How the Very Organized Homeschool Mom Does It All
I bound out of bed, full of energy at 6:00 a.m. I read the next chapter in My Utmost for His Highest and the Psalms, then breeze through level 3 of Jillian’s 30-Day Shred workout DVD. I don my chic, size 6, J. Crew outfit. As I saunter into my sparkling kitchen to make omelets and fruit cups for breakfast, my well-mannered teenagers, perfectly groomed, joyfully help to set the table.
Schoolwork is quietly buzzing along by 8:00 a.m., so I decide to start the first load of laundry. After hanging the clothes out to dry, I sweep off the deck and water my spring starter plants. While the girls contentedly self-teach geometry and fractions, I work on an editing job. At mid-morning, we pause for carrot sticks with hummus and a poetry recitation. After our morning recess comes more learning for the teenagers and more work for me.
For lunch, my budding chefs whip up a delicious, healthful recipe from their home economics course. Following a general clean up of the kitchen, we’re ready for our art history lesson accompanied by our classical listening selections. Every afternoon includes a different extra-curricular activity for each well-rounded girl, so my sleek Nissan is always on the go.
A home-cooked meal followed by family devotions sets up our relaxed evenings of enjoying each other’s company as we play Scrabble, Borderline, or Monopoly until bedtime.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!! What’s that? Oh, time to get up. That’s the third time I’ve hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. Too bad, I was having such a lovely dream . . . Maybe next time I’ll be a little more practical about real time organization tips.
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
Beyond Blah
January 28, 2010 by Bethany
It’s that time of year again. You know, the one that follows the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the mid-winter blah time of the year. No matter how much you and your kids love snow, you’re bound to get tired of it at some point during the cold, dark, shorter winter days. Can you tell I’m a warm, sunshine kinda gal? Since moving to Florida or Arizona isn’t in my plans for right now, I’ve had to brainstorm some more practical ideas for not only beating the mid-winter blahs, but for bouncing back from them.
My teenager and her friends came up with the following list: writing a story or writing in a journal, drawing, going to the farm (aka riding horses). and going to the movies with friends.
From my health-conscious acquaintances: get outside for some fresh air and sunshine the second you see the sun peeking through the clouds; get plenty of exercise (inside or outside); take a nice, long, soothing bubble bath (with a “do not disturb mom sign” on the door!); stay hydrated with plenty of water; eat nutritiously.
The Bible gives us some great encouragement and advice:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:25).
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (psalm 55:22).
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothe me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:11–12). Scriptures quoted from the NIV.
Here are some just-for-fun ideas: Have a summer-themed party inside, crank up the heat, put on a pair of shorts, blast the Beach Boys, and toss a beach ball around. Go outside and make snow angels—with or without your kids. Have a snowball fight with your honey; you know you want to! Warm up with hot chocolate, your favorite Starbucks drink, or a pot of tea with some chocolate chip cookies.
The bottom line is hang in there; this too shall pass. Before you know it, the math will click (I hope!), the days will be longer and warmer, the kids will stop fighting (at least for a little while), and you’ll realize that the blahs have become a bed of roses.
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
My Mamma Raised Me Right
December 17, 2009 by Bethany
Is it just me, or are thank you notes (the paper kind you hold in your hand) becoming obsolete? Are they following the dwindling number of friendly letters and Christmas letters and cards that used to stuff our mailboxes? Well, my mum (she’s Canadian, but I thought the southern phrase more apropos for the title) taught me to acknowledge every gift with a handwritten thank you note. If your techno-kids balk, here are some inspirations to help reinstate the good old-fashioned thank you note.
1. Don’t restrict Thanksgiving to a single day or month. On the contrary, the fact that Thanksgiving comes exactly a month before the day when kids get overloaded with new toys, books, and electronic gadgets should prime them for even more thankfulness.
2. Someone—grandparent, aunt, sibling, parent—took the time to pick out a special gift for each child in your home. The least a child can do in return is to take the time to hand write a note acknowledging appreciation for the gift and for the thought that went into its purchase.
3. The Bible leads the way in encouraging thankful attitudes. “Offer to God thanksgiving” (Psalm 50:14a NJKV). “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4, NKJV). “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20 NKJV).
