It is summer. Whew! You have made it through a whole year of homeschooling, taking charge of your children’s education, and teaching them—not just school subjects but how to live healthy, productive, curious, and spiritual lives. Hopefully, you will be able to take a break this summer and regroup. We have some ideas for how you can use your family’s educational hiatus to recharge, keep them learning, and prepare yourself for the coming school year.
Take Some Time to Recharge.
You worked hard this year to make sure your kids are getting the best education possible, and you have earned yourself a little break. Spend some time under a tree with a book, visiting with friends, communing with God in scripture, or whatever it is that will help you come back into the next school year feeling refreshed and ready to go.
Organize Your Learning Space.
A refreshed learning environment can make a big difference in how your homeschool year begins. Take some time this summer to declutter shelves, tidy up supplies, and reconfigure your learning area so it supports focus and creativity. Consider what worked last year, maybe your kids needed a quieter corner, easier access to art materials, or a more comfortable reading spot. A clean, intentional space helps set the tone for a peaceful, productive start to the year.
Review and File Last Year’s Work.
Homeschooling your children requires a strong system of organization, and often, the systems that will work well for each family require a lot of trial and error. Don’t be too hard on yourself if your system was not perfect. Consider what aspects worked well for your family and what didn’t, and organize the work your kids did over the last year. As you are going through these assignments, consider which types of work added the most value to your child’s education and interested them the most, and aim to focus on those kinds of projects in the coming year.
Look Over the Curriculum for Next Year.
If you’ve chosen your curriculum, now is the time to make sure you know what’s coming so you can be prepared. As you look through it, you may want to choose some more interactive activities to supplement the material or do a little studying if you aren’t quite confident enough to explain it to your kids. One of the great parts about homeschooling your kids is that you get to constantly update and refresh your own knowledge base.
Make a Schedule.
Once you’ve seen the curriculum, you can start dividing it up into daily quantities. You can take that information and organize it into a schedule, planning around sports or any other extracurricular activities your children may be involved in.
Attend a Homeschooling Convention.
There are a number of reasons to go to a homeschool convention. Here are a few of the opportunities available at home school conventions:
- Engage with a larger community of parents who have also decided to homeschool their children.
- Bring your kids! There are fun programs designed for teenagers and younger children.
- Hear speakers discuss potential solutions to a variety of common homeschooling obstacles.
- Get encouraged and inspired for the coming year!
- Find used books and curriculum.
Start or Join a Homeschool Group or Co-op.
Partnering with other like-minded parents who are educating their children has a variety of benefits: support from other parents, diversity in expertise among parents, academic advice, and peer socialization opportunities. Summer is a great time to see what is out there and find a community for your children.
Research Field Trip Opportunities in your Area.
Learning beyond the classroom is a major advantage of homeschooling. If you have the time, look for museums, factory tours, or other educational opportunities. Field trips can bring academic content to life, get your kids thinking about jobs that may interest them, and make learning fun. Check out these 50 ideas for possible homeschool field trips. You can plan to take these trips during the summer or schedule them throughout the year to supplement your students’ curriculum.
Talk to Other Enlightium Academy Homeschooling Parents.
Other homeschool parents can give you ideas for the coming year and remind you that you are not alone. You can also gather together to pray for your kids, each other, and the coming school year. Enlightium parents can join the Enlightium Parents App to connect with other families in your state or country, direct message other parents, learn about upcoming events, and more.
Read up on Homeschool Curriculum Options.
There are so many teaching philosophies out there for homeschooling. While you have a little time on your hands, take a look at what new research is saying works well for kids, figure out your personal education philosophy, and always stay on the lookout for next year’s curriculum.
Since 2003, Enlightium faculty and staff have served partner schools, hybrid, online, and homeschool K-12 students. With parental support, excellent instruction, and a personalized approach to learning, Enlightium equips students with the academic, spiritual, physical, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed in life. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (509) 319-2288 or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com.
