As this school year winds down many of us are looking forward to the next year. Some of us are even holding ourselves back from throwing our current curriculum out the window. Trying to convince our children to start a new year as soon as that 180-day chart is filled out…(or is that just me?) Really, though I am just kidding. This year has been our best year homeschooling so far. In part, I owe that to my homeschool planning. However, I have had no urges to throw out the curriculum and move on, and in fact, I find myself wanting time to slow down! It feels like we just started this year, and I am not ready to move my kindergartner on to a new grade, especially since he is my youngest.
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I could make a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase from one of these links.*
This year we tested out the year-round schedule. We have loved it, though I do find us wrapping things up a bit earlier than I originally planned. We are falling a bit short of being a true year-round, but as I said, we were testing out the waters. Read the highlighted post to find out how I did a year-round schedule.
Homeschool Planning: Is a Perfect Year Possible?
Is this really possible? Have I found some sort of secret sauce that has never been shared with the world? (I have found out that adding a bit of mayo to your homemade honey mustard takes it to another level, but that is neither here nor there.) To be honest, a truly perfect homeschool year is just not possible. We are learning every day, week, month, and year how to better our homeschool experience. Every family is going to be different. I can say, however, that I have found contentment with our schedule, planning, and style. This took us about 3 years to do. (Trust me, I know this isn’t what a new homeschooling parent wants to hear.)
I talk a lot here about finding your groove and allowing yourself to grow through that process. But it is just that, a process. To expect you will hit your stride right away and that it will be the stride that you stick with for the rest of your homeschooling journey, is just not realistic. I say this to not only warn you but also to encourage you. If you feel like you should be there and you just aren’t yet, it’s okay. So how do you go about the process of finding your groove? Every step counts, so here is tip number one, and in no certain order.
Homeschool Planning Tip # 1
Homeschooling IS NOT Public School At Home
When I started out I was under the impression that I needed to follow closely with what the public school was doing. Part of this was because homeschooling was not in my plans prior to Covid. I was wanting to keep my son in line with the school in case he went back. However, after we decided we were going to keep homeschooling, I was still trying to replicate public school in our home. This is counterproductive and unnecessary.
So what does this mean to you? Do not worry about what other children who are in public school are learning. Stop thinking your child is behind, or even ahead for that matter. Yes, your child needs to know how to read, write, add and subtract, and all that jazz. But, do they need to learn it at the exact same pace as another child in their age group? Think of it this way, grade levels in public schools are designed for the teacher to easily assess a group of children, but not as easily an individual child.
So start to wrap your mind around the fact that your child’s homeschool experience, will very likely be more powerful than if they were in a public school. I have also heard it say that there is no behind in homeschooling. When I started to understand this, that is when I started making improvements toward who I wanted to be as a homeschool mom.
Homeschool Planning Tip #2
Consider Banishing Grades and Grade Levels When Planning Your Homeschool
Hear me out here. Just because you have a child who would be in 3rd grade in public school, does not mean they need to be in third-grade levels in homeschooling. And unless your state requires it, consider banishing grades as a way to see progress. I live in a state that has very low requirements for homeschooling. I’ve said before that I could teach my kids to pick their nose and call it school…Maybe not that lax, but you get the picture. I am not aware of what other states require as far as testing or if grading is required anywhere. However, if you have the freedom to get rid of that idea, then, by all means, do so.
If your child excels in reading or math, consider putting them at a higher level with reading or math. Be sure they are not missing any fundamentals, but you know your child the best. You can follow state or standardized guidelines as to what a child should be learning, but don’t view these as strict or rigid. Homeschooling allows a lot of individual expression, that’s what makes it so fun!
How I Started This Process
*For instance, I have a third grader who is in a level 2 in language arts. And I will have a first grader that I am likely going to put through a level K language arts. I have my own reasons for doing this, and it is not because either of them is “behind” in language arts. It is simply because of the curriculum I switched over to. When we started homeschooling I bought the curriculum the school was using. (Not knowing if I was going to send him back, I wanted him to be familiar with the curriculum.) However, in mid-third grade, I switched him over to The Good and the Beautiful language arts. (We had already been doing their math for third grade.) I decided to take him down a level in language arts, to level 2.
