Did you start your new homeschool year yet or are you savoring those last few weeks of summer? No matter your yearly schedule, everyone does a school year reset at some point. So here are 5 tips for getting ready for a new homeschool year.
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Ready to be more organized, productive, flexible, yet efficient this year? Can it really be done? Yes! Taking just a little bit of time to plan ahead will help your homeschool year run so much smoother and set you up for homeschooling success. Here are those tips for getting ready for your upcoming homeschool year.
Tips for Getting Ready for a New Homeschool Year (Episode 222)
Ready to be more organized, productive, flexible, yet efficient this year? Here are 5 tips for getting ready for a new homeschool year.
Listen to episode 222 of the Homeschool with Moxie Podcast!
Evaluate Your Homeschool Goals
Before you start a new homeschool year, it’s important to know where you’re going. What’s the plan? What are your homeschool goals?
Take some time to reflect on your overall goals and objectives for the upcoming homeschool year. Consider the subjects you want to focus on, any specific skills or areas of improvement you want to address, and the overall educational outcomes you hope to achieve.
Now, I don’t think you have to get super detailed on any of this – unless you want to!
But consider things like:
- what are the big milestones coming up this year (child learning to read)
- does any child need adjustments to the plan (dyslexia diagnosis)
- is someone entering high school (map out the 9th-12th plan ahead of time)
- what life skills do you want to teach your kids this year?
If you’re using solid curriculum and resources, you don’t have to map out specific educational objectives. But if you’re pulling together your own eclectic mix, especially from free resources, you may want to make sure you have all your bases covered.
Finally, if you craft a lot of customized unit studies, now’s the time to plan them out.
In general, you should make a curriculum map that outlines the topics and subjects you plan to cover throughout the homeschool year. Make lists of which resources and materials you still need to find or purchase. Creating a map provides a structured roadmap and helps you plan your year effectively.
Choose and Gather Curriculum & Resources
Research and select the curriculum and educational resources that align with your goals and your children’s learning styles.
Order or gather the necessary textbooks, workbooks, online resources, manipulatives, and any other materials you’ll need for the subjects you plan to teach.
Create a Homeschool Schedule
Now, when I use the word “schedule” I do not mean a rigid school-ish schedule! I’m referring to a general routine, flow, and rhythm to your day. In other words, does everyone know what they should be doing?
You’ll want to figure out these things:
- Does my state have a requirement for number of days?
- Will we be at home 5 days per week schooling? Or are we 3- or 4-day-a-week homeschoolers?
- Are we homeschooling year round?
- When are breaks during the year?
- How long is our school day?
- What’s the flow of our day?
- Are we doing “couch subjects”? What are they?
- Are we doing “table subjects”? What are they?
- Which days of the week do we need to be out of the house?
- What does a typical week look like?
- What does a typical day look like?
Your homeschool schedule should provide routine and consistency, keep your homeschool days organized, but be entirely flexible – because life happens!
Set Up a Dedicated Learning Space
Do you need a homeschool room? Absolutely not.
Can you do a great job homeschooling with just a couch and a kitchen table to work at? Yep!
Wherever you decide to do the dedicated learning, make sure your supplies and materials are stocked and organized. And your house doesn’t have to look like a kindergarten classroom! You really can make use of hidden storage.
Establish a Record-Keeping System
Does your state require any records from homeschool families? Be sure to establish a record-keeping system if you need to.
Even if your state doesn’t have requirements, if you have a high schooler, you’ll want to stay on top of grades and transcripts for future evaluations or college applications.
Some families like to keep yearly homeschooling portfolios for memory’s sake.
My basic advice in K-8 is to help your children enjoy learning, teach for mastery, and don’t worry about grades at all. Then in the high school years, teach your teens to use a Student Grade Sheet to track progress and keep a transcript.
Get Homeschool Support
You don’t need to homeschool alone!
While an in-person co-op or mom group is the best way to get advice from veteran homeschoolers, sometimes it just isn’t possible because of your schedule, location, or it doesn’t exist! But you still shouldn’t homeschool alone, especially at the beginning.
There are some great homeschool groups that you can ask your questions in, get advice, and see curriculum recommendations. And of course, good old fashioned homeschool blogs and podcasts offer loads of help, resources, and tips, and inside peeks into curriculum that you want to learn more about.
BUT – if you’re continually wondering how to become better organized as a homeschool mom, have just a bit more structure to your planning, maybe a monthly step-by-step guide about the most important things to accomplish THIS month, then that’s why I created the Homeschool Mom Collective several years ago.
What is the Collective? It used to be a monthly membership while I was building out the structure. Now it’s a one-time fee which gets you access to 12 month’s worth of rinse-and-repeat homeschooling support.
You’ll be able to download a monthly success path to guide you through the important things that month. We have expert interviews you can listen to and you also gain access to multiple resources to use with your homeschooling.
Boredom Buster Totes: Keeping Littles Busy While You Teach (Episode 324)
Homeschooling with younger siblings around can feel like a juggling act—especially when you’re trying to focus on teaching your older kids. In this episode, I’ll share my simple “Boredom Buster Tote” system: 10 tote ideas filled with activities that keep younger children happily occupied while you dive into lessons with the big kids. With a rotating weekly plan, these totes stay fresh, fun, and stress-free.
If you’ve ever wished for a few extra quiet minutes of focus time, this episode is packed with practical ideas to bring a little peace to your homeschool days.
Grab a Boredom Buster Totes Pack to easily implement this homeschooling hack.
3 Mindset Shifts for a Smooth Homeschool Year (episode 325)
Starting a new homeschool year can feel overwhelming, but with a few mindset shifts, it can also be smooth, joyful, and sustainable. In this episode, we’ll talk about three simple changes that make a big difference.
3 Practical Tips for a Smooth Homeschool Year (episode 326)
Homeschooling doesn’t have to feel chaotic! In this episode, we’ll cover three simple, practical steps that can help your days run more smoothly. These small changes can make a big difference in creating a calmer, more organized homeschool year.
Back to School – Themed Freebies, Activities & Resources
Whether you’re a year-round homeschooler or you took the summer off, you have likely seen all the back to school gear and supplies at the store. Now is the perfect time to stock up on products you might use throughout the year, but it is also a great time to make your plans for the upcoming homeschool year.
This week I’ve teamed up with some of my fellow homeschool bloggers to bring you some fantastic Back to School themed tips, resources, and even a few FREEBIES. Be sure to check them all out below!
Back to School Scripture Memory Work for Kids Printable Pack |
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