How to Figure Out Your Best Homeschool Schedule?5 min read

A little planning never harms anyone. Any work when properly planned is easier to execute and especially when it is a thing like homeschooling. Laying out a perfect schedule is not as easy as it seems since there are a lot of ways and options to do the same. But we are here to make it easier by breaking it down into parts.

There are a lot of factors affecting the schedule which we need to focus on prior to the creation of a schedule which are

AGE: Age is an important factor because bedtimes, more active hours, etc. vary from age to age. Younger children are more likely to learn earlier in the day but teens a bit later, some have more productive night hours.

SUBJECT: the subjects need to be given time according to their priority or how much time, practice, or attention they require, if it is 3 days a week or 5, it varies.

WHAT GRADE THE CHILD IS IN: it is obviously one of the biggest determining factors so it is expanded below.

HOMESCHOOL SCHEDULE FOR ELEMENTARY

Mostly, as seen in other kids who are homeschooled, no tight schedule is followed, but the tasks, subjects, and guidelines can be more like a to-do list. These are usually the years with basic math which needs most practice and also how the class should be more interactive has to be given a thought.

HOMESCHOOL SCHEDULE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

Here, it becomes easier as the kids do not need much oversight. They tend to do their tasks on their own and just set the time according to their interests and importance on the basis of toughest to the easiest subject can be a good way.

HOMESCHOOL SCHEDULE FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

For high schoolers, it gets a little longer for all courses, a little break time is necessary to absorb what is being done and not all heavy courses/subjects should be placed consecutively. There should be more gaps and classes for other skills like music too.
It is better to let the kids handle at least half of their schedule by themselves and this would help them hone their time management and decision-making skills.

After you’ve figured out or at least just made a rough draft for the homeschooled kids, now it’s time to integrate schedules with your daily routine. In order to do so, one must keep certain pointers in mind:

1. Schedule the siblings- Instead of giving individual time to everyone, start grouping children who are either studying similar topics or don’t have much of a gap in terms of their grades. This will not only help to maintain a rhythm but the older kid can also help explain a few topics to the younger one, which will just give them a confidence boost and make them more sure of their capabilities. Moreover, this can also be done in a way that is time-effective. For instance, if the parent/guardian is breastfeeding or cooking food, then the older ones can perhaps line up the reading session at the same time.

2. Break into chunks- The primary goal of it is to set up a system that taxing sessions are not scheduled one after the other and there’s a lighter one in between just to give the brain a little relief. For instance, there can be a reading session in between two consecutive writing sessions of Spanish and French respectively. This, however, doesn’t apply to creating chunks outside the subjects because then it might become confusing for the kid, and hence, the system might collapse.
3. Don’t try to do every subject every day- As the name suggests, this point basically explains the need of assigning each subject a specific day/days and then color-coding it for ease. Studying each subject every day would not only be monotonous but exhaustive as well. Hence, alternating days for various subjects like Math, Reading, English, and Science would be more fruitful and will provide the best results.
4. Draft a plan which you will stick to without much difficulty- Everyone is different, their needs differ and even their way of approaching things is very divergent. Therefore, every schedule won’t work for you and personalizing it will be better. Create your schedule in a way that caters to not only your and the kids’ individual needs but also to the needs of the family as a whole. For instance, if your family is not an early riser, starting classes from early in the morning like 8:00 am might not be such a feasible idea, and hence, it won’t work in the long run. However, sticking to your regular schedule and then creating a routine keeping in mind these trivial yet significant factors will be of crucial importance. It won’t disrupt the natural cycle of the family thereby, ensuring the smooth functioning of the process.

5. Take care of extracurriculars- Since extracurriculars are also to be taken care of and co-op days are also a part of the child’s education so while setting up the schedule, due consideration should be given to the miscellaneous activities too. This will ensure holistic development of the children and they won’t be restricted to being bookworms, always having their noses inside the books.

6. Create a designated learning space- Fabricating a space that’s only curated for learning and studying will enable the children to be more focused and give them a sense of responsibility. Since it will be their personal space, they are free to make it however they please, unleashing their creativity. This will remove distractions, make it more organized and it will be easier for the kids to grasp and retain the information.

So, in simple words, anything be it scheduling or setting up a homeschool requires prior planning and there are things to be given attention to while making one. It ranges from age, subjects, grade, extracurriculars to what not. A proper schedule will help the child to make the most use of time, be efficient, productive and broaden their horizons, without any signs of exhaustion.