4. You can count writing thank you notes as a school project! Just look at all the subjects you’ll cover: grammar (proper letter forms and written grammar), handwriting, art (if they design their own), spelling, and etiquette (it is good manners to write thank you notes).
5. Let’s face it: the kids will be looking for something to do in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The novelty of the new toys will wear off about two days after they’re opened and writing thank you notes can help fill in the time gap before you’re ready to jump back into formal lessons in January.
6. Yes, grandparents know that little Jimmy just loved the Tonka truck, but writing a thank you note is kind of like saying “I love you.” You know it, but it’s still nice to hear frequently.
7. Many children enjoy designing their own cards or drawing pictures. The recipients will enjoy seeing those pictures and cards on their refrigerators. This works especially well with children who are too young to write complete sentences; they can draw pictures of themselves playing with their new toys.
How many ways can you say thank you? Shukran Gazillan, Thoinks, Moite! Wado, Xie_Xie, Merci, Danke sehr, Mahalo, Köszönöm, Grazie, Cheers, Salamat, Spasiba, Tapadh Leat, Gracias a todos, Tesekkurler, Thanks y’all! (http://www.etailersdigest.com/greetings/saythanks.htm)
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
Doe the Nexte Thynge
October 29, 2009 by Bethany
What should I do next? That question has often left me in a tizzy trying to figure out which item on my very important list of things to do right now ought to be the next thing to receive my attention. Yes, I’ve read the books on prioritizing. Yes, I usually make a physical, written list of all that needs to be accomplished in a day. But, my lists always seem to have the word urgent beside each item. How do I choose what to do next?
A few months ago as I was cleaning out some files, I can across a copy of a page out of an old devotional book that was sent to me by my mother years ago. It contains an ancient poem that sums up what one must do on those occasions when it seems impossible to do anything. It simply says to do the next thing. I’m going to take the liberty of quoting the poem in its entirety here. The original author is anonymous.
From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
It’s quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And on through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DOE THE NEXTE THYNGE.”Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, doe the nexte thynge.Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all resulting, doe the nexte thynge.Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be they demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as he beckons thee, doe the nexte thynge.
Still not sure where to turn next? Isaiah 30:21 makes it clear that God will show you which direction to go, if you listen to him. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’” (NKJV). Is your hand empty? “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you’” (Isaiah, 41:13, NKJV). Did you have plans that got shot out of the water before 9 a.m. today? Yep, so did I. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV).
So, what’s next? Is the baby’s diaper emanating a stench? Change it. Is your fifth grader stuck on the mysteries of making equivalent fractions? Teach her how. Will your hubby be home for dinner in an hour? Put supper in the oven. Find the next thing to do, and then do it. The longer you spend agonizing over what to do, the more time you waste. Just do it!
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
The Procrastinator’s Guide to Planning
October 8, 2009 by Bethany
Remember the teacher’s planner that enthralled you so much at the convention that you bought it? Its purpose is not just to look pretty on your shelf or on your computer’s desktop. It’s time to pull it out and start using it, or to figure out all the features it has if you’ve purchased an e-planner. Yes, I mean right now (well, after you’ve finished reading this)! If you follow a more traditional school year, you’ve probably recently started the new school year. The good news is that it’s not too late to start using your planner!
First of all, plan—at least roughly—your starting and ending dates for the school year. Be sure to incorporate holidays and other dates you know you’ll be taking off from official academics. Make sure you have the required 180 days. It’s okay if these dates fluctuate during the year—really—at least you’ve got a framework.
The next step is to write all these dates into your paper planner or to program them into your e-planner. The nice thing about e-planners is that they will calculate the number of days for you and it’s much easier to change dates if something unexpected comes up, and it will. This feature comes in handy towards the end of the year when the kids (and you) are getting antsy for the last day of school. Many states require you to keep and submit a yearly attendance log, which will be a breeze once you start using your e-planner. No more counting out days trying to remember if you did school on Columbus Day or not.
Mid-range planning involves breaking the school year down into quarters (or whatever units you use), then months, and then weeks. I plan which books will be read when and which projects go with which history and science units. I also look at every textbook, workbook, and living book we’ll be using to see approximately how many pages and chapters need to be done every quarter, month, and week. It saves time when I do my short-term planning during the school year, and it also helps me keep the children on track to finish each book by the end of the school year (but not three months early, unless we want to do it that way).
