Setting up for a New School Year

As children around the country share their 'back to school' pictures, we begin to ease our way into another year of schooling.

Before we get stuck into the more formal teaching, I have found that it is immensely helpful to spend time orientating ourselves for the new school year ahead. I'm not just talking about gathering the books, workbooks and resources you need for teaching.

This is a time to tighten up on lazy summer days and move into a rhythm and flow for the year. It is also valuable to check in with where they are at in a few learning areas to inform where to pick up from, and what may need some extra attention. Teaching your children how to set goals and guiding them through the process is a great way to be on the same page as the year begins but also helps to inform you of the best schedule for your family.

Here are some things that I have found SUPER valuable for setting up a new school year:

1. Chore checklist

   Do you ever feel frustrated that your children aren't completing jobs around the house but doing a half-hearted job? You just want to be able to ask a child to do a job and see that it is done....right? Anyone?

   It an attempt to address this problem, I had a chat with my children about it and asked them what would help them remember what is involved in each job. We came up with the idea to create a job checklist. It was so simple that I couldn't believe I'd not done it earlier. 🙃

   So after discussing what is important for each job, the children created a checklist. It was tempting to efficiently create the lists myself however, we worked on this together. There is something valuable about including children in the process - they own and feel a shared sense of responsibility for these tasks. So now, when they do a job, they need to run through the checklist to be sure they've covered everything. I can say that the jobs are now being completed! yay!😀

2. Personal Profiles

At the start of year the children create profiles of themselves. It provides a fun snapshot of the children as they grow. To go with their self portrait, they write a little about what they love and enjoy including:

- their favourite foods to eat

- favourite games to play and books to read

- their dreams for their life as an adult

- friends they enjoy being with

- places to visit and explore

- sports and activities they love to do

It has been fun to look back on the collection of profiles year after year.

3. Checking in

Before introducing new concepts or memory work such as spelling words, times tables, poetry, Bible verses and more, it is good to check what your children have retained from the previous year. Summer can be a long time. Sometimes over the break memory work can settle well into their minds, but alternatively, it can be lost.

Practically, this means working with each child to check over the concepts and memory work from the previous year. This will provide a great starting point for revision before launching into new learnings.

4. Goal Setting

Guiding your children through the process of setting goals is so valuable! Encourage each child to make goals in different domains such as physical, sporting, social/friendship, emotional, academic, spiritual, music and personal. Create a template or have the children write headings in boxes on a blank page. Gently support your children by explaining what each domain of their life involves, provide examples and help them set achievable goals. We had fun sitting around the couches together for this process. Keep it positive and lighthearted.

5. Mummy Meeting

Conduct a 'Mummy meeting' individually with each child before beginning the year. Talk about the materials, resources and programs they will be using, their personal goals and what projects or opportunities they wish to pursue. Together, create a daily and weekly schedule that encompasses and reflects all of these things.

It is a precious opportunity to connect, listen to and hear each of your child's ideas for the year ahead. By involving them in this process, they not only feel loved, valued and important, they also grow to own and be responsible for their learning.

6. Create a Schedule

   After you have been through the process of checking in, goal setting and the 'Mummy meeting' now you are ready to support your child to create their own schedule. As you work the puzzle of fitting all the fun things into the 'perfect' school plan, remember to allow margin in your life and day. Read more about that below:

HERE

By working with your children rather than for your children to create a schedule invites them into the process and gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility. It's also a wonderful life skill they can take into their adulthood.

Before launching into the new year full of busy learning and lessons, I would encourage you to take the time to connect with each child; listen to them and work with them to create a plan that will serve you and put you both on the path for a wonderful year of learning. ✨

With blessing,

Penny