Category: A Simpler Homeschool

Another homeschool year in the books.  My kids and I have been doing this homeschool thing for six years now.  I know I’m the teacher, but I sure feel like I learn just as much, if not more, than my kids each year.  I’m constantly changing my mind or finding a rhythm or routine that works well for myself or a particular kid.  Our family’s homeschool journey began with my oldest in kindergarten and now there are three kids at the table in three different grade levels. God is good.

As I reflect back on the past six years, my mindset has changed so much.  I’m a little less: do-all-the-things and a little more: do-what’s-essential.  I’ve grown from feeling like ‘school should look like school’ to ‘learning happens all the time’.  I’ve moved away from the same rhythm everyday to a little more freedom in our schedule.  Being able to choose the way we live and learn is a gift I hope I never take for granted.  Let’s dig in a bit more to my reflections on six years of homeschooling.

My Reflections on Six Years of Homeschooling

Complete doesn’t equal competency.

Just because a workbook or curriculum is completed, doesn’t mean learning happened.  Checkmarks don’t equate to competency.  Although, for this checklist-loving-Momma, I wish it were true. 

This year two of my kids completed their language arts curriculum and one will finish it in the fall.  One kid completed and began next year’s math curriculum and two are still working on this year’s.  Just because a kid completes a workbook, doesn’t mean he knows all he needs to know and vice versa.  Learning is a continuum and it’s important for me to remember that just because something’s done, doesn’t mean it’s learned. This is a hard one, but a true one.

Spontaneity breeds fun.

Homeschooling three kids has amped up my to-do list.  It’s easy to get stuck in the rut of just getting through things to get them done.  See above.  However, when I make space for us to have spontaneity, we are all in a better place.  The days I remember the most this year are the ones that didn’t look like the rest.  And I can guarantee the same is true for my kids.  School at the coffee shop or park, letting go of a few things to go to a wildlife preserve, day trips to local spots.  Not only were these days fun, but we (all) learned things, too.  Fun matters.

Intentionality matters when it comes to priorities.

No one can do it all.  A homeschooling Momma knows this truth well.  This year I spread us too thin.  Things crept in that weren’t priorities.  We got sucked into things that were good things, but not the most important things.  I noticed this about six months late, but better late than never.  Moving forward I hope to be more intentional with the things that matter to us.

Reading aloud is something I both enjoy and believe is vitally important to learning.  This year we did not read aloud as much as I would have liked.  It fell to the wayside because I let other things get in the way.  Next year I hope to be more intentional in this area.  I’m not sure how I will do this, but I intend to think through it this summer.  When we know our priorities, we can be intentional with them.  

There is no such thing as multitasking.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I had a moment in April where I decided to stop multitasking.  I was multitasking too much during our homeschooling time and I paid for it with my patience and my kids paid for it with a scattered brain Mom.  Mid-April I decided no more.  And guess what?  Our days ran smoother.  They were a tad bit longer, but I was a more peaceful Momma and our home was a more peaceful place.  I’ve learned the hard way that multitasking is an illusion.  Something always suffers when we are trying to do more than one thing at a time.  

Community is work, but worth it.

A homeschooling friend a few years ahead of me once said: When your kid finds a good friend, do what you can to foster the friendship.  This was maybe some of the best advice I’ve received as a homeschooling Mom.  We have been lucky enough the past few years to find and foster incredible community.  We have a few families our kids play with on a weekly basis.  We have an incredible journey group at church.  We are on year two of our (not so) little co-op, which has been an answer to prayer. 

Community is work.  Plans need made, materials prepped, children picked up and cared for, snacks dished out, volunteers scheduled, children taught.  But it’s such worthwhile work.  I have never regretted one ounce of time spent fostering community with my kids.  

I’m grateful for the freedom and opportunity our family has had to homeschool these past six years.  It is such a gift to do life this way.  As we move into summer, I hope to consider and think through how to make next year just a teensy bit better and more in line with our priorities and vision for how our family wants to live. I hope my reflections on six years of homeschooling inspires you to reflect on this last school year.

Reflect

Whether you’re a homeschooling Momma or not, reflection can be a powerful thing.  If you’re up for it, reflect and think through the past nine to ten months. A few simple questions to guide you:

What went well this school year? What was a pain point?