Short-term planning, in case you haven’t figured it out by now, involves planning specific pages, chapters, lessons, and projects for each day of the school week. I have found that it works best for me to do this once every two weeks. Doing it every week tends to feel cumbersome and never-ending. If I do it only every three or four weeks, we tend to get out of sync too easily by an unexpected field trip or illness. It may take you a few tries to figure out what timing works best for you, but you will be much more relaxed throughout the school year if you take a little bit of time now to do so.
Leave me a note and let me know how you’re coming along with your planning. I’d love to hear from you!
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
Make a Wall Timeline Without a Wall
September 14, 2009 by Bethany
You’ve all seen them. Many of you have drooled over them. What are they? They’re large timelines covering an entire wall or walls—or even an entire schoolroom. You know the ones I mean: they’re the really cool timelines around the perimeter of the really cool, official schoolrooms (as opposed to the kitchen where many of you do school). You know the rooms I mean: the beautiful, organized, separate schoolrooms with a desk for each child, file cabinets, and bookshelves filled to the brim with books, manipulatives, binders, and tools to make learning and teaching easy. Yep, we’ve all drooled over those rooms at one time or another. But, what if you don’t have a room like that? What if you don’t have enough wall space, either on one wall or around the perimeter, in order to do a wall timeline? What if your husband (or you!) objects to having the timeline in the kitchen or in the living room?
The answer is to put your timeline on a door. We all have doors in our houses, so why not utilize one of them for a large-scale timeline? No matter what your teaching style is, timelines can be a useful tool to show history. Especially for younger children, time and history eras can be an abstract concept. A timeline can make them concrete. A wall timeline can be as simple or as complex as you wish. It can cover multiple centuries or just one or two hundred years. Here is a picture of my whole timeline. This particular one goes from 1400 to the present time. For us, it’s covering two years of history.
I used sentence strip paper that I bought at a local education store, but it’s also available on Amazon for very little money. My sentence strip papers are 23 ½ inches long and 3 inches high. I used one strip per century and divided it into decades. Each decade is between 2 ¼ and 2 ½ inches long. I folded a template strip in half, and then made four more folds for a total of nine folds. Then I used a sharpie to mark each fold for a decade. I used my template to mark each of seven different sentence strip papers into decades for different centuries.
After I had the strips marked with decades, I made sure that they were in order, started with the oldest dates at the top, and worked my way down the door. I had to position them several times to make sure that I left enough room in between each strip.
Now that the actual timeline is on the door, what else do you put on it? I bought a book of figures at a used curriculum fair called Historical Timeline Figures by Liberty Wiggers. Homeschool in the Woods makes a great line of timeline figures as well. At the beginning of each year, I look through the timeline figures book and cut out every figure that belongs in the time period that we’ll be studying that year. If you’ve got a CD, you would simply print out the applicable figures. Then, I divide them into groups so that each group has a manageable number of figures (fifty-year groups this year) and put each group in a labeled envelope.
As we study history throughout the year, I pull out the appropriate envelope and have my daughter put the figures on the timeline in order using a small amount of sticky tack. Ta-da! We have a wall timeline—a large, always-visible representation of history—without a wall.
If you’ve wanted to have a wall timeline in your house, but have felt limited because of space, this is your solution. It’s still fairly early in the academic year, so it’s not too late to put one up now. Enjoy!
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
Reality Check
August 17, 2009 by Bethany
It’s just about time for the new school year to start (for those following a more traditional school year). In fact, exactly one week from today (the day you’re reading this) is our first day of tenth grade and sixth grade. High school and middle school! Yikes! Where did the time go?
When I was younger, say twenty years ago, and imagining my life in the future, I used to picture myself with some well-behaved, well-dressed grade-school aged children—one holding each hand with maybe another one or so trailing along. I pictured myself as a stay-at-home mom with a spotless mansion and a hot dinner on the table each night when my high-powered executive husband came home from work at five on the dot.
Close your eyes. Okay, finish the paragraph first. Let your mind go back ten or twenty years. Bring to mind the picture you had in your head of where you would be now. What would your house look like? What would your family look like? Would you work outside the home? Now, close your eyes just for a minute and imagine all of that.
