Back to School Tips for Homeschoolers

It’s autumn, and that means back-to-school time. Everywhere you go, you’ll see school buses starting up their routes again, Trapper Keepers on sale, and a lack of school-aged children in public parks during the morning hours.



For those of us who home-school our children, though, the routine isn’t quite the same. Maybe people opt for year-round school, and others have shorter breaks spread out throughout the year. However, there are still some ways that you can utilize the season to progress through your child’s education and refocus. Here are 5 ways to make an effective back-to-school season for homeschooling children and teachers.


Plan Some Trips
Field trips are the source of most of our favorite school memories. As a homeschool teacher, you have the same access to educational opportunities for your children as a public school system does. Utilize discounts, and personal conversations, and calls that you make just out of curiosity. Consider reaching out to local museums and art galleries, contacting public services like the fire department or the water sanitation works, or even reaching out to individuals in your community who different jobs, like a local farm, or a grocery store. There are so many places to learn from and most people are happy to present a short spiel and give a tour to school-aged children.

Enroll in Outreach Programs
Now is the perfect time to determine which programs outside of home you want your child to be enrolled in. Often, there are certain things that we can’t teach our children as effectively, and it’s best to reach out to an outside source for help. You might opt for an online correspondence course, a homeschool collaborative group, or public city resources for after-school sports. It’s always best for children to have a well-rounded education with extracurricular activities, and these classes and groups grant the perfect opportunities for socializing with other children outside of home.



Set Up Curriculum Checkpoints
As I mentioned above with the schedule, we’re always more productive when we have a plan. Take the time now to determine the units that your child will cover this year, and set up checkpoints to help you both know when you’re getting off track.

Get a School Supply Treat
My favorite part of going back to school was always having all the shiny new notebooks and pens from our back-to-school shopping list. You might not have the same flurry of shopping for back to school supplies in your schooling format, but whether you do or not, you should consider taking advantage of the deals. When your child has something special that’s just for them, suddenly there’s a new glamor to working on simple math exercises. Allow your child to choose something special just for them, such as a cartoon-character eraser, or a special, luxurious pen.



Make the Schedule Visible
There’s something about having a schedule that keeps us focused, no matter what age we are. However, if you’re keeping the schedule to yourself, it’s not getting the full benefits that it could. Make sure that your daily school schedule is clear and definitive, and that everyone knows without any doubts what it is. Conducting school from home allows us to have a lot more flexibility, which is nice, but can also be a double-edged sword. If we don’t stick to a schedule, it’s easy to let things slide more and more as time goes on. Take this opportunity to recommit to the schedule and communicate it with everyone in the family.


Consider getting a large calendar, corkboard, or paper with the planned schedule. A whiteboard can be especially useful, since you can fill in the flexible bits in dry-erase marker, but keep the hard lines and outlines in a permanent form. You might even want to print out your own schedule to make it really official. Here are some tips on the printing process.