Yes! Many Gather 'Round families use this curriculum on its own for all their children and all their subjects—right through high school! We have testimonies of many grad students who have successfully made the leap to college or university, fully equipped to think for themselves and read the subtext of what is being presented. That being said, we also have some families who choose to supplement based on their student's needs or because they have a curriculum that they just love and don't want to give up.While there are some reviews online that question whether we are enough, it is important to note that those were often done in the early years when we were still a startup. We have created many more resources to help close gaps, beef up our content, and find the elusive balance between "enough" and "too much". Our style is different, we focus on less quantity and more contextual learning—which can feel too simple especially if you are coming from a more traditional curriculum. However, many of our parents say that their students actually remember what they are learning and the results speak for themselves over time.

Choose a unit/topic that either interests you or meets a need (such as if you are working toward certain credits).Purchase either the digital full family bundle (which includes both the Teacher's Guide and all levels of student books), the one student bundle (which includes the Teacher's Guide and one level of your choice), or the printed books. If you decide to go with our beautiful, high-end printed books . . . you will need the Teacher's Guide and one book for each student.

What do I need to add?

The units cover all of your subjects but math. Our Modular Math program is available to cover K-grade 9 math, but high school math is not yet available on our site (though we do have plans to create it). Currently, you will need to get about 8 units per year along with about 8 math units per student in order to create a full curriculum year. Some families choose to add seatwork or our other Language Arts add-ons, fun holiday mini-units, and more . . . but these are not required.

How do I choose levels for multiple kids?

Our main units are designed to be used with the whole family. We have individual student books available in the following levels.Pre-Reader: recommended for younger students who are not ready to read/write (preschool/kindergarten age)Early Reader: recommended for emerging readers/writers (6-8 years old)Early Elementary: recommended for students who are comfortable using a word bank to write some of their answers (8-10 years old)Upper Elementary: recommended for students who are ready to write a sentence response (10-13 years old)Middle School: recommended for students who are ready for paragraph responses and more personal application/light research (13-16 years old)High School: prepares students to ask big questions, think for themselves, and apply topics to their own lives. This level is recommended for 16-18 years old and includes papers, essays, and more research.Some of our units are shorter or more simplified into levels 1, 2, and 3. For these, Level 3 is designed for Middle and High, level 2 for Early Elementary and Upper Elementary, and Level 1 for Pre-Reader and Early Reader.

How Long does it take?

Each unit is designed to take about a month—which means you will never get bored! You get to create your year based on your students' interests, covering all your subjects for all your grades, through one cohesive program that all points to Jesus! Each lesson is designed to take about 2-4 hours (depending on how many students you have, their ages, and whether you are completing the option rabbit trails or watching the resource videos available on our app). You will read the Teacher's Guide first to all students (which takes about 40 minutes to an hour depending on how many videos you show or the discussions you have) and then students will move to their student workbooks and complete their pages there. Units that have 20 lessons can be done 5 days a week and therefore being completed in 4 weeks. Or they can be done 4 days a week and take a bit longer. Because of this, most families work through about 8 units in a year with breaks and co-op days mixed in.

All of our units come with answer keys to help you mark your student's work. We have tried a bit of everything: including the answers in the Teacher's Guide, having them in the back of student notebooks, and eventually settling on including them in your downloads immediately after your order. You can use the answer key to help assign grades, but we recommend using a rubric for more accurate grading. To do this, you would assign points based on things like understanding (30%), completion (50%), effort (15%), and neatness (5%).

What is Modular Math?

Modular Math is our brand new math curriculum that covers K-grade 9 math—taking students all the way through Algebra 1. The units are topical and each step takes about 1 month. This means they can be used in either a mastery approach (staying on a topic and working on it through multiple levels) or spiral approach (completing one step of each topic throughout the year). This program was created with steps instead of grades, allowing you to custom-tailor the program to your student without discouraging them with where they are at. It can be used as a remedial program or for gifted students who want to move faster. Each day includes 2 pages. Day 1 teaches a new concept (and includes a devotional) and day 2 has practice that builds throughout the unit in a spiral approach. All you have to do is take a placement test on a topic and jump in! It is open and go with no teacher's guide, no manipulatives or resources required, and written directly to the student so that they can work independently. Yes, math can be this easy!

