We know the last thing you want to hear right now as your summer break begins is that you should get a head start on next semester. However, you will not want to miss the opportunities mentioned in this post to help you prepare for the 2022-23 academic year!
4 Ways to Get Ahead for Next Semester
Here are four simple things you can do this summer to ensure a successful kick-off for the fall semester:
1. Continue Learning Throughout the Summer
Many homeschool parents worry that while their students are on summer break, they will forget information learned during the previous semester. With this mindset, it’s easy to anticipate a slow start to the fall semester due to relearning material already covered.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case! Indeed, there are many ways to continue to learn throughout the summer that don’t involve homeschooling year-round, from memorizing a Bible verse each week to starting your own book club.
Also, remember that not all learning occurs in front of a book. There are many other ways to learn — some even more practical than reading — that your student will have time for this summer, like working a summer job or taking an art class.
If you’re looking for more ways to continue learning with your student this summer, read our post “Summer Homeschool Activities to Keep the Mind Active.”
2. Plan and Purchase Your Resources for Next Semester
Have you ever arrived in August scrambling to find homeschool resources, ordering books last minute before the semester starts?
Unless the 2022-23 academic year will be your first homeschooling your child, many parents can relate to this scenario. After all, whenever summer rolls around, we can easily put homeschooling “on hold” and procrastinate planning for the next semester.
But it will be here before you know it. So, one way to get a head start on next semester is to choose and order your resources now so your family can slide into next semester with zero stress about which books you need, if there will be any copies still available, and whether they’ll ship before your family begins your first community day of the academic year.
To encourage you to plan now so you can enjoy the rest of your summer stress-free, we are running sales for free shipping on orders of $50 or more during select days each week in June on the Classical Conversations bookstore. Be sure to check these out!
3. Attend a Homeschool Convention
A convenient way to plan for next semester while also connecting with the larger homeschool community this summer is to attend a homeschool convention.
Many large homeschool conventions — like Teach Them Diligently and Great Homeschool Conventions — travel to various locations around the nation, inviting exhibitors to showcase their homeschool curriculum and resources. By visiting a homeschool convention in your area, you can easily browse options for your family and, at many booths, even purchase resources for next semester. It’s a great way to get ahead!
Should you visit a Teach Them Diligently or Great Homeschool Conventions event this summer, stop by our Classical Conversations booth and say hello!
Also, if you’re wondering whether homeschool conventions are even worth attending when it seems like you can find all your resources online these days, be sure to read “Homeschool Conventions in 2022: Helpful or Outdated?”
4. Join Us at Practicum 2023
Looking for ways to improve your teaching skills this summer? Then join us at Practicum 2023!
Throughout the summer, local Classical Conversations team leaders host Practicum events to help homeschool parents — whether Classical Conversations members or not — discover and practice the classical tools of learning.
This year, Practicum is focused on equipping homeschool parents with the Five Common Topics of Dialectic, a set of classical tools that enable us to have rich, meaningful conversations with our students about any new subject. During the event, you’ll practice these tools in discussions with other parents using science as your topic.
To sign up for a Practicum in your area, click here.
But Also… Enjoy Your Summer!
While all these are great ways to get a head start on next semester, remember that every homeschool parent needs a break now and then — even you. And summer brings that perfect opportunity for you to rest.
In other words, you don’t have to do everything on this list. If planning for next semester is already causing you stress, then wait a few weeks before you begin, taking time to rest.
But if you’re ready to get a head start on next semester right now, be sure to check out our free shipping sales this June. Hopefully these discounts encourage you to get your fall semester shopping out of the way early so you can enjoy the rest of your summer. To view dates for these sales, head over to our bookstore. Happy shopping!
