Have you ever wondered what is considered a “typical” course of study at a particular grade level? Documents called “scope and sequence” charts attempt to answer this question. Basically, a scope and sequence spells out the full content of a particular curriculum (scope) and the order in which the curriculum presents that material (sequence). There is nothing particularly mysterious about a scope and sequence document, though it may be couched in more “educationese” than necessary. 

There is also nothing sacred about a scope and sequence chart (although some state legislatures, enamored with outcome-based educational “content standards,” would like to think otherwise). Like a formal curriculum, the scope and sequence document should be considered only a tool to help a home-schooling parent, not an end in itself. You should always do what is best for your child; some children need a different curriculum or a different sequence entirely from what a purchased curriculum presents.

Scope and sequence materials encompass a variety of different kinds of documents. These are the most common:  

1.  Publishers’ scope and sequence charts: These scope and sequence documents present the content and sequence of a particular textbook. Almost all publishers will provide you with a free copy of the scope and sequence for a textbook you are interested in purchasing. Some are available online. Here are three examples from publishers familiar to many home schoolers: 

• Saxon Math (http://www1.saxonpub.com/school/SS_NCTM.html )