Like Christmas shopping before the holiday season, I find that choosing what I'm going to want for next school year is best done now. While I have some friends that do the same, I know others who want to know why. And here's why...
I don't want to spend my summer planning. By planning now, I can relax and enjoy my summer knowing that I'm all set for the fall.
I can plan based on how things are right when we're actually "doing school". My kids and I have much stronger opinions in the spring than we will in the fall when we haven't been using something in awhile. We know exactly what is working and isn't working and why.
I usually choose one or two subjects to do over the summer to keep the rest of the year lighter. I often do subjects like the history of our state (which we're required to teach and can involve fun day trips) or science (because it feels more like fun than school). I consider our school year to switch over sometime between April and June depending on when we're ready to stop our "serious" school year focus and switch over to a lighter summer focus.
I like to have time to get familiar with anything new. I only use "open and go" curriculum (which is why Dr. Robin's School is "log in and go"...I wouldn't create something I wasn't willing to use myself!) but I still have to figure out where I "open" it to, what does "go" look like. This gives me time to only look at one product at a time when it's convenient for me rather than trying to figure it all out at once.
I like the end of season sales. Like stocking up on wrapping paper at 4 rolls for $1 in late December, I find that planning now lets me take advantage of the best prices of the year.
When do you plan? Let us know in the comments!