Home Education Plan Examples Saskatchewan: Writing a WEP That Gets Approved

The Written Educational Plan (WEP) is the document that makes Saskatchewan home-based education legal. It is submitted to your registering school division alongside the Notice of Intent, and it is the primary document the division uses to assess whether your program meets provincial standards.

Most parents understand this in theory. What trips them up is the blank page. The regulation says you need "a minimum of three broad annual goals in each of the four areas of study" — but what does that actually look like? What words should you use? How specific is too specific? How vague is too vague?

Here are real examples, an explanation of the legal framework, and a practical guide to writing a WEP that gets approved without restricting your educational freedom.

What the Home-Based Education Regulations 2015 Actually Say

The Home-based Education Program Regulations, 2015 — implementing the Education Act, 1995 — specifies the exact components of a Written Educational Plan. It must include:

1. The reason for and philosophical approach of the program — a brief statement explaining why you have chosen home-based education and what educational philosophy guides your approach
2. Broad annual goals — a minimum of three goals per subject for the four core areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
3. Educational activities and resources — an outline of the instructional methods, activities, and learning materials you plan to use
4. Assessment mechanisms — a statement on how you will assess and record educational progress (for most families, this means portfolio of work)

The regulation uses the word "broad" deliberately. Goals must be age-appropriate and ability-appropriate, and they must be "consistent with the broad Goals of Education for Saskatchewan" — but they do not need to replicate or directly reference the specific, granular outcomes in the provincial curriculum documents. This distinction matters.

The Curriculum Alignment Question

A persistent misconception among new home-based families is that the WEP must map to the specific learning indicators in the Saskatchewan provincial curriculum — the numbered outcome statements like "CC3.2 — Compose and create a range of visual, multimedia, oral and written texts that explore and present thoughts, ideas and experiences."

This is not what the law requires. The provincial policy manual explicitly clarifies that home-based educational plans must be "broadly consistent with the foundational Goals of Education for Saskatchewan" — the high-level provincial educational philosophy — not the specific, granular outcome documents.

However, referencing curriculum language is strategically useful. A goal written in language that mirrors the provincial curriculum ("develop fluency in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving through real-world applications") is immediately recognizable to division officials. It signals competence and reduces scrutiny. A goal written in vague everyday language ("do some math stuff this year") does not.

The curriculum outcome databases for Saskatchewan are publicly available at the provincial government's curriculum website. Browsing the grade-level outcomes for your student's approximate level can provide useful vocabulary and phrasing — without the legal obligation to teach to every specific indicator.

Broad Annual Goal Examples by Subject and Grade Level

Here are examples of WEP-appropriate broad annual goals for different grade levels and educational philosophies. These can be adapted to your student's specific level and your family's approach.

Language Arts

Elementary (Grades 1–5):

• Student will develop foundational reading fluency through daily read-aloud, phonics instruction, and independent reading, demonstrating comprehension through oral narration and drawing.
• Student will build written expression skills by composing sentences, short paragraphs, and descriptive writing across multiple genres, using a process approach to drafting and revising.
• Student will develop oral communication skills through regular discussion, storytelling, and retelling of texts, demonstrating increasing ability to organize ideas sequentially.

Middle Years (Grades 6–9):

• Student will engage with a diverse range of literary and non-literary texts, demonstrating analytical comprehension through written responses and structured discussions.
• Student will develop compositional fluency through extended writing projects including research essays, personal narrative, and expository writing, applying revision and editing processes.
• Student will develop media literacy skills by evaluating information sources, distinguishing fact from opinion, and analyzing persuasive techniques across print and digital formats.

Secondary (Grades 10–12):

• Student will analyze complex literary and non-literary texts, evaluating author's purpose, perspective, and use of literary devices in written and oral responses.
• Student will demonstrate advanced compositional ability through formal academic essays, literary analysis, and independent research projects requiring synthesis of multiple sources.
• Student will develop presentation and argumentation skills through formal written and oral discourse, including structured debate and persuasive writing.

Mathematics

Elementary:

• Student will develop operational fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers through conceptual instruction, manipulative use, and real-world problem-solving.
• Student will build spatial reasoning and measurement skills through geometric exploration, measurement activities, and applied estimation tasks in authentic contexts.
• Student will develop early algebraic thinking through pattern identification, number relationships, and missing value reasoning using concrete and pictorial models.

