With all the busy-ness of the holiday season, I thought I’d share a simple December homeschool checklist with you. This list of five things to do before your homeschool winter break will give you a clean finish for the year, a fresh start with the new year, and allow you a true holiday from school.
Five Things to Do Before Winter Break
- The Legal Stuff: Make sure your records are in good order. If you haven’t done whatever paperwork your state requires, do it now. Or make a plan to do it on a specific day. If you say, “I’ll do it sometime over break”, then you’ll spend a lot of time feeling like you should be getting it done. Instead, pick a specific date, mark it on your calendar, and then forget about it until it’s time to get it done. See link below for more on state homeschool requirements.
- A Stopping Point: With each child, choose where you want to finish for each subject (a section, a chapter, or the whole book/course). Pick logical stopping points. Adjust your schedule to reach these goals before break. This may mean your child works harder in one area and less in others.
- Student Resume: This is a great time to have your child update or start their resume. While most won’t need a formal resume until college, an informal list of activities and honors is super helpful for upper elementary age and older students. When they fill out a job application or apply to college, this listing gives them easy access to all the information they might need. See link below for more on building a student resume.
- Schedule Ahead: Make a tentative schedule for your first week or even just your first day back in January. You’ll be glad you did. It can be hard to reorient after time off. See link below for my sample homeschool schedule.
- New Books/Curriculum: Have your eye on any new books for after the break? Order them now. Or better yet, see if you can request them from your library now so they’ll be ready when you need them – and they’ll be free.
Regroup
Even though we’re not quite halfway through the school year, it’s a good time to regroup. I’m an early riser and use my morning time before everyone else is up to write, work out, and plan. It’s a nice, quiet time of day when I get a good deal done. I often see sunrises like the cover photo – with the bonus of our Christmas tree this time of year. Of course, early morning productivity comes with the tradeoff of really wanting a nap in the afternoon. 🙂
Maybe you’re a night owl. Or maybe you get things done while your children are napping. Regardless, as you’ve homeschooled, you’ve probably fallen into a routine of when you plan and look at what’s ahead. In this busy time of year, I wish you some quiet time to plan ahead so that you can enjoy your upcoming break.
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