Ok, new homeschoolers, you finished your curriculum for the year and it’s only April! Now what? Do you just stop for summer break? Do you start the next grade level? What do you do for the next couple of months while the classroom kids finish their year?

First, how did this happen? Were you nervous about keeping up with the schools and may have pushed a bit hard? Sometimes we think about checking the box or getting it done at the cost of real learning. It’s ok to slow down, let your kids ask questions and really digest the content. After all, this is what we did when school sent us homework. We made sure it was done. But now you have a choice — is it done or is it learned? Let that soak in.

Second, were you really in the right grade level? Maybe your student was doing fine in school so you chose materials to continue that at home. But what if your straight-A math student could do a more challenging math? Or move up a grade level? Wait, you can do that?? Yup and it’s a good thing to do. Challenge your child to learn at a level that pushes them. Or maybe you went light on the academic level because of the transition to this new learning format of homeschooling, but now you are all used to it and can really work on getting materials at the right level this time. This is something our curriculum consultants can help you determine.

So, what do you do NOW? I can think of all kinds of things! You might want to decide if you will keep to the school schedule — finishing around June 1, or will you continue something over summer break (maybe just math or just writing). If you are going to school year-round and take breaks as you like, yes, start the next level of your courses now.

Here are some ideas:

  1. Let your student choose a topic to research. It may be a person or event you covered in your history/social studies, a country you learned about, a science topic they want to explore, or an author they want to learn more about. Let them create a structure to follow – make a timeline, bullet points, a story map to follow or some such organization. Then, create a product – a video, poster, presentation, essay.
  2. Dive into a novel as a family. Use a literature guide to make this easy on you! Each child can respond at their own writing levels. Encourage discussion – like your own little book club!
  3. Spend the rest of the school year on art and music, things you may have set aside during your academic time. We have some nice video-based art programs if it is something you are not confident teaching. Learn about several artists and some art history too. You could create an art museum in your home and let the kids take a tour!
  4. Academically speaking, this can be a time to solidify those skills a student may have struggled with during the year. Maybe practice handwriting, grammar or spelling. How about word problems, fractions or geometry? There are loads of supplementary materials to choose from that focus on a skill. If you want to do a review of grade level math skills, use a supplement rather than a curriculum. Our consultants can help find what you need.
  5. Here is a fun one – have your child write a review of their experience as a new homeschooler. Start with a T-chart showing the positive and the negative points. You might find some surprises on both lists! Also, what a special keepsake that would be!

You can probably tell that I am not keen on the idea of stopping just because you finished your curriculum early. Take a break, sure, but don’t lose the momentum you worked so hard to create. It only emphasizes the “get it done” versus the “get it learned” mindset. Use this time to try a new way of learning. Try diving into a topic and see how your child reacts to this new way of learning. Go hands-on and build something – but ask your student to create a plan first and afterwards, write a paper about what worked well and what they would do differently. It’s a chance to assess yourself and how you held up too. Maybe create a new schedule where you do math and ELA five days a week, 3 days on social studies and 2 days on science. Do assessments and learning games on Fridays. Try something new like art or foreign language as you become more confident. Re-evaluate your curriculum choices. Maybe you want to try a different approach or curriculum for this year! This time at the end of the school year is too precious to waste.

Rest, reassess, and rejuvenate! ~ Sara