Homeschool Daily Schedule

Developing a homeschool daily schedule can take some figuring out, but once you find what works for your home, sticking to a flexible schedule makes your day go so much more smoothly.

What do Homeschoolers do all Day?

I think this is a question some may ask if they haven’t experienced a homeschool routine themselves.

It may seem to some that you wouldn’t get anything else done all day, because all you are doing is teaching!

Or, some may think that you would have too much time on your hands.

Neither are true!

Did you know that you do NOT have to replicate the classroom setting when you homeschool?

You do not have to sit at a table with books for 7 hours a day. In fact, don’t do that!

Scroll down farther to see my example of our typical homeschool daily schedule.

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Homeschooling allows for as many routines and schedules as there are individual families

Just picture it: A mother who runs an internet business from her home, can spend several hours schooling in the morning and have the rest of the day to do some work. Her children may find time then to play outside, play games, catch up on independent assignments such as reading and writing projects, etc.

Or picture this: A mother who is a homemaker, wife and homeschool mom. She may prefer to get her housework done early in the day. Outside chores can be done as a family before the heat of the day sets in. Then after lunch, all can retreat to the cool of the house and accomplish their work together.

Or even a mom and dad pair that work alternating times can swap off doing the schooling in shifts.

Many schedules can be tried to make things work, if even for a short time. Sometimes parents who truly want to homeschool are discouraged because they may believe a homeschool schedule has to look a particular way. But it’s completely customizable!

Different states have different requirements

Most states have lots of flexibility in homeschooling time requirements. Some may have set hours of study required but I don’t believe most do.

Check here for links to info on homeschool laws and regulations for each state.

And keep in mind, I homeschool in a moderate regulation state. It has more requirements than most others. BUT, it is not hard to homeschool even here.

If it sounds overwhelming at first, trust me, once you wrap your head around it, it is no big deal at all.

The freedom that homeschool brings is life changing and irreplaceable!

You can set your days up absolutely any way you want!

Something new to homeschooling parents should keep in mind is, that although traditional schooling takes all day, you can fit in the same amount of academic studies in a much smaller amount of time.

Much time in school facilities is spent in waiting, transitioning, standing in lines, moving from place to place, and dealing with “crowd control” and discipline.

Have a busy child who is hard to get to focus? Do the book work after they have had a chance to play outside and get some energy out.

Have a child that just wants to read, read, read? Incorporate that into the curriculum. Use the love of reading as a spring board to ignite their interest in other areas of schoolwork. Take the topic they are reading about and turn it into a study. Reading about pioneers? Or explorers? Or a great battle? Use those topics to dive into that time period, those themes and center your science, art, history and writing all around that!

The possibilities are endless.

Remember: “Don’t Let Schooling Interfere with Your Education”

Mark Twain was onto something here, I dare say. The most important part of education and schooling is not the filling of your child’s head with facts and dates. It is the developing of an individual who loves learning new things, is interested in life itself and who knows where and how to find out what they need to know.

If we kill the love of learning and stifle the curious and creative mind with endless tests, dry textbooks and learning is a disassociated way, these things can not be easily manufactured in the individual later on.

But information, skills and facts can easily be acquired later on.

This is a concept I got from 19th century Prussian educator Wilhelm von Humboldt.

My mom loved the concept, clipped it and gave it to me when I started homeschooling.

It has stuck in my mind and I have paraphrased it in my own words, but it is one of the core pillars I keep in mind when homeschooling our children.

Wilhelm von Humboldt defined, as the goal of education, beauty of character. He was fighting against the prevailing idea that people learn only to have a job… Because once the character is developed, these practical skills are very easy to learn.

How Do I Make A Homeschool Daily Schedule?

Make a rough outline of the subjects or projects that need to be accomplished each day/week and the other parts of your day such as appointments or sports. Here is the curriculum we are using for second grade, to give you an idea of our choices.
Take some time and get to know the structure of your day that works the best. (Don’t commit to a schedule on paper and try to push through, even if it doesn’t feel right. You don’t serve the schedule, the schedule serves you.)
Write down the sections of your day by the hours, but don’t feel like you have to stick to the time perfectly. No way! This is homeschool! Let your day flow naturally. Create a “rhythm” to follow. One pastime/activity follows the next. For example: Wake, dress and breakfast, then, morning time/Bible Study, then home chores and free play outside and then , 1 hour of schoolwork, followed by lunch etc… The time allotted for each thing matters far less than the flow or rhythm of the schedule.
Try it out for at least a week. Tweak any areas that don’t work.
Copy your “rhythm” down to display or print out my homeschool rhythm charts to use. Laminate them so they will be durable! Display where you can glance and remind yourself what is next. Maybe fridge, door, or bulletin board.

Example of a Homeschool Daily Schedule

This is what our daily schedule looks like right now:

7:30 –

Kids and I all get up and eat breakfast, dress and make beds. We listen to a podcast during breakfast called Truth Seekers.

8:30 –

Kids do their morning jobs (empty dishwasher, let out chickens, pick up after themselves, etc) and go play after… I do my house chores (clean up breakfast, feed dog, laundry, vacuum, etc). Kids go outside for a bit until I’m ready to start school time.

10:00 –

Begin schoolwork. Language arts, math, history/science

11:15 –

Prepare lunch together and eat. Listen to a music selection or audio book sometimes that pertains to things we are learning.

12:00

More schoolwork time. Finish main subjects if needed and move on to any art/science projects that are planned.

1:00

Tuesday-Thursday oldest child has an online zoom book club and writing class from 1-2. I do anything that needs attention, housework, food prep or blogging work.

2:00

Quiet time! Youngest takes a nap, oldest listens to an audio book while playing quietly. Most days I also lay down and take a rest. Some days I stay up to get something done on the computer like a YouTube video or blog work.

3:30

Everybody gets up and going again. Snack time and going outside. Thursdays we have our poetry tea at this time.

4:30

I start supper prep, we tie up any loose ends that we didn’t finish school work wise, and kids continue playing whatever they wish.

6:00

We usually eat supper around this time when Dad gets home.

6:30

Depending on the evening and the time, we may watch a family movie (once a week or so) or some old TV. An episode of Andy Griffith or I Love Lucy usually. Then we sit together and have a Bible reading time and sing a couple song out of our hymnals.

7:30

Bath and bedtime for kiddos! In the winter they are in bed early and in the summer this gets extended out quite a bit as the summer evenings are so lovely to be outside together.

9:30-10

Hubby and I usually try to be in bed at this time. Not always, sometimes he has schoolwork (online classes) to do or I stay up way too late working on a project, reading, watching TV together or something, but most nights we conk out early.

Free Homeschool Daily Schedule “Rhythm” Chart

I created this simple homeschool daily schedule “rhythm” chart as a free printable for you to enjoy! I have been using myself this whole school year and really liking it. It’s cute and helps me stay on track.

I use it alongside my Loop Schedule chart. I’ll explain how I use loop schedules in another upcoming post!

Get the Loop Schedule chart by signing up for the Little Free Resource Library below!

Using Your Free Homeschool Daily Schedule Chart

You can customize your schedule as the year goes along if need be. Laminate the chart and write on it with a fine point Sharpie permanent marker. Whenever you want to erase and change it up, just use a Magic Eraser sponge and the Sharpie will come right off!

I LOVE MY LAMINATOR. I don’t know how I lived without one! If you are laminator-less, you must get on the homeschool mom laminator band wagon, friend. This one has lots of excellent reviews! 🙂 See all of my homeschool favorites here.

It is attractive printed out in color OR black and white if you prefer, it still looks nice that way.

Thank you for stopping by today! Dig the Good Life friends!