How We’re Homeschooling While Preparing for a Move
Life is feeling a little chaotic lately. Especially since we are homeschooling while moving house.
We are slowly packing up our four-bedroom bungalow and preparing to move into a large six-bedroom, heritage homestead. At the moment, we’re in a strange kind of limbo, we haven’t actually sold our current home yet, but we’ve gone unconditional on the new one. Its risky. But I’m quietly optimistic that we’ll have a bit of overlap to set up the new house before fully clearing out the old. So homeschooling while moving house has looked very different for us in this season.
In the meantime, we’re packing away all our non-essentials and trying to live with the bare minimum… which is no small task with four homeschooled children.
So what does homeschooling look like during a move like this?
Here are my top tips for homeschooling while moving house.
Simplifying to the Three “R’s” (Reading, Writing & Arithmetic)
I’ve never loved the term “three R’s” (it doesn’t really make sense when only one of them actually starts with an R haha), but for this season, it describes what I’m talking about!
We’ve stripped our homeschool right back to the basics: reading, writing, and mathematics.
We have a nearly six year old who is still gaining confidence in reading fluently. We are currently working through All About Reading Level 1, but during this busy season we’re not always doing full lessons. Instead, we focus on reading the included readers, along with a few extra second-hand books I’ve picked up.
Some of these include phonograms she hasn’t formally learned yet (like “oo”, magic “e”, or new sight words), but I simply help her through them, and she’s picking things up quickly.
For writing, we’re keeping things simple with copywork and narration. I credit Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer for giving me the tools and confidence to teach writing in a gentle, manageable way. At this age, it doesn’t require many materials, which makes it perfect for a season like this. Just an exercise book and a pen.
In the early days of preparing to move, we continued with Math With Confidence Level 2. But as things became more hectic, we shelved the workbook and shifted to simple, handwritten maths problems. Right now, our focus is purely on review and consistency rather than pushing ahead.
Return All Library Books Early
This might sound obvious, but it made a huge difference for us.
I simply cannot manage library books during a move. The risk of losing one, packing it away accidentally, or missing return dates adds unnecessary stress.
So I gathered everything up and returned it early, one less thing to keep track of when you are homeschooling while moving house!
Pre-Read Your Curriculum (Learn From My Mistake!)
I made this mistake and definitely learned the hard way.
I thought I was fully prepared with our Math With Confidence workbook, teacher guide, and laminated resources ‘blackline masters’. But when we moved into the next unit, I realised we needed our place value blocks… which were packed away in a box at the very bottom of the pile in the back of our garage.
If you’re homeschooling while moving, take the time to quickly look ahead in your curriculum so you know exactly what materials you’ll need to keep accessible.
Use Books with Multiple Short Stories
This has been such a simple win.
We’ve been using books that contain multiple short stories in one volume. It means we can enjoy something “new” each day without having lots of separate books out during packing.
Older collections (like Enid Blyton short stories) are especially great for this.
Keep a Globe Out for Easy Learning
While most of our wall maps and posters have been packed away since we are homeschooling while moving house, our globe has stayed out, and it’s been used constantly.
It’s such an easy, low effort way to keep learning going. The kids naturally engage with it during read-aloud time, and it often sparks conversations about countries, geography, and the wider world.
Focus on Memory Work
This is the perfect time to lean into memory work.
It requires very few resources, you can use a simple folder, or even keep things saved on your phone.
Since reading The Well-Trained Mind, I’ve incorporated more memory work into our homeschool, and this season has been ideal for it.
Some of the things we’re focusing on include:
- skip counting
- poems
- countries and flags (using the globe)
- and even memorising our new address
Habit Training Matters More Than Ever
When everything else feels a little unsettled, habits become even more important.
The beauty of habit training is that it doesn’t require materials or preparation. It can be as simple as:
- making beds each morning
- helping with packing
- unloading the dishwasher
We’ve also been working on memorising and discussing character traits like honesty, wisdom, and orderliness,small things that build a strong foundation over time. I love Character Libraries for this.
Final Thoughts on Homeschooling During a Move
This season feels messy, and at times a little overwhelming, but it also feels meaningful.
We’re not aiming for perfect routines or beautifully structured days right now. We’re focusing on consistency where we can, and giving ourselves grace where we can’t.
Homeschooling while moving house doesn’t have to be perfect, it never is, sometimes it just needs to be simple and as consistant as possible.
And in many ways, this season is its own kind of education.
-Emma
