9 Simple Steps To Prepare For The Homeschool Year

BACK TO SCHOOL, this phrase can elicit many feelings!  You may be feeling excited or overwhelmed.  I’ve been homeschooling for 22 years now and every year I am filled with excitement for another year of teaching my children at home.  It’s a privilege and I don’t want to take that for granted.  I am excited to share with you my 9 Simple Steps To Prepare For The Homeschool Year.  The key is to keep things simple.

9 Simple Steps To Prepare For The Homeschool Year

1. Take time to pray for the children you will be educating at home.  Really pray about their personalities and what they like and dislike.  Ask God to help you better understand how each one of your children is made, what makes them tick.  I feel this is absolutely the most important part of a successful homeschool year.  The more we are students of our children the more successful a year we will have.

2.  Really, really understand why you are homeschooling.  Embrace your vision and your purpose for homeschooling. We want to make sure all our children become dedicated disciples of Christ.   For us, homeschooling is about discipleship.  It is not about education.  Education is important but it is more about the relationship than education for us.  Having a vision for your homeschool and why you homeschool will get you through the tough times.

3. Set academic, behavioral, and spiritual goals for each child.   While you’re at it…make those goals for you too.  In regard to the academic piece of homeschooling at the end of the school year, I give each child a standardized test to evaluate their academic progress for the year.  More importantly, I want to see their weaknesses so we can address them in the following school year.  We use the 1970 version of the California Achievement Test.  This test is the pre-dumbed down version and gives you an accurate view of your child’s academic progress.  Your child can take it online and best of all it is only $25!  You get their results the same day! Yea!  Christian Liberty Press!

4. Determine each child’s learning style…

Learning Style Quiz

Understand and Determine your Child’s Learning Style

5. Decide where you will homeschool.  We have always homeschooled at the dining room table.  So much of our day takes place around the table.  We eat at the table, I write this blog at the table, we laugh lots around the table.  We have family devotions around the table at the dinnertime meal.

6. Decide what method of homeschool you will use for the year.  Will you be an unschooled or a classical education person?  Charlotte Mason or Holt?  Choose and stick to your curriculum.  Almost any curriculum can be adjusted to your child’s learning style.  Homeschooling does not have to be expensive.  Adapt the curriculum you have on hand for each child.  I have waisted so much money by purchasing different curriculums to solve a particular learning problem a child was having.  Now, I have learned the truth.  You can adapt any curriculum to suit your child.  You may have to use some creativity but you can do it.  Free Homeschool Deals is a great place to get free resources to adapt your curriculum.

7. Make a realistic homeschool schedule for each student…I don’t put any time on my children’s schedule, except for the starting time of school.  Each child completes his or her subjects in the order I have chosen for them to do.  I  usually put their hardest subject first then alternate between easy and hard subjects.

8. Decide what supplies you will need for the school year.  If at all possible, I like to have everything in the house before the beginning of the school year so I don’t have to run out and get things last-minute. That spells STRESS for me and I refuse to do it.   If we don’t have the supplies in the house we don’t do the project.

9. Decide which extracurricular activities if any, your child will take part in. Check out another of my blog posts to help make good choices for your school year.  10 Simple Questions to Ask Yourself About Extracurricular Activities

YOUR TURN…

What do you do to prepare for the homeschool year?

Blessings,