15 Homeschool Planning and Organization Ideas for the New Year

December 19, 2024 Meredith

The new year is the perfect time to breathe new life into your homeschool routine. A little refresh can go a long way in reigniting enthusiasm and setting a positive tone for the months ahead. Refreshing your homeschool doesn’t mean overhauling everything—it’s about making thoughtful adjustments to keep things engaging, organized, and aligned with your family’s evolving needs. From rethinking your curriculum choices to creating a more inspiring learning space, there are many simple yet effective ways to give your homeschool a fresh start. Here are some tips to help you re-energize your homeschool for a successful new year!

In this blog post:

Refresh your homeschool planning and rhythm
Organize and refresh your homeschool supplies
Incorporate something new into your homeschool

Refresh your homeschool planning and rhythm

Review and revise your homeschool daily rhythm – A new calendar year is the perfect time to audit and revise your daily rhythm as needed. Flip through your homeschool planner and see what did and did not work during the fall, and adjust as needed. It is natural for your daily rhythm to change during the seasons or as your children grow. Take liberties to simplify or add to your homeschool day as you see fit. Incorporate a visual schedule to map out your days.

Plan your first week back to school – Gear up for the first week by planning it out. Mark your homeschool planner, sort your curriculum and studies for each child, set out new books, and prepare hands-on activities and necessary supplies.
Do a year-at-a-glance vision session – Do a yearly look at your homeschool year and consider what you can do this year. Will you take breaks for travel or family? Will you do seasonal studies? Are there local events that could add life to your studies? Take a big-picture look ahead and consider what you want your year to look like.
Add a field trip to your calendar – Get out of your homeschool room and experience learning in real-time. Adding field trips to your homeschool calendar can be used to learn in a new way or as a reward for an accomplishment your family makes. Make the most of homeschooling by carving out time for your family and creating special memories together.
Consider the upcoming seasons – Aligning academic learning with nature is one of my favorite things. With spring and summer approaching, I love to flip through Treehouse Nature Study and see what subjects align with our local area, and how we can incorporate that into our studies. In spring we love to learn about seeds, sprouts, butterflies, and gardening. In summer we love learning about bodies of water, soil, and sunflowers!
Make your goals happen – If you had goals for the fall and they got away from you, consider how you can accomplish them next year. Find ways to make small steps towards progress and incorporate this into your weekly routine. Before long, you will be on your way to meeting your goal.
Consider year-end testing and portfolios – As the end of the year approaches, think about your state’s homeschool requirements. Whether you are compiling portfolios or doing standardized testing, the new year is a great time to consider and block out time to meet these requirements.

Organize and refresh your homeschool supplies

Create individual bins for workbooks and curriculum – I love using magazine holders for each child’s daily workbooks and notebooks. Label each magazine holder with the child’s name and grab-and-go when you’re ready to start school each day. Another option for organizing curriculum is a paper tray organizer to store and sort children’s papers and notebooks.
Organize school supplies for easy access – Revisit the items you use most and think of ways to make them more accessible. Having easy access to the school supplies you love or use the most helps make the day run smoothly with easier access and easier cleanup. I love to use a caddy with a handle to make supplies like pencils, pens, makers, and paintbrushes easy to grab. When it’s time to work on notebooking or other projects, we simply pull out our supplies and have everything at hand. (See all of my favorite supplies here.)
Mix up your homeschool area – Freshen up your homeschool space by decluttering, swapping out posters or decor, or using items to make textbooks and curricula easily accessible for your children. I love to use a book stand to display art or poetry we are learning, so we can revisit it throughout the week.
Add a few new supplies for fun – Mix in new craft or art supplies to make the new year fun and vibrant. Add a new watercolor set, tempera crayons, or pastels to make notebooking and hands-on projects shine. Give kids a new set of pencils for their workbooks.

Incorporate something new into your homeschool

Add interest-led learning – If you or your child has a new interest, chase the rabbit trail and explore what you are passionate about. This could be through an extracurricular activity, by honing in on a subject in your schooling, or by letting a child dig deeper into a topic they love.
Reserve new books at your local library – To prepare for a new season of learning, grab your favorite book lists and head to your local library to see what you can find. I love to place dozens of books on hold at the library so we have a new rotation of picture books and chapter books for our study or for my children’s independent reading time. (See my favorite book lists here.)
Start a new read-aloud – Explore literature as a family with a new read-aloud book. Set aside a time each day to read to your children, or have your children listen to an audiobook. Use a book guide as a menu for a deep literature study and enjoy!
Add a board game and learn through play – Gameschooling is a tradition we love in our homeschool. We love learning concepts like math, logic, science, or reading through games. I love to see children bond together as they play games together, and there is so much learning along the way!