If I were homeschooling for the first time, these are the four basic steps I would take to introduce our family to this new lifestyle. These four layers are also the way I slowly ease back into homeschooling after big life changes like having a baby, moving, home renovations, or a crisis.

Free Copywork

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/?s=copywork

WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNING TIME?https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/simple-morning-time-notebook/ NEED HELP TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO READ? https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/01/10/companion-beginner-guide-for-teaching-bob-books

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

Don't know where to start in planning for a new homeschool year? Learn from veteran homeschool mom Wendy, from Plan Prep Pray as she talks about the simple steps she takes to plan a new year.

2025 Home Management and Homeschool Planner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM9lJZuWa7c

Connect with Wendy:IG: https://www.instagram.com/planpreppray/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@PlanPrepPray⁩ 

Brave 2025

https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2148118598/Q8oRXcJr

Made 2 Homeschool

https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2147529243/Q8oRXcJr

Questions we cover in this interview.

1. What’s the first thing you do when it’s time to plan a new homeschool year?

2. How do you set goals for your homeschool without getting overwhelmed?

3. How do you plan both the learning and the faith parts of your homeschool?

4. What’s a common mistake moms make when planning—and how can they avoid it?

5. How has your Home Management and Homeschool Planner made planning simpler or more peaceful?

WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNING TIME?https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/simple-morning-time-notebook/ NEED HELP TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO READ? https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/01/10/companion-beginner-guide-for-teaching-bob-books/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

After 15 years of homeschooling, these are the three tools I use to effectively teach spelling without using a formal curriculum.

FREE Printable-25 Spelling Patterns and Ruleshttps://ourlifehomeschooling.com/welcome-to-our-life-homeschooling/2025-2026

Simple Morning Time Notebook

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2025/06/06/2025-2026-simple-morning-time-notebook/

BRAVE 2025

https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2148118598/Q8oRXcJr

Free Copyworkhttps://ourlifehomeschooling.com/?s=copywork

All About Using Copywork in Your Homeschool

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2021/01/27/helpful-habits-for-writing-well-2-copying-the-best-pieces-from-great-authors/

How to Do a Charlotte Mason Narration In Your Homeschool

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/02/23/how-to-do-charlotte-mason-narration-in-your-homeschool/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling

What life skills should be taught at home? Years ago, my husband and I sat down and created an extensive list of all the life skills we want to pass down to our kids. In this episode, I sharing them with you. Summer is the perfect time to focus on life skills!

50 Life Skills That Should Be Taught At Home

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2023/01/24/50-life-skills-that-should-be-taught-at-home/

Made2Homeschool Community

https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2147529243/Q8oRXcJr

WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNING TIME?https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/simple-morning-time-notebook/ NEED HELP TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO READ? https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/01/10/companion-beginner-guide-for-teaching-bob-books/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

IT'S HERE!! 2025-2026 Simple Morning Time NotebookWould you like to simplify your homeschool? Try the 2025-2026 Simple Morning Time Notebook! Practicing a consistent Morning Time in our homeschool has been the ticket for teaching multiple ages while also covering the beautiful subjects beyond Reading, Writing, and Math.This notebook is one of the ways we make Charlotte Mason and classical education work for our large family. I hope you'll join us for our studies this year!2025-2026 Simple Morning Time Notebookhttps://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2025/06/06/2025-2026-simple-morning-time-notebook/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

Are you looking for a homeschool community will support you in homeschooling? Consider starting a homeschool co-op! It's not as difficult as you might think. Listen to our story about starting a grassroots K-12 co-op, which was an incredible blessing to our families and our community!

Made2Homeschool Community: https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2147529243/Q8oRXcJr

Brave Conference: https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2148118598/Q8oRXcJr

Check out the blog!

ourlifehomeschooling.com

WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNING TIME?https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/simple-morning-time-notebook/

NEED HELP TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO READ? https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/01/10/companion-beginner-guide-for-teaching-bob-books/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Blog: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

X: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHome

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

Don't just survive in homeschooling. The work you are doing in your home is making a big difference and has eternal value!

All those little moments that seem so ordinary and mingled with struggle...they are deposits into someone's childhood.

Oh I know homeschooling is not easy, BUT why should you go from day to day muddling through the daily grind?!

Learn to thrive in homeschooling with these 7 Secrets to Loving Your Homeschool.

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: ⁠https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/⁠

YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling⁠

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling⁠

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

What questions do you have about homeschooling? I’m answering your questions about teaching cursive, organizing school supplies, summer routines, discipling boys, and more!

Booklists on the Blog

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/category/book-lists/

Our Favorite Ambleside Online Books

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2023/04/20/ambleside-online-homeschool-curriculum-for-a-large-family/

How to Keep a Simple Nature Study Notebook

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2023/04/26/how-to-keep-a-simple-nature-notebook/

Here is a sample of some of the questions I answer….

How do you keep a nature journal and what is your child required to do in it? 

-How do you teach your child to type on the computer? 

-How do you decide what books your child needs to read in their book list? 

-How do you decide what science and history topics you want to teach your kids for the year?

-How do you keep track of grading? Do you grade weekly or monthly?

-Do you teach cursive and what program do you use? What age do you start teaching cursive?

-Can you give more information about co-ops? 

-How do you organize your homeschool supplies, so that your dining room is still neat?

-How to disciple teenage sons.

-What is your summer rhythm?

And more!!

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

You are almost at the end of your homeschool year! Are you ready to be done?!

Please don't make the same mistake I have made many times of slowly fizzling out and crawling to the finish line.

When we end our school year this way, it leaves a sour memory of our year and sets the tone for the next school year.

It is worth your time and effort to finish your school year well. Here are some suggestions on how to end your school year positively.How to End Your Homeschool Year Positivelyhttps://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2022/05/16/how-to-end-your-homeschool-year-positively/

How to Make a Homeschool Portfoliohttps://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2020/10/08/how-to-make-a-homeschool-portfolio/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Website: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

YouTube: youtube.com/@OurLifeHomeschooling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/

When I was a new homeschooler, one of the things that helped me more than anything else was to ask moms who were ahead of me all my questions about homeschooling. That’s why I’m doing these q and a videos. I want to help others in the way that other moms have helped me! I hope this encourages you!

Here is a sample of some of the questions I answer….

-Do you have high schoolers do copywork?

-How rigorous are you for high school?

-What do you wish you would have known when first starting homeschool?

-Suggestions for getting everyone to co-operate for read aloud or family subjects.

-How do you create/ organize a portfolio for each kid?

-What do you wish you would have known when you first started homeschooling?

-How do you get the kids up to start their work in the morning?

-How did you create the routine of cleaning up after morning time? How long did it take before your children knew what to expect?

-How do you keep from getting overwhelmed with curriculum choices?

And more!!

PIAT 

https://www.achievement-test.com/testing-options/yearly-requirements/2-peabody-individual-achievement-test

Piano Book

Alfred’s Basic Piano Lessons 

WANT TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNING TIME?

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/simple-morning-time-notebook/ 

NEED HELP TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO READ? 

https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/2024/01/10/companion-beginner-guide-for-teaching-bob-books/

Follow along with Our Life Homeschooling:

Blog: https://ourlifehomeschooling.com/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/64kCoJKFyzxuhF15c5nGeR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourlifehomeschooling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLifeHomesch1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our.life.homeschooling/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ourlifehomeschooling/