Home Learning Year by Year: A Book Review

A valuable resource to guide your planning

For many new homeschool parents, one of the most persistent worries is simple but overwhelming: How do I know what to consider teaching each year? It can feel like you’re responsible for reinventing education from scratch.

That’s where Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp becomes a reassuring companion. And not because it tells exactly what to do — but because it’s a guide that can help you relax a little.

This book doesn’t hand you a rigid curriculum or demand that your child hit specific benchmarks on a strict timeline. Instead, it offers something far more helpful: a gentle, comprehensive overview of what children typically explore and learn at each stage, from early childhood through the teen years. Rupp walks through subjects like reading, writing, math, science, and history, giving you a sense of what could be introduced each year — without making you feel like you’re behind if your child takes a different path.

This book gently shows you that learning is a progression. Skills build over time. Kids circle back to things. Some years are math-heavy, some are reading-heavy, and some feel like nothing “academic” is happening — but a lot still is. You can glance at a section and think, “Oh, okay — this is the kind of thing we could be working toward,” without feeling behind if you aren’t there yet.

Reading it can bring a sense of relief. You realize that you don’t need to know everything right now. You don’t need to map out twelve+ years of education before your child finishes breakfast. You just need a general sense of direction — and the willingness to adjust as you go.

If you’re feeling uncertain, this book can serve as a steady reference on your shelf. Not a rulebook, but a guide you can return to whenever you think, “What comes next?”

You may want to own a copy so you can highlight, put sticky notes on pages and generally have it on your shelf. Amazon has many used copies starting at $3.50 but the RI library system has over 20 copies as well including as an ebook.

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Learning Through Travel: Why Homeschool Families Will Love The Capitol Collection

By Melissa Robb • February 12, 2026

Some of the best learning my family has done didn’t happen sitting at the kitchen table. It happened walking through old buildings, asking questions, and seeing things with our own eyes. State capitol buildings are among our favorite stops, we learn so much about a state by visiting these unique and beautiful buildings. If your family likes to travel—or even just take day trips— The Capitol Collection is a wonderful way to turn those outings into something meaningful and memorable. It is a souvenir passbook ($15) that helps families keep track of visits to state capitol buildings. Each visit becomes more than just a stop along the way—it becomes part of your family’s story. Turning Trips Into Adventures Kids love having a purpose, and visiting capitols gives them one. Instead of just passing through a city, they’re exploring, noticing details, and looking forward to marking another visit in their book. Over time, those pages fill up with memories, and the learning happens naturally along the way. It doesn’t feel like “doing school”—it just feels like life. That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about homeschooling. Learning doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Our Family’s Story This means a lot to me because of our own experience. Our family has visited 22 state capitols so far. Our first recorded visit was Pierre, South Dakota in 2009 when my son was 10 years old , and at first it was just something fun to do while we traveled. I never imagined how much it would shape him. One of my favorite memories is a tradition he started. Whenever a capitol had a rotunda, he would lie down on the floor and just look up at the dome. He would study the paintings, the shapes, the light—just taking it all in and thinking what that epic element represented. Those quiet moments often turned into some of our best conversations later. At the Oregon state house we were even able to go up INTO the dome, what a climb! Over the years, those visits led to many talks about history, government, and how laws are made. The experience stayed with him so strongly that he even wrote about it in his law school application essay . Visiting state capitols has expanded to exploring government building internationally such as the Reichstag in Germany and Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. As a parent, it’s an amazing thing to see something that started as a simple family outing become part of your child’s future. Most recently, we visited Maryland’s capitol during a trip to Annapolis. My son is a young man now and living on his own, but when we travel together, this is still something we do. That’s what makes experiences like this so special—they grow with your children. Why Capitol Buildings Are Such Powerful Learning Spaces State capitol buildings offer a unique blend of subjects all in one place: Civics and government come to life when children see legislative chambers and learn how decisions are made. Local history becomes tangible through exhibits, memorials, and stories tied to each state. Art and architecture surround you, often reflecting the values and culture of the region. Critical thinking and curiosity grow naturally as kids ask questions and make connections. Best of all, these lessons don’t feel forced. They happen through exploration and conversation—often led by the child’s own interests. A Journey Worth Remembering Looking back, I’m so thankful we took the time to stop, explore, and learn together. Those capitol visits weren’t just educational—they were time spent together, sharing discoveries and building memories we still talk about years later. Whether your family visits one capitol or dreams of all fifty, the important part isn’t the number. It’s the time spent learning side by side. (There is a Facebook group for this hobby. It’s small but would be a great way for families to share their experiences!)