, creative dramatics, basic musicianship to acquire skills in hearing and differentiating musical instruments, listening to all types of music from country to classic.

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Course of Study
(9-10 year old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue spelling skills, critical thinking skills, comprehension, recreational reading, oral reading, language arts, letter writing, story writing, use of dictionary, library skills, strong emphasis on phonics, listening skills, kinds of sentences, plurals and possessives, homonyms, synonyms, vocabulary, penmanship, addition, subtraction, use of a calculator, computer skills, fractions, symmetry, decimals, reading and writing numbers through millions, Roman numerals, metric measurement, long division, geometric concepts, percent, reasoning skills, and probability and estimation.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: strong emphasis on the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, continue critical thinking skills, Vermont history, family history in relation to U.S. History, the American presidency, volunteerism, current events, personal responsibility, law, geography, American Revolutionary War, American Civil War, World War I & II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, map skills, current events and regional travel.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: continue swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment, use of protective gear, human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems, food pyramid, the 5 senses, critical thinking skills, cooking and food preparation, abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac, effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness, survival skills, moral & values, AIDS and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: continue to improve critical thinking skills, frequent trips to town, city and regional libraries, continue to read silently and aloud, create own written works, story telling, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative writing, journal, biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books and magazines: Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Diary of Anne Frank, Frankenstein, Kidnapped, Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, Anne of Green Gables, Mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, Highlights, Cobblestone, New Moon, Ranger Rick.

5. The Natural Sciences: human and animal biology, care and feeding of pets, immediate environment, investigative science, archeology, geographic skills, nature walks, gardening, camping, recycling, basic human needs, types of shelters, climate, food sources, diseases, deserts, insects, weather, astronomy, pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: continue painting, drawing, clay, crafts, collage making, papier mache, attend galleries, museums, art shows, attend theater and dance performances, creative dramatics, basic musicianship to acquire skills in hearing and differentiating musical instruments, listening to all types of music from country to classic.

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Course of Study
(11-12 Year Old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue spelling skills, critical thinking skills, comprehension skills, recreational reading, oral reading, language arts, letter writing, story writing, use of dictionary, library skills, phonics, listening skills, kinds of sentences, plurals and possessives, homonyms, synonyms, vocabulary, penmanship, addition, subtraction, use of a calculator, computer skills, fractions, symmetry, decimals, reading and writing numbers through millions, Roman numerals, metric measurement, long division, geometric concepts, percent, reasoning skills, and probability and estimation.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: stronger emphasis on U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, critical thinking skills, Vermont history, Vermont constitution, family history in relation to U.S. History, the American presidency and the political arena, Congress & Senate, election process, court systems, volunteerism, current events, personal
responsibility, law, geography, World War I & II, American Civil War, map skills, current events and regional travel.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: continue swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment, use of protective gear, human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems, food pyramid, the 5 senses, critical thinking skills, cooking and food preparation, abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac, effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness, survival skills, AIDS and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: improve critical thinking skills, frequent trips to town, city and regional libraries, continue to read silently and aloud, create own written works, story telling, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, creative writing, journal, biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books and magazines: Frankenstein, The Call of the Wild, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Indian in the Cupboard, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Watership Down, Kidnapped, Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, The Hardy Boys, Highligts, Cobblestone, Ranger Rick.

5. The Natural Sciences: human and animal biology, care and feeding of pets, immediate environment, investigative science, archeology, geographic skills, nature walks, gardening, camping, recycling, basic human needs, types of shelters, climate, food sources, diseases, deserts, insects, weather, astronomy, pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: continue painting, drawing, clay, crafts, collage making, papier mache, attend galleries, museums, art shows, attend theater and dance performances, creative dramatics, basic musicianship to acquire skills in hearing and differentiating musical instruments, listening to all types of music from country to classic.

