Our Back-to-School Kit

Fruit-scented erasers, Sharpies in brilliant colors, fat binders that snap well and loudly. Homeschoolers celebrate the new year with school supplies. And not only are the students excited, but I, as the principal home educator, happily tote my glossy lesson plan book and sticky notes in bright, cheery colors. I’ve also packed a few items in our back-to-school kit that is crucial to our school year’s success:

A Routine: After experiments with school-at-home (blocking a certain amount of time per subject) and then none at all, we’ve found ourselves somewhere in between the extremes. My children awaken at different hours, but our seatwork and focused time begins at 9 a.m. The children need to have breakfast, brush their teeth, comb their hair and be out of their pajamas and ready to go by 9 a.m. Then, we work steadily until lunch time. If their grammar takes 10 minutes, that’s fine. If their math page takes one hour, that’s all right. We’ve a list of the core subjects to study in that time but at their own pace.

Extra Doses of Patience: After a few weeks off with lazy mornings and long, summery nights, the children may not like the idea of having anything remotely resembling a schedule. The aforementioned routine might be difficult to establish at the beginning. There’s a bit of whining, feet-dragging and a tired spirit after staying up too late. But enough about me.

Blocked-Out Time: In the rush of new classes at our local community center — cheap ballet lessons, fun soccer camps — I block off days for stay-at-home days. Most homeschoolers tend to overdo socializing, so I purposely block off days during the week where we can just enjoy being at home. Might as well put the “home” in homeschool now and then.

Fun Art Bin: If someone ever had to capture a wild Veronica Maria who is lost in the forest, they only need to put a cheap $1 art supply as lure for a trap. I am a lover of cheap plastic bins packed with even cheaper art supplies. Courtesy of local discount stores and dollar places, our plastic bins teem with foam stickers, pretty collage papers, pipe cleaners, wooden doll sticks, and mini projects. The FAB is easily accessible during the day, so the children take it out and exercise their artistic spirit. Plus, when friends come over for play dates, the FAB can help children do something artistic together.

On-hand Inspiration: Throughout the school year, I keep my favorite quotes about homeschooling (as well as books and notes) nearby so I can refuel the lamp of homeschooling so I don’t burn out.

List of Field-Trip Ideas: To break up the monotony that sets in after the second quarter, I keep ideas for outdoor learning. The quarterly newsletters from our city are filled with events around our area, so wecan branch out and do new things.

Little Notebook: Writers and artists always have little sketchbooks in their pockets or bags. So does this homeschooler. In this little notebook, I jot down everything that strikes my interest then keep it on hand. The notebook has recommended books from friends (and blogs and homeschooling groups), so I don’t blank out on titles to check out at the library. The book also has: movie recommendations and a list of our monthly artist and composer to study. Also in it are ideas for posts at The Homeschool Classroom.

A Mother’s Prayer Book: My favorite Scripture quote is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Homeschooling would be impossible for me if not for the time that I spent in front of the Lord, listening to His guidance and pouring out my concerns and fears and frustrations to Him, who understands it all. When planning for the new school year, remember to reflect on the intangibles. I can have the best curriculum in the world, but without prayer, without quiet time in our week, it will mean nothing. A solid curriculum in tandem with prayer, reflection and play is a good toolkit for a successful year.

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Veronica Maria has a degree in journalism and worked with words for years before she became a full-time mom. She writes about homeschooling at her blog, Pixilated School Notes, and freelances as a writer and an editor. Her most-beloved works-in-progress, though, are her three children.


Photo by Dazed81

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