What kind of homeschool mom are you?
There are two types of homeschooling moms: the ones who follow a strict homeschool schedule, and the ones who throw all sense of homeschool planning out the window.
And, then there’s me.
Do you ever see those homeschooling moms on Instagram who seem to be absolutely killing it with keeping the perfect homeschool schedule and wonder why you can’t be more organized? Or maybe you see the families who live by no schedule, and you long for their wild and free sense of adventure.
If you fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, welcome! So do I. You have found the right place.
While it seems romantic to have everyday be an exploration day in nature, or to have every single minute planned perfectly and never get off track, it’s just simply not realistic for most of us.
And, that’s okay!
It’s fine to be the mom who needs a little bit of structure but is also not going to fall apart if the day requires a more relaxed schedule. It’s not only fine, but it’s GREAT to be this mom. Some of life’s greatest adventures will come from being spontaneous. And, there are also days we can only function properly if we stick to a routine.
How do I create a daily schedule for homeschooling?
Creating a daily homeschool schedule doesn’t need to be elaborate or complicated. All you need is this free printable homeschool calendar and a few minutes to brainstorm your goals.
1. Start by printing off a daily homeschool schedule where you can keep notes.
I have a free homeschool calendar available that includes daily schedule planning pages. Just drop your email below and you can immediately have access to the full planner! Having a visual schedule in front of you will help to organize all your objectives in one place. You also have a higher chance of sticking to the goals you set if you write them down. So, print off the schedule, grab a pencil, and let’s get planning!
2. Determine how many days a week you need to cover each subject
As a new homeschool mom, I didn’t realize that you don’t have to cover every single subject…every single day. Check with your state’s homeschool laws on this, but in our state, we get to set our own schedule. This is the beauty of homeschooling! Setting your own schedule and having the flexibility is one of the main reasons we chose this homeschooling journey in the first place.
The core curriculum we use is My Father’s World, which is set up to be a 4-day school week. We cover history, language arts, Bible, math, and art 4 days a week, while science and music is typically 2-3 days a week. On the 5th day, we are encouraged to spend time in nature. Sometimes our 5th day is reserved for doing a project together, going to our co-op, or just catching up on housework/errands.
3. Decide on your daily objectives.
What are some goals you want to accomplish every day? These might include chore times, different subjects, Bible studies, extra-curricular activities, quiet time, free play, etc.
Determining the parts of your day that are non-negotiable, versus things you want to do occasionally, really helps you to visualize how much time you need in the day to accomplish your goals.
A goal of yours may be to cover the essential subjects every day. Knowing you have to be at extracurricular activities on certain days of the week, you can begin filling in your weekly schedule. This will help you visualize what kind of homeschool schedule is going to fit into your daily life.
Understanding your overall educational goals is essential, so you can break them down into daily objectives that are attainable and sustainable within your schedule.
4. Determine which activities you will do as a family and which require you to work one-on-one with a child.
For our large family, this is especially important. There are certain activities that work better when the baby and toddler are awake and needing attention, and others that need to be done while the younger ones are napping or resting quietly.
For instance, I know there is no way we can do our math and reading lessons if the baby is hungry and the toddler needs my attention. It only leads to a chaotic learning environment, I get frustrated, and the older kids can’t focus on their lessons.
So, knowing which activities must be done at certain times of the day can greatly help as you create your homeschool schedule.
5. Jot down a block schedule
Block scheduling is the process of planning certain activities during windows, or blocks, of time. Rather than scheduling each individual activity down to the minute, you decide which group of activities you can complete within certain chunks of time throughout your day.
If you know your baby and toddler take naps from 1-3 pm every afternoon, this may be the time you block off for subjects that require your individual attention and a more calm environment. You may reserve things such as math, language arts, writing, read-alouds, or science projects for these times.
When you know the baby will be awake and wanting to eat, you may plan free play for the big kids.
Basically, you want to plan quiet time for everyone at the same time. And, when the younger children are awake everyone can be doing the more active, noisy activities without disturbing one another.
How many subjects a day for homeschool?
One of the most common questions homeschool parents have is: “How many subjects should I be teaching every day?”
