Defining Your Homeschool Priorities: Principles Before Curriculum
Before getting excited to choose books or fill your shopping cart, I think it’s worth slowing down and defining your priorities. These will become the foundation of every homeschool plan.
Start With Your “WHY”
Your “why” explains your purpose.
Every homeschooling family has a reason for doing this. Some want more flexibility. Some want more family time. Some want to tailor education to their child’s needs. Others simply enjoy learning together.
Knowing your “why” becomes your anchor. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, your “why” reminds you what you’re actually trying to accomplish. It also gives you permission to say no to things that don’t align with your family’s goals.
Decide HOW You Want to Homeschool
Your “how” explains the kind of learning environment you want to create.
What kind of homeschool do you want to build? Do you want your days to feel relaxed or highly structured?
What kind of learner is your child? What kind of teacher do you want to be?
You don’t have to label yourself as a Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Waldorf, or Classical homeschooler on day one. These educational philosophies can be wonderful sources of inspiration, but you don’t need to fit perfectly into one of them before you begin.
As you teach, observe your child, and continue learning yourself, your homeschool will naturally evolve. 🙂
Set Simple GOALS
Think about what you hope this year will accomplish. Keep your goals simple.
Instead of trying to plan every lesson, focus on the bigger picture. Ask yourself:
- What skills do I hope my child develops?
- What habits or character traits do I want us to cultivate?
- What experiences would we (me, my child, my family) love us to have this year?
- What do I want my child to know?
Real-life examples:
- Read independently for 20–30 minutes each day.
- Build confidence in basic math.
- Develop neat handwriting.
- Enjoy reading living books.
- Spend time outdoors every week.
- Learn to cook simple meals.
- Practice kindness and responsibility.
Not every goal has to be academic. I swear, the most meaningful growth happens through character, habits, and everyday life. 🙂
Also, these goals may sound broad, and that’s intentional. I love the concept of planning SMART goals, but let’s not make things complicated. You can certainly make them more specific, but I believe the system behind the goals matters more than the wording of the goals themselves.
A goal tells you where you want to go. Your homeschool system is what helps you get there. That’s why I spend more time building a sustainable system than trying to write the perfect set of goals.
Know what SUBJECTS to prioritize
After setting the goals, you can determine which subjects or lessons to prioritize. In Charlotte Mason, it is a foundational principle to offer a “feast” of learning to the child. But let’s be real, life happens. Knowing your priorities removes unnecessary guilt.
Choose a few subjects that must happen consistently. There isn’t a universal answer. In our homeschool, these are:
- Bible
- Language Arts
- Math
These subjects are what I call “floor goals” when I am in “survival mode”. I make sure to teach these even on the days I am not well—physically (when slightly sick or have my period), mentally (when overwhelmed or overstimulated), and emotionally (when not in a good mood).
Might be an unpopular opinion but it’s okay to move the remaining lessons to another day, as long as it is reasonable. In my experience, the important thing is deciding intentionally which subjects to prioritize rather than deciding spontaneously in the middle of a stressful day.
Once you’ve defined your “why,” your “how,” your goals, and your priority subjects, choosing curriculum becomes much easier.
Instead of searching for the best curriculum, you’ll begin looking for the curriculum or program that is the best tool for accomplishing what matters most to your family.
Curriculum will change. Schedules will change. Even your homeschool philosophy may grow over time. But when your planning begins with clear priorities, you’ll have a foundation you can return to year after year.
So before planning the details, define what matters most. Everything else becomes easier to build from there. 🙂
Happy planning! 💪🏻🙏🏻
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