Did your long-ago imagined life match up to today’s reality? Mine didn’t, either. After all, I never pictured having teenagers in the house. I certainly never envisioned the “Honey, there’s a problem at the office and I can’t leave yet” phone calls. I never even thought to worry about money or to worry about what kind of education my children would be getting. I had never even heard of homeschooling twenty years ago.
So, maybe I should forget about all the daydreams, let alone all the planning. After all, if nothing’s going to turn out the way I dreamed or planned why bother?
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation [vision, direction], the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law” (NKJV, bracketed words added by me). Okay, but how does this apply to homeschoolers? The most obvious application is to have a plan—for each day, each week, each month, or each year. I’m not trying to insist that everyone plan the same way I do or to the same level that I do, but I am asserting that everyone should have some kind of a plan.
Let me just list a few important reasons to have a plan, any plan:
- A plan is the roadmap to your final destination.
- A plan ensures that you make—and meet—goals.
- A plan gives you a sense of accomplishment as you work through it.
- A plan helps your children to be in the same car, on the same trip, not just on the same map.
- A plan makes sure that you don’t forget to teach something important, like how to write in cursive.
So, what do you do when your dreams end up being pipe dreams? What do you do when your plan gets messed up? You punch in “detour” on your GPS system. You take a look at your dreams and plans and see how realistic they were. You take another look and see if maybe God’s dreams for you are even better than what your dreams were. Pray through your plans and rewrite them if necessary. If it’s just a matter of doing two history lessons tomorrow because you needed extra time on a math lesson today, don’t sweat it. Yes, I’m preaching to myself here! Perhaps the most important thing to remember here is to let God direct our steps. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NJKV). To me, that admonition can be summed up in one word: balance.
So, go ahead and make your lessons plans for the upcoming year. I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time making lessons plans already and it’s only the middle of July as I write this. Let me just give you one more example of how life doesn’t always go the way we planned it. This was not the article I intended to write for this month’s Heart of the Matter post. I planned to write about getting ready for the new school year with practical tips and advice. As I was typing along, minding my own business, this is what happened! It must be what I needed to learn right now. I pray it will help you, too. However, I will give you some links to old posts on my blog if you would like some more practical school planning pointers.
Click here to learn what mid-range planning is and how to do it. Learn how to use your summer time to maximize your planning for the fall. Here is what to do with that nifty, unused teacher’s planner you bought last year (hard copy or software).
Planning is good! BUT, be prepared to have God reroute your GPS along the homeschooling journey.
Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.
Turn Any Vacation into a Field Trip
July 20, 2009 by Bethany
We’re baaack! Today is Thursday and we pulled into the driveway on Saturday. Yes, the suitcases are put away; yes, the dirty clothes are all washed; yes, the sand pails and towels are cleaned up and stored. The pictures are even off my camera and onto the computer. What?! Already?! Yep. How?
Day one: unpack all suitcases to either hampers or drawers, as appropriate; put suitcases away; empty coolers and food bags.
Day two: store coolers in shed and start laundry, make menu and grocery lists.
Day three: continue laundry, go grocery shopping, clean and store beach toys, mats, umbrellas, etc.
Day four: finish extra laundry, transfer pictures from camera to computer, and make sure kids have finished unpacking and putting away items from their car/toy/book bags.
Day five: sort pictures for printing and upload to internet, make lists for coming week. Done!
So, with a bit of planning and effort you can have a well-organized house after your vacations as well as before it. I say that it’s an effort because I recognize that it would feel easier (for a while anyway) to dump all the suitcases and sand pails on the living floor for a few weeks; however, the sooner things are back to normal, the better you’ll feel, trust me!
Next project: have my kids produce something that looks educational from our vacation.
Last summer, we went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and spent most of our time playing in the ocean and sunning ourselves on the beach. Doesn’t sound very educational, does it? But, do you know the composition of sand? Do you know why there are tides?
Neither did we, until we visited the Cape Hatteras National Park and participated in an interactive ranger program. You’ve heard of the famous pirate named Blackbeard, but did you know that some women were also pirates? Again, neither did we, until we sat through an interesting ranger talk. Wiggly children would much rather walk through a hands-on exhibit about the Wright brothers and their first airplanes than sit and read a textbook.
My youngest daughter earned a Junior Park Ranger badge and patch by completing an educational packet. Programs packets are available for children of all ages.