This answer will vary depending on your state requirements, your learning goals, and the ages of your children. I would highly recommend first checking with your state’s laws on essential subjects that must be taught for each grade level. These typically include language arts, math, science, social studies, fine arts & physical education/health.
Once you know your state’s requirements, you can fill in any missing subjects that are priorities to you and your family. These may include Bible studies, foreign language, keyboarding, writing cursive, etc.
Homeschool schedule by grade
To give an idea of how many subjects you will cover each day, here is a sample schedule for a few different age groups:
Kindergarten homeschool schedule
7:00-8:00 am – Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, clear table & load dishwasher
8:00-8:30 am – Bible time, family history & science
8:30-9:00 am – language arts & math
9:00-9:30 am – free play
9:30-10:00 am – snack & art
10:00-10:30 am – Chores
10:30-11:00 am – play
11:00am -12:00 pm – lunch & play
1st-3rd Grade Schedule
7:00-8:00 am – Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, clear table, load dishwasher
8:00-8:30 am – Bible Time, family history & science
8:30-9:00 am- Math
9:00-10:00 am – language arts, spelling, grammar, handwriting, art, snack
10:00-10:30 am – chores
10:30-11:00 am – play
11:00-12:00 pm- lunch & play
Different types of homeschool schedules
As you can see from the sample schedules above, we prefer to do our school from the hours of 8-10am. While we may not always cover the subjects in that exact order and at those exact times, we almost always get our school done in that 8-10 am block of time.
Your schedule may look different depending on your own priorities. Maybe you have piano lessons on certain mornings and can’t commit to doing school from 8-10 every day. Or, maybe you find it easier to schedule a 2-hour block of time in the afternoon when all the young ones are napping. Finding your own rhythm is the most important part of scheduling homeschool days.
Is it possible to work full time and homeschool?
One of the most common things holding families back from taking the homeschool journey is their career. It is a common misconception that the only way you can homeschool is if you stay home with your kids full time.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is remove the public school mindset when considering homeschool. Homeschool does not have to fit into the 7am-3pm schedule that public school does. Learning takes much less time because you are working one on one with your child rather than having a whole class of students.
And, remember, even public school children are taking play breaks, eating lunch, checking out books at the library, exercising, and all the same things your kids are doing in a day! So, the actual academic time is the same whether you’re at home or at public school.
For most of the early grades, school can be done in less than 2 hours. It will be less than that for preschool and kindergarten. So, even if you are working a full time job, you absolutely can have enough time in the day to homeschool your children!
If you can’t seem to find a 2 hour window to homeschool your children, try removing some of the things in your schedule that are prohibiting you from having that time. When homeschooling your kids is a priority, you will be successful even while working a full time job!
Finding your rhythm
Once you find a homeschool schedule that works for you, you will find that it is much easier to stay consistent in your daily rhythm. It will go from a rigid, timed schedule to more of a “daily flow” that comes naturally. While it helps at first to think through your goals and make a plan to fit in all the important subjects, you will eventually settle into a rhythm that makes your homeschool day the least stressful and most productive that it can be.
You will find countless examples of homeschool schedules on the internet, but the most important thing is to find a daily plan that works for you and your family. Because homeschooling is so incredibly flexible, you have the ability to create whatever homeschool environment that you dream of.
Schedules will change with the stage of life you are in. When you are homeschooling multiple different children at different ages, the schedule may change several times throughout a single year. But, that is not a bad thing! Changing up your routine keeps homeschooling fun and fresh. Just remember to not cram your homeschool schedule too full, leave lots of extra time for hobbies and free play, and enjoy your homeschool day!
Additional Resources for Homeschooling Parents
Creating a homeschool schedule is much simpler when you have a plan for your homeschool curriculum. If you need some tips for planning your homeschool curriculum, grab this free printable homeschool curriculum planning guide! And, check out this post on the best 2nd grade writing curriculum for some more tips and tricks on choosing and planning your homeschool curriculum. If you’re looking for a physical planner to help with your daily homeschool schedule, check out my favorite homeschool curriculum planner!
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