Our approach to curriculum and learning is organized around the idea that what students learn and know at each grade level matters. The Core Knowledge Sequence is a curriculum that represents our best effort to identify and describe the specific core of shared knowledge that all children should learn in U.S. schools.
The Sequence is intended to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge grade-by-grade from preschool through grade eight, whether in a classroom or homeschool setting.
For parents and guardians responsible for their child’s homeschool education, we have guidance available for implementing the Core Knowledge Sequence, as well as resources available for free download.
An Introduction to the Teacher Guide
The Teacher Guide for each unit provides a teacher, whether in a classroom or a homeschool setting, with the details needed to use the curriculum. Key features of our Teacher Guides for CKLA, CKHG, and CKSci include:
- An introduction to what students will learn and why: Learn about the scope of each unit by reading the Introduction and seeing an overview of what materials you will need to organize in order to implement the unit well.
- Pacing Guides: Suggested pacing and/or the total length of a unit is outlined in the Introduction section of each unit.
- Activity Pages: In CKHG and CKSci, these pages are found in the back of the Teacher Guide. While most CKLA units offer activity pages as stand-alone resources, activity descriptions and answer keys are always provided in the Teacher Guide.
- Lesson Plans: The interior of each Teacher Guide offers step-by-step instructions for what knowledge-based schooling looks like. The lesson plans in each guide offer instructions for activities to do with your children and guiding discussion questions to dig into the content.
- Guided Reading Support: The Teacher Guides also include prompts and guidance for how to use the Student Book, Student Reader, or read-aloud text with your young readers in order to check for understanding and build literacy skills.
Implementing the Core Knowledge Sequence for At-Home Instruction
Determine Time Needed for Instruction
The first step for determining your homeschool schedule is to start with a realistic assessment of how much time you can dedicate to teaching your child, or children, each day. While parents and guardians may not be able to provide a typical six-hour school day, keep in mind that working one-on-one or in a small group can be more efficient than a teacher with a large classroom.
Priorities for Grades K–2: Higher Involvement Needed
Next, prioritize areas of instruction within your allotted time. Students in grades K–2, and other beginning readers, will be less capable of working on their own and will require more guidance and attention. At these grade levels, if you are only able to set aside 1–2 hours daily to teach, we recommend that you primarily focus on reading and math instruction.
Priorities for Grades 3–8: Fostering Reading Independence
Students in Grade 3, and above, can often work with some degree of independence. For example, many can read multiple pages or chapters for 15–20 minutes without assistance, and can complete assignments or projects with minimal guidance. As students get older, their attention span and perseverance increase, allowing for longer periods of instruction. Take advantage of this by planning for longer blocks of instruction.
Free Resources Available for Download
You can download and use the FREE materials on a laptop or print out Teacher Guides and Student Books. The Foundation also offers Core Knowledge History and Geography (CKHG) and Core Knowledge Science (CKSci) resources available as affordable Homeschool Sets. The CKHG and CKSci materials, available for download at no cost, are exactly the same as the print materials offered for purchase.
Other Helpful Tips
- Download or purchase all of the teacher and student-facing materials in advance. This will provide you with time to preview the Student Book, Student Reader, or Read-Aloud Anthology.
- Before sitting down with your child to work through each lesson, carefully review the entire lesson so that you are familiar with the content and have all materials readily available.
- Listen to our Building Knowledge podcast with veteran homeschooler, Julie Freickert. Julie shares what parents should consider when thinking about homeschooling with Core Knowledge as well as discusses the resources available through her “Homeschool Work Plan” website.
Connect with Other Core Knowledge Homeschool Instructors
We have a growing network of more than 1,600 homeschooling parents on our Facebook Discussion Group.
You may also be interested in connecting with us across these social networks:
Links to Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Stay in the Know sign up, and Pinterest