Each year of homeschooling provides unique challenges and opportunities. Whether you have been homeschooling for a while, or you are brand new to the journey, we can all use some helpful advice.
Wouldn't it be great to sit down and discuss how to have a successful homeschool year with a veteran homeschooler?
I met with Alicia Michelle recently, and we did sit down and discuss a few things. Her new book, Back to School Survival Manual: A Girlfriend’s Guide to an Organized and Successful Homeschool Year, is the next best thing to having that real life conversation!
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but let me tell you, it is packed with practical advice, tips, and hints to help you have a well balanced homeschool from the start. Alicia openly shares what worked and what didn't in her family's 10-year homeschooling journey.
The Manual
This 130 page book is full of information and is broken down into four sections.
Part 1: Laying a Firm Foundation
In this section you will learn tips and tricks to help you avoid getting caught up in the comparison trap. You don't have to have a Pinterest perfect homeschool! You will also learn how to handle numerous questions from friends and family regarding your decision to homeschool.
Part 2: Clean Out and Set Up
This section focuses on finding a place in your home to homeschool, and how to get it ready for learning. She also provides creative ways to store your child's work. There is advice on the best places to find school supplies and which school supplies you really need.
Part 3: Build Rhythm and Learning Plans
In this section the author explains different schedule options that didn't work for her and explains how her family uses the Rhythm Method. I don't want to give too much away, but if you are struggling to find a schedule for your homeschool day that has structure yet allows for flexibility, the rhythm method may be what you are looking for. We may add a few of these tips to our school day. Along with scheduling she also explains how to create a subject plan and shares numerous tips for having successful school days.
Part 4: Time to Get Started
This section has tips for starting the year off strong and some fun back to homeschool traditions. There are also resources for the hard days, the days you might want to put your child on the bus and give up. She offers quite a bit of advice, but my favorite quote is this:
You don’t have to have it all figured out now. God has provided enough grace and power for you to get through each moment one at a time.
Along with all of the information provided in the four sections of the Back to School Survival Manual there are 30 pages of printable resources to make your school day run smoother. From school supply check lists to printables to plan your day, there are plenty of resources to start your school year off strong!
You can read a sample chapter of Back to School Survival Manual: A Girlfriend’s Guide to an Organized and Successful Homeschool Year? on Alicia's blog, Vibrant Homeschooling, or click the image below to purchase and get out of survival mode, today!