The thing about most homeschoolers is we aren’t home all that often. We love getting involved in classes, sports, and educational activities. Our biggest problem isn’t finding these opportunities; it’s deciding which to participate in!
This week we will get organized for these extra-curricular activities so they don’t overwhelm us at the beginning of the traditional school year.
#1 Discuss potential activities
I don’t recommend that you start with research. Overwhelm is the inevitable result of checking out every possibility. Talk with the kids about their ideas, but share yours, too. Parents are the ones who have to drive to activities, hang out during activities, and pay for the activities! Pray about the opportunities that will put the least stress on your family and may even be something you could enjoy together.
Our family has participated in a homeschool P.E. class for years. Everyone enjoys it and I have made numerous friends through it.
#2 Research
Once you have a short list of interests, find out what is available in your area and when. I find our homeschool support group invaluable for this kind of information. You can get the details and reviews of opportunities.
As you are making some decisions, try to combine outside activities on one or two days and see if allowances can be made to include younger siblings in the same classes to save you time. This summer, my four sons have been playing tennis on two times. My oldest son drives his brother to matches, all his brothers to practice (which is at the same time), leaving just one match we have to drive to. If only every activity could be that easy!
#3 Register
When you’ve made your final decisions, get registered. Fill out paperwork and pay any dues. Don’t put it off! I will never forget dragging four little ones to register for classes that were closed because I was at the end of the line. Don’t let this happen to you!
#4 Shop
Some classes will have a materials list. Others are sports that may require appropriate clothing or equipment. Shop today for these supplies or add them to your shopping list for your regular errand day.
If you are a homeschooler who participates in Classical Conversations, co-op classes you teach, or unit studies, this is the week you will use to prepare for these courses. I put this preparation ahead of other core curriculum planning (which will be next week), because other people often depend on us to be prepared in this area. Whenever I have left my co-op planning for the last minute, I have been sorry! We’re going to be organized homeschoolers and be ready well ahead of time.
#1 Set up system of organization
When outside classes or other people are involved in your studies, organization becomes even more important. Today, you will do any of the following, depending on what studies you are planning:
Set up a meeting with other teachers in the co-op to decide sharing of responsibilities
Set up a filing and/or material storage system
Set up a system of review, such as for memory work
Get a date on the calendar now to meet with your fellow teachers or the summer will get away from you (I’m speaking to myself right now!). If you are using Classical Conversations, you will want to go over the Ultimate Guide to Classical Conversations resources in which I share the best organizing ideas. For other types of studies, you may want to set up a binder and/or files to organize materials. Get them labeled now so planning goes more smoothly.
#2 Research
No matter what kind of special study you’re involved in, you’ll want to do some research. Rather than dive in and find a hundred different experiments or field trips, look for resources that have done the planning for you. If you’re using a particular curriculum, search for it plus plans, schedule, or weekly.
Now you will take your school calendar, your research, and your organizational system and you’ll make a plan. For classes that others are involved in, your ultimate goal is to have a schedule that can be shared. I like to email and print it for participants. Keep it simple. If you want to do something elaborate, make sure you keep other days low-key. Assume that you’ll have about half the time you think you’ll have. Keep in mind the weariness and distraction and illness that tends to set in at certain times of year.
Plan the things you really want to do first and if you need more activities, either fill them in with lesser options or leave them open for the unexpected. It’s a good idea to plan lessons and keep dates flexible.
#4 Shop / List Materials
Nothing makes me crazier than getting ready to do a craft or experiment and finding out that I don’t have what I need. The way to avoid this is to purchase everything you need for your studies ahead of time and to add perishable or library materials to a list. The problem with adding the perishable and library materials to your calendar is you’ll buy that red cabbage and then you take a field trip instead of doing experiments. Keep a list of time-sensitive materials needed by week and add the “check supply shopping list” to your task list each week before running errands. Yes, I am speaking to myself again!