Curriculum itself cannot be accredited, only schools can. Accreditation means a school with qualified teachers, reporting, and grading that is following the government requirements for each grade. That being said, Gather 'Round Homeschool curriculum can absolutely be used all the way through High School by you, the parent! Most schools use the Carnegie method to assign credits, this means that 120 hours of instruction in a topic = 1 credit. We've made it super easy to you by training our very own Gather bot! All of our units cover such a wide variety of subjects that you can use the bot to help figure out how many credits have been covered (or will be covered) based on the units you have done or are planning on. We also have access to full high school plans, transcripts, and unit credit breakdowns on our high school page here.

What is the Online Academy?

The Online Academy is our new online school. We have about 600 students who tune in online to watch a lesson being taught live—complete with live polls, comments, reactions, and resources. Replays are also available for families who miss a class. Homework is assigned and families complete their student notebooks together—we are even looking at adding in grading and report cards! There are currently three frequency options available (or three different levels of homeschool support): One day a week (join us every Tuesday at 10am EST)Two days a week (join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am EST)Four days a week (join us Monday-Thursday for every single lesson!)Currently, these lessons are being taught by the founder, Rebecca Spooner, though we hope to expand to hire more teachers and offer more class times and options in the future. Learn more

Can I use it in a group?

Gather 'Round is licensed for individual family use only (which means to a parent/guardian and the children they are legal guardians of). If you want to use this in a small group (with your sister, friend, or a few friends), you will need to make sure that each person owns their own materials, as file sharing and copying (or teaching to student's outside your home) is not allowed. If you want to use this in a co-op or hybrid model to a large group of students, we do require that you purchase print and sign an agreement stating that you will not photocopy or share. With this option, we also do have a group discount available. Learn more here.

Welcome to Massachusetts

Explore Massachusetts on this exciting Fifty States adventure! Visit Boston, Plymouth, and Cape Cod while discovering the state’s colonial history, famous landmarks, beautiful coastal towns, and vibrant fall scenery. Learn about Clara Barton, Paul Revere, whaling history, first aid, poetry, and more through engaging, hands-on activities the whole family will enjoy.

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Subject Cards

Science

Learn about Massachusetts water habitats, including bays, harbors, lagoons, estuaries, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and saltwater versus freshwater environments. The science lessons also cover state plants and animals such as trailing arbutus, American elm trees, North Atlantic right whales, grey seals, wild turkeys, black bears, and bald eagles, along with autumn leaves and leaf-color experiments. Additional topics include codfish, salt preservation, waterwheel-powered mills, balance and levers, and first aid activities like creating a first aid kit.

Geography

Travel across Massachusetts through lessons featuring Plymouth, Boston, Lexington, Concord, the Berkshire Hills, Mount Greylock, the Connecticut River, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Pioneer Valley. Geography activities include labeling locations on a map and learning about landmarks such as the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, Cape Cod Bay, New Bedford, and the Merrimack River.

Language Arts

Language arts activities include vocabulary studies, comprehension questions, guided summaries, riddles, poetry, and writing projects centered on Massachusetts. The unit features the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” state symbols, Massachusetts industries and economy, Clara Barton, current events, and a unit project that includes banners, fact cards, presentations, and creative writing activities.

History

Discover the history of Massachusetts through lessons on the Mayflower, the Separatists, the Mayflower Compact, the Wampanoag people, the First Thanksgiving, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the Revolutionary War. Additional topics include the history of state symbols, the whaling industry, factories and manufacturing, Harvard University and MIT, the Great Famine of Ireland, and Clara Barton’s work founding the American Red Cross.

Social Studies

Explore Massachusetts through its state motto, nickname, size, and population, along with lessons on industries, hydropower, factories, and economic trade-offs. Social studies topics also include St. Patrick’s Day traditions, Red Sox history at Fenway Park, Boston foods and accents, Massachusetts as a commonwealth, unusual laws, current events, and preserving history through time capsules.

Art

Create and design your own Massachusetts-inspired state symbol as part of the art activities in this unit.

Bible

Bible lessons focus on passages about God’s good gifts, God making all things new, faithfulness in small things, wisdom that comes from God, the parable of the sower, and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to worship other gods even in the face of the fiery furnace.

Home Economics

Make homemade chocolate chip cookies as part of the home economics activities in this unit.

Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Booklist

Meet Massachusetts

The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

by Ann McGovern

Who Was Dr. Seuss?

by Janet B. Pascal

A Concise History of Massachusetts

by Mary Clark

Nature and Weather

Ladybugs: Animals That Make a Difference! (Engaging Readers, Level 1)

by Ashley Lee

Leaves Change Color (Tell Me Why Library)

by Linda Crotta Brennan

North Atlantic Right Whales: From Hunted Leviathan to Conservation Icon

by David W. Laist

Industry and Economy

Time for Cranberries

by Lisl H. Detlefsen

Finding Out About Hydropower (Searchlight Books)

by Matt Doeden

Health Benefits of Cranberries: For Cooking and Healing

by John Davidson and M. Usman

People and Governance

The Babe & I

by David A. Adler

Who Was Clara Barton?

by Stephanie Spinner

Johnny Tremain: A Story of Boston in Revolt

by Esther Forbes

Supplies

Meet Massachusetts

Student Notebooks

Home Economics: Chocolate Chip Cookies (Lesson 1, page 4)

1 cookie sheet
1 mixer
1 large bowl
1 stick (½ cup) of softened butter
1 large egg
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup of your favorite type of chocolate chips
Store-bought chocolate chip cookies (optional)

Nature And Weather

Student Notebooks

Science: Fall Leaves (Lesson 2, page 2)

A spoon
Fresh green leaves
A small jar or cup
Rubbing alcohol
A coffee filter or paper plate, cut into long strips

Science: Fall Leaves (Lesson 2, page 2)

A spoon
3–5 different types of green leaves (from different kinds of deciduous trees)
5 small jars or cups (one for each type of leaf)
Rubbing alcohol
A coffee filter or paper towel, cut into long strips

Industry and Economy

Teacher's Guide

Hands-on Activity

Sturdy cardboard
8–10 small plastic spoons, wooden craft sticks, or folded pieces of cardboard
A pencil, skewer, or wooden dowel
2 stacks of books or cups or a small trash can

Student Notebooks

Science: Salt Preservation Experiment (Lesson 3, page 2)

2 freshly cut apple slices
½ tsp salt
1 cup of warm water
A small bowl
2 paper towels

Science: Salt Preservation Experiment (Lesson 3, page 2)

3 freshly cut apple slices
Salt
1 cup of warm water
A small bowl
3 paper towels

Bible: The Parable of the Sower (Lesson 3, page 4)

Optional Extension Activity

seeds and the necessary tools to plant and grow them

People and Governance

Student Notebooks

Science: First Aid (Lesson 4, page 2)

Container to hold everything
Band-Aids
Cotton gauze pads
Bandages
Antiseptic wipes
Antibiotic cream

Science: First Aid (Lesson 4, page 2)

supplies for a first aid kit, such as gauze, antiseptic wipes or ointments, and bandages

Social Studies: Preserving History (Lesson 4, page 4)

(Optional)

1 box, plastic bag, or envelope

Snowglobe with a miniture Washington DC inside

Scope and Sequence

Check out the scope and sequence for this unit.

Fifty States: Massachusetts

Level 1

Lesson 1

Science

Bay
Harbor
Lagoon
Estuary
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Wetlands and marshes
Water habitats
Salt water vs. fresh water
Paul Revere

Geography

Plymouth
Boston
Berkshire Hills
New York
Appalachian Mountains
Mount Greylock
Connecticut River
Pioneer Valley
Quabbin Reservoir
Cape Cod
Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden
Springfield
Stockbridge
Label places from the lesson on a map

Language Arts

Vocabulary: buff, replica
Poem: "Paul Revere's Ride"
Start working on the unit project banner, including a flag, facts, and favorite place in Massachusetts

History

Mayflower
Separatists
Mayflower Compact
Wampanoag Indigenous tribe
First Thanksgiving

Social Studies

Quick facts: motto, nickname, size, population

Bible

James 1:17
Every good gift is from above

Home Economics

Make chocolate chip cookies

Lesson 2

Science

Trailing arbutus
Ladybugs are beetles
American elm
North Atlantic right whales
Plankton
Grey seals
Great white sharks
Wild turkey
Black bears
Bald eagles
Sugar maples
Red maples
Birch trees
Oak trees
Autumn leaves
Leaf-color experiment

Geography

Cape Cod Bay
Berkshires

Language Arts

Vocabulary: adapt, creep
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' symbols
Word study: resilience
Add state symbols to the unit banner
Solve riddles about state symbols

History

Mayflower named state flower (1900s)
Ladybug named state insect (1970s)
American elm named state tree (1940s)
North Atlantic right whale state marine animal
Journey on the Mayflower