Our national parks are not only a great heritage, but they are also very educational. We should take advantage of these free or low-cost programs and activities whenever we can. With a bit of pre-scouting, it’s possible to find a national park close to just about every location you could visit in the United States. Even bustling cities like Philadelphia and Boston have national parks and programs that cover many of the historical sites there.
We can also write short essays, make photo scrapbooks with journaling, draw pictures with captions, or make lap books to show what we learned. Of course, I didn’t breathe a word about “school” while we were on vacation, but that doesn’t mean that learning didn’t happen or that it can’t be recorded on my state attendance chart! And that is the beauty of homeschooling.
Bethany S. LeBedz has been married for over fifteen years and is the homeschooling mother to two delightful girls, ages thirteen and eleven. She lives in North Carolina. In addition to homeschooling, she is also a freelance editor and writer. She posts homeschool organization tips and educational reviews to her blog momishome2. In her (very limited) free time, she enjoys reading, participating in Daughters of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution, and performing in musical events.
Summer School
July 7, 2009 by Bethany
No, I’m not talking about schooling year-round. I realize that some families find schooling year-round to be a viable option for many reasons, but my purpose here is not to discuss the merits of either a traditional school calendar or schooling year-round. Our family has chosen to school according to a more traditional school calendar, although we do make it work for us and not the other way around. However, I don’t want my children to forget everything during their summer break.
A few times a week, I have them work on some of their weaker skills for a short period (say, half an hour to an hour). We do math speed drills, typing games, and reading comprehension exercises. Of course, you can choose whatever skills your children need to work on. I let the kids do more of their drilling on the computer and try to incorporate more fun learning games as well.
Early in the summer, I make summer reading lists. I base the lists on my kids’ current reading levels, books that go along with the past or coming year’s history, and recommended books from a variety of sources. My favorite lists this year came from Veritas Press. Every time we make a trip to the library, the kids must choose several books off my list (and read them first) and then they are free to choose several fun books. I generally don’t require formal book reports of the books off the reading list (it is, after all, summertime); however, I do ask a few general questions to check their comprehension level.
Field trips are cleverly disguised as vacations. Last summer, we went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and spent most of our time playing in the ocean and sunning ourselves on the beach. Doesn’t sound very educational, does it? But, do you know the composition of sand? Do you know why there are tides? Neither did we, until we visited the Cape Hatteras National Park and attended one of their free ranger talks right on the beach. What a great summer science lesson! Everyone has heard of the famous pirate named Blackbeard, but did you know that there were also some women who were pirates? Again, neither did we, until we sat through an interesting ranger talk. Oh, there’s a history lesson! My youngest daughter earned a Junior Park Ranger badge by completing an educational packet.
Overseas mission trips provide a plethora of geography, cultural, and historical lessons, as well as character development. Other post-vacation activity possibilities include writing short essays (disguised as letters to the grandparents or entries for a local newsletter), making photo scrapbooks with journaling, drawing pictures with captions, or making lap books to show what we learned. Of course, I don’t breathe a word about “school” while we’re on vacation, but that doesn’t mean that learning didn’t happen or that it can’t be recorded. And that is the beauty of homeschooling.
Summer school also includes library programs, crafts, and learning other life skills that we somehow don’t have time for during the school year. It’s a great time to pull out the sewing machine and teach your daughter how to sew by making her first apron. It’s also a great time to work on the family (or individual) scrapbooks. Science lessons can include fireflies and fireworks. Homeschooling isn’t just about workbooks—it’s about a lifestyle of learning.
See, that’s not so bad! I don’t label what we do summer school, but just call it sharpening our skills. You can call it whatever you want, but the purpose is the same: to keep kids in the learning mindset while still enjoying a rejuvenating break from the routine of the school year.
Check out my article on page 12 of the funky flipbook edition of Heart of the Matter Magazine.
Bethany S. LeBedz has been married for over fifteen years and is the homeschooling mother to two delightful girls, ages thirteen and eleven. She lives in North Carolina. In addition to homeschooling, she is also a freelance editor and writer. She posts homeschool organization tips and educational reviews to her blog momishome2. In her (very limited) free time, she enjoys reading, participating in Daughters of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution, and performing in musical events.
