Homeschool Hacks

 Nope.

Nada.

Nil.

There are no homeschool hacks.

A hack is considered a shortcut. You see hacks all over social media. Some are really cool. Some don't work. However, when homeschooling, there are no shortcuts if you are going to do it well.  With that being said, planning can make it easier. Here are a few ideas and suggestions.

1. Get a good planner. 

I like this one. 

It has room for multiple students, as well as year-long, month-long, and week-long plans. 

2. Create a pacing guide for each subject.

A pacing guide is a plan that shows you how quickly you should be moving through the material. Often the curriculum you choose includes a suggested pacing guide. Since you are homeschooling, you have complete control over the pace you move, and often it will deviate from your plan. That is why, I suggest, you write in pencil. Before your first day of school, you will have an idea of where you should be at each point of your journey. Your plan is not set in stone and can change, but you now have a road map to lead you on your journey. Take your time. Take a detour, but at least follow your map. This above planner is great for this. 

This means that you are actually going to have to read your materials. This is no small task, so do not think you can simply buy a book, follow a script, and not get frustrated.  I will include curriculum reviews later, but for now, get a plan.

3. Use technology. 

BJU Press has created the Homeschool Hub. You do not need BJU curriculum materials to use this. It is designed to be used with BJU Press curriculum, but there is an option to manually enter non-BJU materials. It works best with BJU Press because once you select the course, the lessons pre-populate. The Homeschool Hub keeps records, prints progress reports and reports cards, as well as manages transcripts for high school. We use a combination of different curricula, so I do have to manually enter certain subjects.

Each student gets the ability to log onto their account. They get real time grades and better manage their schoolwork. I have found that this creates a sense of independence at an early age. We have expectations, and if grades do not meet those expectations, then they know what they need to do. 

The best part is this program is FREE.

I am sure there are other options out there. If you are an Excell wizard, you can certainly go that route. However, I am not, so this option works best for our family. It does reduce the paper consumption. 

4. Collaborate

Don't be afraid to ask questions to homeschool veterans. No one is going to judge you for what you don't know. In fact, you don't know what you don't know. When we decided to go down this path, I reached out to a dear friend who had been homeschooling for over a decade. She gave me lots of suggestions. I used some of her ideas, others I didn't because I knew what my kids needed. 

We also joined a co-op. I highly encourage you to find a group, whether it is an academic group or a social one. Homeschooling can be very isolating. The benefits of a group are the myriad of available academic resources, as well, as opportunities to socialize. My children have made good friends through this group. I have found that homeschoolers are the most accepting group of children (and parents). After our very first event, my kids joined in with a huge gaggle of kids that were playing a game. This group included children of all ages. The older ones made sure the younger ones were included. It made my heart so happy.

If your area hosts a homeschool conference-GO! I was hesitant to go last year because I was so tired. I did not plan to homeschool more than one last year, but mid-year we ended up homeschooling two. I was rushing to gather materials for the second one and felt like I was half-way on a rollercoaster that just took off. Yet, I am so glad we went. It was so refreshing to see so many people doing what we are doing and loving it. The vendor room was AWESOME! I want to take my children next year. 

5. Don't feel like you have to purchase everything new.

We are blessed to have a homeschool consignment store fairly close to our house. I have been able to consign items, as well as get good deals on used curriculum. 

Share with friends. I have friends that swap materials regularly. We share books and only have to purchase consumables. 

Our co-op recently opened up a curriculum pantry for members. We donate items that we are done using and can pick up materials we may need. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest to accomplish the purpose. 

Ebay has a lot of reasonably priced curriculum. Sometimes all you need is a teacher's guide. I got a grammar guide that matches my student book for $12. 

Used bookstores can be a diamond in the rough for novels and other resources. 

6. Think outside the box.

Homeschooling gives you the opportunity to teach how your kids learn. It's not an assembly line. You take breaks as needed. Skip what they already know. Slow down when they need more review. Learn on the go. Take field trips. Get dirty. Have fun!

We do school Monday through Thursday. Friday is my day to get caught up on the household things that got put on the back burner. Plus, if we are behind, then we have an extra day to catch up. We also started school mid-July. My kids were hot and bored. No one complained. We just recently took a week off to rest and recharge. When I was in the classroom, I worked at a year-round school. It was incredible! So, with that in mind, I modified our schedule and did somewhat of a year-round schedule. I am not bound by a district calendar. Just make sure you are following your state guidelines. 

7. Join HSLDA

HSLDA - Making homeschooling possible

HSLDA not only provides legal assistance should you need it, but offers advice, classes, discounts, as well as many other resources to homeschooling families. It is well worth the money. This is not a paid endorsement, but a strong recommendation. You can check out homeschool requirements by states. Their extensive legal staff are there for you no matter what time of day.