Planning to Homeschool in the Upper Grades? You’ve heard the phrase, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Neglecting to find a planning method that works for you means eventually forgetting important things. Maybe you’re a tech person, or maybe you prefer pen and ink, but find a planning method that works for you!
Getting Started
Start by outlining the year. Make a note in each month of birthdays, holidays, vacations, and any planned time off. This could include upcoming moves, pregnancy due dates, or other big events. After noting these, make sure you have the minimum number of required school days for your state (usually 180).
While you’re planning, include some field trips. If you like routine, maybe plan a specific day each month (eg, third Friday), or you can just wing it! Also be sure to leave some blank spaces – days for catching up, following bunny trails, and for those #LifeHappens moments.
Middle & High School
For older students – in middle and high school – it’s never too early to help them start their own planning as well. This teaches personal responsibility and time management. Check out the Five Best Planners for Teens to find an option perfect for your teen.
This is when students really begin to buckle down in academics, becoming more intentional about learning. Classes become more difficult, electives are added into the day, and students begin to think about career options for down the road. Students become more independent and start taking more responsibility for their learning at this age, too. Now is also the time to start planning for what comes after high school with your special needs student.
And when it comes to high school, start with the end in sight. Have an idea of what your child might like to do after graduation – college or career track – and plan courses around this. Classes are divided into core subjects (science, math, language arts, history) and elective classes. Don’t forget to plan for standardized testing if college is a possibility. Internships, hands-on projects, and volunteer hours should all be recorded, too.
Find more specialized advice and inspiration for a variety of lifestyles and challenges in the free e-book, Homeschooling the Upper Grades. Students planning on attending college after graduation will want to check out Through the Door: Homeschool to College. And if you are confused, overwhelmed, or frustrated by the thought of tackling homeschool planning in the high school years, Sparks Academy offers academic advising and college planning assistance.
Homeschool Planning: Outside of School
Meal Planning
You may not consider meal planning part of homeschooling planning, but it’s really important! Without having a plan in place for dinner, it’s suddenly five o’clock and you have nothing thawed out. This leads to a lot of take out, going out to eat, and stressed, hungry family members.
Consider your weekly schedule when meal planning. If Tuesdays are a full, busy day with evening activities, plan a freezer meal. Or make a large meal on Monday and serve the leftovers the next day. Save those time-consuming family favorites for days that are more flexible.
Freezer meals and slow cooking are two easy methods for getting healthy dinners on the table every night AND doing so while saving money. Try these simple meal ideas to help you get started!
Take a Deep Breath
You have everything in place to have a wonderful homeschool year! But don’t forget to attend to yourself, too. Homeschool moms are notorious for wearing twenty hats at once! We go and go and go and go until we just can’t do it anymore…it’s called burnout.
Plan a few ‘blank spaces’ and Moms’ Night Outs in that yearly calendar. Pick up an encouraging book specifically for homeschooling mamas.
Print out the “Our Best Year Ever!” reusable planner, and make this year a brand new start!
Yvie Field
Yvie is a veteran homeschool mom and teacher at Sparks Academy who enjoys helping other families on their homeschool journey. When not teaching or counseling, she enjoys reading, spending time in her garden, and traveling the country with her boys. You can find her on Homeschool on the Range, Facebook, and Instagram.
