How I Plan for my Homeschool

When I started out 3 years ago, I began with a plan feeling motivated and ready to go! I meticulously planned every detail of what I was going to do only to realize that my children, aged under 4 at the time, were not always predictable, and my goals were not as realistic as I had envisioned.

Inspired by other homeschoolers, I discovered the power of 'reverse planning'—celebrating achievements at the end of each day. This led me to create a personalised approach that not only accommodates the unpredictability of young learners but also taps into their unique interests and curiosities.

Embracing the Unpredictability of Early Childhood

Recognizing the unpredictability of young children under 4, I shifted my planning from rigid to flexible, child-centric learning. Instead of adhering to strict schedules, I embraced the ebb and flow of our days, allowing my children's interests and energy levels to guide our learning experiences.

(Some of my many notebooks and journals :)

Reverse Planning with a Twist

Building on the concept of reverse planning, I refined my approach by creating a list of subjects I would like to cover. At the end of each day, I reflect on our accomplishments, jotting down under each subject, how our days activities link back to it. This not only highlights our achievements but also serves as a roadmap for future lessons.

Structured Mornings, Unstructured Afternoons:

Our mornings are dedicated to three structured lessons—Arabic, English, and Maths. With each lesson lasting 10-20 minutes, breaks in between allow for snacks, play, or child-led activities.

Afternoons, on the other hand, embrace unstructured learning, following the children's interests in geography, history, science, and physical education.

Encouraging Learning Through Daily Life

Homeschooling extends beyond structured lessons. I encourage learning throughout the day by fostering conversations, engaging in read-aloud sessions, and embracing spontaneous opportunities to explore my children's curiosities. This approach makes learning an integral part of our daily lives.

Be Specific

To create a more engaging learning experience, I narrowed down our focus to three structured lessons each day—maths, reading, and writing. This structured approach ensures a continuous progress for more concrete, trackable subjects but by also following the pace of my children's learning.

Homeschool allows 'Deep' Learning

I was speaking to my sister one day and something she said really struck me. When learning something new, we tend to want to deepen our understanding of it by spending more time with it. Going to school, we have a range of subjects lasting roughly an hour each but the fixed schedule does not allow to harness interests. Whereas with the flexibility of homeschooling, by following our children's curiosity, we identify current interests and fuel it with more learning. This allows children to deepen their understanding of a subject or skill, creating depth rather than a basic understanding of a wide range of subjects.

Consistent Routines with Felxibility

While we have a routine, it is designed with flexibility in mind. Unplanned incidents like illness or appointments are considered, and our routine serves as a reliable anchor to fall back on. The key is to go back to your routine.

Family Time and Connection

Our evenings are reserved for family time, filled with board games, cuddling up with a good book, and open conversations about our day. This intentional connection creates an environment for cooperation and learning.

Overall, planning and journaling helped me to organise my thoughts, see what's working and what isn't and look back at the leaps and bound we've made together.