Write it down and circle back to it in August to see if there are changes you can make to the school year to make life run a bit more smoothly.  Happy Summer, friends! 

There is not a doubt in my mind I have learned just as much as my kids the past 5 years we have been schooling together.  While my oldest has learned about Nikola Tesla, my daughter has learned to read, and my five year old has learned to add, I have learned how to be both mom and teacher.  It’s trial and error, wins and fails, and a lot of changing my mind to find what works for not only me, but my babes. 

While I haven’t been homeschooling as long as some, I’ve been around the block a few times and want to share what I learned this past year.  I do this both for myself and for anyone who could benefit from what I’ve learned.  I have some reflection questions at the end of my learnings if you’re a homeschooling mom and could benefit from what I’m learned.  Here is what I Learned My 5^th Year of Homeschooling…

What I Learned My 5^th Year of Homeschooling

Curriculum Matters for Mom

If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.  I have never known this to be so true than it is when it comes to homeschool curriculum.  While it’s important for curriculum to work for our kids, it’s even more important for it to work for mom.  I’ve discovered I am a better mom and teacher when I like the curriculum and how it works within our day.  

I have discovered I like a simple, open and go curriculum.  Although I was an elementary teacher before staying home with my kids, planning lessons and collecting materials is not something I have the capacity for with kids in different grade levels.  I want something I can use easily.  For our family, The Good and the Beauitful language arts curriculum has worked well and so has Math-U-See.  There is barely any prep and it ensures I’m not spending precious hours gathering materials.   

I want to be clear, curriculum isn’t everything, but it does matter.  Finding what works for you and your family is worth the effort.  If you reflect on this past year, did your curriculum make homeschooling easier or harder?  Did it bring you joy or frustration?  Would you recommend it to people you care about?

Curriculum isn’t necessary

Since we are already talking curriculum, I learned this year it isn’t necessary.  I’ve tried various science, social studies, and history curriculums and haven’t found anything I can’t live without.  So this year instead of purchasing science and history curriculum with a scope and sequence, we did something different.  I asked the kids what they wanted to learn and then we learned it.  We studied Nikola Tesla, the moon, ancient Egypt, and chickens.  We utilized free resources like the library and Youtube to learn about these topics.  And it was joyful and interesting and both the kids and I thrived with this model.  Interest led learning is definitely something I will continue this next school year.

Curriculum can be both incredibly valuable and also unnecessary at times.  Is there a part of your homeschool day that isn’t working?  If so, is it because of the curriculum?  Could you eliminate a textbook or curriculum to make your homeschool days simpler and more enjoyable?

Comparison is a trap

Whether we compare ourselves to a mom at co-op or a mom on Instagram, they both are damaging.  I’ve learned that what I do is specific to me, my kids, and the way we do life together.  What works for our family might not work for a good friend or the homeschool influencer.  And that’s okay.  I’ve gotten caught in the comparison trap a few times this past year and know it messes with my confidence.  When I am running in my lane, doing what I know works for my family, I am a more content mom loving more content kids.  That’s good for everyone.  I know comparison will always be a temptation, but I hope being aware of the trap will help me not fall into it so much.

Do you find yourself feeling discontented after chatting with a homeschool mom at co-op or after an Instagram scroll?  Instead of thinking about what you aren’t doing or how you are doing things differently, what if you named one thing that is going well in your home?  Also, saying internally: ‘That’s good for her and her family, but not for me’ and really meaning it can help with a perspective shift.  Maybe you need to take it a step further and unfollow some accounts on Instagram to reel in the comparison.  Decide one way you can fight the temptation of comparison.  

Community is life giving

This year a few friends started up a local co-op.  It has been more life giving than I can find words for.  Having a group of moms, all in the same boat, doing life together every Tuesday morning gave our homeschool a spark it needed.  I have prayed for this co-op for years and the waiting made this community that much sweeter.  These women and kids have filled our family’s cup week after week.  I have seen my kids thrive and it has definitely impacted how I feel about homeschooling day to day. 

Do you have a strong homeschool community?  If not, how can you seek out other homeschooling families before the new school year begins?

Like the babes I am teaching, I am constantly learning and growing and being stretched. I pray this continues and I never take for granted the great privilege it is to teach my kids.

What did you learn this past year?

