Summer is happening too fast! And while it might be tempting to remove all thought of homeschooling from your mind for at least a couple months (no judgment here—we get it), summer is a great time to start preparing for a new homeschool year. Instead of scrambling to make sure everything is in order the week before lessons start, try easing into planning a little at a time throughout the summer. Here are five ways to prep during the summer for your best school year yet.

Set Realistic Goals

Summer is a busy time. Between traveling and summer camps and visiting with family, the break can really fly by! Before you know it, the school year will be weeks away. In order to ensure you are ready for the new homeschool year when it comes, make a list of every task you need to complete and assign realistic due dates for yourself. The keyword here is realistic. Don’t commit to doing too much, too fast. By spreading these tasks throughout the summer, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the time off with your family. 

Get Organized

By the time the homeschool year comes to a close, odds are your homeschool space isn’t looking as organized as it did when you started. Take a day or two during the summer while the kids are at camp or visiting the grandparents and tidy up! Start by sorting through your homeschool space and getting rid of all that old stuff you know you don’t use anymore. Look for new ways to organize your space (you can start here). Say “see ya later!” to germs and stains by deep cleaning everything from the chairs to the bookcase to the carpet. You’ll be glad you did it once it’s time to start lesson planning.

Keep the Routine

Avoid the shock of readjusting to the school year routine by including subtle parts of it into your daily lives throughout the summer. Plan to eat meals at the same time. Set aside some quiet reading or learning time each day. Maintain your children’s bedtime. Keeping some semblance of structure will help your children to quickly adjust to the new homeschool year.

Invest in Learning

Summer is a great time to prepare yourself for the next school year. There are countless resources available online to help you improve your teaching (try this and this). Take a quick break from your favorite novel, and peruse some reading that will benefit your homeschool year to come. Connect with other homeschooling families and engage in conversations with other moms about their homeschooling experience. We promise you’ll learn something new—plus, you can share some of your homeschooling wisdom as well! 

Buy Early

The best thing you can do to make sure you’re prepared for the next school year is to determine what you need. This will help alleviate last-minute stress, give you time to make sure you have everything you need, and save money. Start shopping today, and get a jumpstart on the year to come!