Homeschool planning can be as easy! You do not have to be a trained teacher in order to plan a great homeschool year. In this blog post, I’m sharing how to plan your homeschool year in 5 simple steps!
I am no expert….I’m just a homeschool mom who has learned quite a bit over our years of homeschooling. These 5 simple steps have worked great for us, and I’m sure they will for you too!
Before you start planning…
Before you try to plan your homeschool year, I want you to remember that there is no “one way” to homeschool. There are so many different ways to educate your children, and as homeschool moms, we have our own unique teaching styles as well.
Don’t lose sight of this fact while you’re doing your homeschool planning. It’s all too easy to start mimicking what someone else is doing, and then feel discouraged if it doesn’t work for your family. This can lead to fear and doubt as a homeschool mom, but it doesn’t need to!
Gain as much inspiration as you want, but remember the unique needs and interests of your own family. Be sure to only include things in your daily routine that serve the goals of your household.
Also, take a moment to think about your homeschool philosophy…
If you’re new to the homeschooling world, the concept of having a homeschool philosophy might not make a whole lot of sense to you. To make it simple, it basically means identifying what “type” of homeschool family you think you are. And it’s OK if you don’t know the answer to this right away…you’ll figure it out as you go along.
There are a few main types of homeschool styles out there – Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Unschooling, Classical, Traditional, and Eclectic. A quick google search of each type will give you an overview of what they are.
I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a mix between Traditional and Unschooling! So don’t feel like you have to pick one and have it define you. You absolutely don’t! But having an idea of the style of education that appeals to you and your kids will really help guide you towards the other decisions you will be making. For example, your daily schedule, curriculum choices, etc.
OK – Let’s plan your homeschool year in 5 simple steps!
Step#1: Goal Setting
Goal setting is the first step to planning your homeschool year. Your goals are going to change year by year, as your kids get older and you enter new seasons of life.
What I’m talking about here are the overall goals you have for your homeschool, not just academic goals. What sorts of things do you want your children to get from their homeschooling experience? Do you want them to learn certain life skills such as cooking, wood working, sewing, gardening, etc? Is a knowledge of classical literature important to you, or perhaps being able to speak multiple languages?
This past year for example, one of my main goals was to help my oldest child improve her reading skills. Having that as a goal helped me narrow down what we would spend the most time on during the school year. It also helped me choose/let go of whatever would or wouldn’t help us achieve that goal.
Knowing your goals is a crucial part of your planning process. It will help direct you to the right homeschool method/curriculum, and help steer you away from the things that don’t align with your homeschool.
If you’re struggling to define your homeschool goals, here are some great books for homeschool moms you can read to gain some clarity and inspiration.
Step #2: Decide what kind of schedule you want to have
Once you have decided on your goals for the year, start thinking about the kind of schedule you want for your homeschool. It’s important to be realistic with this step! Don’t expect more than what you or your children can realistically do, and on the flip side, don’t expect too little.
If you have lots of younger children, chances are your homeschool hours will be short and sweet – leaving lots of time for play. Check out my blog post on how to homeschool kindergarten to get some great tips!
If you have older children, it’s not unreasonable to expect that your school hours last a little bit longer. And if you have a mix of both, you may have to have separate expectations for each child.
Some people homeschool year round, some take the summers off, and some do weekly schedules where they school a few weeks on and take one week off.
There are lots of different ways to create a homeschool schedule. I personally prefer a daily routine vs a schedule, but sometimes I find myself operating somewhere in the middle! Here are a few common types of homeschool schedules, but you don’t have to do any of these if they don’t suit your family.
Loop Schedule
Some people create what’s called a loop schedule, which is when you rotate through the different subjects regardless of what day it is. An example of this would be a rotating A, B, C, D schedule:
- (A) Math
- (B) Language Arts
- (C) Social Studies
- (D) Science
If you manage to get A & B done one day, you start with C the next day. If you get C & D done but there’s still some time, you might decide to do A again. You just continually rotate through the subjects and pick up where you left off.
Block Schedule
A block schedule is where you block off certain parts of the day for a specific subject. An example of this would be always doing your read aloud during breakfast. Then after breakfast, it’s journal time. After that’s done, you do math, etc.
Another form of block scheduling that is popular is dividing your homeschool days into blocks of time that are for specific things. It’s a form of what I just mentioned above, but done a little more loosely. An example of this would be blocking off the time before breakfast for chores. Between breakfast and lunch is subject time. After lunch is free play or quiet time, etc.