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Course of Study
(12-13 Year Old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue spelling, critical thinking, comprehension, recreational reading, oral reading, use of dictionary, personal & business letter writing skills, library skills, phonics, listening skills, types of sentences, plurals and possessives, homonyms, synonyms, vocabulary, strong emphasis on penmanship, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, pre-algebra, use of a calculator, computer skills including the internet, banking skills, fractions, weights & measures, symmetry, decimals, reading and writing numbers through millions, Roman numerals, metric measurement, long division, geometric concepts, percent,
reasoning skills, and probability and estimation.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: strong emphasis on U.S. Constitution, critical thinking skills, Vermont history, the Vermont legislature, U.S. and State Constitutions, history of labor unions, institutions (medical, educational & welfare), volunteerism, current events, personal responsibility, Vermont and U.S. law, geography, continue with American Civil War, Korean War, Vietnam War, World War I & II, map skills.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: continue swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment, use of protective gear, human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems, the 5 senses, critical thinking skills, cooking and food preparation, abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco
and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac, effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness, survival skills, AIDS and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: continue improving critical thinking skills, frequent trips to town, city and regional libraries, continue to read silently and aloud, create own written works, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, creative writing, journal, autobiographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books and magazines: The Swiss Family Robinson; Robin Hood; The Time Machine; Around the World in 80 Days; The Red Badge of Courage; works of Charles Dickens; Kidnapped; The Three Musketeers; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Time; Newsweek, local and national newspapers & publications.

5. The Natural Sciences: continue with human and animal biology, care and feeding of pets, immediate environment, investigative science, archeology, geographic skills, nature walks, gardening, camping, recycling, basic human needs, food sources, diseases, outer space, rain forest insects, weather, river pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: continue painting, drawing, architecture, art in the White House, crafts, collage making, attend galleries, museums, art shows, Renaissance, Impressionists, attend theater and dance performances, creative dramatics, musicianship with possible concentration on learning another instrument, music appreciation.

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Course of Study
(14-15 Year Old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue spelling skills; critical thinking skills; comprehension skills; strong emphasis on recreational reading; public speaking; voice & diction; personal & business letter writing skills; library & research skills; strong emphasis on grammar; vocabulary; strong emphasis on penmanship; stronger emphasis on computer skills including email address and use of the internet for business and research skills; banking skills; publishing skills; metric measurement; geometric concepts; percent; reasoning skills; and probability and
estimation.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: critical thinking skills; the Vermont legislature; Vermont & American history; strong emphasis on state and local elections; strong emphasis on U.S. and State Constitutions; history of labor unions; institutions (medical, educational & welfare) and their effects; volunteerism; current events; personal responsibility; Vermont and U.S. Law; geography; American Revolution; American Civil War; Korean War; Vietnam War; World War I & II; state and global map skills.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: swimming, hiking, bicycling, sledding, skating, proper care and use of equipment; use of protective gear; human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems; the 5 senses; critical thinking skills; cooking and food preparation; abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac; effects of being institutionalized (i.e. public schooling, prisons, etc). Effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness; homemaking skills (i.e. sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, etc.); care and nurturing of children; preparation for
homeschooling own children; survival skills; AIDS and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: continue improving critical thinking skills; frequent trips to town and city libraries; read silently and aloud; strong emphasis on creating own written works, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative writing; autobiographies; biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books, magazines and news publications: complete works of John Holt; Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.; Charles J. Sykes; Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle; Animal Farm & 1984 by George Orwell; Greek Tragedies; all state and local newspapers; "Winning The Cultural War" speech by Charlton Heston (1999); George Washington's inaugural and farewell speeches; Thomas Jefferson's inaugural and farewell speeches; Abraham Lincoln's inaugural speeches; Henry Hyde's speeches from the floor of the house and senate during the 1998/1999 impeachment trial.

5. The Natural Sciences: human and animal biology; self-sufficiency; herbal medicine; homeopathic medicine; care and feeding of pets and livestock; birthing skills; immediate environment; investigative science; archeology; geographic skills; gardening; camping; recycling; basic human needs; food sources; diseases; outer space; plants and animals of the world; weather; natural disasters; river and ocean pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: painting; drawing; sketching; sculpture; architecture; fine arts; commercial art; attend galleries, museums, art shows; all forms and history of art; attend theater and dance performances; dramatics; continue concentration on playing musical instrument; music
appreciation of all kinds including country, classical, pop, etc.

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Course of Study
(15-16 Year Old)

1. Basic Communication Skills: continue spelling skills; critical thinking skills; comprehension skills; strong emphasis on recreational reading; public speaking & speech writing; voice & diction; journal; personal & business letter writing skills; library & research skills; strong emphasis on grammar; vocabulary; strong emphasis on penmanship; computer
skills including email address and use of the internet for business and research skills; banking skills; publishing & editorial skills; concentration on creating and maintaining a home-based business; management skills; statistics; advertising, pricing and distribution; reasoning skills.

2. Citizenship, History and Government: critical thinking skills; the Vermont and U.S. legislatures; strong emphasis on local, state and national elections; strong emphasis on U.S. and State Constitutions; history of labor unions; institutions (medical, educational & welfare) and their effects; volunteerism; current events; personal responsibility; Vermont, U.S. and National Law; geography; American Revolution; American Civil War; Korean War; Vietnam War; World War I & II; state and global map skills; possible future candidacy.

