🎉 Year End Review Of Our Homeschool | The Flexibility We Truly Needed
It’s finally that time of year. And honestly? I have never been so happy to close the book on a homeschool year as I am right now. Our Year End Review Of Our Homeschool is here, and this one is packed with lessons, laughter, and the flexibility we truly needed.
So let’s dive in and take a look back at our 2024–2025 homeschool year — what worked, what didn’t, and what we’re taking with us into the next season of learning.
Be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be an insider and to follow along with our days over on Instagram @makingeverydaymagic.
The Reality of This Homeschool Year
Let’s be real — this year was a doozy. Between moving houses, starting the year with major home repairs (thanks, water leak!), and the holiday chaos of December, it felt like we never fully found our rhythm.
We were always adjusting, always trying to regain momentum. And honestly? I’ve never looked forward to the end of a homeschool year more. I needed the fresh start. The hard stop. The door slam. The reset.
And we’re just about there — two days from officially finishing. It’s a mix of wrapping up, prepping for vacation, and sneaking in record-keeping where I can. Life’s been full, but we made it. Barely. But we made it.
Our Flexible 4-Day Homeschool Flow
For context, we homeschool four days a week — intentionally. I plan for 34–36 weeks total, but only load about 30–32 weeks of actual curriculum. That little cushion is everything.
This year, I had a third grader and a seventh grader — next year, we’ll roll into fourth and eighth. Our week starts strong with Mom and Me Monday, where we knock out all of our shared subjects like group science and history, so the rest of the week has more space and independence.
This built-in flexibility was our saving grace.
Group Subjects: What We Loved
Everything We Have Used Is LINKED HERE
Art History – Have I Got a Story for You?
We planned to use Crash Course Art History and never got around to it — next year, it’s on the list! But we did complete the Impressionist series from Have I Got a Story For You. It’s pricey (around $150), but worth every penny. My kids loved it, and it brought so much joy and color to our group work.
Dino 101 – Coursera
This was one of my personal highlights of the year. My dino-loving daughter picked Dino 101, a college-level course through Coursera from the University of Alberta. We did it as a family, and it was fantastic. Deep dive, academic content, and something she was truly passionate about.
Texas History – Custom + Field Trips
We started with Free Fun Texas History, but quickly pivoted to building our own flow. We dove deep into indigenous peoples, the mission system, and Texas landmarks.
Highlights included visits to the Alamo, the missions, and even an upcoming field trip to Taste of Texas, where we’ll take a private Texas history tour curated just for kids. Highly recommend!
Chemistry – Middle School Chemistry (ACS)
Free. Easy to follow. And hands-down, my favorite science curriculum we’ve ever used. We all did it together, even my third grader. You can find the full supply list on my Amazon storefront — and I mean it when I say it was thorough, robust, and fun.
What Worked, What Didn’t (and Why That’s Okay)
Tech Essentials – CompuScholar
We started strong with Tech Essentials through Timberdoodle’s CompuScholar platform. It’s fantastic — teaching real tech skills like file storage, coding, and more. But when the year went sideways, this was the one thing that got dropped. And you know what? That’s okay.
Film School for Teens
This program was amazing — thought-provoking, deep, and incredibly well done. My girls watched films like The Outsiders, The Help, The Blind Side, and Some Like It Hot, and used them to explore storytelling, editing, and real-world issues. The actual filmmaking piece was tough just due to age, but the conversations we had? Totally worth it.
Math: A Major Shift for the Better
We started the year with the Math-U-See Principles of Secondary Mathematics for Algebra 1… and then we didn’t. It was not a fit for our family, and we made the switch to Denison Algebra.
That change? Game-changer. My seventh grader got it — the format, the instruction, the clarity. Denison will now be our go-to for upper-level math. My youngest will finish Math-U-See Zeta, and then we’ll transition her, too.
It’s wild how much the right fit can change everything.
Final Thoughts on Our 2024–2025 Homeschool Year
So yes, we’re tired. Yes, this year was chaos. But we made it, and the flexibility we built into our homeschool gave us the breathing room we needed to survive it — even thrive in pockets of it.
As I sit in a corner of our smaller homeschool space, prepping for next year and clearing out the old, I’m proud of what we accomplished. Not because it was perfect, but because we adapted, adjusted, and still found joy.
Year End Review Of Our Homeschool? It wasn’t the easiest year, but it was full of growth, memories, and most of all — grace.
Want to Explore More?
If you’re planning your next homeschool year or curious about any of the resources I mentioned, everything is linked on my favorites page and available right here on my website. Questions? Drop them in the comments or come hang out with me on Instagram @MakingEverydayMagic.
Let’s keep making everyday magic — one messy, flexible, beautiful homeschool year at a time. ✨
