Homeschoolers and the Not-Back-to-School Season

How the Back-to-School Season Affects Home Educators

Aug 13, 2009

Over 1 million school-aged children will not be heading out the door to school this year. Learn how homeschooling families navigate the not-back-to-school season.

As families are bombarded with ads and fliers filled with "back-to-school" deals, homeschoolers are gearing up for their not-back-to-school traditions. The National Home Education Research Institute estimated that by the spring of 2008 there would be two million school-aged children educated at home. Many homeschooling families follow a year 'round style of learning and so "back-to'school" has little meaning to them. For those that follow a more traditional school calendar, the back-to-school season has arrived.

Reconnecting With Friends

Many homeschool organizations and networks operate on a typical September to June schedule. While homeschooling allows for families to vacation any time of the year, many homeschooling families, even those who school year 'round, take advantage of the warm summer months by going on family vacations. Back-to-School time provides homeschoolers with the opportunity to reconnect with friends and swap summer vacation stories.

Homeschool networks may organize Not-Back-to-School picnics or other social events in order to pull the members together after the summer break. In Vermont and Oregon, unschooled teens can attend a week long Not-Back-to School Camp.

Reorganizing Learning Areas

Like the dawn of spring, the end of summer seems to be the perfect time to get the house in order. Start by clearing out last year's work and old projects in order to make way for the new. This is a great time to sift through resources and curriculum materials, making notes of what needs to be replaced, replenished, reused or recycled. Make use of used book stores and places like Salvation Army or online swap shops when discarding materials that are no longer needed. This is also a perfect time to design (or redesign) a school schedule or routine and begin making lesson plans.

Restocking the Supply Closet

During back-to-school time stores are well equipped with "required shopping" lists for each grade at the local public school. Though there are no official lists for homeschoolers, homeschooled students need supplies as well. Homeschooling parents can take advantage of the back-to-school sales and educator discounts offered at local office supply stores. Some stores have fantastic deals for educators such as single subject notebooks for a penny each. It may be a good idea to also stock up on:

Take stock of curriculum and materials and be sure to order materials early so that they arrive in time for the school year to begin.

The Not-Back-to-School Season

For most school-aged children, the middle of August marks the ritual end of summer back-to-school season. This isn't the case however for the nearly two million school-aged children being educated at home. For many homeschooling families, picnics, camps and social events are the tell tale signs that the not-back-to-school season has arrived.

The copyright of the article Homeschoolers and the Not-Back-to-School Season in Homeschooling is owned by Leigh Vozzella. Permission to republish Homeschoolers and the Not-Back-to-School Season in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.