Every year around this time, I start to get excited for back-to-school. I remember even as a child loving this time of year. Once I began teaching, I loved it, too! Now that we’re homeschooling, I still love it!
Here are ten things I’m excited about:
1) Rewriting our homeschool mission statement and setting new goals.
You know I’ve shared a little bit about writing a mission statement and setting goals as a mom. It’s important to have a mission and set goals for homeschooling, too. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? I’ll be sitting down with my husband to brainstorm and prioritize the top goals for each of the girls this year. I’ll also be having a one-on-one time with each of the girls to see what kind of goals they want to set.
2) Organizing our homeschool classroom.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about our organization process, but I just love organizing and reorganizing our school books, supplies, learning bags…and everything in our homeschool room! You can find all of my organization ideas here. I also have Pinterest boards on Organizing Craft Supplies and Organizing Your Life.
3) Brainstorming and nailing down our homeschool schedule.
This summer has thrown me for a loop! Our daily schedule has been so crazy, I’m actually looking forward to the *break* that a regular schedule brings for us. I’ll be posting our schedule in the next few weeks, but here is a look at our old preschool daily schedule.
4) Beginning our history study from Creation to the Greeks.
We use a curriculum called My Father’s World, but I also add other books and ideas to it. One of my weakest areas is history (I don’t know if I just didn’t learn anything in school about history, or if I just didn’t pay attention). Anyway, I’ve added a book called The Mystery of History to our curriculum and it’s so engaging. My oldest daughter wants to read it all now!
5) Buying new school supplies.
I love buying new school supplies! There’s nothing like a brand-new box of school supplies to make the year seem new. Be sure to check out Deals section of the blog over the next few weeks, because there will be all kinds of school supply deals listed.
6) Studying the Old Testament together.
As part of our curriculum, we’ll be reading through Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church
7) Teaching my two youngest girls to read.
I’m excited about this…and nervous at the same time! My middle daughter has already started the process and has quite a few three and four letter words, but we’ll also be doing Pre-K/K curriculum with my youngest daughter.
Yes. I feel a little overwhelmed, but I love to teach reading. It’s such an exciting transition from non-reader to reader!
I’ll be sharing more about our curriculum later, but I’m currently using All About Spelling to teach reading to my middle daughter.
8) New books and lots of time to read aloud.
I remember daydreaming as a young mom when the girls were babies and toddlers about the days we would curl up with a good novel and read it out loud! That day is finally close by, and I’m so excited about our selection of books for the school year. Here are just a few of them:
- The Tanglewoods’ Secret
- Star of Light
- Treasures of the Snow (Patricia St. John Books)
- Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library)
- The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tale of Troy
- The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Dover Children’s Classics)
We’ll also be picking out some “just for fun” books to read aloud with help from Read for the Heart: Whole Books for WholeHearted Families.
9) Pajama Days!!
Need I say more?!! Some days, I’m a lazy mom! And yes, some days, we have school in our pajamas!
10) Growing together as a family.
I wrote about this when I answered the “Why do you homeschool?” post, but one of the things I’m excited about this year is bonding together as a family. We’ll do all kinds of projects, read together, serve together, fight together, and grow together!
Are you excited about anything for the upcoming school year?
This is post is part of the iHomeschoolNetwork 10 in 10 Blog Hop. Also, be sure to link up your post and/or check out the other participating blogs over at Many Little Blessings!
I am so with you about the excitement about getting the classroom organized. There is just something refreshing and motivating about getting our schoolroom in order. And I sometimes feel like its like Christmas shopping for new school supplies. lol
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Ginny! I am exactly like that about school shopping! I love it! We also buy up supplies to put in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes when all of the back-to-school sales are going on, so it is a little like Christmas!
Wonderful list! I could just say DITTO to your list (but I did make up my own!). And all that organization and new school supplies is enough to make a homeschool mom downright giddy, isn’t it? 😉
I didn’t know you were using MOH this year! Gabe and I have worked through the first few lessons so far and are enjoying it. Did you see that Erika at homeschool creations made timeline figures? I would be downloading them if someone hadn’t already given me a set. We did the ice age lesson today and instead of the suggestion in the book I made an “iceberg” with plastic toys in it and we melted them out. It led to great discussion and was so fun!
I am so excited as well! This will be my first year, I’m a newbie! My girls turn 4 and 2 in the fall and I’m looking forward to starting Preschool with my oldest. I’m getting excited about getting ideas in order, and I am seeing signs from her that she is ready. She is drawing circle people with legs and starting to try and draw her letters. She is also asking to do projects she sees in magazines or on sid the science kid. I can’t wait!
Aww! Have so much fun!! You’ll have a great time!
I feel the same way! Some people look forward to New Year’s Day, but I’ve always felt like the new school year is a fresh start. A chance to rethink goals and refocus. Glad to know I’m not alone! : )
Agree! I am so grateful for new beginnings!