During the time of this post, our world is experiencing a pandemic. This means we are spending a lot of time inside with our families. If you are a parent, this also means that you have become a homeschool teacher overnight when the school year was suddenly cut short. Your kitchen, living room, or child’s bedroom has suddenly been transformed into a classroom.
While overwhelming at times, homeschooling certainly has its benefits, the main being that you are in control of what your child is completing for his/her school work. Well, at least we like to think we are. The other being that you get a glimpse into something that you don’t normally see…your child in the role of a student. They may be learning, exploring, and participating in ways that you haven’t been able to see before.
In this post, I’ll share some homeschool schedule templates to help keep a consistent routine.
Example Homeschool Schedule Template
This is our homeschool schedule that we are using. Do we follow it to a tee every day? No. Let me remind you that I have four children? Three of which are doing some sort of school work. I’m only human and also work from home! Some days go well and some don’t. But I find that having some sort of routine in place is helpful for all of us. A full day at home with kids can seem scary, but I think this daily schedule makes your day go very quickly!
7:00-9:00 am: Get Going
This is when we are all waking up, making our bed, and getting dressed. I try to ensure everyone gets their breakfast and takes necessary vitamins and medicine.
9:00-10:00 STEM
I like to have my kids get some school work done right after breakfast. At this time, they’ve had enough time to wake up and their brains are feeling refreshed. My daughters do structured online school while my son goes on Leap Frog or plays with STEM toys.
10:00-11:00 Language Arts
Even on the most challenging days, quiet reading or writing time is always something we can handle. It requires little to no planning and is a calming activity for all. The kids will spent this time either reading quietly or free writing.
11:00-12 noon: Study Hall
In short, this is just more learning time. It’s fun to give names to different times of the day! Elise and Declan practice their Korean while Tessa does work for Social Studies.
12:00-1:00 pm Lunch
This is the perfect time of day for us to all wash our hands together. Lunchtime may look a little different each day, but it makes me happy when we can all take a break and eat together.
1:00-2:00 pm: Create
We are a creative family, so this is one of our favorite parts of the day. I think every homeschool schedule should have some sort of art time in it. We like to listen or play music, dress up, paint, draw, or pretend play. All of these activities are beneficial for various age ranges from toddler-teen. Also, take it from me, coloring is a very soothing activity for adults as well!
2:00-3:00 pm STEM/NAP
This is when my three children go in very different directions. On a good day, Declan will nap. Elise gets her medicine and it varies as to what else she will do. It depends on which online classes are going on that day. Tessa logs onto Khan academy.
3:00-4:00 pm Get Moving
This is always the time of day that I begin to feel sleepy and stir-crazy. Getting moving and going outside is always the cure. Dancing, family walks, and/or yoga are some of our favorite activities to do.
4:00-6:00 pm: Free Play/Chore Time
All kids need free time, and by 4:00 my kids are definitely ready for it. They might spend some time in their rooms alone or together. After a bit of free time, this is also when I remind them to do their chores! Having a chore chart is helpful for this time of day.
7:00-10:00 pm Dinner/Family Time
The end of the day means having a family dinner. Sometimes the kids like to help with dinner prep. After dinner they take their baths and we spend some time together either watching a movie or playing games. Then it’s time for bed. Before you know it, it’s time to do it all over again!
How To Create a Homeschool Schedule That Works
Be realistic
Just like with any aspect of parenting…be realistic. Before making the homeschool schedule template your own, be mindful of your children’s ages and needs. If you have a toddler, the only thing they really need at this age is free play with a couple short structured activities sprinkled in. Older children have different needs. Also consider each child’s learning style and what space they will need.
Leave plenty of white space
As parents we all know to expect the unexpected. You may create a beautiful homeschool schedule that looks great on paper, but what happens when someone gets sick or throws a tantrum? You don’t want to feel like you’re on the clock without any wiggle room. Things will happen to disrupt your schedule. My advice is to leave plenty of white space, meaning to allow for blocks of time that have nothing planned.
Add brain breaks
Kids need breaks no matter what age they are. As a rule of thumb, elementary-aged children benefit from a quick 3-5 minute break every 10-15 minutes. Older children need this break around every 20-30 minutes. This can be as simple as standing up and doing jumping jacks or running around the living room! The website Go Noodle is amazing for brain breaks. There’s hundreds of free activities specifically created for this purpose.
Alternate subjects
For children who have work in all subject areas, don’t feel like you have to jam everything into one day. If you are going to do one subject every day, I would suggest reading and/or writing. Other subjects can alternate days. This will allow more flexibility and make homeschool planning a little easier. You don’t want it to become a full time job.
Free Printable Homeschooling PDF
I’ve created this free printable homeschool schedule template for you to customize to meet the needs of your family. You’ll be a homeschool mom in no time! Maybe you’ll even find that you prefer it over public school. You can also print this to create a schedule for yourself. Download the templates here.
In this free download, I’ve included another daily schedule option. This one lists out daily activities rather than time blocks. If you want a less time-restricted schedule, this is a good choice for you.
Download the homeschool schedule templates here. Let me know if you use it to create a weekly schedule for your daily homeschooling!