When you have purchased or gathered supplies that aren’t time-sensitive, put them away neatly according to what you decided in Step #1.
Won’t it be great being organized for these classes ahead of time?
Are you on Google+? I would love to connect with you there. Be sure to check the Organized Homeschool board for great ways to get organized this week.
This week we prepare our Bible and character curriculum. For me and my children, it is the most important subject we cover. Sometimes it’s more for me than for them! It’s hard to be impatient and lazy when you’re teaching your children on these subjects. If you don’t have to plan this aspect of your school year, either take this week off or look at the bottom of the post for a challenge you didn’t do or didn’t spend the necessary time on.
#1 Prep primary curriculum
There are many options for Bible curriculum, depending on your family’s beliefs. I have appreciated Firm Foundations which helps my children see Jesus in the entirety of Scripture. I don’t need much prep time in using it, except that I decided to use our laptop connected to our TV to look up all the verses at once on BibleGateway.com. I then have the kids take turns reading them. Having the kids look all of them up takes too long. We have also rotated through a curriculum that is no longer available that helps my children understand the Bible from a cultural and historical standpoint. I highly recommend using a similar curriculum for a year that does this at some point in your homeschooling. Finally, I can’t say enough about taking a year to teach apologetics as part of your Bible study. I have lent my Answers for Kids curriculum to friends who also loved it. My review can be found here. Take some time today to get your Bible materials organized for the new school year.
#2 Prep memory curriculum
I want my children to not just understand the Bible, and be able to defend the Bible, but hide the Word in their hearts. I use an out-of-print book for teaching the theme of each Bible book and the names in order. I use Memlok for Bible memory, doing it as a family on our screen. Nothing has been more effective for helping me memorize Scripture, though there are many options including church classes that can help. Today, spend time getting organized so Bible memory is a part of your family’s life. I have some ideas pinned for you on Pinterest.
#3 Prep character curriculum
One would hope that studying the Bible and memorizing God’s Word would automatically translate into godly character. I have found my kids need a little more help with this! I have enjoyed Character Building for Families and Lessons in Responsibility for this purpose. Each required different preparation. We used Character Education at breakfast and I read Lessons in Responsibility or had the kids read it on their own as part of their individual work. Take some time today to prepare your character study.
#4 Prep personal reading
My deepest desire is for my children to have a personal relationship with Jesus. If I teach them that Bible time is something we only do for school as a family, that’s less likely to happen. I have Bible reading listed as one of my children’s daily tasks in their planners, choose an age-appropriate Bible for them, and make sure it’s kept in a place that’s most convenient for reading. I wrote more about devotional time here.
Blessings on your planning this week! I would love for you to like my Facebook page, so we can chat about the Bible curriculum you love.
Here is the July Organized Homeschool Calendar and a list of previous weeks’ challenges:
Last week, we planned our goals for the school year. This week, we will begin the rest of our planning so the summer doesn’t get away from us.
#1 Discuss what you want in a planner or system
What worked and didn’t work with the planner or system you used last year? Be sure to get the kids’ input! If they don’t like it, they won’t use it. And actually, that applies to us moms as well. Don’t make assumptions about what your children want in a system. I assumed my high school son would want a new “high school” planner, when what he really wanted was the same planner I set up for the other kids.
As you discuss, keep in mind that you don’t need an optimal system, but the simplest tools for getting the job done. I realized that while a digital record keeping system may be ideal for me, it included many features I didn’t need and took me way too much time. I switched to a paper planner and didn’t look back.
Confused about what kind of records you need to keep? This excellent HSLDA article will help.
#2 Research and purchase supplies
Bearing your discussions in mind, research options. If you want a list of available homeschool planners, including digital, check out this list. If you want a paper planner, consider my easy record keeping system and A Plan in Place as their planners can be customized (this is my choice this year). Be sure to check out my podcast on homeschool planning as well. You may also consider a Workbox system which you can learn about at Confessions of a Homeschooler. I simply have my kids’ books in crates. They remove them to work on them and then mark the work completed on their planner.
