Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom
Can it really be time to begin thinking about the next school year?
Already?
Has the arrival of spring brought to mind decisions about curriculum and upcoming purchases? Or are you putting those thoughts on hold while you enjoy the (hopefully) arrival of warmer weather?
We school year-round, so I usually end up thinking about curriculum and resources whenever I find that I need something. With that said, one of the resources we use follows the seasons closely, and is designed to coincide with the traditional school calendar.
Some homeschooling parents love making these decisions and have their plans lined up months in advance; others put it off until the end of August or later.
What about you? Where do you fall on the spectrum? When do you like to get started and what helps you make your choices?
And just so you know–we have an awesome series coming up soon that’s designed to help!
We school year round, but don’t actually start our ‘year’ until November. In the spring I start thinking about the general plan for the next year and figuring out what subjects I will need to do research on and buy. Over the summer, I narrow down my curriculum choices and start ordering anything that needs to be ordered. I don’t lesson plan much in advance, so I’ll take a week before school starts for the year to get everything ready. (We normally take a month break or so in Sept/Oct.)
I’m always reading & thinking though. So even if I’m not in ‘official’ planning mode, I’m keeping lists and reading reviews for things that might fill a need for the next year. I also have a general idea of the topics we will be covering, so I can be on the watch for good used books in those areas.
I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for things my boys will enjoy learning; workbooks, craft supplies, books, manipulatives. But this will be our first official year of homeschooling. My husband just recently jumped on the homeschool train because we live in Mexico and the schools are, let’s just say, less than stellar. We will also receive some funding from my husband’s employer for schooling! SO, long story short, I am officially looking at curriculum right now! 🙂
Emily@Creative Disaster’s latest post: We were on a break!
I think about it all year, but especially starting in January. This coming week is spring break and I plan on devoting several hours to researching and planning.
I love reading Cathy Duffy’s reviews — but I also employ the reviews of fellow homeschooling moms on The Homeschool Lounge.
Megret’s latest post: UBP 2011!