Middle Years:

• Student will develop fluency in rational number operations — fractions, decimals, and percentages — and apply these in practical contexts including budgeting, measurement, and data interpretation.
• Student will extend algebraic reasoning through equation solving, graphical representation of linear relationships, and systematic problem-solving strategies.
• Student will apply geometric knowledge — angles, perimeter, area, surface area, volume — to practical design and measurement challenges.

Secondary:

• Student will develop proficiency in pre-calculus mathematics including polynomial functions, trigonometry, and systems of equations, demonstrating ability to apply these concepts to real-world problems.
• Student will build statistical and data analysis competency, interpreting data sets, calculating statistical measures, and evaluating statistical claims in current applications.
• Student will strengthen mathematical reasoning and proof skills through structured problem-solving, logical argumentation, and independent investigation of mathematical relationships.

Science

Elementary:

• Student will explore biological concepts including living systems, plant and animal characteristics, and ecosystem interactions through observation, field study, and nature journaling.
• Student will investigate physical science principles — force, motion, light, sound, magnetism — through hands-on experimentation and real-world observation.
• Student will develop scientific process skills including questioning, hypothesizing, observing, and recording results through structured and informal investigations.

Middle Years:

• Student will investigate life science concepts including cell biology, body systems, heredity, and ecological relationships, demonstrating understanding through project documentation and written analysis.
• Student will apply physical science principles — chemistry fundamentals, energy transfer, electricity — through laboratory investigation and written reasoning.
• Student will develop environmental science literacy, studying local and global ecosystems, resource management, and human impact on natural systems.

Secondary:

• Student will develop biological literacy at the cellular and molecular level, including genetics, evolution, and ecological dynamics, through rigorous text study, laboratory simulation, and independent research.
• Student will apply chemical reasoning to matter, bonding, reactions, and stoichiometry, demonstrating proficiency through problem-solving and laboratory investigation documentation.
• Student will analyze physical science systems including dynamics, energy, and waves, applying mathematical models and laboratory evidence to scientific questions.

Social Studies

Elementary:

• Student will develop geographic literacy including map skills, landform identification, and an understanding of community, region, and country within a Canadian context.
• Student will explore Canadian history including Indigenous peoples' histories, early settlement, and foundational events, through living books, storytelling, and primary source exposure.
• Student will build civic literacy by examining government structure, community belonging, and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

Middle Years:

• Student will engage with Canadian and world history, examining causes and consequences of major events and the diversity of human societies through documentary study and analytical writing.
• Student will develop political literacy including understanding of governmental systems, democratic processes, and economic organization in Canada and beyond.
• Student will engage with Treaty education, examining the historical and contemporary significance of treaties in Saskatchewan and the ongoing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Secondary:

• Student will analyze Canadian and international political and economic systems, evaluating policy decisions, global interdependence, and contemporary issues through research and debate.
• Student will engage substantively with Saskatchewan and Canadian history, examining colonization, the development of democratic institutions, and contemporary social movements.
• Student will develop a sophisticated understanding of Treaty relationships, Indigenous rights and governance, and the principles of reconciliation as articulated in provincial curriculum and national policy.

Philosophical Approach Statement Examples

Eclectic approach: "Our home-based program draws on a combination of structured curriculum, Charlotte Mason-inspired literature-based learning, and experiential hands-on activities. We value a love of learning, independent thinking, and the ability to connect academic content to real-world experience. Home-based education allows us to tailor the pace and content to our child's specific developmental needs and learning style."

Faith-based classical approach: "Our program follows a classical, literature-rich approach grounded in our Christian faith. We believe education involves the formation of character, intellect, and spiritual development. We use primary texts, rigorous logic and language instruction, and Socratic discussion as primary instructional methods."

Unschooling/self-directed: "Our educational philosophy is rooted in self-directed, interest-led learning. We trust that children are natural learners and that meaningful education arises from genuine curiosity and real-world engagement. We facilitate learning by providing rich resources, community experiences, and the space for deep, student-led investigation of topics."

Rural/farm-based: "Our program integrates academic learning with the agricultural and community context of our family's rural Saskatchewan life. We believe experiential learning through farming, animal husbandry, and community participation is academically valid and pedagogically superior to isolated textbook instruction. We supplement this with structured curriculum in core subject areas."

The Saskatchewan Portfolio & Assessment Templates include a full Written Educational Plan template with an expanded exemplar bank of broad annual goals at every level, philosophical approach statement starters for six different educational philosophies, and guidance on the assessment methodology statement — so the blank form becomes a fill-in-the-blanks task.

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