How to Use the Summer to Prepare for Your Best Homeschool Year Yet

It's almost July, and if you're a homeschool parent, that means many of us will be starting a new school year in earnest in just a month. If you wait until after Labor Day, maybe you have two months—but that still isn't much time, especially when you're juggling summer reading, camp schedules, vacations, and somehow trying to budget for nine bazillion snacks without going broke.

I've been thinking a lot about how to break planning into bite-sized chunks, both for myself and for other homeschool parents. Today I'm sharing the process that helps me feel prepared instead of overwhelmed.

Just like buying a car or learning a new skill, the first step is usually research.

Research. Watch a YouTube review. Research a few more options. Think about how you want your homeschool days to feel. Research some more.

That's definitely how my brain works, so I've created a few planning tools that help organize all that research, and I'm excited to share them with you.

Step One: Set Your Goals

The first thing I research each summer is curriculum, but before I buy anything, I sit down with each of my four kids and ask them what they want to learn during the coming year.

Their answers help shape the learning goals I set for each child.

So step one is just planning a time, maybe this weekend, maybe during a casual tea time later on in the week to have that time with your learner. After that conversation, or sometimes multiple conversations I move on to the next step.

Step two for us is pulling out grade-level checklists—like the ones from The Waldock Way—and compare those expectations with my own priorities. From there, I start creating a simple list of goals for each child.

The goals don't need to be complicated. They simply need to be clear enough that you can intentionally work toward them throughout the year.

For example, a first grader's goals might include:

• Continue building reading confidence by practicing blending sounds and decoding multisyllable words.

• Become more confident with addition and subtraction facts.

• Learn the names and values of coins and bills and practice making change.

• Explore space through books, projects, and hands-on activities.

• Build confidence starting age-appropriate tasks independently.

Now imagine an older child—a seventh grader who isn't a fan of writing. Their goals might look something like this:

• Grow in confidence writing organized, multi-paragraph responses.

• Learn how to research topics safely and evaluate information objectively.

• Identify the key information in a news article and recognize bias when it appears.

• Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources and when to use each.

• Complete household responsibilities, like laundry, independently from start to finish.

• Prepare simple meals for the entire family.

• Build foundational financial literacy by learning about budgeting, saving, and responsible money management.

• Explore coding through beginner-friendly projects.

• Develop a deeper understanding of global citizenship and environmental stewardship.

• Strengthen math skills in preparation for Pre-Algebra.

You can write those goals directly into your planner, or you can use this simple printable I created:

Goal setting for kids

Goal setting sheet for Homeschool Parents

Your family's goals will almost certainly look different from mine—and that's exactly how it should be.

One guideline I like is to set roughly one goal for each year your child has been alive, plus one extra. An eight-year-old might have nine meaningful goals for the year, while a twelve-year-old might have thirteen. This isn't a hard rule, but it helps me create goals that are ambitious without becoming overwhelming.

The most important thing is that your goals are concrete. Instead of writing something broad like "get better at math," write a goal that gives you a clear direction, such as "master multiplication facts through 12" or "complete Pre-Algebra readiness skills." Concrete goals are much easier to plan for, measure, and celebrate.

Once you have a solid list of goals, it's time to evaluate curriculum. Check back in next week for some tips on doing just that!

This is where many of us get the process backward. It's easy to fall in love with a beautiful curriculum and then try to make it fit our needs.

Instead, let your goals lead the way.

Curriculum is simply a tool. And like any tool, it's only effective if it's the right one for the job. Every resource you choose should help move your child toward one or more of the goals you've already identified.

A Note About AI and Goal Setting

AI can be a wonderful brainstorming tool. It can help you organize your thoughts, suggest ideas you may not have considered, or even help turn broad goals into more specific ones.

But I would encourage you not to skip the work of setting goals with your family.

The conversations you have around the kitchen table—asking your children what they're curious about, what they struggled with this year, what they're proud of, and what they hope to learn next—are where so much of the magic happens. Those conversations give you insight that no AI tool or curriculum catalog ever could.

The research process has value, too. As you compare curricula, think through priorities, and consider your family's unique needs, you're building confidence in the decisions you're making. That confidence will serve you all year long when you're deciding whether to stick with a resource, adapt it, or move in a different direction.

Use AI to support your planning, not replace it.

Your homeschool is unique because your family is unique. No algorithm knows your child as well as you do, and no one else gets to define what success looks like for your homeschool.

Take the time to dive deeply into this part of the planning process. It may be the most valuable work you do all summer.

So what are some of your goals this year? Do you have a way of planning or a process that works for you?