Summer Scheduling for a Fabulous Fall
July 7, 2009 by Bethany
The key to a smooth start of the school year is to begin planning early. Yes, I know the summer is just beginning, but the end of August (or even the beginning of September) comes quickly. In order not to feel overwhelmed the weekend before I plan to start school with the kids, and in order not to feel like I’m completely missing my summer vacation, I do a little bit of planning at a time. This is an unnecessary step for those of you using a prepackaged curriculum, but for those of you using a combination of curricula or making up your own, this will save many prep hours during the year.
There are several types of planning that make homeschooling go more smoothly: long-range planning, mid-term planning, and short-term planning. They can be detailed, but let me just give a brief summary of each for now.
Long-term planning involves choosing curriculum/publisher for each child (for each subject) that matches her learning style and will be used for several years in order to have continuity in each subject. This doesn’t necessarily lock you and your child into curriculum you both hate. You can always change (even, gulp, mid-year). It can also involve planning which science classes and which history and literature periods will be covered during the four years of high school (or grade school). Deciding which method of homeschooling (classical, Charlotte Mason, traditional, eclectic, etc.) suits your family best falls under long-term planning, too. These types of planning are not to make you feel boxed in. Rather, they are to give you a road map for where you’re going. You’ve looked at where you want to be (what you want your children to learn while they’re under your roof, and what things are most important to pass down to them), so this plan is the map for how to get there.
Mid-range planning involves breaking the school year down into quarters (or whatever units you use), then into months, then into weeks. I plan which books will be read when and which projects go with which history and science units. I also look at every textbook, workbook, and living book we’ll be using to see approximately how many pages and chapters need to be done every quarter, month, and/or week. It saves time when I do my short-term planning during the school year, and it also helps me keep the children on track to finish each book by the end of the school year (but not three months early, unless we want to do it that way). Again, this is just a framework, not a rigid box. This is what I do during the summer months. I’ve got my master plan, the main roadmap for our overall goals; each year, I need to refresh my memory and make sure we’re actually headed towards our goals and haven’t gotten sidetracked by the latest and greatest each, but not meeting our overall needs, curriculum or fun class. You will be much more relaxed throughout the school year if you take a little bit of time during the summer to plan ahead.
Short-term planning involves planning specific pages, chapters, lessons, and projects for each day of our school week. I have found that it works best for me to do this once every two weeks. I don’t do this nitty-gritty stuff during the summer, but I just want to give you an idea of how you can use the mid-range summer planning to your advantage during the school year. Doing it every week tends to feel cumbersome and never-ending. If I do it only every three or four weeks, we tend to get out of sync too easily by an unexpected field trip or illness. It may take you a few tries to figure out what timing works best for you.
Many tools exist to help you with all this planning. You can go to a teachers’ supply store or a homeschool convention and find many different types of paper planners. If you like to have a physical notebook in your hands, this is the way to go. Take the time to choose the style that will best suit your needs: large family, unit studies, high school, and many others are available. When I used paper planners, my favorites were these two: The Home Schooler’s Journal, published by Fergnus Services Foundations for Learning, and Homeschool Teacher’s Plan Book, by Grace Publications. If you’re computer savvy and don’t want extra papers cluttering your desk, then check out the wide selection of electronic planners available. Some are web-based, meaning that your computer has to be connected to the internet in order to access them. Some can be downloaded from the Internet, and some can be purchased on a CD-ROM to download onto your computer yourself.
The Old Schoolhouse recently introduced a homeschool planner that promised to have every conceivable form you could imagine. It’s a combination deal: it’s a digital download to your computer. You can fill it out on the computer and leave it there, or you can print it out to have a hard copy in your binder. I currently use Homeschool Tracker Basic, a great basic planner. An upgrade with more features is available for purchase. I can keep track of both kids’ lesson plans on my laptop and print out separate weekly plans for them. Printing out the plans enables my children to work more independently. There are many freebies online, so if you’re trying to decide whether or not planning on the computer is for you, that’s a good place to start.
Check out my article on page 14 of the funky flipbook edition of Heart of the Matter Magazine.
Bethany S. LeBedz has been married for over fifteen years and is the homeschooling mother to two delightful girls, ages thirteen and eleven. She lives in North Carolina. In addition to homeschooling, she is also a freelance editor and writer. She posts homeschool organization tips and educational reviews to her blog momishome2. In her (very limited) free time, she enjoys reading, participating in Daughters of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution, and performing in musical events.