Art

Design your own state symbol

Bible

Isaiah 43:19
God makes all things new
Luke 16:10a

Lesson 3

Science

Codfish
How waterwheel-powered mills work
Make your own waterwheel
Salt fish
Salt-preservation experiment

Geography

Nantucket
New Bedford
Merrimack River

Language Arts

Vocabulary: precise, component
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' industries and economy
Add fact cards about industries in Massachusetts to the unit project

History

Use of whale oil (1700s–1800s)
Factories increase: textile, shoe manufacturing, machinery, and paper production
Industry of knowledge grows: Havard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard University: then vs. now

Social Studies

Cranberry industry grew
Engineering hydropower with waterwheels
Growing factories create a large workforce

Bible

Colossians 3:2
Wisdom comes from knowing God
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Matthew 13:23a
Parable of the sower

Lesson 4

Science

What balance is
How to make a seesaw balance
Make your own lever and experiment with making it balance using different objects
First aid for cuts
Create your own first aid kit

Geography

Boston

Language Arts

Vocabulary: restore, regional
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' people and government
Add a spotlight on Clara Barton to the unit project

History

Great Famine of Ireland (mid-1800s)
Clara Barton: founder of the American Red Cross

Social Studies

St. Patrick's Day tradition brought by immigrants
Loyalty to Red Sox at Fenway Park
Curse of the Bambino
Foods: New England clam chowder, Boston baked beans, Boston cream pie
Weird laws
Create a pretend news report
Preserving history through a time capsule

Bible

Daniel 3
Story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego
Daniel 3:17–18
The three would not serve other gods even if God did not save them from the fire

Level 2

Lesson 1

Science

Bay
Harbor
Lagoon
Estuary
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Wetlands and marshes
Water habitats
Salt water vs. fresh water
Paul Revere

Geography

Plymouth
Boston
England
Lexington
Concord
Berkshire Hills
New York
Appalachian Mountains
Mount Greylock
Connecticut River
Pioneer Valley
Quabbin Reservoir
Atlantic Ocean
Cape Cod
Nantucket
Martha's Vineyard
Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden
Springfield
Stockbridge
Label places from the lesson on a map

Language Arts

Vocabulary: conviction, lagoon
Poem: "Paul Revere's Ride"
Start working on the unit project banner, including a flag, facts, and favorite place in Massachusetts

History

Mayflower
Separatists
Mayflower Compact
Wampanoag Indigenous tribe
First Thanksgiving
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Revolutionary War
Massachusetts became a state (1788)

Social Studies

Quick facts: motto, nickname, size, population

Bible

James 1:17
Every good gift is from above

Home Economics

Make chocolate chip cookies

Lesson 2

Science

Trailing arbutus
Ladybugs are beetles
American elm
North Atlantic right whales
Plankton
Grey seals
Great white sharks
Wild turkey
Black bears
Bald eagles
Emerald ash borer
Ash trees
Nor'easters
Sugar maples
Red maples
Birch trees
Oak trees
Autumn leaves
Leaf-color experiment

Geography

Cape Cod Bay
Berkshires

Language Arts

Vocabulary: complex, stealth
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' symbols
Word study: resilience
Add state symbols to the unit banner
Solve riddles about state symbols

History

Mayflower named state flower (1900s)
Ladybug named state insect (1970s)
American elm named state tree (1940s)
North Atlantic right whale state marine animal
Emeral ash borer threatens ecosystem (2012)
Journey on the Mayflower

Art

Design your own state symbol

Bible

Isaiah 43:19
God makes all things new
Luke 16:10a

Lesson 3

Science

Codfish
How waterwheel-powered mills work
Make your own waterwheel
Salt fish
Salt-preservation experiment

Geography

Nantucket
New Bedford
Merrimack River

Language Arts

Vocabulary: maritime, union
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' industries and economy
Add fact cards about industries in Massachusetts to the unit project

History

Use of whale oil (1700s–1800s)
Factories increase: textile, shoe manufacturing, machinery, and paper production
Industry of knowledge grows: Havard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard University: then vs. now

Social Studies

Cranberry industry grew
Engineering hydropower with waterwheels
Growing factories create a large workforce
Electricity hurt need of coastal factories
Economic trade-off of expense and opportunity

