
Before selecting a curriculum, please take some time to reflect on the following questions and work with your teacher to select the curriculum that is the right fit for your student:
- What will your learning day/week look like?
- Who will be providing the instruction to the student?
- Do you need a daily lesson plan and a weekly pacing guide?
- Does the student want online or paper?
- Does your student do better in a live class or does your student do better in a self-paced class?
- What type of learner is your student? Kinesthetic, Auditory, or Visual?
- Which subject does your student need more help with and could benefit from teacher-led instruction?
Curriculum Paths
The curricular options below are listed in order from the most structured options requiring the least planning and record keeping to the most teacher-supported option requiring the most record keeping, documentation, and communication with your teacher.
You can learn more about each curriculum by reviewing our recommended short list of curricula HERE. If you have additional questions, feel free to come to the K-6 Curriculum Office Hours or email primary@centralvcs.org.
Pathway 1
The Scholar's Path
Curriculum in this category is our highest level of supported curriculum. These classes are fully teacher-led and standards-aligned. The teacher provides the student with direct instruction (either live or through video recording), paces out the assignments, and completes the grading. The Parent/Learning Coach makes sure that the students attend class, completes assigned work, and assists students in submitting assignments by their due dates.
This list provides a general overview and is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date details, please consult the Curriculum Pathways document.
Bright Thinker
- Bright Thinker Platform
- Grades K-12
- Ordered by your Independent Study Teacher in the Curriculum Ordering System
- Easily navigated units
- All subiects available
- K-2 ELA contains 3 categories:
- Reading/Phonics/Penmanship&Grammar
- Each subject can be ordered separately
- Excellent for all learners (including struggling and accelerated students)
- Unit based, easily "chunked" learning
- Online has learning accommodations imbedded if needed
- Watch more HERE and HERE
Lincoln Learning
- Lincoln Learning Platform
- Grades K-12
- Ordered by your Independent Study Teacher in the Curriculum Ordering System
- Easily navigated units
- All subjects available
- Each math lesson contains a video.
- ELA has all components integrated into one course
- Each subject can be ordered separately
- Excellent for all learners (including struggling and accelerated students)
- Daily lesson to-do list
- Online and has learning accommodations imbedded if needed
Watch these helpful videos:
Pathway 2
The Discovery Voyage
Curriculum in this category is standards-aligned with the direct instruction being given by the Parent/Learning Coach. The Parent/Learning Coach is responsible for providing the student with lesson instruction and feedback regarding student performance on assignments while the Independent Study Teacher supports by helping create a pacing guide for the student to follow. The Independent Study Teacher will use the pacing guide to assign work each Learning Period. The assignments given will be the body of work that will be reviewed by the Independent Study Teacher each learning period. The Parent/Learning Coach is responsible for providing the student with lesson instruction and feedback regarding student performance on assignments.
This list provides a general overview and is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date details, please consult the Curriculum Pathways document.
Language Arts
- Moving Beyond the Page
- BookShark ELA
- McGraw Hill ELA
- Bright Thinker ELA paper
- McRuffy ELA
- Oak Meadow ELA
- IEW (reading and writing )
- Memoria Press Charter School
- Lightning Literature
- Blackbird Literature
Writing
- Bravewriter
- Building Writers
- Write Shop
- IEW
- Essentials in Writing
Foundational Reading (Learn more about these options by viewing the SOR List)
- All About Reading
- Explode the Code
- Foundations A-Z
- Hooked on Phonics
- Logic of English
- LOE Foundations
- Nessy
- Pride Reading
- Primary Phonics
- Reading Horizons
- Savvas Essentials
- UFLI Foundations
Math
- Moving Beyond the Page
- McGraw Hill Math
- Bright Thinker Math paper
- McRuffy Math
- Singapore/Dimension Math
- Right Start Math
- Saxon Math
- DreamBox Math
- Math Mammoth
- Beast Academy Math
- Art of Problem-Solving
- Khan Academy
- CTC Math
- Touch Math (K-2)
Social Studies
- Moving Beyond the Page
- BookShark Social Studies
- McGraw Hill Social Studies
- Bright Thinker Social Studies paper
- Studies Weekly Social Studies
- Oak Meadow Social Studies
- Story of the World
- Curiosity Chronicles
- History Odyssey
- Beautiful Feet
Science
- Moving Beyond the Page
- BookShark Science
- McGraw Hill Science
- Bright Thinker Science paper
- McRuffy Science
- Generation Genius
- Mystery Science
- Studies Weekly Science
- Oak Meadow Science
Pathway 3
The Academic Odyssey
Curriculum in this category may not fully align with the state standards and requires a high level of teacher support to identify missing standards. Your Independent Study Teacher will help pace out the curriculum, assign the work each Learning Period, and will incorporate supplemental material into the learning plan to meet the grade-level standards. The Parent/Learning Coach is responsible for providing the student with lesson instruction and feedback regarding student performance on assignments. The assignments given will be the body of work that will be reviewed by the Independent Study Teacher each Learning Period.
