Practical Mid-Year Changes to Make in Your Homeschool

Homeschooling offers a beautiful flexibility—you can adjust when something isn’t working. Mid-year reflection is the perfect opportunity to identify areas for improvement and take actionable steps toward creating a homeschool experience that works better for your family.

Let’s explore five practical changes you can make today to ease stress, spark joy, and reignite your homeschool.

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1. Simplify Your Schedule

If your days feel rushed or overwhelming, consider streamlining your schedule. Focus on what truly matters. Prioritize the “must-dos” and build your day around your family’s rhythm rather than trying to fit into a rigid timeline.

Tools to help:

• Homeschool Priority Planner: PLAY to Learn Priority Planner
• Time-Blocking System: PLAY to Learn Time Block Sheet

2. Swap Out a Stale Curriculum

A curriculum that isn’t working doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it’s just not the right fit for now. Look for alternatives that align with your child’s learning style or brainstorm how you can modify or adapt your current curriculums so they better meet your needs. For instance, visual learners may thrive with colorful, diagram-rich materials, while hands-on learners might love project-based resources.

Try these options:

• For Math: Math with Confidence
• For Reading: All About Reading 

3. Incorporate Playful Learning

Playful learning isn’t just fun—it’s effective. Mid-year is the perfect time to inject creativity into your homeschool with games, sensory activities, and hands-on experiments.

Resources to explore:

• Playful Learning Membership: Join the PLAY to Learn Homeschool Hub for curated monthly activity packs.
• Gameschooling: learning through playing games is the ultimate fun way to learn

4. Prioritize Self-Care for YOU

Burnout is real, but taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. Build in small moments of rest and joy. For instance, schedule a weekly “quiet hour” where everyone reads or rests independently.

Self-care essentials include your favorite hobbies or whatever helps you relax. Pencil in time to relax every day, even if it's just 10 minutes to start.

5. Revisit Your Homeschool Goals

Reframe your goals to focus on progress, not perfection. For example, if your original goal was to “finish the math book,” adjust it to “help my child feel confident with fractions.”

Join the discussion in our private community: The PLAY to Learn Homeschool Hub is full of resources to help you clarify your goals and create a plan.

Final Thoughts

Remember, homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint. Adjusting your approach mid-year isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a step toward a better fit for your family. Take what you’ve learned, make small changes, and watch your homeschool thrive.