You will also want to create a system for saving kids’ work. Two options to consider are binders and file folders. Bright Ideas Press has fantastic ideas about what to include in end-of-year binders. I use the file folder approach, keeping this year’s work in files in a school tote and previous year’s work in file boxes stored in my school room. Check out this post for more. Neither option is very expensive, but both are effective.
#3 Set up system for materials
Once you know how you will set up your children’s school work and you have what you need, organize that today. As soon as I have my children’s books in, I have the kids label them with their names. This is my favorite label maker. If you are using a workbox system, you will need to spend more time labeling the boxes.
#4 Set up system for records
Once you have your binders or folders for storing records, print covers or labels. I love the printables I shared here. Each summer I print file labels for last school year for long-term storage and labels for the new year. I also take time to pull work samples from workbooks and file them at this time. If you choose to keep digital records only (by scanning work), make sure you have a backup system in place.
It’s the time of year to gather up the curriculum you used and loved or didn’t and make space for the new. As I write, I am surrounded by boxes of books and materials that I plan to either sell or give away. I am hiring one of my teen sons to help with the process, hopeful that I can get everything in order for my oldest son’s graduation party. Before you take this week’s challenge, I recommend you read The Best Places to Buy, Borrow, Sell, or Donate Used Curriculum. Then take these steps:
#1 Review dates and curriculum needs
Do you have used book sales in your area? Mark them on your calendar. Signing up to sell your books may be just the motivation you need to get them together if you don’t have a party to prepare for like I do. You should also review your curriculum needs that you identified (hopefully) in April.
#2 Cull unwanted curriculum
This may take you more than 15 minutes. You will want to go through all your curriculum and books that you didn’t declutter earlier this year and separate it from the materials you plan to keep using.
#3 Prepare material for sale or giveaway
This is another step that may take you quite a while. If you are going to sell your books, you will spend time pricing items. This can be time-consuming as you look up comparable prices. Giving away books may take you more or less time depending on where you have chosen to donate them. If your kids are old enough to help you, please let them!
#4 Sell or buy used curriculum
You may not be able to complete this step this week, but now is the perfect time for buying and selling those used books. I believe prayer is important for this step. Pray that you can find what you need at the right price and would be able to help your used books make it to the right owner.
What is your preferred way of handling used curriculum?
Chances are good that you have some outdoor activities planned for your summer bucket list. But chances are bad that you’ll actually check off those activities if you don’t get organized. For example, a group bike trip won’t happen if you have to replace a tire and buy a bike rack big enough for your kids’ and friends’ bikes first. This week, we’ll make sure we’re ready for outdoor fun at a moment’s notice.
#1 Inventory supplies for outdoor activities
Take your summer bucket list and make a list of all the supplies you’ll need to do the activities. Don’t forget things like sunscreen, bug spray, sun glasses, water bottles, and sport chairs. If you’ll be doing some outdoor entertaining this summer, inventory these items as well. You may need chairs, citronella candles, and marshmallow roasting sticks, for example. Then send the kids on a scavenger hunt for these items or look through the garage and storage areas for them together. Have kids try on their swim goggles, ball gloves, and anything else that may be too small this year.
#2 Make a list of needed items
Add whatever you don’t have to a shopping list or make a note to ask a friend to borrow it. Why buy a tent when you only need one for a night or two?
#3 Organize sports and entertaining equipment
Before buying new supplies, get rid of things you no longer need. Ask friends and neighbors if they would like your old bike or picnic table and if not, donate them to charity. Once your space is decluttered, put materials together by function. I love this sports organizer, but there are lots of great ways to organize your garage. Be sure to check the Organized Homeschool Pinterest board for examples.
#4 Purchase needed supplies
Now that you have what you already own in order, you can buy what you need. While you’re at it, you may decide to buy storage containers or organizers.
I need to get organized for entertaining this summer. How about you?
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