A new homeschool year is right around the corner. School at home can be overwhelming because it seems there are both no handbooks and a million handbooks.  Here you will find action steps that will take you from overwhelmed to prepared.  Last year in the thick of the pandemic, I shared some posts on homeschooling. If you’re new around here you can begin with The First 3 Steps to A Simpler Homeschool or Choosing Curriculum. Today let’s talk about how to plan A Simpler Homeschool Year.

You have an entire school year ahead for you and your kiddos.  A big picture plan for the year can assist you in meeting your goals for the year as well as teaching what you want to teach.  I sit down every summer and plan the upcoming school year.  It’s something I enjoy and look forward to because there is a big part of me that loves a good plan.  This planning process takes about 3-5 hours, which I sprinkle over the course of a week or so.  I suggest working on one step as long as it takes, then moving on to the next step.  Here is the process to plan A Simpler Homeschool Year.

***A NOTE. If planning an entire year seems overwhelming, simply plan one quarter of a year or eight to ten weeks. Go through this process with a mindset of Quarterly Planning.

Plan A Simpler Homeschool Year

1) Decide what weeks you will teach.

Open up an Excel document and grab a calendar. If a spreadsheet isn’t your thing, use a notebook. Go through the year and decide what weeks you will teach and what weeks will be breaks or holidays. Each state is different in their requirements for how many days or hours of school a homeschooling family must complete, so be sure to check HSLDA for your state’s specific laws or this post for more information.

What I Do

Excel is the tool I use for big picture homeschool planning.  I use the same Excel document every year, adding a new tab for a new year.  Using my Apple calendar and Excel spreadsheet, I go through the year and decide what weeks we will formally do school.  In Iowa we are required to teach for 148 days, so I need to be sure to plan 30 weeks. This year I planned 35 weeks. 

2) Decide what to teach.

If you’re using a set curriculum, this will be done for you.  You simply will teach what they tell you to when they tell you to teach it.  If this is the case, there isn’t much you need to add to your notebook or Excel spreadsheet. If you’re not using a set curriculum, now is the time to lay out what you will teach each month.

Those of you rockstars creating your own curriculum, check out Common Core Standards, which links to your state and lists the standards by grade level.  You can also check out SchoolhouseTeachers, which lays out an easy to read scope and sequence for each grade level. Now is the time to write your curriculum for the year!

When it comes to lesson planning for multiple aged kids, many homeschooling families teach subjects together.  This cuts back on separate lessons and also adds a sense of community in the home.  Art, History, Science, Music, Foreign Language, Read Alouds, and some Language Arts are subjects that can be taught across multiple ages with the same lessons.

What I Do

Our language arts and math curriculums provide schedules on when to teach each topic.  We rotate back and forth between History & Social Studies, Art, and Science. We still start this year focusing on Art and then move onto History and Science. I note on the Excel spreadsheet when we will cover each subject.  This year I am moving towards a more student led approach. For example, we will cover Ancient History in the fall and my kids will help choose whether we focus on China, Egypt, Greece, or Rome for these months. They will get to choose their studies for Science as well. We gather as a family for a few subjects: Art, History, Science, and our read alouds.  

3) Plan the read alouds.

Reading aloud to our kids can be one of the most powerful things we do with our day.

If your curriculum doesn’t include read alouds (Sonlight curriculum does), then make a list of books you would like to read throughout the year.  This list can include books that go with a History or Science unit, an author study, or a series of books like Narnia, The Boxcar Children, or The Magic Treehouse.  If you have multiple kids, try and choose books that will appeal to everyone so you’re able to do them as a family.  A great resource for choosing excellent read alouds is Sarah Mackenzie’s Read Aloud Revivial.  She has great book lists for different subjects and ages.  

If you want more literature on the importance of reading aloud, check out The Read Aloud Family and The Enchanted Hour. Both are great reads on the importance of reading aloud as a family.

What I Do

In past years, I have done a lot of author studies and seasonal themes. This year I am using Read Aloud Revival’s monthly book lists to choose the picture books I read aloud each month. We will also read aloud books that go with the kids’ chosen studies.

Our family always likes to have a chapter book going. These books come from Read Aloud Revival, Ambleside Online, and Sonlight’s listed read alouds. Sometimes we make it through most of them, sometimes we make it through half.  Creating a list guarantees there is always another chapter book on deck.

4) Plan the extras.

What else do you want to do this year?

