As my children get older I ask for their opinion on curriculum more and more. While I ultimately choose the core curriculum (math, language arts, history, and science) for each child, when it comes to other subjects I embrace Interest Led Homeschooling.

This means I let them choose a topic they want to study for the year and I gather resources to help them explore and learn about it. I am sharing the Interest Led Homeschooling subjects my children requested this year and the resources I provided for their studies.

You can see all that I have on our homeschool wish list for extra fun subjects HERE.

Interest Led Homeschooling

When my children reach high school, I want them to choose a subject they can study the entire year. Before then, I let my children bounce around from interest to interest all year.

This year I have two in high school and three younger students. My youngest is still at a “pre-school” level because of his global developmental delays so I have two choosing topics in elementary grades.

For my elementary students, one chose a book about communicating with dogs and one chose a book about the history of firearms.

Out of my high school students, one chose to study Russian (and Slavic) culture, language, and food:

As you can see, we are covering Slavic food (the cookbook also includes history and cultural information for each region), an introduction to the Russian language using two visual-based Russian-English dictionaries (perfect for the child who will be using them), and two “living history” books based in Russia (to make sure it stays interesting and fun).

My other child in high school chose to study the Border Collie dog breeds and how to train them.

These books are all business with very little play, but diving deep into the world of Border Collies and learning realistic training techniques is exactly what this child wants to do. We do not own Border Collies, but we own other dog breeds, so training them will provide an opportunity for my students to apply what they are learning.

Check out the resources mentioned here!

How to Speak Dog: A Guide to Decoding Dog Language
Firearms: An Illustrated History
Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook
Russian – English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries)
Russian Picture Dictionary Coloring Book: Over 1500 Russian Words and Phrases for Creative & Visual Learners of All Ages (Color and Learn)
Big Risks in Russia (AIO Imagination Station Books)
The Complete Guide to Border Collies: Training, teaching, feeding, raising, and loving your new Border Collie puppy
Understanding Border Collies
Living with Border Collies
Barbara Sykes’ Training Border Collies
The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever: A Step-by-Step Guide to 118 Amazing Tricks and Stunts

I hope this inspires you to embrace interest led homeschooling and encourage your child to choose a topic to study this year! Our list of resources gives you an idea of how you can choose non-textbook books and provide a rich hands-on experience for your child – no matter what grade they are in!