If you’re thinking it’s a little early to be back in the classroom you might be right, but I wouldn’t change the way we start off our homeschooling year!
As a public school teacher there is something of a shock when you go from working in your classroom whenever you want to the day the students arrive and suddenly you’re on a SCHEDULE. That shock times ten best describes my transition as a homeschool mom.
Getting my kindergarten classroom ready for the year was one of my favorite things about teaching public school. I still love preparing a bright, clean room for learning at home!
I think the adjustment is harder for me and my kids because we’re at home. (Hence homeschooling…) Our environment hasn’t changed, our behavior has to. And there is no one to oversee that but me.
Like most homeschool families we make do with what we have. My craft desk doubles as a teacher’s desk. Not every teacher has a sewing machine! 🙂
I also hear this as a common fear from parents who want to try teaching their kids at home. “I’m just not sure I could make us get the work done.”
So here’s what I do. We start the first full week in August, but we don’t jump in with both feet. Today we’ll be doing calendar, our first phonics lesson in two months, attempting a short handwriting session, reading together as a family, and playing with some of the “toys” that come in our curriculum for critical and hands-on thinking.
This is today’s workload. A light schedule helps all of us transition to a full day of school!
Next week we add history, since we had the most trouble finishing this subject by the end of the school year in first grade. I’ll also throw in two of our “daily” workbooks, geography and word problems, which are 5 minute daily practice lessons. The third week we’ll begin math, add the daily writing lessons, and begin our religion read-aloud. By the last week of August we’ll add science (it has the fewest overall chapters) and specials like art, music, and PE.
It means we’re doing a full workload about a week after most of Missouri’s public school are back in session, but we’ll have more total hours since we’ve been at it for three weeks already.
This is how we begin our homeschool year at my house. What works for you?
Daddy's Tractor 
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Just starting up… So nervous to begin. LOL
Have fun with it! Remember, you can’t mess it up in one day or one week or even one year. You know your child best and you love your child best- how could that not be the best for him?! And if you need help or have questions contact me!
I may never actually contact you with questions, but that offer completely calmed me down. LOL
Wow what a great idea 🙂 Sounds like a great plan to get everyone back in the mood for learning 🙂 Have a blessed school year 🙂
I’m a private school teacher who loves reading about homeschooling. You guys are amazing to me because you somehow manage to juggle multiple curricula AND keep your kids constantly engaged. My own kids go to the school where I teach, and let me tell you: holding their attention is no small feat. 🙂 Your home classroom looks so cheery, too!
Thanks so much! I’m amazed by working moms, so there ya go!
We have started easing in as well. I started them with sign language lessons for our first day on Tuesday of last week. We have done lots of reading but that never really stopped for us. I have found that Rae, my 6 year old, was behind a little because last year I focused on the older kids and not her so much. Where the older kids are doing light work, Rae is starting full force. Most of our work though is hands on. This week, our homeschool room will be complete. Until now, it has been all over the house, which means a lot of “clutter”.
We are ecletic homeschoolers meaning we do a little book work, a little hands on, and a lot of life skills. If the kids want to learn something that is above their grade level, we often stop what we are doing and learn a little bit. This may mean a 9:30 bedtime lesson or a pull over on the side of the road and inspect an interesting flower, take pictures, and continue the learning from there. It may also mean we stop and watch a house fire (lol) and talk about all the things that happen to make the fire go out and the family safe. Those are the best times about homeschooling. I love it.
Kelly, that is genius! The perfect way to ease into things and still enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve been having.
I went from working full time, to becoming a stay at home mom, to homeschooling too. It is definitely a shock. It took me a while to get used to being at home. At first I didn’t know what my schedule should be.
Now we have been homeschooling going on our third year. I love hearing the way other moms do it. It gives different ideas and helps inspire. Thank you for sharing!
We homeschool all year (but don’t do as much in the summer). Also, most of our work is done at the kitchen table. Though, I’d like to start going outside to do the work when it’s nice.