Consistency is one of the biggest homeschool challenges. Homeschool parents often share with each other how hard it is to keep on track when there are so many events and difficulties that can derail you. I’ve definitely had my fair share of skipped lessons and day holidays that turned into week-long breaks. However, the gold lies in the daily, constant practice so how can we improve consistency in our homeschools? Read on for four simple but effective suggestions to help you remain constant in your homeschooling inshaAllah.
Bulk Prep encourages consistency
Have you ever prepped for the first few lessons of a topic and told yourself you’d do the rest later? Only you forgot and next thing you know it’s time for the lesson and the printer isn’t cooperating and you think you’ll just do double next time.
I have! I’ve learned to print out the entire unit before we start. Whether this is spelling or the 10 Promised Paradise, if they are prepped and ready it’s setting our homeschool up for success.
This helps by:
- Stopping skipped lessons and gaps that kill momentum
- Saving time by prepping everything at once
- Giving me a board overview of what we need to achieve
The best example of how bulk prep helped me was in my son’s writing practice. I wanted him to improve his writing with consistent practice but it was hard to find appropriate writing prompts. I created lots of different writing prompts and then printed them out. He then completed one per day as part of his independent work. My favourite were the 4 Seasons Writing prompts for Muslim kids but you can check out the others here. Join the e-mail list here to get the summer writing prompts for free. If you struggled with consistent writing practice, try them they’re a game-changer.
Simplicity is the key to consistency
The more you pile on your plate the more likely you are to fail to achieve everything which leads to a lack of consistency. I really like this blog article about how simplifying doesn’t necessarily mean doing less but making room for the things that are most important to you.
In the same way that studies have shown that a clean and organized space increases productivity, a simplified homeschool that feels achievable is more likely to motivate you to consistently hit your goals.
Resources that are perfect for you
If you have to constantly adapt, edit and supplement resources it will become too time-consuming and affect your consistency. This work takes away from time you could be actually teaching. It can be the cause of skipped lessons and missed topics.
If you have resources that are designed especially for Muslim families you can:
- Save yourself precious time and simply print-and-go
- Add Islamic content into other subjects so you can effectively teach your kids a range of beneficial knowledge.
If you would like to see an example click here to gain access to the Free Resource Library. Islamic comprehension passages, geography lessons and more are included!
Plan and track progress
I asked my local homeschool group for any hacks they had to improve consistency and almost everyone offered the same advice: planning! There are different methods of planning and you certainly don’t need to plan every second of your homeschool day. However, an overall plan that maps your curriculum over the year AND a weekly plan for which lessons you will cover is vital for consistency.
A plan instantly galvanises you and attaching it to a time makes your goals achievable and realistic. It is likely to make you more productive too. When you think you have all day to tidy, it often takes all day, but if unexpected guests call ahead to let you know they’ll be there in 10 minutes….it’s almost shocking the amount you can get cleared!
Progress tracking is key. A mother had a great suggestion of incentivising kids with a treat if they stay on track with a field trip, picnic or special project for example. This helps get the kids on board the consistency train too! You are no longer the sole driving force in making sure you stay on track.
It’s vitally important that your plan is realistic though. I’ve failed so many times with ridiculously ambitious ideas about what we would cover in the year. Keep it achievable and feel free to adjust rather than abandon ship if it’s too much after all.
Free resources to help you teach kids about Islam
I hope you have found these tips for creating consistency in your homeschool helpful. If you would like to get FREE resources to help you Islamically educate your kids join the mailing list here to gain access to the free resource library.
Here are some other blog posts you may be interested in:
Homeschool Organization and Structure Strategies
How to create Islamic comprehension passages: a step-by-step guide
