Small Changes for a New Homeschool Year

Recently I’ve spent some time looking back on how our homeschool year went and noticing what we loved most. I’ve also been thinking about a few things I’d like to adjust for next year. It’s been sweet to dream up some simple shifts and new rhythms that I’m truly excited to try.

I’m learning more and more how small habit changes can make a huge difference. In this post, I’m sharing a few of the simple shifts I’m planning for our homeschool next year. Some of these I’ve already started trying out this summer and have seen such sweet fruit from.

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NEW Cycle 2 Workbook

One big change I am looking forward to this year is using our new Cycle 2 memory work notebook. I created this workbook to help kids enjoy practicing their Cycle 2 memory work without adding extra work for parents.

Inside, there is one activity for each subject: history, science, geography, math, Latin, and English, for every week of the 24 week cycle. After breakfast, my girls can work through a page or two while we review the memory work together. It is simple, has fun activities, and requires absolutely no prep on my part.

Download a FREE sample page from this Cycle 2 Workbook below. It is NOW available in both digital and paper formats!

Daily Subject Focus

After breakfast each morning, we’ll pull out our notebooks and focus on just one subject for the day. Mondays will be for geography, Wednesdays for history, Thursdays for science, and Fridays for math, Latin, and English. Tuesdays are our community day.

Having a subject focus each day worked so well for us last year. It made everything feel manageable. Sometimes I’d even come up with an activity to help us dig deeper into what we were studying that day. Instead of covering all the memory work daily, we could focus on one area at a time. Here is an editable template of this Daily Subject Focus chart if you would like to use it in your homeschool!

This year, I’ll use this Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book instead of searching for new worksheets each week. It keeps prep so much simpler for me, and I love that the activities inside are short and fun. It’s a great way for my kids to review their memory work without taking up our whole morning.

Adding More Read-Aloud Time

Another focus this year is reading more picture books that connect to what we’re learning. I did this some last year, but I want to make it an even bigger part of our days.

Each week, I pick up books from the library that match our memory work. They might be about a historical figure, a science topic, or a country we are learning about. I keep them in a basket in our living room. After we finish our morning time, I read a few of these books while the kids color or play. If it is Wednesday and we are focusing on history, we will grab the history books. If it is Thursday, we will read science books. It is such a simple way to deepen what they are learning and build beautiful connections together.

I put together a picture booklist for Cycle 2 that matches the memory work each week. You can use it as a guide to find great books at your library or pick some to own. Having a list of good books for the whole year has been so helpful. I am not scrambling to figure out what to check out each week. I hope it makes your homeschool days easier and more joyful too.

Keeping the Toddler Busy with Toy Bins

Since my two-year-old is still very two, I need a plan to keep him happy during our morning time. Last year, I started organizing our toys into separate bins and keeping them tucked away in a closet. Each morning, I pull out a different bin for the kids to explore. Because they have not seen those toys in at least a week, it keeps everything fresh and exciting.

This has worked so well that I definitely plan to continue it. It helps me keep our toys organized, and my girls actually love it too. It gives them something to do with their hands while I read, so we can enjoy more books together. As long as they listen, I am glad for them to build or play quietly during our read aloud time.

Diving Deeper into Geography

One thing we’ve especially enjoyed, and want to do even more this year, is using our felt Europe map and Europe geography workbook. Since Cycle 2 covers so much European geography, it is the perfect way to dive a little deeper.

Sometimes after we do our Monday geography notebook page, we’ll stand by the map and find the countries we’re learning that week. Or we might work on a page or two in the Europe workbook that dives deeper into the geography. Sometimes we do this in the morning if we have extra time, or even later in the afternoon as a gentle follow-up.

It’s just another way to make the memory work come alive, and the kids love moving the pieces on the felt map or spotting the places we’re talking about in their workbooks. Most of the time, it’s actually hard to get them to stop at just one page. They enjoy it so much that they want to keep going, and I usually have to step in and tell them we’ll save the rest for next time.

I am making a few updates to my Europe countries notebook and plan to have a physical copy option in a few weeks! I’ll keep you posted!

Learn how to make your own Europe wall map and check out this Europe countries notebook for your kids in this post here.

Our “Three Jobs Before Dinner” Habit

This is probably one of the best things I have started doing lately. Every morning, I decide on three simple jobs for each of my girls and write them down on a sign I made that hangs in our home. I make sure the jobs are appropriate for their ages — things like folding and putting away laundry, picking up their room, sweeping the floor, or cleaning the bathroom sink.

I try not to nag them all day. They just know if their three jobs are not done by dinner, they might miss out on bedtime stories or another little privilege. It has been such a game changer. They are learning responsibility, taking ownership of our home, and honestly, they love feeling helpful. It has lifted so much off my shoulders!

I would love for you to have this sign too — you can download it for free below and use it with your own family. This has worked so well for us that I definitely plan to continue it into the new homeschool year. I love knowing we will start our days with clear expectations and end them with kids who feel proud of what they have contributed.

New Daily Themes

Another big shift for me this year is organizing my homemaking around daily themes. I used to have a long list of to-dos constantly swirling around in my head. I was never sure when I would actually get them done, and it left me feeling overwhelmed. Now, each day has a simple focus that helps me stay on track without burning out.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Munchie Mondays:
  Make a few homemade snacks or bread for the week, practice presentations, and pack lunches for Tuesday.
• Tidy Tuesdays:
  After we get home from our CC group, tidy up the house and prep for the next week.
• Wash-Up Wednesdays:
  This is my deep cleaning day. I scrub bathrooms and wash towels.
• Throwaway Thursdays:
  Pick a room each week to focus on decluttering and simplifying. Add items to our give away pile and clear out things we no longer need.
• Floor-Fix Fridays:
  Vacuum upstairs or downstairs, mop if needed, just give the floors some extra love.
• Slow Down Saturdays:
  Purposefully slow — rest, play, family time. This is our Sabbath.
• Set-Up Sundays:
  Church, grocery shopping, prep some dinner, and generally get things ready for the week ahead.

It’s amazing how much calmer I feel knowing each day has a clear, specific focus. It makes a big difference for me knowing I I don’t have to do it all today.

If you want to keep your homeschool simple and consistent, I hope this gives you some ideas.

Stay tuned for the official release of the Cycle 2 Workbook in a few weeks!

If you’re planning for the next homeschool year, I also have a new homeschool Cycle 2 planner to help keep things organized. Learn more about what’s in this planner and what I consider “homeschool essentials” here.

What about you, are there any small changes you’re planning for your homeschool this year? I would love if you would share in the comments below!