This was not because he was struggling, but because I knew that when it came time to move him into the fourth-grade level, he would be overwhelmed. Their fourth grade language arts had a writing workshop, and I knew my son would struggle with this, as I have a hard time getting him to write anything in a story form.
As for my kindergartner, we were also using the public school systems curriculum for reading. Because this is not set up for homeschooling, I want to make sure I didn’t miss any fundamentals. Though he is just fine and is a good reader, and isn’t struggling, I felt The Good and the Beautiful’s language arts K level will be perfect even for a “first grader”. Both of my boys will be “on level” with their math…*
No More Grade Levels
Take these factors into consideration when doing your homeschool planning. Your third grader may love a book that is above or below their reading level. Take time to feel out your child’s individual learning styles before making the jump, but know that it is absolutely fine to get them away from their grade level!
Find the Right Curriculum
This can be easier said than done. There are so many more choices today than there were ten to twenty years ago! To say it’s overwhelming is an understatement, and not only for new homeschoolers. For some homeschool planning revolves around curriculum. Be assured your homeschool curriculum may change from year to year, or even mid-year…There is a learning curve, no pun intended. Some of what we have used include:
- Reading Street *not a homeschool curriculum, but what public schools around here use*
- Evan-Moor
- Hooked on Phonics
- Memoria Press
- The Good and the Beautiful
As you can see it took me a few years to find the right curriculum for us. All of these curriculums served their purpose for us, and at times we mixed and matched. Slowly, but surely, I am switching us over completely to The Good and the Beautiful.
It Can Take Time and Patience
Is there a certain curriculum that excites you? Does it seem to fit into the style you are seeking for your homeschooling? If so, try it out! There is no harm in trying something, and if it doesn’t work out, then you know to move on next year.
I am not a sponsor for The Good and the Beautiful, I genuinely love their approach to learning. Prior to switching to their LA program, my third grader was doing 6 or more books just to cover subjects like geography, spelling, reading, and writing. When I realized TGB (short for The Good and the Beautiful) had a comprehensive LA program I was thrilled. All these subjects plus more, like art appreciation, are covered. We had already been using their math for this whole year, so mid-year or later I switched my older son over to LA 2 with TGB.
I love their math as well. It includes nature, social studies, geography, and more in the math units and lessons. I am excited to switch my five-year-old over to language arts. We will approach history and science as a unit study next year as well.
Less Is More
Over the years I have realized that having a curriculum that is comprehensive is best. As much as I love filling my shelves with books, and dreaming about what the next year will bring, I also have to be realistic. Will we really read every single book on our shelf? Instead, try keeping the books that will relate directly to your teaching style, or curriculum. I tend to get nostalgic about books, however, I have realized we cannot read all the books, so we need to be selective about what we do have. Once you have enjoyed a book, consider letting it go.
Learn to Relax
As I stated before, not worrying about what level your child is at compared to others will greatly decrease stress. This will allow you to relax. I have not always been the most relaxed person when it came to our homeschool schedule. This last year has been a great change in how I do things, but all for the better. I have also moved from a more rigid daily schedule to a more relaxed one.
Choose Your Schedule
There are many schedule types to choose from when homeschool planning. Know that it is ok to change your style, combine styles or use different styles at different times. There is no right or wrong way to do it. When we started I was more strict. Naturally, I have gravitated towards a reverse schedule. My planner for the day actually starts blank, and I add things in as we go. I find more things to write down this way, and our learning becomes more relaxed and child-led. This has contributed to our happiness in our homeschooling.
Planning Your Perfect Homeschool
While planning THE perfect homeschool may not be possible, planning YOUR perfect homeschool is possible…Time, patience, planning, and creativity are all you need! Enjoy the journey! Remember to relax, keep things simple and have fun!
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