The new homeschool year is about ready to start for many families. Even if you homeschool year-round as we do, I’m sure your summer schedule is different than your fall schedule. The way we start the school year can set the tone for the year ahead. It is a good idea to keep some things in mind to start your homeschool year right.
How to Start Your Homeschool Year Off Right
Organize Your Homeschool
It is a good idea to start your year well organized. Let’s face it if you start the year unorganized it isn’t going to get any better. We tell ourselves we’ll get it together next week, but it probably isn’t going to happen.
So what does it mean to be organized?
- The school year is mapped out. You want to have a general idea of your homeschool year. You need to consider what subjects you’ll cover, what curriculum you’ll use, and what your schedule will look like. You might want to take a look at Is a Routine or Schedule Best for Your Homeschool Day.
- All the kids’ work is ready to go. You’ll want to have all your supplies, books, photocopies, etc. ready for the first week or two. You don’t want to run around finding things and making copies.
- Your homeschool space is set up. Do you have the room, shelves, or bins all set up? It is great if kids have their workspace set up and organized. Hopefully, the kids will continue to keep things this way. Okay, so we will try and get our kids to put things back where they belong.
Mission Statement
A few months back I wrote about the importance of a mission statement. If you missed it, you can check it out HERE. It will help you get started if you don’t know what a mission statement is all about.
So we know why we need a mission statement, and we have one. While planning your new homeschool year, it is a good idea to review your mission statement.
- Do you still have the same goals for your homeschool?
- Has your broader vision changed on WHY you are homeschooling?
- Do you have a new vision on HOW you want to homeschool?
As kids get older, you become more experienced, and life changes often our mission in life does too. It is a good idea to revisit your homeschool mission statement and make sure how you are organizing your homeschool fits with your mission.
Start Slow
Whether you did homeschooling over the summer or you took the whole summer off, it is a good idea to start slow. Don’t start your new year with every subject and a full workload.
I don’t know about your kids, but if I did that to my son, he would revolt. He would NOT be happy about homeschooling, and it would be one tough year.
Here’s what to consider.
- The first week isn’t a five-day-week. We start after Labor Day. You may even make it a three day week.
- Start with a few subjects. I pick areas they are excited about. Last year my son couldn’t wait to learn Greek. I added it in right away to get him motivated.
- Keep it fun. I don’t push my kids too hard the first week. The assignments aren’t very rigorous or too time-consuming.
Once our first week is over, I add in the remainder of our subjects and start increasing the workload. I usually do this gradually so they kids can adjust to the new expectations.
Traditions
One way to make starting back to homeschool enjoyable is to add traditions. Kids will remember the little things you do every year when you start back to school. They will look forward to them.
Think back to when you were a kid. Do you remember picking out that one special outfit with the new shoes you couldn’t wait to wear? Maybe you remember standing by the tree in the front yard while your mom took your picture with your new backpack.
We all have things that our families did that made the first-day special. They are the things we think of that make us smile, or we groan about years later.
I have a few traditions we do every year in our homeschool. The kids start making plans and anticipating them a few weeks before we start. You can read about some of the things we do HERE to give you some ideas.
Celebrate
Back-to-homeschool is a time to celebrate. You have your kids home with you, and you don’t have to send them away on that big yellow bus. I sent my daughter to school for three years, and I cried every time the first day of school arrived.
Find ways to celebrate with fun traditions and fun activities sprinkled throughout your week. Let your kids see what a privilege it is to be homeschooled.
After your first week, make sure to keep fun in your homeschool. We had Fun Friday Activities, field trips, and times we’ve chased rabbit trails because they wanted to. Keep the excitement and fun from the first week throughout your school year.
You can read more about keeping fun in your homeschool HERE.
Back-to-homeschool is such a fun time of year. Organize your year, set up your homeschool space, and find some great traditions and activities to start the year right. You will be ready for a great year ahead.
What do you do to start your school year off right?
