How to Plan a Homeschool Day

I am often asked how one should plan a homeschool day. When does one do math? Should there even be a schedule, or should one simply do what one feels needs to be done, or what one wants to do? There are many who find freedom from a daily routine very rewarding. For my family, we found a proposed objective worked best for us so that we are able to accomplish our goals for the day, the week, even the year. So again, the question is posed, “How do I schedule a homeschool day?” First off, please remember that the schedule is generally to be seen as a guideline, not a master of your day, so do be flexible. Pencil it in, do not ink it in.

Scheduling your homeschool day can be challenging. Each family is unique; even each day can be unique. Since much of the time one is having school in the home, interruptions happen. The best you can do is sketch out a plan for each day that works best for your family. First, place all scheduled events/classes that occur outside the home into your weekly calendar. Then set a beginning and ending time for each day. Schedule breaks and lunch time into your agenda. Next, appoint the most demanding academics when the children are most focused and cooperative, usually in the morning. If you have younger siblings, these intensive intellectual endeavors can be scheduled during nap time or while the younger ones are occupied. Whenever possible combine all ages together for joint learning for this will allow for better time management and it is rewarding to share an experience together as a family. Subjects such as literature, bible, history, and even science for younger children are all conducive to teaching conjointly. For subjects such as math that require more individualized learning, plan a time for each child to receive one-on-one lessons while the other children are working independently or reading.

As the day progresses and the children (and the teacher) grow weary from the more vigorous academics, plan for time-consuming, hands-on projects to fill the afternoon. Music, sports, arts and crafts are a great way to learn while having fun. The afternoon is also a great time to schedule classes outside the home, knowing that the 3 R’s have already been accomplished for the day. Finally, remember that not every subject must be done every day. Although math is better done each day, subjects such as grammar or history need not be visited each day of the week. You may choose to allot specific times for each subject or simply generalize the divisions of the day, such as a list of what you wish to accomplish in the morning, and what is planned in the afternoon. And please, do not over plan your day so that your goals are unattainable. Too much forced into one day will leave you feeling defeated and stressed. As you try out your schedule, it may take a month to fine tune it so that it is a good fit. Do not fret, be patient. Your reward will be a calm and peaceful day.