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Grade School
Get fun, affordable unit study learning for your 3rd-6th grader…
Have all the fun of teaching your student – with planning that’s “done for you”! Get hands-on, integrated learning (that’s not all in front of the computer) – with teacher support and community engagement with other families.
If you want to school your upper-elementary child at home, but you also want to:
Have the curriculum and planning all done for you…
Then the Grade School Unit Study Program may be the perfect fit for you and your child!
With the Grade School Unit Study Program, You Get:
An Engaging, Weekly LIVE Class
Courses in Many Subject Areas
Including History, Science, Language Arts, Fine Arts, Religion, Poetry, and more (all subjects except Math and Reading included, with a reading recommendation and deep discount/code)
A Four-Year History Sequence
Parent and Students – Working Together
Grading Help
Get regular assignments due at certain times, with detailed feedback from the instructor
Easy Access to Learning
Grade School Courses Frequently Asked Questions
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What’s this program like?
The Grade School Unit Study Program uses books and reading, lesson plans, hands-on activities and assignments, and a weekly live class meeting that allows you to homeschool your child across many subjects at the same time. Based on family learning, you can homeschool one student or many students together.
Semesters
Learning takes place during the fall and spring semesters within a full school year.
The Flipped Classroom
This program has what’s called a “flipped classroom approach,” where parents and students engage in the learning activities first — and then (once the learning activity is completed) meet together with the teacher to discuss the learning.
Each week culminates in a LIVE online class where parents and students meet for 30-minutes with the instructor. During the meeting, students discuss the weekly readings, play games that reinforce learning, and share project work and poetry recitation on camera.
What subjects does this program cover?
With history as the overarching guide to our learning, our program is rooted in The Story of Civilization by Phillip Campbell. TSoC is a 4-volume, four-year study of history told in narrative form from a Catholic perspective. Other books and materials are included in the unit study, covering aspects of literature, creative writing, science, Greek and Latin roots, art, saint studies, and geography.
While lesson plans do include writing assignments, specific writing and grammar instruction are not included in this unit study. We encourage parents to use a separate curriculum for writing and grammar studies.
In the Unlimited Access library, parents can find Recorded Creative Writing courses for 3rd-6th grade students. Instructor Access is available for these courses for parents who desire instructor grading as well.
Because Math, Reading, and Spelling are highly individualized areas of study, parents are encouraged to secure their choice of curriculum. True North Reading is recommended (but not required) and HSC families receive a substantial discount. Email [email protected] to find out more.
Advanced 5th graders as well as 6th graders can enroll in courses through the Aquinas Writing Program at Homeschool Connections.
Where do I get the learning materials?
Parents purchase books and materials from a book list that’s provided before the school year begins. In the program, you’ll get lesson plans, checklists, and other materials for a four-day course of study. It’s recommended that your student use the fifth day to enjoy group activities, field trips, sports, or any other outside activity with high hands-on family engagement.
Your course materials and instructions are housed in a Learning Management System (LMS) called Moodle. In Moodle, you’ll find…
- A weekly checklist of activities and assignments
- A suggested daily schedule (for the four-day school week)
- A list of optional supplementary books for solo reading (for multiple grade levels)
- The weekly submission portal for any assignments
- Multiple quizzes that are auto-graded in the system (with unlimited use)
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How much time does my child spend in front of a screen?
For my child to succeed, how much am I, the parent, involved?
Time
Here, it’s all about family learning—so we recommend that parents read texts along with the student(s). Each week, reading assignments vary between 1 to 6 chapters across all subjects, and the average reading time is 60 to 90 minutes total. Some families choose to have older children read aloud to the younger ones. Other families use audiobooks. And some families use a mixture of reading and listening—whatever works for your family!
Supervision of Projects
Beyond weekly reading, your student will enjoy activities with parent supervision and direction, including hands-on art projects, creative writing, science experiments, and the retelling of readings. Families who have enjoyed this program say that they usually spend an additional two (2) to five (5) hours on projects and writing.
Grading
Here the parent is the primary teacher—so you can use all of the assignments or choose the assignments that are right for you. Parent-graded activities are clearly marked and suggested, and course grading is recorded as “completion only.” If a parent opts for a student to not complete an assignment or quiz, the not-completed assignment is not figured into the student’s grade.
What type of assignments will my student submit each week?
Students also may submit one assignment each week for teacher feedback. The assignment type varies between project work, writing assignments, and art.
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My student is an avid reader. Can I include more literature than what is here?
Yes! In this program, you’ll also get an “extended solo reading list” that includes many extra readings and suggestions for complementary titles (that fit the learning).
And if your 5th or 6th graders want more literature, they can join in with the Homeschool Connections series, Living History through Literature, taught by Mrs. de Laveaga (the Director of the Grade School Program). Two LIVE, 6-week courses are available for you each semester—and there are over sixteen (6-week) additional Living History through Literature courses in Unlimited Access recordings!
What happens after I sign up (register) for a LIVE course?
After you sign up, you’ll get a confirmation email that you’re in! We’ll set up your account in Moodle (the Learning Management System where you’ll access the course), and you’ll get a welcome email before the first day. Parents also attend a Parent Meeting (the first class is parents-only).