How to Use a Pacing Guide

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I use a pacing guide to help me see the big picture for the school year. It’s what I pull out before I plan day-to-day lessons. If you’re wanting to know how to use a pacing guide, you’re in the right place.

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What is a pacing guide?

A pacing guide is used to pace out a certain period of time, and to identify standards or units to be taught during that time.

Personally, I prefer to use big ideas/units on my pacing guide, but it’s a personal preference.

Pacing guides are also a great way to make sure grade level teams are about on the same page. This doesn’t mean that every single class is teaching the exact same lesson, on the exact same day. It does mean however, that maybe we’re all doing the same novel study for the first two weeks during May.

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Why use a pacing guide?

A pacing guide can help you see the big picture. For example, I try to take into consideration big breaks (Fall/Winter/Spring) and try to avoid starting a new unit right before.

In addition, if I know I have 16 reading units, and each unit is 2 weeks long, I’m able to figure out how long I have to “launch” reading before diving into our curriculum.

From week to week, my pacing guide is what keeps me on track for making sure I’m not teaching too fast, or too slow.

Getting Started with a Year Long Pacing Guide

1. Set up a template. You’ll want to consider how many subjects you want to pace as this determines how many rows you need. For me, I have a row for each of the following:
   1. Notes
   2. Math
   3. Reading
   4. Phonics
   5. Language
   6. Writing
   7. Science
   8. Social Studies
   9. Religion
   10. Chapter Book Read Aloud

   Want to see my 2021-2022 pacing guide for the entire year, and almost every single subject completed? Download it here.

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   To help make your life a bit easier, I’ve created a template that you can type directly in on Google Slides™, or you can print and write like I do for mine.

   You can click here, or on the image below.

   

   Important Tips and Tricks:

   • My pacing guide is not where I put my individual lessons. For me, my pacing guide is where I write a big idea like “personal narrative writing unit” or “ even just “reading unit 1.”
   • Remember…it’s a guide. It is not set in stone. Rather, it is meant to be flexible. Sometimes, things happen (cancellations due to inclement weather, or COVID-19), and I need to make decisions about where we’ll pick up, or what can I skip, if I have to.

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