The new homeschool year is almost ready to begin! Are you ready for the new school year? Here are some homeschool tips!
Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of the post!
Are You Ready for the New School Year?
Summer is gradually winding down. Sunset is coming earlier and earlier here in the Pacific Northwest. Soon it will be time to begin the new school year and get back to homeschooling our kids.
1. Curriculum & Books
You’ve probably either ordered or are about to order the curriculum you need for the new school year. The spelling workbooks, math textbooks, and history books which will line your shelves.
Double check that the curriculum you need has arrived. Do you have a spelling workbook for each child? Take a look at the middle grade textbooks. Are you going to want a teacher’s manual or answer key?
To be honest I’ve rarely needed a teacher’s manual for my little first and second graders, but by the time middle school comes around, I want those answer keys!
Take a look at verify that everything has arrived and you know where it is. Nothing is worse than pulling out books on the first day of school to realize a math book never arrived.
2. Read Teacher’s Manuals
Before the new school year begins, browse through the teacher’s manuals for the various grades. You’ll learn vital tips and tricks for teaching the subjects.
In addition you’ll get a good idea for what the school day will look like. How much time are you going to need for each subject and what supplies will you need?
Take notes as you read and you’ll be ready to teach your kids!
3. Supplies
School supply sales are about to happen. This is an excellent time to save money on the supplies you need! I like to stock up on paper, pencils, rulers, and sharpeners.
Along with school supplies, remember to grab the art and science supplies you’ll need. For instance we run through balloons like crazy in my family’s science curriculum. Balloons keep well and are easy to keep on hand. I’ll be purchasing a new bag of balloons next week!
The same goes for art. I can’t tell you have many times we’ve skipped an art project because we didn’t have the needed paint, we ran out of acrylic paint, or there was no plaster of paris.
Having the supplies on hand means you’ll never have to skip a science experiment because you’re missing straws.
4. Make a Weekly Schedule
Before you sign the kids up for tons of activities, make a weekly schedule for your school day. How long are you going to need at home in order to complete all the subjects planned?
Add a bit of extra time to your schedule. Babies have exploding diapers. Elementary kids chat about the bird’s nest outside the window. Teenagers need spontaneous heart-to-heart discussions.
Now figure out how many hours you have available for outside activities. Be careful not to over schedule yourself. Nothing is worse than having to give up the best things in life, like family dinners, because you’re spending your evenings running kids around town.
Make and keep a weekly schedule so you have a balanced homeschool life.
5. Fun Activity for the First Official Day
How are you going to start the new school year? Plan a fun activity! Even if you school year around, it’s fun to kick off the ‘official’ first day of a new grade with a party or fun activity.
What are you going to do? You can always go out for breakfast, take a special field trip, or spend a day exploring the museum.
You’ll know you’re ready for the new school year when your curriculum is sitting on the shelf, you have your books lined up, supplies ready, and a fun activity planned for the first day of school. Then you just need to wait for the first day of school! Is your homeschool ready for the new homeschool year?
Back to Homeschool Giveaway!
I’ve gotten together with a great group of bloggers to make getting ready for the new school year just a little bit easier and hopefully a little less stressful for you. How does $250 sound in helping you buy curriculum, books, games, puzzles, and educational supplies? Two people will win a $250 gift card to the online store of their choice (choices are Rainbow Resource, Christianbook, or Timberdoodle).
We know homeschooling can put financial strain on families – whether it’s from living on one-income or buying curriculum for your children – the financial aspect of it can be stressful. Our hope is that we can bless homeschool families so they can buy the curriculum and supplies they need (or maybe a want you can finally splurge on) for their school year.
To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Now I know that is quite a few entries for you, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries. And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are at winning!
Giveaway ends August 4th, 2017 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 18 years of age. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway.
We have been homeschooling since my soon-to-be 9th grader was in preschool. These are great tips. (I always forget to stock up on art supplies.)
Thank you for all the great tips!
Wow! What an awesome giveaway. Thank you. I hope to win. This will be so very helpful.