Many homeschool parents find themselves naturally doing a block schedule of some sort because it helps to create a rhythm or routine within their homeschool. Speaking of routine, that’s the next one on the list…..
Daily Routine
Having a daily routine is all about knowing what comes next, without being tied to a strict schedule. We mostly operate our homeschool this way and for us, it works well.
Our routine is predictable which means we all know what to expect and what comes next. But it’s flexible in the sense that our school time (which is always in the mornings), can include whatever we feel is most important for that day.
If I have a child who is struggling with a math concept, then we might choose to skip language arts that day and focus solely on math. If we have been diligent with our core subjects and need a bit of a break, our school time might involve looking up an art project on YouTube.
Our routine stays the same, but what we do within that time may vary from day to day. This post about a day in our life dives deeper into what our daily routine actually looks like.
Whether you operate by a strict schedule, a routine or somewhere in the middle, make sure you have an overall plan of how you want to run your homeschool. Having a plan makes it easier for you to prepare, as well as helps your kids to know what’s expected of them.
Step #3: Homeschool Curriculum Planning
Once you know your goals for the year and you have a loose idea of how much time you will be spending on school each day, the next step is choosing your homeschool curriculum.
Now, I will say that it is very possible to homeschool successfully without using a boxed curriculum. If that idea interests you, you can read my post about homeschooling with or without a curriculum.
However, if a curriculum is what you’re after, deciding on one is so much easier when you’ve figured out the first 2 steps! Choosing the right curriculum will help you feel confident and make your child’s learning experience more positive. And the good news is, there is a curriculum out there for pretty much every learning style!
We personally love unit studies because it promotes the old fashioned “one room schoolhouse” concept. This is where each grade level learns together, but has age appropriate work and outcomes.
I will warn you, homeschool curriculum can get a little pricey if you aren’t careful. Don’t stress though, here are a couple of great posts I’ve written up all about homeschooling on a budget and accessing resources for a fraction of the cost!
- How To Homeschool On A Budget: Cut Costs And Save Money!
- How To Plan A New Homeschool Year On A Budget
Step #4: Plan for extracurricular activities
When you’re planning your upcoming year, remember to make time in your schedule for extracurricular activities. These include things like sports, music lessons, field trips, art classes, job shadowing, and more!
Education is so much more than what is found inside a textbook! Try to be intentional about including extracurricular experiences into your homeschool journey. Your child’s needs stretch so much farther than just the basic academic requirements.
As you plan your homeschool year, make sure to prioritize some extra time for the interests and passions of your children. There will always be plenty of time for the core subjects, trust me. But your kids are only young for a short time, so take this time and let them explore their interests. You never know where it will lead!
Step #5: Organize your school supplies and learning space
The last step in learning how to plan your homeschool year is to organize your school supplies and learning space.
Please know that when I say “learning space”, I am not implying that you need a formal homeschool room. Instagram has led many of us to believe that we must have a designated school space in our home in order to homeschool our kids.
This is NOT true! I’ve never had a specific room for our homeschool. We homeschool at the kitchen table and it works perfectly fine for us.
All I mean, is that you should aim to have some organization. Know where your school supplies and materials are, and have them somewhere that’s easily accessible by you AND your kids. Choose a space in your home where you can comfortably get things done, and have the items you use on a daily basis stored close by.
Scrambling at the last minute to find what you need in order to complete a lesson only adds unnecessary stress to your day. As homeschool parents, that’s the last thing we need. And for our kids, it can really distract them and interrupt their flow if they have to constantly go searching for their materials.
So that’s it! You’ve got this!
I hope this post has helped you break down the homeschool planning process a little bit! So many more people are gaining interest in homeschooling lately, and I think that’s such a great thing!
Our homeschooling journey as a family has enriched our lives in so many ways. No, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows but nothing is! However, it has provided way more blessings and opportunities for our family than public school ever did.
Just remember that when you’re planning your upcoming school year, nothing you plan has to be set in stone. If you get into the school year and something just isn’t working out like you had hoped, it’s ok to make changes along the way! In fact, it’s expected….especially when you’re just starting out.
Homeschooling is a learning experience for everyone, not just your kids. You will eventually find your groove. Don’t give up, stay consistent, and remember that the best plan is the one that is flexible. You can do this! Happy homeschooling!
Blessings!
~Maryann
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