If you are considering homeschooling or are a new homeschooler, one of the first things on your mind is how to plan your homeschool year. Planning your homeschool curriculum will help you and your kids have a more focused and enjoyable homeschool experience. Let’s break this down into 5 easy steps.
In this post, I’ll cover:
- 5 steps to share how to plan your homeschool year that works for your family
- Ideas for how to filter through all of the overwhelming options available to homeschoolers
- Resources to help you choose the ideal materials for your child
Step #1: Check with your state homeschooling laws.
While it is obvious, let’s get this one done first.
Since homeschool laws vary from state to state in the USA, please check with your state agency to complete any necessary paperwork required for your homeschool year.
Some states require specific subjects to be taught, so it is helpful to know state requirements before you start buying curriculum.
Step #2: Consider your goals for homeschooling.
Knowing “why” you homeschool can really help you filter the numerous homeschooling options available.
Your reason for homeschooling will affect what homeschool style and curriculum works best for you and your kids. Consider your goals for homeschooling as you plan your homeschool year.
Most homeschoolers want to give their kids a solid educational foundation while still spending time letting the kids work on areas they enjoy most. Homeschoolers solve that by spending part of their week with traditional academics and the other part of their week with child-led learning projects, field trips, or creative outlets.
No matter what your goals are, keeping them in mind will help you stay focused on homeschooling in a way that works for your family.
Step #3: Choose the subjects you will teach.
As a homeschooler, you have a LOT of options about what to teach your child. And… it is important to keep in mind that there are NOT enough hours in the day to teach everything.
You can avoid homeschool burn-out (yes, it is a real thing) if you will focus on a few subjects at a time. Remember the “3 R’s” – reading, writing, and ’rithmetic? Those basic subjects are a great place to start planning your homeschool year.
Once you have the basics in place, then you can add other subjects to your homeschool plans.
Step #4: Create a homeschool schedule (with some flexibility).
Having a homeschool schedule helps all of us stay focused. While our exact start time may vary a bit from day to day, using a schedule, routine, or checklist can keep all focused on what needs to be done each day.
It is also important to decide how much time you want to spend homeschooling and be realistic about how to make that work for your family.
Some questions to consider when creating a homeschool schedule are:
- Do you want to spend 7 hours a day doing school?
- Does your family need to do one subject and then take a break?
- Are there nap times to consider for younger siblings?
The answers to these questions will affect how to plan your homeschool year. Often, the answer changes from year to year (and that is completely normal).
Even with a schedule, life can get really busy. It is helpful to organize your homeschool day by doing the most important subjects first.
Step #5: Reserve a space for your homeschool materials.
Having a dedicated space to keep your materials can save tons of time when it is time to start your homeschool day.
While Pinterest makes homeschool spaces look like a magazine cover, you don’t need a dedicated room to homeschool your kids.
You can use a shelf in a hall closet, a bookcase, bins under the couch, or whatever else works for your family to store your homeschool materials.
If you can return all of your homeschool materials to your dedicated space when you are finished with lessons, you and your kids will be ready for a smooth start the next homeschool day.
Ideas and Resources to Plan your Homeschool Curriculum
Evan-Moor has homeschool resources that include pacing and curriculum guides, offering you a simple and organized way to homeschool (which can save you TONS of time).
There are two options:
1. Homeschool Curriculum Bundles (available for grades 1–6) with free curriculum pacing guides. The curriculum kit includes teacher and student books and covers the core subjects of reading, writing, language, spelling, math, science, and social studies. Each bundle includes a printed pacing guide to give you suggestions for using the materials in your homeschool. Everything you need to cover core subjects in your homeschooling year is included!
Click here to view the Homeschool Curriculum Bundles for grades 1–6.
Click here to view a sample curriculum pacing guide.
2. TeacherFileBox homeschool subscription (available for PreK–6) with curriculum guides. This online lesson library enables you to print or project units and lessons from over 600 Evan-Moor books. This resource takes a little more time to organize, but provides you with a very affordable homeschool option. The curriculum guides and videos cover 11 subject areas and help to simplify your homeschool organization and planning. TeacherFileBox even includes daily practice lessons for grades 7 and 8, if your child is working ahead.
Click here to learn more about TeacherFileBox for your homeschool.
Click here to read my post: 7 Ways that TeacherFileBox Can Elevate Your Homeschooling.
Reminders for How to Plan Your Homeschool Year
It is important to remember that life requires each homeschool day to be flexible. It is completely normal for families to take several months to find a schedule that works for their family.
If there is a new baby, family visiting, or illness, having a flexible schedule helps make room for the HOME part of homeschooling.
It does take some trial-and-error to figure out what works best for your family. Give yourself and your child permission to try a few different options as you plan your homeschool year.
Together, you will find a plan for your homeschool year that works for your family!
Get started with Evan-Moor’s FREE Curriculum Planner! You can edit and print each full-color planning page to adjust it for your family.
For more free lessons and resources, check out our Free Activities page each month
Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website www.thrivehomeschooling.com