Devotions?  Poetry?  Calendar?  Music?  Art?  Cooking?  Scripture memorization?  There are loads of other things to teach our kids that aren’t included in the core subjects.  If you’re feeling these are important, schedule them into your year.  If this overwhelms you, simply skip and add in these subjects as you have time and energy.  

What I Do

Our extras are simple and don’t take a lot of time and planning.  We use Our 24 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson as our family devotional. We will also memorize a few hymns, songs, and poems this year.

Planning the year is absolutely attainable if taken in small chunks and completed step by step. Remember to work through and complete each step before moving to the next. At the end you will have a plan for A Simpler Homeschool Year.

It’s the time of year when the end of the school year is in sight. Studies are slowly wrapping up and our attention is moving towards the long summer days and what next year will bring. While this is true, let’s finish this homeschool year strong. Let’s dig in, motivate our people, and have lots of fun these last weeks of school.

Finish the Homeschool Year Strong

I get antsy this time of year. I’m thinking about a million things: the garden, summer plans, next school year, soccer, playdates, holiday celebrations. And oh yes, school as well. While it is so tempting to move onto the next thing, I know I need to focus and finish the year strong with my people.

Here are a few ways to add a spark to the last weeks of school and finish strong.

Interest Led Learning

This year a friend gave me the idea for an interest led last month of school. Each kid has chosen something to study and we will dive deep into those topics the next few weeks. It’s one small way we can finish the year on a high note: learning about things we are interested about while having lots of fun.

My oldest wants to study great white sharks, while my kindergartener wants to learn about sting rays, and my four year old chose turtles. We will go to the zoo, watch documentaries, read some books, and do our best to immerse ourselves in these topics. I have absolutely no idea how it will go, but am excited to try something new.

Interest learning is exactly what it sounds like: learning about something you are interested in. If you want to try this concept, begin by asking your kids what they would like to learn about and then…doing it. You all will learn along the way. Check out books from the library, visit destinations in your area that will lead to more learning, invite a friend of family member ‘expert’ to talk to your kids about the topic, watch documentaries or YouTube videos. Make it work for you and your kids and be sure to have fun with your studying.

All About Field Trips

Maybe your family has studied incredibly hard this year and needs a change of scenery. Find destinations in your area to visit and explore. Museums, trails, zoos, gardens, aquariums, nature preserves, parks. This time of year is perfect to put the curriculum aside and go out to see the world. A field trip can incorporate all kinds of subjects in a fun, hands on way.

Read, read, read

We all know how important reading aloud to our kids is for learning, brain development, and connection. Focus on reading to finish the homeschool year strong. Make a goal to read a stack of books together each day. Or come up with a challenge as a family to read a certain number of books and tracking your progress. Maybe even read a book and then watch the movie. Some good ones: Little House on the Prairie, The Wizard of Oz, The BFG, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Heidi.

Connection

Maybe the last few months have been hard. You can feel the connection between you and your kids has been tough. I get it because I’ve been there. I’ve made the mistake too many times to put the curriculum and book work before connection. If you’re feeling that way now, focus on connection these last few weeks. Take each child on a one-on-one date. Begin a Morning Basket, enjoying slow time together each day. Look each of your children in the eyes and really see them. Make family dinner times a priority. Whatever connection looks like for you and your kids, make it happen.

Be sure to Celebrate

Whether you do anything on this list or not, be sure to celebrate the completion of the school year. Commemorate the way you and your kids have worked hard. Recognize the hours, the books, the math concepts learned, the way you didn’t lose your cool when everything seemed to be going wrong. Take a day and celebrate you and your people.

For our family, our last day celebration looks like taking a picture, putting the supplies away, having a fun dinner, and getting a new book for summer reading. For others it will look like ice cream sundaes or a trip to the park or having a program for Grandma and Grandpa. Celebration is a way to recognize and honor the school year and move forward into summer.

For many of us, the school year is coming to an end. How will you finish the homeschool year strong?

If you’ve been in the homeschooling world for any amount of time, there is a good chance you have heard of a Morning Basket. A Morning Basket is a time the family learns together. It can look about a million different ways and can be catered to your families needs, wants, and lifestyle.

We recently began doing a Morning Basket three times a week. It has been a lovely time my kids and I share reading and discussing various books and subjects. I’m going to share what it looks like for us and ask some prompts to get you thinking if a Morning Basket is right for your family.