This list provides a general overview and is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date details, please consult the Curriculum Pathways document.
Language Arts
- IXL
- Word ladders
- Beyond the Code
- Acellus
- Relaxed Homeschool
- Miacademy
Math
- Math-U-See
- Teaching Textbooks
- IXL
- Acellus
- Shiller Math
- Relaxed Homeschool
- Miacademy
Social Studies
- Achieve 3000
- Brain Pop
- IXL
- Acellus
- Relaxed Homeschool
- Miacademy
Science
- Achieve 3000
- Brain Pop
- IXL
- California out of the Box
- Acellus
- Relaxed Homeschool
- Miacademy
Pathway 4
The Expedition
While still a viable option, this curricular path is rarely chosen by our families due to the lack of structure and the level of planning and record keeping required by the Parent/Learning Coach and the Independent Study Teacher. This path requires the most daily and monthly planning time. A monthly plan will need to be created in advance, daily logs/records kept, and more evidence of work submitted at the end of each Learning Period (LP).
This list provides a general overview and is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date details, please consult the Curriculum Pathways document.
Language Arts
Option A:
These options will be used with a standards checklist.
Option B:
- Spectrum Vocabulary Book
- Spectrum Grammar Book
- Spectrum Reading
- Building Writers or CVCS Writing Lessons (provided by a teacher)
These options will be used with a standards checklist.
Option C:
- Evan-Moor Grammar
- Evan-Moor Vocabulary
- Novel Studies paired with a novel guide
- Achieve 3000
- Building Writers or CVCS Writing Lessons (provided by a teacher)
These options will be used with a standards checklist.
Math
Option A:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option B:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option C:
- IXL and IXL Math workbook
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Social Studies
Option A:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option B:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option C:
- Social Studies LP Key Assignments paired with books, videos, or other educational resources
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist
Science
Option A:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option B:
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Option C:
- Science LP Key Assignments paired with books, videos, or other educational resources.
This option needs to be used with a standards checklist.
Choosing this learning path means choosing to work on grade level standards through assorted means rather than working through a particular curriculum. The curricula listed in this category are not comprehensive curricula and are primarily considered supplemental. While these supplements and learning activities can be incorporated into a student’s Individualized Learning Plan, they do require a great deal of oversight from the Independent Study Teacher and the Parent/Learning Coach to ensure grade-level standards are being met. If you choose to work on individual standards as your child’s curriculum plan, you will work with the Independent Study Teacher to create a plan each Learning Period which identifies the learning activities being used to meet the assigned standards.
To best support families who select this path, the Independent Study Teacher will assign a set of standards to complete using our school Ed Plans for each LP. The Independent Study Teacher will then work with the Parent/Learning Coach to plan out the learning activities that will be completed during the LP. These activities may include some of the supplemental learning materials or activities on this document, but are not subject to only those listed below. The Parent/Learning Coach will then support the student in mastering the standards by completing the assigned learning activities and turning in the completed work, activities logs, and evidence of learning to the Independent Study Teacher for each Learning Period.
If the parent would like, they can create a plan to review with their Independent Study Teacher before each Learning Period meeting. While not required, using a template to create their own plan to review with the Independent Study Teacher is recommended for families who choose this unique and rare learning path. The use of a template such as this one HERE may be helpful. The Independent Study Teacher will then work with the Parent/Learning Coach to solidify the Learning Plan for the student by assigning the standards to be completed along with the learning activities, assignments, and experiences the parent has chosen to support completion of those standards. Here is a folder that has some additional learning plan templates that might be useful: Learning Period Planning Templates.
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