3. Physical Education and Comprehensive Health Education: swimming, hiking, bicycling, proper care and use of equipment; use of protective gear; human biology including digestive, nervous, skeletal and circulatory systems; critical thinking skills; cooking and food preparation; abuse and effects of alcohol, tobacco and related drugs, such as Ritalin; effects of
being institutionalized (i.e. public schooling, prisons, etc). Effects of consumer advertisements on the subliminal consciousness; strong emphasis on homemaking skills (i.e. sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, etc.); care and nurturing of children; preparation for homeschooling own children; survival skills; AIDS and psychology.

4. English, American, and other Literature: improving critical thinking skills; frequent trips to town and city libraries; read silently; strong emphasis on creating own written works, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative writing; autobiographies; biographies. Will include but not be limited to the following books, magazines and news publications: any and all books on homeschooling; complete works of John Holt; Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.; Charles J. Sykes; Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle; Animal Farm & 1984 by George Orwell; Greek Tragedies; Newsweek; all local, state and national newspapers; "Winning The Cultural War" speech by Charlton Heston (1999); George Washington's inaugural and farewell speeches; Thomas Jefferson's inaugural and farewell speeches; Abraham Lincoln's inaugural speeches; Henry Hyde's speeches from the floor of the house and senate during the 1998/1999 impeachment trial.

5. The Natural Sciences: human and animal biology; herbal, homeopathic and chiropractic medicines; care and feeding of pets and livestock; birthing skills; immediate environment; investigative science; archeology; geographic skills; gardening; camping; recycling; basic human needs; food sources; diseases; outer space; plants and animals of the world; weather; natural disasters; river and ocean pollution.

6. The Fine Arts: painting; drawing; sketching; sculpture; fine arts; commercial art; attend galleries, museums, art shows; all forms and history of art; attend and participate in theatre and dance performances; continue concentration on playing musical instrument; music appreciation of all kinds including country, classical, etc.

It’s high time we stop feeding the monster!

 It’s high time parents, businesses and taxpayers realize the state controlled public schools DO NOT have the best interest of children at heart. The state thrives on compliant little know-nothings and exhausted parents, in order to maintain its death grip on society. 

As a home education advocate for nearly 40 years, I’ve seen many trends in homeschooling AND in the public school agenda. I’ve seen frustrated parents get elected to school boards, only to become an even bigger part of the problem by trying to ‘fix’ the public school their child attends. Some have been remorseful, while others became even worse tyrants by moving on to the state capitol and becoming legislators. School boards are the stepping stone for many of the assholes we now have in the legislature. 

Parents and voters, YOU AND YOU ALONE have the power to ‘fix’ this disaster if you STOP FEEDING THE MONSTER!!! Parents need to STOP handing their innocent children over to these monsters with their voracious appetite for wam bodies, and voters need to VOTE NO ON SCHOOL BUDGETS!!!

Now is the opportunity to right this ship and not settle for being the next Titanic. The public schools and state are in such disarray, it’s the perfect time to yank your child from the clutches of these putrid creatures. Protect your child no matter how exhausted, confused and torn you are. Bring your children home to heal, both them and yourself. It’s time to regroup and stop this demonic madness we call public schooling.

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Are you tough enough to homeschool?

I hope you're sitting down because you're about to be lectured on the nuances of homeschooling and where things are headed in this country. I've been at this homeschooling 'thing' for well over 35+ years and I'd thought I'd seen it all until I encountered Barbara (not her real name and no offense to most of the Barbaras in the world). Barbara is your typical (if there is such a creature) young mom who was indoctrinated in the public school system. She thinks she knows it all and believes all the propaganda the mainstream media, television and movies have been spoon feeding her since her preschool days. Barbara is not alone. There are millions of Barbaras out there in America. 

This particular Barbara likes to slink around other people's Facebook pages or groups and cherry pick information. Nothing wrong with that, you're all free to take it or leave it for whatever reasons. I do the same sometimes. In this case though, Barbara likes to give her rather ignorant and propagandized opinions about natural law, politics and parenting. Although, Barbara has 3 lovely children of her own, she wholeheartedly supports the murdering of the unborn and puts her money where her mouth is. She fundraises for Planned Parenthood. Not only that, Barbara doesn't believe in the 2nd Amendment and pushes for 'gun control', plus she is all for free speech unless it applies to others. Barbara feels empowered when she reports others in Facebook groups where she lurks but doesn't join. Barbara is what Barbara would call a Karen.

