How to Prepare for a New Homeschool Year
Here in North Idaho the weather is changing- and pretty drastically. We have gone from fires, smoke, and 90- degree weather to 50-degree weather and rain. We truly have needed this shift in direction.
It has been a rough summer. All the smoke and fires forced us to stay inside, which made the kids stir-crazy. And with me being big and pregnant, you can imagine how unhappy I was being stuck inside our hot stuffy house with no air conditioning!
Needless to say, I am more than ready to welcome a new season. And as fall approaches, it also means a new homeschool year for our family!
We have been homeschooling for 10 years now, and it has been such a wonderful experience. I have learned so much over the years. I have gone through many different types of curriculum, tried different schedules, and have landed on a good routine that works best for our large family.
I absolutely love planning a new year because it allows me to see how each child is progressing, what we need to work on most, and how I can enrich a new year of learning for my kids.
Over the years I have found there are a few things I can do before we begin that help our homeschool year start much more smoothly.
FIRST, GET YOUR MIND RIGHT
The first and most important thing you can do to prepare for the new school year is to pray! Pray for each one of your kids. Ask the Lord what it is that He wants you to learn this year as you teach your children. Ask for His strength and patience as you carefully lead your kids into another year of learning and an open mind to learn from your kids in this new school year.
One of my favorite books that I always read before a new school year is Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie. This book is an easy and quick read, and is such a great reminder of why we homeschool. It reminds me of what is important and really calms my nerves and helps me to put LESS pressure on myself. Sarah is a wealth of information, and this book has especially been encouraging to me.
EVALUATE LAST YEAR’S HOMESCHOOL YEAR
The next thing I do is go through all of last year's curriculum and switch it all out for the new curriculum. We use My Father’s World curriculum which operates in cycles. Each year is a new cycle, however we do end up repeating cycles the longer we use it. We also use Saxon for math and Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) for language arts. As I am switching out last year's curriculum for the new year, I evaluate how my kids are doing academically. Does one of my kids need more time one on one with me practicing reading? I will be sure to take out something so that we can spend time sitting on the couch while he reads to me. Or maybe someone needs extra practice on their times tables. If so, I will be sure to slot some time in her schedule to review the tables. This step is important as it not only helps me set up the new year with success but also allows me to really check in with each child to see what they need to work on.
TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR HOMESCHOOL SUPPLIES
Literally empty it all out. There is something very freeing about throwing away all the cut up pieces of construction paper or old tests that your kids shoved in the back of their cubby. This clean out really helps you to visualize what you need, what is no longer needed and just helps you feel more ready for a new year.
Make a list of all the supplies you need for the new school year. Maybe this year you will be studying the planets and there are a lot of craft supplies you will need. Be prepared early instead of frantically texting your husband on his way home a long list of supplies that he has no idea where to look for in the store.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE THE YEAR EASIER
We love to read! One of the reasons I chose My Father’s World curriculum is because it is rich in literature! My kids love to read and to be read to so this is important to us.
One way we can make our homeschool life much easier is to get the assigned read alouds on audio. We spend enough time in the car running errands and going to and from co-op and music lessons that we can listen to several chapters in the car and save ourselves a few hours at home. Another way to save time is to go through any prep work for the school year. With My Father’s World, I am able to look at the whole year and prep any cut outs I may need to make, prep any crafts, and be sure to have a list of library books that I will need for each week.
This small step has allowed me to save a lot of time prepping and prevents me scrambling at the last minute.
Lastly, plan for what your little ones will be doing. The toddler is always the difficult one to manage so be sure to have some new and fun activities for him. Get yourself to the local Dollar Tree store and stock up on busy activities without breaking the bank. Get some new sticker books, coloring books, chalk, paints etc. Get creative! You have a small window of attention for them so set up some stations and constantly be rotating out new activities that don't make a huge mess but will buy you a couple rounds of 15 minutes of quiet.
PLAN AROUND YOUR FAMILY’S ACTUAL LIFE
This may seem like a no brainer, but it really is important. Don't try and set up unrealistic expectations for yourself. If your family has an annual reunion, or maybe you plan to take a long vacation in the winter- fit it into your schedule! Whatever the case may be, set yourself up for success by allowing for these breaks! Remember, you homeschool for many reasons and one of those reasons is to have a more flexible schedule! This year, we have a newborn. That alone forces me to be flexible! Ideally I would have started in the beginning of August in preparation for a newborn, however last year we were in the middle of a remodel so we have been playing catch up all year.
At the end of September we are in the thick of the canning season. We have many fruit trees this year so we will be busy in the kitchen trying to get all of our food preserved. It's also hunting season in October where my husband takes our older kids out almost daily for those few weeks of the season. Because of these factors we most likely won't be taking a big Christmas break like most public schools do, and that's ok! Again, we homeschool because of the flexibility it gives us.
MAKE IT SPECIAL
This is totally optional but really does make a difference. The first day of school doesn't have to go perfectly, oftentimes we only get through a small section of school that first day and that's ok! The point is to just start. In the morning I usually make a special meal like cinnamon rolls or a quiche or some breakfast burritos. Just something that says “School is meant to be fun and celebrated!” It gives the kids something to look forward to, something to get them started off with a good attitude and get them excited for a new school year!
We have the privilege of teaching our kids, what a blessing that is! Celebrate that! It sets the tone of your home which is important not only for your kids but for you as the educator. Here's to another great year!