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Planning for a new Homeschool Year

Writer's picture: Niki LavinNiki Lavin

The stress. The research overload. The anxiety. They endless sea of options. It can all be so overwhelming. But here are a few tips that can help you narrow down that sea to a pond and help you keep focused on what is going to be the best fit for your homeschool.


Step 1) Evaluate

If you are already homeschooling, how are things going currently in your homeschool? What is working and what isn't working? If you have a curriculum that you know is working well for you, don't even look at new curriculum for that subject. Trust me, it does you no good. LOL


If you are pulling your child from public school, what do they already know. You may already know what they struggle with and what they excel at. If you are just starting out with a younger child, what things to they enjoy doing? If like doing worksheets, then you may want workbooks. If they enjoy creating things, you may want something more hands-on. Know where your child is at will help you know what they need. So evaluate where you are and what you don't need to look for is the first step and narrowing down your search.


Step 2) What are your Whys?

If you have been homeschooling already, you need to re-visit your whys. This is an important step that sometimes gets skipped over by us veteran homeschoolers, but it is an important step to make sure you are hitting. You need to know where you are going when you are deciding what tools to use to get you there. You don't want to be walking when you should be driving.


If you only want to homeschool for the younger years and will be putting your child into public school for high school, then you will want to find curriculum that meets national/state standards of learning. If your goal is to functional adults in todays world, then you may want to find a curriculum that includes more life skills than strictly academics. Know the direction you are headed can help you narrow down your search. And sometimes it can even help reduce the stress of "trying to do it all" that we sometimes feel as homeschoolers (or moms!).


Step 3) Budget

It is important to think about your budget before you start looking at curriculum. If you know that you have a limited budget, you are not going to want to even look at programs that have hefty price tags. If it is not an option to spend that kind of money on it, it's not worth your time to research it (and maybe get your hopes up). So having an idea about the amount of money you are going to be able to spend can help you narrow your search as well.


Tip 4) Research!

This is the fun part. It's now time to start looking for options that fit the parameters you have laid out in the first 3 steps. Start watching all the YouTube videos, reading, all the blogs, and diving deep into all the websites. Don't forget your homeschool mom friends. Maybe they have used something you are interested in and can loan you a copy to look at.


Another tip is to contact the curriculum companies themselves. Sometimes they have people who's dedicated job is to help answer questions people have about their curriculum. So use that resource. They may be able to give you insight that no one else can. Allow yourself time for this step but set a date for yourself for when you would like to have your choices made. This will help keep you from getting lost in the deep end of the curriculum sea. You don't want to be as thorough as possible, but at some point you are just going to have to choose. And if your anything like me, deadlines will make you more productive. LOL


Tip 5) Make a Plan

You may not need to buy all of your curriculum at one time. So set up a plan on when you would like to get the items you have chosen. Maybe you can wait for a sale. Maybe you have time to search used curriculum. Maybe you can wait a few months to pick up the next level, because you won't be ready for it yet.


Maybe your budget dictates that you can only buy one or two at a time. Which is more important to get first. You might need to get math and language arts now, but you can wait to get science or history for a month or two.


But most important part of your plan... STOP looking! Lol. I know easier said than done. But try to resist the urge to keep looking at curriculum. If something comes across your path that seems like the perfect fit, by all means take a look. But don't be actively searching for something knew once you have made your decisions.


Final Thoughts

I know this process can seem overwhelming sometimes, but you've got this! You choose to homeschool because you have your child's best interest at heart. You are the best person for this job. And no matter what you choose, remember you can always adjust later.


I hope you found this step-by-step guide helpful! If you would like to hear me chat more about this topic, head on over to YouTube (linked below) to watch my video about this topic. Even better, this video was part of a collaboration with other homeschooling moms of all walks of life sharing how they pick curriculum for a new year. So you have all the advice you could need to set yourself up for success!


As always, feel free to ask any and all questions down and the comments. And to the veteran homeschool mommas - what are your best tips and tricks for picking new curriculum? Share with us!


Happy Curriculum Hunting! Wish you all the stars aligning, fairy dusty, and positivity!



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