The Beginner’s Guide to Seton
How it Works
In this second of three sections, I want to turn to the practical side. We understand why we might want to homeschool, but how is it done? First, we will start with a very basic explanation of what Seton does and how families use the Seton curriculum. Then I will talk about some of the most common questions I get asked by new families.
How Does Seton Work?
In a nutshell, Seton offers two main services for families. On the one hand, Seton is a fully accredited Catholic school. Parents who enroll their students in the school receive all of the books, lesson plans, tests, keys, and resources (like grading services and academic counseling) they need to serve as the primary teacher in the home. On the other hand, Seton has developed textbooks for use in our homeschool curriculum which can also be purchased separately. As far as we know, Seton is the largest publisher (by number of titles) of Catholic textbooks in the English language.
We recommend the path of enrollment because we feel the lesson plans, in particular, are a key element of homeschool success. By the time a student gets to high school, enrollment is really the only practical option because most of the actual instruction takes place in the lesson plan content. Subjects like high school English don’t have textbooks at all, just the lesson plans and the novels.
How Do the lesson plans work?
I like to give the analogy of a recipe when explaining the lesson plans. If you are preparing a delicious meal, you might use a recipe that details the various ingredients, proportions, and steps. The lesson plan is essentially the recipe for your student’s education. It provides a day-by-day guide on how to use the textbooks, teach the material, and explains the graded assignments. However, as with a recipe, there is flexibility. You use it as a guide, but are free to make your own adaptations.
Lesson plans are broken down by subject and then by day. The “days” don’t need to be literal days, but can be used as a checklist. Do step one, then step two, etc. Always remember that as the parent, you are the chef, you are in charge.
How much time does the student spend each day doing schoolwork?
Firstly, every student, parent, and situation is different. However, I have asked our academic counselors to provide an estimate for each grade to help you get a better sense of what the homeschool experience might look like.
Time Estimates by Grade:
PreK: 1-2 hours
Kindergarten: 1-2 hours
1st: 1-2 hours
2nd: 2-3 hours
3rd: 2-3 hours
4th: 3-4 hours
5th: 5-6 hours
6th: 5-6 hours
7th: 6 hours
8th: 6 hours
High School: 6-7 hours
Sample 6th Grade Estimate:
Math: 65 minutes a day
English: 1 hour a day
Reading: 1 hour a day
Religion: 45 minutes a day
History: 30 minutes a day
Science: 25 minutes a day
Vocabulary: 20 minutes a day
Spelling: 20 minutes a day
PE: 15 minutes a day
Music: 1 hour a week
Art: 1 hour a week
In the younger grades, parents will have to assist their students for most of the time that they are doing schoolwork, reading their lessons and helping them with the exercises. As students get into the higher grades, they are often able to do much of the work independently, using the lesson plans themselves as their guide. Seton believes that parental involvement is very important for a student’s success, so even at the high school level, parental involvement is necessary in some courses like English.
Where do students do their work?
Some families set up little school room areas, but many others simply use the dining room table or have a desk in a student’s room. There is no wrong answer to this question. If it is a nice day, you can do work outside. You can read on the couch. You can take your school work with you if you go on a trip. Below is a video alumnus Eric Coughlin made several years ago with a family in Florida. It is an excellent example of where one family set up their schoolwork.
How often is work submitted to Seton?
Some assignments are graded by the parent (Seton provides an answer key) and other assignments are graded by Seton. Enrolled families receive grades for the work they submit on a quarterly basis (roughly 9 weeks). In younger grades, this usually means one test per quarter in each subject. In high school, there may be many Seton-graded assignments in each quarter, including tests, essays, and/or research report.
How Do You teach a subject you do not know?
Seton’s lesson plans and textbooks are designed for parents just like you! You are the primary teacher insofar as you oversee your student’s education, but Seton provides subject-matter experts who have designed our curriculum and are available to answer questions. The lesson plans are designed for families learning the material for the first time, and Seton has a staff of academic counselors available by phone or email if you have any additional questions. For example, even if you stopped at Algebra in high school, your student can still learn Advanced Math and Trigonometry with Seton!
