BJU Press Blog

homeschool routine

Tips for Restarting Your Homeschool Routine

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restarting your homeschool routine
Do you really enjoy starting back into the homeschool routine in January?

I must confess—I don’t. Compared with the excitement of the holiday season, our normal homeschool routine seems . . . well, boring. By January, the novelty of new curriculum has worn off, and since our next long break seems eons away, it’s hard to be motivated to do schoolwork.

But are there things we can do to help make that January start date much easier on ourselves and our children? Here are a few ideas.

Consider a slow start to your homeschool routine.

Jamie Erickson, in her book Homeschool Bravely, was the one who first introduced me to the idea of starting out a new school year slowly. She writes:

Baptism by fire is a sure way to make anyone burn pretty hot. Launching the year at full-throttle on Day 1 will leave your entire family overwhelmed, especially your strong-willed child. Soft-opening your year can be the grace he needs to homeschool well. (p. 68)

This wisdom doesn’t just apply to the opening of a new school year—it can also apply to the return to homeschooling after a break of any length. Go easy on yourself and your kids. You don’t have to do an entire homeschool day on your first day back. This is homeschooling, after all.

Plan review lessons.

Sometimes when we restart school after a break, my kids have trouble remembering what we were working on before the break. And frankly, so do I! So I’ve concluded that it’s a good idea to plan some review time for our first day—it helps get us well prepared for future lessons.

Try adding something new to your homeschool routine.

The end of a calendar year brings a natural opportunity for reflection and evaluation. So ask yourself, “How’s homeschooling going? Is there something that isn’t working or isn’t going as well as I had hoped? Is my child ready for a new challenge?” January is a great time to try something new, and even small changes in your homeschool routine can rekindle excitement for learning. Below are a few ideas of things to try, but the possibilities really are endless.

  • Work toward a family fitness goal
  • Learn a new skill (sewing, knitting, wood carving, cake decorating, coding, etc.)
  • Form (or join) a book club or writing group
  • Redecorate or rearrange your schoolroom
  • Choose a family service project
  • Put together a family reading list

Restock supplies.

Don’t underestimate the positive power of new school supplies. Before you restart your homeschool, take time to purge the broken crayons, pencils without erasers, and dried out glue sticks, and take your kids shopping for new supplies. Fresh supplies will help you have a fresh start for the year.

Homeschooling is not always easy—especially the first week or so after a holiday break. But it is most definitely worth persevering in. I hope that one or more of these tips will help your family transition well into your homeschool routine in January.

Helping Children Reach Independence Through Routine

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Fuller family photo

How do I teach my children to be independent learners? How do I handle the rigors of a homeschooling schedule? Where do I start? These are some of the questions Dynel Fuller, homeschool mother of ten, had to face before she could dive into homeschooling her first child. She soon found that the key to her homeschooling success would be creating a routine that fostered her children’s independence.

Where did she begin?

She started her first child (now a college graduate) on BJU Press Distance Learning. The Fullers wanted to give their children a quality education that would complement their unique skills and abilities. The clear structure of BJU Press curriculum was a perfect fit. As she began homeschooling more of her children, Dynel found that the structure allowed her to balance multiple schedules with ease. She could even incorporate music lessons and extra activities.

Where has her journey taken her?

Today, three of the ten have graduated and moved on, but Dynel still homeschools six children. Each child has an hour of practice time on the piano and an hour of another instrument in addition to regular studies. She even has a special time when all of the children still at home gather for Reading Corner, when mom reads aloud for about an hour.

A day in the Fuller household would never pass smoothly if all of her children didn’t always know what to do, where to go, and when. Their routine has fostered her children’s independence, so much so that Dynel has confidence that she can go about her errands and not worry about disrupting their education. Her children know how to complete their lessons on their own, and if they need extra help, they also know to move on to a different subject until mom is free.

What bumps in the road has she faced?

No routine can be expected to work perfectly from elementary through high school. A big challenge she has had to overcome is the transition from middle school to high school. During their elementary grades, her kids found it easy to complete all the lessons in the textbooks. In high school, they struggled to finish everything in the normal amount of school time. Her goal of having them complete every lesson was throwing off her routine—until she learned that most high school classes don’t finish the entire textbook. Instead of working to finish every lesson in the high school textbooks, she focuses on lessons that will be valuable for each child’s unique learning goals. Her adjustments have further fostered her children’s independence because their learning goals center on their particular talents and interests. Their routine encourages them to pursue subjects that they have an interest in.

Every homeschool mom has valuable lessons to share, and Dynel’s story is full of inspiring lessons. Look for more about Dynel and her homeschooling journey in future posts!