A mid-year curriculum switch plan for one subject
If one homeschool subject needs a change mid-year, begin with the new program’s placement test or level guide before buying. Keep the parts of the day that are working while you plan that change. The steps below are general planning guidance for a family already homeschooling, with publisher instructions for checking the new level.
Curriculum switch worksheet
Use this free planning outline to keep a mid-year change limited to one subject. Print the downloadable curriculum switch worksheet (HTML, print-friendly) or copy the checklist below into a notebook.
- Subject to change: ____________________
- What is not working (lesson length, help needed, material covered, or format): ____________________
- New program under consideration: ____________________
- Publisher placement test or level guide you will use: ____________________
- Pause point in the old book (optional): ____________________
- First lesson to try in the new materials: ____________________
- Materials you need vs materials you already own: ____________________
- Cost notes (keep possible resale separate from money available now): ____________________
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A specific problem to work on
As a planning step, write down what you want to change in this subject: the lesson length, the amount of help needed, the material covered or the format. Keep recent work beside that note when you look at another program. You can compare the new lesson with the problem you want it to solve.
Placement before another purchase
Use the new publisher’s instructions for the subject and edition you are considering. The placement tests and level guides directory is a place to find the next link.
For Math-U-See, the official placement tool asks questions and offers example problems. For Singapore Math, the official tests page explains how each edition uses its tests and recommends checking its scope and sequence too.
The math curriculum switch helper and reading curriculum switch helper can help you explore another program. Use the new publisher’s test or guide to check placement before ordering.
A small routine for the first lessons
For general planning, choose a manageable lesson slot and write down what you will teach first. Keep other subjects in their usual places if those routines are working. Note what your child can do and where help is needed as you begin the new materials. Adjust the plan using the publisher’s guidance.
You can write down a pause point in the old book and the first lesson you intend to try in the new one. A unit boundary is an option to consider, not a universal requirement for switching.
The cost before you order
List the materials you would need for the new program, including any teacher materials or reusable tools. Check what you already own before ordering. If you plan to sell the old books, keep the possible resale amount separate from the money you have available now.
For the programs named here, see the Math-U-See calendar and Singapore Math calendar. Placement comes before choosing a sale item.
Questions parents ask
Is this the same as starting homeschool mid-year?
This guide is for changing a program while your family is already homeschooling. If you are leaving school and beginning homeschool, use the separate mid-year homeschool start guide.
Must we finish the old book or unit first?
This plan does not require that. Note a pause point, check the new program’s instructions and decide what your child needs before its first lesson. Follow any requirements that apply to your child’s courses or enrollment.
Can the last book alone tell me the new level?
Use the new publisher’s placement guidance. Math-U-See asks about concepts your child has mastered; Singapore Math asks you to observe the work and consider the scope and sequence. This guide gives no automatic conversion from one program’s book to another’s.
Is there a printable curriculum switch worksheet?
Yes. The curriculum switch worksheet is a free, print-friendly HTML checklist of the planning outline on this page. There is no purchasable Curriculum Switch Kit on this site yet.
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