Planning for a New Homeschool Year

The start of September brings a sense of anticipation for the new school year to come. As we soak up the last few weeks of summer, I grow increasingly more excited at the thought of a new homeschool year. I delight in planning what we will learn and begin picking out resources to use throughout the year. In this post I’ll talk about how I plan for a new homeschool year. 

Ask the Lord to lead you 

The very first thing I do when I start to think about the coming year is pray for the Lord’s guidance. It’s very easy for me to become overwhelmed by all of the options that are out there for homeschoolers. I want to do every lovely thing I come across but it’s not realistic for me to take on more than I can handle. I ask God to reveal to me what he wants me to focus on for the coming year. I’ll spend some time journaling about what went well last year. Then I’ll dig into the things that didn’t go so well and think about how I can make adjustments for the coming year. 

After spending some time reflecting, I pay close attention to which subjects most excite me and what draws me in. I also pay attention to what my children are interested in. In addition to math, reading, and writing, I’ll add subjects that are of interest to us all. History is always one I focus on since we all enjoy it. Finding what you and your children are interested in will bring joy to your school days and keep you from feeling burnt out. 

Prepare a space for school

In the past, we have done most of our school lessons at the dining table. This year we’ve decided to turn a section of our three season porch into our homeschooling space. We’ve loved this transition because it feels more set apart. It also helps me feel less stressed about always making sure the table is clear so we can move on to the next thing, whether its lessons after breakfast or lunch after we finish our school work. Whether you learn at your dining table or in a dedicated space, making a place for lessons is important. It allows your children to know where to gather when lessons begin and gives your days some consistency (although lessons can occur anywhere; we often take our learning away from our school space). Additionally, having some shelves or a cabinet to house all of your lesson materials will keep you organized. 

Choose Resources/Curriculum

Once you’ve decided what subjects you want to focus on, then you get to do the fun part of choosing which resources you will use! Knowing your homeschooling style (Charlotte Mason, Classical, Eclectic, etc.) will help lead you to the types of materials you’ll want to use. Don’t get too overwhelmed here! As one of my favorite homeschooling mentors, Sarah Mackenzie, always says; the best curriculum is the one you actually use. Choosing the resources that appeal to us for a given subject will make teaching that subject more enjoyable. Don’t get hung up on finding the “perfect” resource. I’ve been there and the truth is that there isn’t one perfect program. Choose one you’d like to try and just begin. You can always switch up what you are using later. Use this time to think about what extracurricular activities you’d like to be involved in as well.  

Begin Planning Your Year

Behind every successful homeschool mama is a good plan. Beginning your days knowing what to expect will decrease a lot of stress for you and your children. You can plan as little or as much as you’d like, but don’t get too rigid! Oftentimes our homeschool days don’t go exactly as we’d planned and you should anticipate interruptions, especially if you have little ones. One of the beautiful things about homeschool is that if something doesn’t get done, you can always revisit it the next day or week. Jotting down lesson plans for the week helps me to enter each day with a general idea of what we’ll be doing. Since I’ve already looked at the material ahead of time, I feel more comfortable beginning the lessons with my kids. 

New Homeschool Planner

For my own planning purposes I have always bought a spiral-bound lesson planner. Physically writing everything down helps me to organize my thoughts and it keeps me accountable for what we need to get done. I plan in 6-week chunks so I can see where we’re headed without overwhelming myself. After a few years of buying different homeschool planners, I decided to make one myself that incorporates everything I’ve loved having in a planner. This year I’ll be using my new Home Education planner! Created by me with over 200 planning pages, this planner is easy to use and minimalist in nature to prevent overwhelm. 

Dated for the 2025-2026 school year, this home education planner helps you think through your year so you can be prepared. The beginning of the planner has pages that you can map out different aspects of your year. With pages for planning field trips, curriculum choices, read-alouds and more, you’ll be able to make decisions now that will serve you later in your school year. Large monthly spreads help you keep track of your schedule and weekly overviews allow you to map out a snapshot of each week. Complete with weekly lesson planning pages and several reflection pages, you’ll have everything you need to confidently run your homeschool.  To purchase the full planner head on over to my Etsy shop! Available in both digital download and printed formats.

Get Excited! 

The start of a new school years offers so many new possibilities for you and your children. Once you’ve gathered your resources and planned your lessons, get excited about what is to come! There is a vast amount of knowledge and experience you and your children will encounter this year. Your excitement will be contagious and your children will experience the joy of learning from your own joy. 

How do you plan for a new homeschool year? Share with me in the comments! May the Lord bless you and your homeschool this year and may you have a wonderful year filled with beautiful memories! 

If you enjoyed this post you may also like my Morning Routine for the Homeschool Mom. With a good routine you can set yourself up for success this homeschool year!