Bible

Colossians 3:2
Wisdom comes from knowing God
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Matthew 13:3–9; 18–23
Parable of the sower

Lesson 4

Science

What balance is
How to make a seesaw balance
Make your own lever and experiment with making it balance using different objects
First aid for cuts
Create your own first aid kit

Geography

Boston

Language Arts

Vocabulary: debate, empathy
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' people and government
Research and outline a current event
Add a spotlight on Clara Barton to the unit project

History

Great Famine of Ireland (mid-1800s)
Oldest written state constitution still being used
Clara Barton: founder of the American Red Cross

Social Studies

St. Patrick's Day tradition brought by immigrants
Loyalty to Red Sox at Fenway Park
Curse of the Bambino
Foods: New England clam chowder, Boston baked beans, Boston cream pie
Bostonians have well-known accent
Official title as a commonwealth
Weird laws
Current events in Massachusetts
Preserving history through a time capsule

Bible

Daniel 3
Story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego
Daniel 3:17–18
The three would not serve other gods even if God did not save them from the fire

Level 3

Lesson 1

Science

Bay
Harbor
Lagoon
Estuary
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Wetlands and marshes
Research water habitats
Paul Revere

Geography

Plymouth
Boston
England
Lexington
Concord
Berkshire Hills
New York
Appalachian Mountains
Mount Greylock
Connecticut River
Pioneer Valley
Quabbin Reservoir
Atlantic Ocean
Cape Cod
Nantucket
Martha's Vineyard
Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden
Springfield
Stockbridge
Label places from the lesson on a map

Language Arts

Vocabulary: prestigious, commemorate
Poem: "Paul Revere's Ride"
Start planning a unit project presentation
Review your chocolate chip cookie dish like a critic

History

Mayflower
Separatists
Mayflower Compact
Wampanoag Indigenous tribe
First Thanksgiving
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Revolutionary War
Massachusetts became a state (1788)

Social Studies

Quick facts: motto, nickname, size, population

Bible

James 1:17
Every good gift is from above

Home Economics

Make chocolate chip cookies

Lesson 2

Science

Trailing arbutus
Ladybugs are beetles
American elm
North Atlantic right whales
Plankton
Grey seals
Great white sharks
Wild turkey
Black bears
Bald eagles
Emerald ash borer
Ash trees
Nor'easters
Sugar maples
Red maples
Birch trees
Oak trees
Autumn leaves
Leaf-color experiment

Geography

Cape Cod Bay
Berkshires

Language Arts

Vocabulary: perseverance, foliage
Answer comprehension questions about Massachusetts' symbols
Write a summary of the lesson
Word study: resilience
Add state symbols to the unit project
Write riddles about the state symbols
Write a poem using state symbols

History

Mayflower named state flower (1900s)
Ladybug named state insect (1970s)
American elm named state tree (1940s)
North Atlantic right whale state marine animal
Emeral ash borer threatens ecosystem (2012)
Journey on the Mayflower

Art

Design your own state symbol

Bible

Isaiah 43:19
God makes all things new
Luke 16:10

Lesson 3

Science

Codfish
How waterwheel-powered mills work
Energy at work in a waterwheel mill: potential energy, kinetic energy, and mechanical energy
Make your own waterwheel
Salt fish
Salt-preservation experiment
Create a visual, such as a chart, of the findings of an experiment

Geography

Nantucket
New Bedford
Merrimack River

Language Arts

Vocabulary: seafaring, ingenuity
Listening comprehension: Massachusetts' industries and economy
Use guided notes to write a summary about Massachusetts industries and economy
Write about an industry that had an important impact on the economy in Massachusetts and add it to the unit project

History

Use of whale oil (1700s–1800s)
Factories increase: textile, shoe manufacturing, machinery, and paper production
Industry of knowledge grows: Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard University: then vs. now

Social Studies

Cranberry industry grew
Engineering hydropower with waterwheels
Growing factories create a large workforce
Electricity hurt need of coastal factories
Economic trade-off of expense and opportunity

Bible

Colossians 3:2
Wisdom comes from knowing God
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Matthew 13:3–9; 18–23
Parable of the sower

Lesson 4

Science

Balance
Levers
Rigid beam
Fulcrum
Load
Effort
Make your own lever and experiment with it
The relationship between the position of the fulcrum and the amount of effort required to lift the load
How to balance a lever that has objects of different weights by moving the fulcrum
First aid for cuts
Create your own first aid kit