How do I finish our homeschool year well?

5 practical tips to help any homeschool family finish the school year well

Back when I taught in the public school, those last two months seemed to drag on foreverrrr. By the time April rolled around, was anything substantial actually getting accomplished?

Now that I homeschool my own kids, I still have that end-of-the-school-year angst, dreaming of the much less busy days that summer brings, but I’ve found creative ways to avoid feeling “done” before we officially end our schooling for the year.

Here are 5 things I do each year to help us to finish our school year on a strong note, then we can truly relax once our summer break hits and know we all put in quality work until the end.

1. Keep your same daily schedule. I’ve found that when I continue with our usual schedule (currently it’s Math, Language Arts, and bible in the morning, History in the afternoon), my kids are able to finish the year with more consistency and a better attitude. Daily routines are a key part of a young child’s life, so continuing with this known pattern allows us to keep going even when we’re so close to the end.

2. Involve project-based learning. One way I’ve chosen to add more enjoyment to our learning is by incorporating a more hands-on, creative project to our writing unit. Every spring, we conclude our writing curriculum by doing a research project. This year, we’re doing Animal Reports. After researching, taking notes, writing a rough draft and then a final copy of their report, my kids will create their animal’s habitat by making a 3-D diorama. This final piece of the project motivates them to complete all the other pieces, which allows the whole process to be enjoyable. You could do this with literature, a science topic, nature study, or a person in history.

3. Get to a good stopping point in your curriculum. Typically, my kids complete their curriculum books by the end of our 180 days. That’s a good stopping point so we can start the next level in July. But if you started something later (or completely switched everything like me in January!), finding a good stopping point for the year is important. Maybe it’s half way through the curriculum or stopping after your child has mastered a certain important skill. Find a good “pause” so you can pickup easily when you start the next school year.

4. Incorporate outside learning + field trips. Even though we still need to finish our core subjects, one of the best parts of homeschooling is that is doesn’t just have to take place “at home”. As soon as the weather gets nice, we add in experiences such as hikes and nature walks, day trips to nearby cities, field trips to local businesses, and visiting parks with friends. Sprinkling more of these in towards the end of our school year allows us to stay focused with finishing our core curriculum while having the flexibility to learn outside our home.

5. Plan an annual “last day of school” event. Making the last day of our school year extra fun has been one of the highlights of our school year. For the last 5 years, we’ve had a simple tradition of going somewhere new for ice cream as soon as we’re done with our morning learning. Weeks prior, the kids eagerly decide together where we’ll go and what they’ll get. It’s a very affordable and simple tradition that we all look forward to as an ending point to our school year!

If you’ve enjoyed this post please feel free to pass it along to a friend who might also! As always, my hope is that this blog can be a place of encouragement and insight as you journey with me in motherhood. Thanks for being here!