We hope sharing this information from the Teaching Home newsletters encouraged you on your homeschooling journey! Here is the final installment of Back-to-School: Orientation Week from the Teaching Home.
Back-to-School Prep
Back-to-School Orientation Week
A Back-to-Home-School Orientation Week can help get your school year off to a good start!
This week we offer 20 activities for you to consider – whether you’ve already started school or not (continued from last issue).
Orientation Week Activities #14 – 20 of 20
14. Preliminary Class for Each Course
• Introduce one of the year’s courses each day during the week.
• Present a written syllabus for each course that includes a course outline, book list, units/chapters, supplementary materials, assignments, and planned dates for units, tests, and activities as well as methods of assessment.
• If you don’t have all this information now, write what you do have, especially for the first unit, and leave space to add more later.
15. Schedule
• Go over your schedule (or take time to write out your “time budget”) and explain the times for classes, meals, chores, family devotions, and Lights Out (regular bedtimes). See Newsletter #406.
• Post copies of your schedule in several places where all can see.
• Explain your Master Calendar and the procedure to place all engagement on the calendar.
16. Professor’s Time
• Write out a list of activities for students to do when you are giving another student individual attention so that they can use their time constructively and work independently (e.g., older children can take turns supervising young ones or big sister or brother might do some of the tutoring).
• Give older children their own lesson plan books so they can carry on with assignments while you work with younger students.
• Present your collections of educational audio and video resources (such as those carried by Sing ‘n Learn) to be used for occupying students’ “down time.”
• Have children practice their music (guitar or piano: Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class) or art (How Great Thou Art).
• Make a picture list of acceptable activities younger children can do when they are waiting for your help, such as puzzles, coloring, educational games, etc.
17. Welcome Party
• Plan a dinner, a picnic, a special tea, a dessert reception, a pizza party, or anything festive that your family would enjoy together.
• This is a good event to share with another homeschool family.
18. Movie Night
• Find a video that will both entertain your whole family and stimulate interest in your upcoming studies, e.g., history, science, or geography.
19. Photograph Session
• Take photos of each child and your whole family together, frame, and hang them.
20. T-Shirts
• Buy matching T-shirts, with or without your family’s or school’s name, motto, verse, or logo. These are great for field trips and to build team spirit!
Back-to-School Crafts & Ideas
Find lots of back-to-school ideas at marthastewart.com, including instructions for pretty and useful back-to-school crafts like:
• Roll up pencil case
• Felt pencil case
• Artist’s supplies case
• Jar Organizers
• Also: 15 ideas for kid’s study spaces.
Tipnut.com offers many back-to-school crafts, including:
• 24 Pencil cases & pouches
• 19 Ways to cover a book
• 60 Ways to make bookmarks
North Star Independent Homeschoolers 