10 Ways to Simplify Your Homeschooling
Simplify your homeschooling with these 10 tips to overcome overwhelm! Whatever your homeschool style or level of experience, you’re sure to find something here that will inspire you to simplify.
Homeschooling is a wonderful opportunity to teach your children what they really need to learn, and in a way that is custom-tailored to their personalities and learning styles.
However, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and to try to take on too much at once, which can rob you of your joy. If you feel that your homeschooling experience is becoming too busy and stressful, then you should check out these 10 Ways to Simplify Your Homeschooling!
How to Simplify Homeschooling
1. Reduce Materials
If you want to simplify your homeschooling, then one of the best ways is to reduce how many materials you use. Perhaps you can choose one resource or curriculum as a spine for your learning, along with a few educational websites and books from the library. If your bookshelves look like mine, maybe some decluttering is in order. Try digital homeschool resources to cut down on the need for storage space.
2. Make Lesson Plans Early
There’s nothing more stressful than having to come up with a lesson plan tonight for what you’re going to teach tomorrow. You’ll have a better experience, and be able to plan better, if you make your lesson plans or general course of study outline ahead of time. Check out this post for more ideas: How to Plan a Year Round Homeschooling Schedule in One Day
3. Use A Homeschooling Binder
Use a homeschooling binder to organize your finished lesson plans, possible lesson ideas, things you want to remember, things you want to look into further, etc. Something like the Plan Your Year system might be just what you need!
Personally, I like the 3-ring binders with sheet protectors for this kind of organization.
4. Have a Dedicated Homeschooling Space
A great way to simplify your homeschooling is to have a dedicated homeschooling space if you can. Use it to house the majority of your homeschooling supplies, and to give your kids a regular place to work.
5. Have a Consistent Daily Schedule
Having a daily schedule can be very helpful in simplifying your homeschooling! It helps your kids gauge how their day is going to go, and also allows you to better plan your day around your homeschooling time.
The schedule doesn’t have to be a strict, by the hour type of schedule either. You can just break it down into flexible “before lunch” and “after lunch” time periods. Or find the routine that works for you on a consistent basis.
6. Unschool
Rather than following strict lesson plans, have you considered unschooling? Unschooling is perhaps one of the most flexible and simplified types of homeschooling. It allows your children to follow their own interests and curiosities and learn from them, rather than following a direct lesson plan. It’s a wonderful way to develop a love for learning in your child! We use delight-directed learning in our homeschool.
7. Reduce How Many Subjects are Covered Daily
You’ll easily stress yourself out if you’re trying to engage your child in a dozen different subjects within one day. Instead, have a few core topics you cover daily, and then include other topics every once in a while. Remember, we don’t have to duplicate school at home to give our children a solid education.
8. Let Your Children Work Alone
If they’re old enough, leave your children alone to work on their lessons. If they need help with something, they’ll know where to find you. This will help them learn to be independent workers, and will give you the time to work on some of your own things.
9. Give Your Children a Notebook
Rather than you being the only one who knows the lesson plan for the day, why not share it with your children as well? Give them a notebook, and every day write down their lessons. Your kids will likely enjoy being able to see their school day at a glance, and it’ll keep them from having to keep asking you what they should work on next.
10. Be Forgiving Of Yourself
Not every day will go as planned. That’s fine. One of the many benefits of homeschooling is that you can take the time to adjust, or to make up for lost time. In the end, your kids will learn everything they need to, so don’t fret the small stuff and forgive yourself the less than perfect days.
How do you simplify your homeschooling?
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