Morning Basket

Where?

My biggest reason in implementing a Morning Basket is curating more time for us to learn together in a comfy atmosphere. We do our Morning Basket time on the couch. The boundary is the kids can sit anywhere on the couch or on the rug.

Where is a cozy spot you would like to learn together with your kids? Where would you all fit? Is there a place you know your kids would like to spend time with you?

What?

When I decided to do a Morning Basket, I knew I didn’t want to add more to our day. Instead, I shifted when and where we did portions of our day to our Morning Basket time. Our basket consists of our read alouds, poetry, history and science.

Currently in our Morning Basket: Jesus Calling for Kids, Chicken Soup with Rice, Uncle Wiggly’s Story Book, 50 States cards, My Story and the World Around Me, A Child’s First Book of American History, Jan Brett books.

What things do you already do that could go in your morning basket? What is something you have been wanting to do that doesn’t seem to have a place? Are there books you have been wanting to read, but never find the time?

How?

We do not read everything in our Morning Basket everyday. Many times I assess my kids and choose what I think would be interesting and beneficial for each day. We always do a few read alouds (currently reading all the Jan Brett books and Uncle Wiggly’s Story Book) and have been learning about one state a day with our 50 States cards. We rotate everything else: some days we do social studies, some days we read poetry from Chicken Soup with Rice, and some days we sing a few songs (currently Amazing Grace). Catering it to the needs of my kids and the atmosphere of the day allows the time to be pleasant and for learning to occur.

How do you want your Morning Basket time to look? Do you want lots of options to choose from or just a few? Do you want to let your kids choose the books or will you have a plan ahead of time? Will you do everything everyday or choose a few books and activities to do each day?

The Morning Basket is still something we are experimenting with and learning what works for our family as we go. Tell me: does your family have a Morning Basket?

If you’ve been around here long, you know I love a good author study. The past month we have read and enjoyed books by Cynthia Rylant. She is a beloved children’s book author and has written both funny and heartwarming stories for young humans.

Simply reading and enjoying an author’s work is enough, but it can extend learning when partnered with meaningful follow-up activities. Here is what our Cynthia Rylant Author Study looked like this past month.

Cynthia Rylant Author Study

1. Collect books

Cynthia Rylant has written more than 100 children’s books so there is a plethora of choices. Check out a stack of books from the library by Rylant.

2. Learn about the author

Youtube is a great place to hunt down videos about an author. Learn about Rylant and why she writes.

3. Read books by the author

See how many books you can read by this beloved author. Rylant has written many early chapter books, great for early elementary readers including the Henry and Mudge series, the Poppleton series, and the Mr. Putter and Tabby series. Other favorites: When I Was Young in the Mountains, The Relatives Came, Scarecrow and Let’s Go Home.

4. Complete extension activities

Extension activities are completely optional when doing an author study. However, they can bring more meaning to the books and author studied. Here are activities to complete with various Cynthia Rylant books.

Read multiple Mr. Putter and Tabby books. Discuss the theme that appears in these books: friendship. Write a letter to a best friend thanking him/her for being a good friend.

Read Scarecrow. Complete this Scarecrow Art Hub for Kids or one of these scarecrow art projects: Torn Paper Scarecrow, Paper Plate Scarecrow, or Paper Bag Scarecrow.

Read Let’s Go Home. After reading, discuss each child’s favorite room in the home. Draw a map or picture of the room. Another option: go outside and sketch the outside of your home.

Read The Relatives Came. Tell stories of trips and past memories to see family. Have children dictate or write a favorite memory while visiting family.

Read When I was Young in the Mountains. After reading, tell a story of a memory you have from when you were young. Encourage your child to think of a specific memory and use details to tell the story. Find a photograph to go with the memory and glue to a sheet of paper. Have your child dictate the story to you or your child can write the memory on the paper with the photograph.

Read multiple Henry and Mudge books. Model telling a story about a pet. Encourage children to tell a story about a pet, past or current. Children can write the story and draw a picture to go with it.

Read Night in the Country. Let your kids stay up until the sun sets. Go outside and either sit on a blanket or take a walk. Tell them to use their senses to notice things they hear, see, taste, smell, and touch.

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant has an extensive list of books to choose from and read. Her storytelling is heartwarming, funny, and memorable. Tell me: Will you study Cynthia Rylant this year?