For new families who are homeschooling, it may feel overwhelming to create a schedule. Where should you start? How detailed should your plans be? How structured does your day need to be? Before getting overwhelmed with the various options, here are some suggestions to assist you in managing your homeschool schedule.
1. Choose a Type of Schedule
Planning the details of your homeschool day is entirely your responsibility and should be based on what suits your family. There is no correct or incorrect method to organize your at-home education.
Most individual homeschool schedules fall under four main categories, which include adopting a year-round academic year or one customized around holidays or seasons among various other variations.
Traditional
By adopting this method, you allocate a specific amount of time each day to study all the subjects simultaneously.
Block
There are two methods for implementing a block schedule—weekly and by term. In either case, you will enjoy increased flexibility as you will not be attempting to tackle every subject at the same time.
When following a weekly block schedule, you could begin your day by dedicating 20 to 30 minutes to daily learning tasks such as journal writing, reading, and practicing math. Afterward, the majority of your homeschooling time will be dedicated to focusing on one or two subjects.
One possible way to rephrase the text while maintaining the same meaning is: When considering a weekly schedule, you may assign Mondays to science and Wednesdays to language arts. The idea is to categorize all the required subject work for the week and finish it within one day, before moving on to a different subject the following day.
The advantage of this approach is that you can delve as deeply as you desire into the topic of the day without the need to progress to the next topic according to a predetermined schedule.
To ensure a comprehensive learning experience for your kids, consider incorporating a variety of learning mediums such as videos, educational games, hands-on activities or crafts, and picture books. This will prevent them from spending extended periods solely engaged in workbooks.
When using a term-based block schedule, you possibly choose to focus on just one or two subjects during a specific quarter or semester, for example, studying social studies between September and November and science between March and May.
You can also align these terms with events taking place in your child’s surroundings. For example, during the social studies quarter, you can explore a presidential election, or in the spring quarter, you can observe the natural growth of plants and animals.
Long-range blocking, which involves intense study, is not suitable for children with shorter attention spans. However, children who can fully engage in a subject for extended periods of time may enjoy being able to concentrate their attention on one thing for a while.
Unit
Just like block scheduling, you have the option to organize units of study based on topics that interest you and adopt an interdisciplinary approach to learning, centering all your subjects around that particular focus.
A first grader who is fascinated by trains could spend a few weeks engaging in various activities related to trains. These activities may include sorting trains based on their size and color, improving their reading skills with books about trains, acquiring knowledge about the history of locomotives in the United States, and conducting experiments involving gravity and velocity using a set of wooden tracks.
A young individual who has a fondness for underwater sea creatures could construct a small aquarium in their own residence, conduct research and compose a report regarding the impacts of pollution on our oceans, and embark on a trip to the beach to collect and examine specimens.
Younger children may require more assistance from you to explore all the various subjects within the topic of interest, while older children may have the capability to work on this independently.
Loop
Loop scheduling is ideal for parents who require flexibility and aren’t concerned about completing tasks within a set timeframe. It enables you to address as much as you can in a day and seamlessly continue from where you left off the previous day.
When organizing your teaching plan, it is advisable to include a few fundamental subjects such as math and language arts in your daily lessons. Apart from that, you can create a loop for your remaining subjects and progress through them individually.
Once you complete one task, regardless of whether it takes you one day or five, you proceed to the next task. If you have completed three subjects in a loop, you will not revisit the first subject until you have finished your planned tasks for the other two subjects.
By using looping, you can ensure that you never lag behind in one subject while neglecting others; every subject will receive the same amount of attention as you will not proceed to the next one until you have completed the current one.
In order to avoid losing track of your progress, it is important to be well-organized for this schedule. However, this schedule proves to be highly adaptable for families who experience frequent or unexpected changes in their schedules.
2. Reject the “Typical” School Day
At first, it may be challenging to consider schooling without the conventional brick-and-mortar school timetable, but the advantage of homeschooling lies in the flexibility to deviate from the strict schedule required in a traditional school environment. It is not required for educating your child to resemble a school-at-home.
- Keep in mind that homeschooling takes far less time than a traditional school day in a classroom. This method of education is much more efficient, with far less time wasted. The extra ‘free time’ opens doors to even more learning opportunities!
- Play is learning! Research shows that children learn best and retain more information through play, so be sure to make play a priority in your homeschool schedule.
- Get outside! From learning about wind by flying a kite to learning to tell time with shadows, there is so much opportunity for learning outdoors!
- The world is your oyster. Hands-on science labs, either at home or at the science museum, historical costume days at the renaissance fair…that’s learning too!
3. Schedule Homeschool to Fit Your Life (Not The Other Way Around)
Is your family tired of having to structure their daily routine around school? Are you interested in enrolling your child in sports, gymnastics, karate, or music lessons? Do you want to have more quality time together while traveling? Well, now you have the chance to make all of these aspirations a reality!
When it comes to creating a schedule that suits your family, there are numerous methods to consider. One such approach is a block schedule, which entails tackling subjects in substantial time blocks.
By breaking down the subjects, your child can schedule math and social studies for Mondays and Wednesdays, language arts and science for Tuesdays and Thursdays, and use Fridays for electives or extra-curricular activities, for example, instead of addressing each subject every day.
One way to create a loop schedule is by first listing the subjects you plan to cover daily, and then gradually integrating weekly or repetitive topics. Alternatively, you can combine both approaches.
To plan your day, decide what tasks or activities are most important and start from there. You have the flexibility to choose the time that suits your family best for learning. Whether it’s early morning, afternoon, evening, or even weekends, there are no restrictions on when you can engage in learning.
4. Plan Adjustments Are Your New Sidekicks
Of course, not every day is like this. We all have errands, appointments, educational field trips, and other activities. The best part is that we have the flexibility to tailor our schedule to our needs. Homeschool parents are not bound to a schedule we dislike, we can easily make adjustments as needed. If you feel that your routine is causing stress or frustration, feel free to modify it!
How long does homeschooling take?
Homeschooling should be flexible in terms of time and adapt to the needs of the child. The duration of homeschooling is not limited to a specific amount of time per day, week, or month. It varies depending on factors such as the child’s ability to concentrate, the chosen scheduling method (traditional, unit, or block), and their age.
Side notes
With a wide range of choices available for homeschooling, the task of selecting a curriculum or program can appear daunting. Simplify the process by opting for homeschool resources that include uncomplicated lesson plans, automated reporting and grading features, and an environment free from advertisements.
