School’s out for summer! We are so grateful for another fabulous year of homeschooling. There were some ups and downs (mostly hurricane-related), but overall, this was one of our strongest years yet!

Not only was it a great year academically, but we also made a lot of fun memories – surfing trips to Cocoa Beach, Highland dance competition weekends, beach trips, two months abroad in Colombia for our 11th grader, and training for our first sprint triathlon. It’s been a great year.

I know the summer is going to fly by, so I started planning the 2025-2026 homeschool year and collecting books and materials a few months back. One of the things I’m most excited about is our list of group classes. These are subjects I’ve paired two or more kids on to work on as a group.

Why We Love Group Subjects

When you’re a student in a traditional school, it’s so easy to believe your success or failure only depends on you. The best student in the class is the one with the highest GPA. Being valedictorian isn’t a group effort – it’s an individual achievement.

But too often, despite their impressive results, many high-performing students are unduly overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, and isolated. 

Homeschooling also has the potential to be pretty individualized. In fact, a lot of people say that’s what they appreciate most about it. They like the ability to tailor their child’s schoolwork so that he or she can perform at the highest level and pursue topics that are of interest to them. But it’s also easy to go too far in the other direction, especially during the high school years when kids are more independent. 

We try to maintain a balance between letting the kids learn independently and making sure they are also coaching and learning from each other. One of the primary ways we do this is by combining different ages and grades for certain subjects.

Without further ado, here are the classes I’m looking forward to most in 2025-2026 — our group subjects!

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Group Classes for 2025-2026

Preschool and First Grade:

• Science: The Good and the Beautiful “Science for Little Hearts and Hands” – A gentle, story-based introduction to science topics for preschool through grade two. We’ll probably do this two times per week.

First Grade and Fourth Grade:

• History: The Story of the World, Volume One – I did this one with my kids a few years ago, and we all enjoyed it so much. The Activity Book has maps, coloring sheets, and activity pages, and there’s a separate book of quizzes you can use for a range of grades. My first grader will listen to the readings and color, and my fourth grader will complete the mapwork, activities, and quizzes.

• Geography: Around the World with Picture Books, Volume 1 – Another repeat! We’ve done volumes one and two of this curriculum, and it’s always a favorite. Even though my rising first grader was only five when we did Part One back in 2020/2021, he remembers quite a lot and is excited to do it again with his little sisters – this time as the leader. Beautiful Feet Books uses a literature-based approach that also integrates art, music, science, and even cooking.

Preschool, First, Fourth, and Sixth Grade:

• Bible Study: Christian Studies I -This is also a repeat for us. I love Memoria Press* materials because they are laid out simply but provide great depth for discussion. The student guide includes a lot of map work, which complements Bible study so well. My plan is to start our morning with the lesson reading from the Golden Children’s Bible. Then we will do flash card practice, books of the Bible practice, and a brief narration Q&A. My fourth and sixth graders will complete the mapwork, and my sixth grader will do the comprehension questions in the Student Guide and take weekly quizzes.

Fourth and Sixth Grade:

• Composition: IEW Wonders of Science – My rising sixth grader used IEW for composition last year, and while we enjoyed it solo, I think it would be even better with a partner. The material looks slightly challenging for my fourth grader, so I might modify it a bit for him. Both boys love learning about scientists and inventors, so the subject matter should be right up their alley.

High School (Grades 9 and 12)

• Shakespeare Study: My friend and I led a middle school Shakespeare class for our homeschool co-op years ago, and it convinced me that Shakespeare is best read aloud. Our ninth- and twelfth-graders will be reading two Shakespeare comedies together this year: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as As You Like It. If we have the time, we’ll also read King Lear to add some tragedy to the mix.

Read-Alouds

All Kids:

• Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
• The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Preschool, First, and Fourth Grade Picture Books

• Memoria Press* Read-Aloud Books for Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade

Art and Music

• Nature Journaling: Several years ago, we were in a Charlotte Mason homeschool group, and one activity the kids and I really enjoyed was watching and sketching the same tree as it changed throughout the year. I thought this would be a simple practice to do at home, so the kids and I will choose one tree or plant in the neighborhood to observe and sketch each week.

• Artist and Composer Study: I haven’t selected a particular curriculum for this yet, and I might just come up with it myself. For the first semester we’ll learn about a new artist each month, with one weekly artwork to observe and imitate. For the second semester, we’ll focus on one composer per month, with a new song selection to listen to each week. I’ll find related picture books, biographies, and other supplemental resources for us to explore as well.

Together Is Better

Learning together isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. There are days when the kids bicker, and sometimes the older kids see the group subjects as less important than their more challenging subjects. I fall into that trap, too. Sometimes it’s tempting to put off our group subjects in favor of more “important” classes, especially with the high schoolers.

I try to remind myself in those moments that the family bonds and memories we make during these homeschool years are just as important as the subjects we cover. I can’t say I’ve ever regretted taking the time to read together, to take a walk outside and observe nature’s patterns, or to just sit and listen to a beautiful piece of music or look at a timeless work of art. It’s not always picture-perfect, but it’s always worth the effort.

Do you combine grades and ages in your homeschool? Any favorite books or curriculum? We’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below!