12 Secrets to Scheduling Your Homeschool Day

Having a flexible but well-ordered homeschooling schedule brings a sense of accomplishment and peace. However, because God created each family unique, there is no perfect one-answer-fits-all homeschooling schedule. Thankfully, there are some practical guidelines you can follow to help organize your day. Check out twelve suggestions to try as you create a schedule for your homeschool family to follow.

1. Set a Start Time
Strive to start school at the same time each day and don’t set yourself up for failure with too many activities and unrealistic expectations.

2. Disconnect
Turn off your TV and phone when you start homeschooling and don’t return calls until the lessons are done.

3. Plan Ahead
Save more intense, one-on-one instruction time with older children while little ones are napping or ask relatives and friends to watch your toddlers.

4. Strategize
Schedule Bible, math, and language arts (reading, writing, and spelling) earlier in the day when your children are still fresh. Save more time-consuming, hands-on projects (history, science, and art) until the afternoon.

5. Divide Your Time
Coordinate individualized teaching with one child while the other children work independently or read. For instance, when presenting a new math concept to your 3rd grader, have your 7th grader read his history lesson for the day on his own. Also, take advantage of unit studies that make scheduling easier when homeschooling multiple children in different grade levels.

6. Be Flexible
Evaluate your family and be flexible to adjust your schedule as you see a pattern that works best. Realize that your children learn better with schedules and feel safer and more in control when they know what to expect each day.

7. Incorporate Chores
Decide what household chores need to be done each day and assign responsibilities to each child. You can then schedule 30 to 45 minutes twice a day for tidying the house and/or doing tasks. Chore charts with reward stickers are a great way to encourage younger children to complete their work.

8. Keep Track of Activities and Appointments
Make a list of outside activities (errands, medical/dental appointments, field trips, homeschool co-op groups, music lessons, library visits, etc.) that your family will participate in that week and include them on your calendar.

9. Keep Your Kids on Course
Assign a time and/or day of the week for each individual subject, including start and end times. (Be sure to include subject areas like Bible, math, history and geography, language arts, and science.)

10. Schedule a Lunch Break
Schedule time for daily meal preparation and clean up, along with time for any other breaks.

11. Do What Works Best for Your Family
Don’t compare your family to other homeschooling families. Schedules are meant to help your family accomplish your goals, not the goals of someone else.

12. Stay Focused
Keep moving and don’t lose your focus. Even if interruptions and distractions cause your lesson plans to fall apart before 9 a.m., regroup and accomplish what you can for the remainder of the day.

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