Remember that beautiful homeschool plan you made in August? The carefully chosen curriculum, the schedule that looked completely doable, and the vision of everyone happily getting their work done each day?
And then the school year started.
Math takes longer than you expected. Someone groans every time a certain book comes out. The science experiments keep getting pushed to “tomorrow,” and that carefully planned schedule seems to have been designed for an entirely different family. Or, maybe nothing is going terribly wrong… things just aren’t flowing smoothly.
If you’ve been homeschooling for any length of time, you probably know this feeling. And if this is your first year, let me assure you – it doesn’t necessarily mean you chose the wrong curriculum or made a bad plan. Sometimes you just have to live with your homeschool plan for several weeks before you can see what actually works for your family.
In August, we make plans based on what we think our days are going to look like. By October, we have some actual information to work with, which makes this a really good time to stop, take a look at how things are going, and regroup.
What have you learned so far?
Before you start changing things, think about what these first few weeks have shown you. Maybe the child you thought would work independently needs you nearby for a couple of subjects. Perhaps math is consistently taking twice as long as you planned, or everyone starts the day strong but hits a wall after lunch.
Those things don’t necessarily mean your homeschool plan isn’t working. But now that you know where some of the trouble spots are, you can start making a few adjustments.
It can help to ask yourself a few simple questions. What is consistently going well? What are we consistently dreading? Where are we losing the most time? And is the problem the material itself – or the way we’re trying to fit it into our day?
You may find that you don’t need a new plan at all; you just need to tweak the one you have.
Small changes can make a big difference
Start by looking at how your day is actually going. Pay attention to when your children are most alert and use that time for subjects that require the most concentration. If mornings are best, tackle math or writing then and save read-alouds, art, independent reading, or something less demanding for that after-lunch slump.
Try alternating harder subjects with lighter ones rather than stacking all the difficult work together. Sometimes even changing where you do a subject helps—move school to the porch, take a book outside, or let a younger child make a fort under the dining room table for independent reading. Maybe one child simply needs a quieter place to focus without distractions.
Also, look at how long you’re asking a child to work at one time. If a difficult subject feels overwhelming, set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and work with good focus until it goes off. Take a short brain break, do a few jumping jacks, grab a snack, or head outside before coming back to it. A 40-minute lesson may go much better as two 20-minute chunks.
And if you’re constantly running out of day, consider whether every subject really needs to happen every day. Science or history may work beautifully two or three days a week. You might alternate subjects, use a 4-day schedule, or build in a lighter Friday with a catch-up afternoon. Sometimes creating a little breathing room solves more problems than squeezing more in the schedule.
Then look at the workload itself. Does every assignment need to be written, or could some be done orally? Do you need every optional project, discussion question, and enrichment activity? Could you shorten or simplify an assignment without taking away from what your child is actually learning? Curriculum is a tool, and you are in charge of the tool—not the other way around. Sometimes, it’s not what you’re teaching that needs to change, but when, where, or how you’re doing it.
Sometimes we need to adjust our expectations
On occasion, the thing that needs adjusting isn’t the curriculum or the schedule—it’s our expectations. Maybe you thought your child would be more independent by now. Maybe you planned more subjects than you can realistically accomplish in a day. Maybe outside activities, work schedules, toddlers, appointments, or just ordinary family life are taking more time than you anticipated.
Give yourself permission to make the needed adjustments. If a chapter is tough, slow down and move at the speed of understanding, not the school calendar (even if it takes two days instead of one!). On tough weeks, focus only on core subjects and drop the extra “fluff”. Accept that “messy days” will happen! The unexpected tantrums, sickness, and household repairs – all provide important lessons, too.
Whether it’s a 10-minute walk, a phone call with a friend, or listening to uplifting music, keep yourself filled – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. These things will lift your day and help you handle frustrations more easily.
The plan you made in August doesn’t have to stay the same all year. Change it as you learn more about what works – and what doesn’t – for your family.
And yes, sometimes it really is the curriculum
Before replacing a curriculum, though, give it a fair chance. Not every subject – or every curriculum – has to be a favorite to do its job well. Maybe you’ve already spent the money and replacing it isn’t in the budget. Maybe you’re using it with several children, or the curriculum is solid but your child simply doesn’t enjoy it.
That’s not necessarily a bad lesson for our kids, either. We can tailor education to our children without giving them the impression that everything they do is going to be fun or their favorite. Sometimes learning takes perseverance, and there’s value in learning the difference between “this really isn’t working” and “I just don’t like this.”
But sometimes, after you’ve adjusted the schedule, changed your approach, and given it some time, you realize the curriculum truly isn’t a good fit. That’s okay too. A curriculum can be excellent and still not be right for your child. Something that worked beautifully with one child may be completely wrong for the next one.
And before you buy something completely different, call us! As curriculum consultants at Rainbow Resource Center, we help families work through these situations every day. Sometimes there’s a simple way to make what you already have work better. Sometimes your child needs a different level or a supplemental resource. And, in some cases, it really is time to find something different.
Regroup and move forward
Changing something in October doesn’t mean September was a failure. You didn’t waste those first few weeks – you learned from them. You know more about your children, your schedule, your curriculum, and what your family can realistically accomplish than you did when you made that beautiful plan. Remember, even a moderately successful plan is still better than no plan at all.
Keep what’s working and adjust what isn’t, without worrying about whether your plan or schedule looks like someone else’s. Even children living under the same roof can need completely different things.
The goal isn’t to perfectly execute the homeschool plan you made in August; the goal is to educate the souls who are sitting in front of you. More often than not, a really good homeschool year looks quite a bit different in October than you thought it would in August!
