It is time to figure out any missing homeschool resources for the new homeschool year. We have spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking ahead to the big picture for next year, but the missing homeschool resources need to be remedied!
Missing Homeschool Resources: Where do you start?
Before we can figure out what is missing, you need to know what you have. This is the perfect time to go through and spring clean your homeschool to see what you already have that can be used for the new year. However, you also need to look at what you have purchased for the new year.
Before you start going through your resources for the new year, take a minute and write out the list of subjects you plan to teach. You want to make it detailed enough so that you can categorize your resources. For example, don’t just write ELA. Instead, write grammar, spelling, writing, etc.
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I do this in some of the beginning pages of my Erin Condren Teacher Planner. When I have all of the information in one place it makes it so much easier to plan my year. Then I am not looking for the many scraps of paper or notebooks I grabbed when making my yearly plans, and then lesson plans. But, you could also do this in a notebook with no issue.
Sorting is the name of the game. I want you to make piles of the different resources that you have. If you are ahead of me and have everything organized, great. Instead of making piles, look at your list of resources for the year so far. Do you have resources for all of your subject areas? Are there places where you will be combining subjects and so resources are for multiple subjects?
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It’s OK if you don’t buy everything at once
Even though we are going through to look for missing homeschool resources for the new school year, I want you to know it is OK to not buy everything all at the beginning of the year. If you only purchase some resources at the beginning of the year, that is OK.
Sometimes we need to save up to buy all the resources, and that is absolutely fine. This practice is more about making sure that you know all of the resources you will need for the new year, and less about having them physically in front of you.
Missing Homeschool Resources: Your List
Now that you have gone through what you have, you can start to see the big picture of your year ahead. When you look at your list, does one subject look lighter than it should? Do you see a subject where you have more resources than is humanly possible to get through in a year?
You will want to make sure that you don’t load up certain subjects with too many resources, as well as making sure you have enough to fill in the gaps where you have missing homeschool resources.
If you have too many resources for one subject, this is the time to pare it down. Take a minute and rank the resources you are using. Are there some books or worksheets, or projects, that can be taken out of the mix? You don’t have to completely get rid of them but set them to the side. You will thank yourself when you go to plan out your homeschool year.
Purchasing New & Used Resources
For the subjects where you don’t have enough for the school year, this is the time to look for some new resources. What is it that you are missing? Do you need more experiments for science? Manipulatives for math? Are the books that you have leftover from an older child not going to work for the younger? These are all questions you will want to ask when thinking about the missing homeschool resources you need to purchase.
It is perfectly fine to purchase used homeschool resources for your family. And it is also a great time to make a list of items you may be able to borrow, either from the library or from another person. Seek out those free resources now so that you know where to get them when the time comes to use them.
How will listing out missing homeschool resources Cultivate Simplicity?
This gives you your starting point as you begin to really plan out your homeschool year. You will see the gaps in your resources now so that when you go to plan you aren’t saying, “wait, I need something else here!” Having all of your resources before you start planning takes a weight off of you because you know where everything is, and can see how much time it will take to use and teach your homeschool year.
Again, this does not mean that you need the physical items in front of you, but if you have a list of resources you plan to use for the year, you can then start to plan our your year and fit in the resources as needed.
It will also allow you to see where you need to make cuts. It seems that homeschoolers like to plan too much for their homeschool years. You think you will be able to do an individual project with each of your 4 kids in a 3-week timeframe, while also continuing all of your other learning. Most likely that will not happen the way that you expect it to. Let go of some of the stress, and some of the resources, now so that you have a better year ahead.
The Bottom Line
The purpose of getting your missing homeschool resources is so that you can start planning your year in earnest. Having a plan going into the year is important. You want to know what your goals are for the year, as well as where you expect your kids to be at the end of the school year. Make sure that you really evaluate the resources you are using.
Why are you choosing that particular resource? Will it work well with your child’s learning style, or do you think it sounded interesting? Make sure you are matching your child’s learning style, and your teaching style, with the resources you have. You will be thankful to not have to cut something in the middle of the year and looking for something different because it was like pulling teeth trying to get your child to use that resource.
A Helpful Tool for You
One of the best tools that I have found to help with my list-making and homeschool planning is Pam Barnhill’s Plan Your Year. If you want a little extra help, this might be a great fit for you!
Do you have all of your homeschool resources for the year? Which one are you most excited about for the new homeschool year?
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