There are 4 benefits to planning early for the next homeschool year. Also, look on my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.
Whether you are a plan-a-holic or prefer to wait until your children cover most of the curriculum you got the year before, planning for the next homeschool year is one of the most thrilling things about homeschooling.
Besides being just plain fun to do, there are at least 4 benefits to planning early for the next homeschool year.
Too, look at some of the how to homeschool books which will help you have a great start or if you need to switch midstream.
5 BEST How to Homeschool Books
I've rounded up some of the best books to help you get started homeschooling.
Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.
Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but "The Unhurried homeschooler" takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.
Those who have made the decision to homeschool their children have done so out of great love for their children and a desire to provide them an excellent education in the context of a warm, enriching home.
Parents who are deeply invested in their children's education can be hard on themselves and their kids. When exhausted parents are living the day-to-day grind, it can seem impossible to muster enough energy to make learning fun or interesting. How do parents nurture a love of learning amid childhood chaos, parental self-doubt, the flu, and state academic standards?
Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives.
Next, look at these 4 benefits to planning your homeschool year early.
4 Benefits to Planning Your Homeschool Year Early
If you have kept up with what is working and what is not working during the year, then you have a beginning point in what you are actually wanting to purchase.
1. You Have a Beginning Point for Purchases
Walking into a curriculum filled convention, smelling all those wonderful smells is too enticing for even the most experienced homeschooler.
It is hard to resist buying on impulse. I know, I have done it.
Having a beginning point helps you to buy curriculum that your children will actually use and benefit from.
2. Purchases Can Be Spread Out
Helping a lot of homeschoolers, I know money matters when it comes to purchases.
Too, the more children you have to buy curriculum for the smarter it is to spread your buying out over several months.
I know when I have done this, I have gotten exactly what each child needed.
I didn’t feel like I settled for anything because I didn’t wait to the last minute to buy and feel the pressure of the new school year.
Sometimes the best time to buy is when you have received your tax refund, if you get one.
Curriculum vendors know this and will run a spring sale on curriculum.
Take advantage of spring savings and buy online from reputable places like Rainbow Resource.
3. You Get Choice Picks of Second Hand Homeschool Materials
Like me, if you like to use part new materials and part gently used curriculum, then you have to start early.
By mid-spring or later, popular used curriculum is in hot demand and sellers know this.
If you are wanting to sell and get top dollar, then plan to have your gently used curriculum ready early in spring to sale.
If you are a buyer and want to get a good value, then look at off-peak times like January or February when sellers are clearing out for the next school year.
4. Avoid Back Order Backup
Is it just me or are you sorely disappointed when you finally decide to buy that curriculum that makes your heart go pitter patter only to find out that it is on back-order?
I have done this several times because I thought I was being cautious. I ended up delaying the start of my school year.
More Homeschooling Year Around Tips
- What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 1
- What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 2
- Homeschooling Year Round – Chaos Or Calm?
- How a Homeschool Planning Calendar is Superior to a Regular Calendar
- 4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year
Disappointed is an understatement to how I felt when all books or supplies were not in my shipment.
To the outside world, we may seem slightly insane to be so over the top when it comes to homeschool planning.
However, planning for the next homeschool year is one of the best ways to brighten up the coming months in spring, especially if you are coming out of long cold winter days.
How about you?
Are you a plan-a-holic and pretty well plan year around or do you have a specific time you plan?
You forgot the most IMPORTANT benefit of planning early — you get to spend ages putting together an insanely gorgeous home ed 7-step planner, using Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool resources! You might have heard of this lady 😉
The time spent putting a planner together also helps me to think about what thinking I need to do during the year, and how the planner could provide practical support. I would strongly advise visitors to this blog/site to take the time making the 7-step planner, getting it bound as Tina explains, and customising it to your needs.
PS This year I did not print out my cover in colour, but chose the ‘grayscale’ option on Adobe Reader when printing. Then I used brightly-coloured card for the cover, and in that way I still had a fabbilicious cover and could choose any design I wanted to..
PPS I tend to buy books as soon as I hear about them, because a lot of stuff for children goes out of print. Also, I can spread the cost throughout the year. I am an AVON lady, and use my “lipstick money” for books, dance classes, etc.
Anthea you’re a HOOT!!!
Thank you for your sweet comments about the planner!! I sure love putting mine together each year. I loved hearing too how you customized it to fit your needs.
So true, sometimes you have to buy books right away. I do that too sometimes.
P.S. I LOVE Avon!! lol
And really enjoyed your comment!!
Hmmm…… I mentally plan all year long it seems. We homeschool year round so I kinda plan as I go. I have a general guideline of what I want to accomplish for the year but do the “main” part of our planning throughout the year. I keep most of my ideas for the following school year on a thumb drive. We don’t purchase too much “actual” curriculum, we use mostly free resources. So thankfully for me, back orders don’t pose much of a problem. Plus, our family chases many rabbit holes along the way. We find new things to study, new interests to explore, so planning too far in advance just doesn’t work for our crazy and relaxed personalities.
Thank you for another good post!
Brandy @ Our Thrifty Home recently posted…Do I really have to teach everything?
Glad to know that I am not the only one who plans year round…lol
Love your idea of keeping it on a thumb drive. And there is a certain advantage to seizing the moment.
I loved hearing how you plan Brandy!!