Wrapping Up Our Homeschool Year & What We’re Doing Next (2024–2025 Recap)
As we head move through June, we’re wrapping up our 2024–2025 homeschool year! While we’re not taking a full summer break, we are stepping away from our core lessons for a few weeks. The boys are doing swimming lessons, and we’re also trying out a new one-day-a-week art and music school. Since it’s our first time with this kind of setup, I really want to give them space to adjust and settle in.
We’ve also got a few fun things lined up, SeaWorld days, beach trips with extended family, so this break is really our version of summer vacation. It’s a little slower, a little more playful, and full of sunshine and new experiences.
One thing I’m especially proud of is that we officially finished our language arts curriculum—the same one we started a year and a half ago! Our first year homeschooling was rough. It was chaotic, honestly. We had extended family staying with us multiple times, no real schedule, and I was struggling to balance homeschool and work. We didn’t make it through the lessons as well as I hoped, but I’m genuinely grateful for that season. It taught me how valuable my time and home truly are. I learned the importance of routine, and also that I need boundaries when it comes to house guests—because having people stay long-term completely threw off our rhythm and left me overwhelmed.
Anyway, I won’t get too off track. As we wrap up this school year, there are a few things we’ll continue doing, and a few new things we’re adding or switching up—so let’s get into that!
What We’re Using for the New Year
My boys are 7 and 9 years old—technically 2nd and 4th grade. But I don’t really go by traditional grade levels. I place them based on where they are developmentally and academically. We don’t “move up” just because a new school year starts.
For my 7-year-old:
- Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful, Level 1 https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/level-1-language-arts-course-set (they have a free print at home version as well)
- Math: Primary Mathematics 1B https://amzn.to/45ZxdnN + Skills Building Workbook Level 1
- Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears, Grade 2 https://amzn.to/4kFLxX8 and Building Writers https://amzn.to/3TA11zS
- Science: KiwiCo + ZooBox subscription boxes, books, and fun STEM projects
- Art & Music: Music Academy (1x/week, 3-hour session)
- P.E.: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (2x/week)
- Spanish: Nuestra Cartilla Fonética workbook + Spanish books https://amzn.to/4n6I31l
For my 9-year-old:
- Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful, Level 1 https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/level-1-language-arts-course-set
- Math: Primary Mathematics 2B https://amzn.to/443eepN
- Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Kickoff https://amzn.to/40d74OB
- Science: KiwiCo + ZooBox subscription boxes, books, and fun STEM projects
- Art & Music: Music Academy (1x/week, 3-hour session)
- P.E.: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (2x/week)
- Spanish: Nuestra Cartilla Fonética workbook + Spanish books https://amzn.to/4n6I31l
What Else We Use
My boys are hands-on, active learners. So in addition to curriculum, we rotate in a few other things to keep learning fun and engaging:
- YouTube videos – Songs, funny clips, or engaging educational content that connects to what we’re learning
- Learning games – We use math games, phonics games, and word-building games. Some days we use them to reinforce lessons, and other days we skip the lesson altogether and just play
- Morning basket or morning folder – This is a newer routine for us. We previously used a morning menu, but now we’re experimenting with either a basket or folder to include daily warm-ups, memory work, independent activities, or anything else we want to gently start the day with
We adjust as we go. Flexibility is part of what makes homeschooling work for us.
I also want to mention that our schedule for lessons or bookwork typically runs between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., 4–5 days a week, depending on what we have going on. We definitely don’t do all subjects every day. Some subjects, like science, art, and even Spanish, might only happen a couple times a month, while our core subjects—math, reading, language arts, and handwriting get more attention.
That said, I don’t even do all the core subjects daily. I try to do reading every day and handwriting most days, but I alternate language arts and math. Focusing on just one core subject a day has been a total game changer. It keeps things calm and gives us space to go a little deeper into that subject. We’ve been trying this method for about two months now, and it’s really helped my boys enjoy our mornings more. Less stress, more learning—that’s a win in my book.
What I Need as a Work-from-Home Homeschool Mama
I need open-and-go curriculum. I don’t have time for complicated setups every day. I look for resources I can teach easily, then hand off for independent work. I’ve even started looking into online-based curriculum options—especially for extras like Spanish, science electives, coding, or just extra practice in math and reading. I’m still in the research phase, but I love the idea of mixing digital tools with our core learning.
When choosing curriculum, here are a few things I think about:
- How long each subject or lesson will take
- How long your child can focus (my 9-year-old gives me 15–20 good minutes before getting frustrated or checked out, while my 7-year-old can go for 30+ minutes without issue)
- How involved you want to be in teaching each subject
Some programs are very parent-led, while others let kids work more independently. Think about what fits your life and season.
And remember curriculum is not one-size-fits-all. You’ll probably try a few before finding what works. Even then, what works now might not work next year. That’s okay! Kids grow, life shifts, and our homeschool evolves with it. Don’t feel guilty about switching things up. If anything, you’re teaching your kids that change is normal and adapting is a life skill.
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