Americans (mostly in Democrat/RINO run cities on the west coast and in the New England area) have become fragile flowers. The slightest breeze of freedom and liberty makes them shudder and wilt. Yet, they're emboldened by their social justice warrior friends and don't understand why others push back against their views. They can dish it out but they can't take it. A handful of these snowflakes like to think that by raising hell with your Facebook groups and pages, it somehow makes their stance legitimate or justified. Well, they are WRONG!

Yes, I have had fans, groupies and followers for decades, some nice and some not so nice. Much of the time we can debate and defend our positions. Unfortunately, once in a while I get a Barbara who likes to throw out her opinion and if others (me in particular) don't agree, their recourse is to mess with your livelihood, your reputation or your family. You need to be tough in this world in many ways and I've had my share of battles, both physical and verbal. Are you tough enough to stand up for yourself? Your homeschooling? Your country? I sincerely hope you are because America is in a world of hurt right now and it's only going to get worse.

Barbara's children are very young and, to me, that would indicate she's a newbie to homeschooling. By her shutting me off from my homeschool pages and my many groups (including selling groups where members are simply trying to put food on their table or pay their rent), it only serves to hurt those trying to navigate their way through this thing we call homeschooling and life. I'm not allowed to answer their questions, share important links for them or be reached in a time of crisis. Barbara is being very selfish, needs to grow up, and needs to grow a thicker skin. Getting her panties in a twist over the truth about the natural laws of nature and how badly she's been brainwashed by her own schooling, isn't going to help her or others. 

Look, I get it, you're all a little frustrated with the way things are going at the moment. The media and the politicians have everyone paranoid and wringing their hands. I'm not doing either and I haven't bought into their nonsense. I know why and how this country got to this point in time and I took precautions in order to lessen the impact on my family. I've been sounding the alarm for decades. Some of you listened, some of you ignored the warning signs. Some of you called me a conspiracy theorist or a nutter. That's okay. I expected it. However, I was not the only one trying to make it clear to you our country was headed for a massive amount of chaos and danger. Many of you ignored those voices too.

I truly don't have a problem with others taking their ignorance and frustrations out on me, and getting me thrown into Facebook jail every now and then. I'm used to being the whipping boy for the naysayers and knuckleheads out there, but my absence affects the livelihood and safety of others. When I'm not allowed to post, comment, or access my groups by the Facebook jailers, this impacts others who are struggling as well. If you think your butthurt actions don't affect others, think again. By the way, when you selfishly report my comments, no matter how rude or unjust you perceive them to be, you do not remain anonymous and Facebook actually hands over your information in order for your actions to be contested. It's best to keep your thoughts to yourself, grow a thicker skin, or go vent to your local bartender. Better yet, join in the banter because, you know, that pesky 1st Amendment free speech thing applies to everyone.

Stop being such a wuss or Barbara, and stop playing your 'victim' card everywhere you go. Some of us don't buy into your social justice warrior schtick. You show your true colors when you show up to a Vermont homeschool group and you're from the west coast, just chomping at the bit to make trouble. That must be a very sad life you are living if you've nothing better to do than troll homeschoolers. Usually, living WAY outside of Vermont is an immediate red flag but you're given a grace period because I sincerely believe most people are good and honest, especially if you have children. You'd be amazed at how many requests I get to join my groups and pages from the other side of the world, from people just wanting to sell their wares or family members. 

So, when I get one or two oddballs that slip in just to cause trouble, I usually let them rant until they become such a nuisance to me and themselves, with their ridiculous logic, then it's time to put the brakes on their nonsense. You wouldn't believe how many times I've received physical threats from so-called loving and nurturing parents (not homeschoolers), crazed public school graduates or public school employees. I can take the abuse and, unfortunately, these threats go with the territory in today's world. People today are whacked, I get it, but I refuse to subject the rest of my followers to your weirdness and contempt for their values and hard work. 

I'm a HUGE fan of my God-given and constitutionally backed rights. I don't like being censored and I take my free speech right VERY seriously. If you don't like what I have to say then simply don't listen, get the hell off MY pages or block me. If you choose to deny me my constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech, while flaunting your stupidity, you'd better be prepared to defend your actions. I took an oath to uphold and defend that constitution in 1973 and I've never been released from that oath. Yes, I'm an old war horse and proud of it. That's why I'm here to defend your rights as well but don't be an idiot, it's bad form.