The Benefits of Planning Your Homeschool Year

Sketching out a road map will help you stay on course even when things get tough.

Just like a public school, planning out the homeschooling year is a good plan. Lokana/Shutterstock

The ways in which different families approach their homeschooling endeavors vary as much as the families themselves. Some parents begin planning the next school year down to the finest detail before the present one has concluded. Other parents find planning stifling and prefer to take things day by day, taking cues from the interest and curiosities of their children. Almost all homeschooling families find themselves adjusting their approach one way or another as they gain experience and through their children’s various stages.

While there is surely something to be said for leaving ample space for creativity, serendipity, and wonder to take hold by not overplanning and insisting on adherence to a rigid plan, there are also benefits to at least some planning that even the freest spirits among homeschool parents can enjoy.

A Map, Not a Tyrant

If you’re setting out on a journey, you might find a map to be a useful tool. You could plot out the most efficient route to your destination—or the most scenic route, or the most fun route, or a custom route that makes the journey suit the needs of your traveling cohort. Of course, with the help of your handy map, you can change direction along the way, veer off the original route, or even alter the final destination entirely. You don’t feel beholden to the route you originally chose, but identifying it helped you set a course and get moving while also surveying the landscape to better understand the possibilities.