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Where do I find the deep dives?
When you open each of our books, you will find 16 chapters.
We recommend working through 4 chapters in a week.
At the end of every chapter, you will notice a deep dive page that looks like this:
What is the challenge we are addressing?
Families needed a way to set their own pace, adjust their workloads, and personalize their curricula in a way that didn’t make them feel as if they were falling behind or packing their schedule with to-dos.
In our chapters, you cover everything you need to complete a full homeschooling program (with the exception of math and a foreign language). You will never have to ask, "Am I doing enough?" because, with the core program, you cover everything you need.
We recommend adding a minimum of one deep dive per book to the core program, adjusted to your child's and family's interests and how much you want to add.
Deep dives are optional pages covering science, art, handwriting, music, and more (depending on the level).
You will start to notice a weekly rhythm in each book to know which ones you would like to do or leave out. In Level 5, Book 2 you can find: Ch 1. Geography
Ch 2. Art
Ch 3. Science
Ch 4. Handwriting
Ch 5. Geography
Ch 6. Music
Ch 7. Science
Ch 8. Handwriting
Ch 9. Geography
Ch 10. Art
Ch 11. Science
Ch 12. Handwriting
Ch 13. Geography
Ch 14. Music
Ch 15. Science
Ch 16. Handwriting
How does a deep dive look like?
Deep dives are adjusted to the themes of each book. For example, the country Puerto Rico was important in choosing the artists for music. Here’s an example of a music deep dive from Level 5, Book 2:
For your planning, the most important thing to remember:
The deep dives are optional.
Most deep dives are between 1-3 pages of activities.
Families can either choose single elements and do these additionally after the chapters or opt to do the deep dives on the fifth day of the week (as we recommend four chapters/4 days a week).
Are there any additional materials I need to download?
Seldomly, we will ask you to download an additional file, such as this poster in Level 5, Book 4, for additional posters or cards. If you are traveling, no worries—you have everything you need inside the book to work through the matter.
The orgins of the deep dives
The Story Weavers has been building programs and working one-on-one with homeschooling families since 2018. In that time, we’ve learned a lot, received a lot of feedback, and used these programs with our own kids.
If there is one thing we’ve learned from all that experience, is that no two homeschoolers are the same. Every family has a pace that works for them, a style that they naturally gravitate towards, and a level of curriculum tinkering (customizing and adjusting curricula from day to day) they can work with. Back in 2021, we were testing our art program with a group of families with learners between 6 and 14 from all around the world. We were fully expecting to receive wide and varied feedback because the families in the test group were all dealing with different ages and interests. During this testing stage, one family reached out to us early on to let us know that they were a very artsy group of people and were devouring the art prompts and activities. We’ll call her Charlotte—a fictional name to protect her identity. Charlotte had never thought of herself as very artistically talented until she began homeschooling. When she discovered her personal interest in watercolor, her kids seemed to develop an appetite for art as well. They were working through about two pages of art history per week and one accompanying art prompt where the kids would reproduce a classic artwork or create something inspired by one. When she reached out to us, she explained that she and her two children loved the art program, but she wished there was more to it. She wanted to use it as a daily activity and absorb it as part of their core curriculum. Of course we were thrilled to hear this.
Not twenty-four hours later we opened an email from another member of our trial group, we’ll call this parent Maria. Maria was a hardcore math and science homeschooler. Her child was working through The Story Weavers core program and the art program, and they were enrolled in several other classes too, mainly in the subjects of coding and robotics. Maria told us that the two pages of art history and the weekly art prompt was just taking way too long. For her family, reproducing an artwork was taking hours and every day felt like a struggle to check off the boxes. The art program was too broad. She mentioned that a slower pace would be a better fit for her family. Maybe if they could focus on just one art history prompt per month.
Of course, like I mentioned earlier, we were expecting some of this. The surprise jumped out at us a few weeks later while we were sifting through the sum totals of our research. Among the families who participated in our trial, there existed almost a 50/50 split. 49.7% of those who felt the format should change felt the art program was too time consuming, 50.3% felt the program should be expanded to daily activities.
Like all of our programs, the content you have in your hands right now has gone through multiple iteration. This book may be labelled version 3.0, but since our debut “alpha” program in 2017, there have been countless updates, edits, adjustments, trials, focus groups, and research conducted on every individual component.
With an even split in the results of the first large-scale test of the art program, we knew something had to change. Families in our program offer us feedback all year long, and we read and record all of it. By the time the art program trial had concluded, we were already seeing a pattern. Families needed a way set their own pace, adjust their workloads, and personalize their curricula in a way that didn’t make them feel as if they were falling behind or packing their schedule with to-dos.
Thus the additional deep dives were born.
When to add additional deep dives
One of the things that makes The Story Weavers so unique is that we’ve spent years working with homeschooling families to develop a workload and a system of content designed to be personalized. That’s what homeschooling is about afterall; personalizing education.
Although the course in this book represents everything you need to complete a full homeschooling program (with the exception of math and a foreign language), we recommend choosing at least one additional deep dive to add depth and detail to your homeschool experience. The Story Weavers has new deep dives available each month.
Start by devoting at least 3 weeks to developing a strong routine and simply working through the chapters in this book. When you’re feeling confident and your learner is ready for a little more of a challenge, you can choose another deep dive to add to your routine.
Each of The Story Weavers additional deep dives are short courses built to take learners on a deeper journey through a specific topic. Most take between two and four weeks to complete, so you can tailor your curriculum to your schedule. If you’re having a relaxed month or are feeling extra productive, you might want to pick up two extra deep dives. If you’re travelling, preparing for exams, or just need a little bit of a break, stick with just the core program in this book.
Most deep dives will ask you to complete about 1-3 additional page of activities per day.
Thoughtful Questions
We always love hearing from our homeschooling community and are here to answer any questions you might have about our curriculum. We strive to make everything as clear and helpful as possible for you. If your question isn’t addressed below, feel free to reach out to us via chat or support email. We're happy to expand our list and provide the answers you need.
How do I know which deep dives are available for each level?
Detailed descriptions of available deep dives for each level are provided in the introduction of each book and on our website.
Can I skip deep dives if my child isn't interested?
Absolutely. Deep dives are optional and meant to enhance your core curriculum based on your child's interests.
How do I integrate deep dives into our existing schedule?
You can integrate deep dives either by adding them to the end of each chapter you choose or by dedicating the fifth day of the week to complete them.
Are deep dives suitable for all age groups?
Yes, deep dives are tailored to different levels, ensuring they are age-appropriate and engaging for all learners.
What if my child struggles with a particular deep dive?
If your child finds a deep dive challenging, you can slow down the pace, break it into smaller tasks, or skip it altogether. The goal is to keep learning enjoyable and stress-free.
Do deep dives require additional materials?
Most deep dives only require materials already included in the book. Occasionally, you could download an additional file, but this is rare and always optional.
How long does it take to complete a deep dive?
Most deep dives take between two and four weeks to complete, depending on how you integrate them into your schedule.
Can I revisit a deep dive if my child shows renewed interest later?
Absolutely. You can revisit and redo any deep dive at any time to reinforce learning or explore a topic further.
Are there any assessments or evaluations included in deep dives?
Some deep dives include self-assessment activities to help track progress, but there are no formal evaluations. The focus is on exploration and learning.
Can we suggest topics for future deep dives?
Yes, we welcome feedback and suggestions from our homeschooling community for future deep dive topics.
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