"Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest." ~ Charlotte Mason

Whether you homeschool year round or you’re nearing the end of your homeschool year, here are some ways that we stay organized, review what we’ve accomplished and prepare for the year ahead.

If you want to keep a simple summer rhythm, read this blog post.

1. Now is the time to start planning the coming school year. As you plan, review what was effective for your children’s learning style and what didn’t work for your family. Often I'm just following a progression of whatever I've been using; moving on to the next level in grammar, or math, or beginning the next cycle of The Peaceful Press. Click here to get a free sample week of each of our curriculum bundles.

2. The next thing I do to wrap up the school year is prepare report cards. Our homeschool planner includes a grade tracker which makes it much easier at the end of the year to figure out grades. I am very low key about grades until high school, but this can be a good time to evaluate your child’s progress.

3. The next task of the year is to organize our books. Some books get put away for future use, or donated. I put the new literature books we will be using on the bookshelf in our living room, and replace notebook materials and any textbooks we are using in each child's basket.

4. Then I sort through the work we did throughout the school year. I keep a few work samples from the year and file them with my child's name and grade, or place them in a special portfolio of work, and trash the rest. I love the feeling of a clean slate!

5. Finally, I interview each of my children to find out what they enjoyed about the school year. Seeking feedback from your child can help for future planning. With Charlotte Mason homeschooling, end of school year exams can simply be set aside time for a casual recap of the material learned. Set a table with tea and writing paper, or poster board and markers, and let your child draw short narrations of what they remember from the term. For children who are writing comfortably, you can print out our free exam pack and give them the pages that correspond with the resource you are using. The questions are simple, but they give you something to tuck into your child's cumulative file.

It’s important to keep in mind that the end of the homeschool year is not just about academic achievements but also about creating peaceful rhythms, cultivating a connected family and nurturing a love for learning. Enjoy this season with your family and celebrate all that you’ve accomplished together!

As you reflect on your homeschool year and prepare for the year ahead, our Peaceful Life workshop can help define your homeschool vision. It includes prompts for designing your ideal day, planning for being and doing goals, and evaluating the missing links between your goals and your progress.