Whenever you are homeschooling your children, it is important to have a schedule. This is because you will need to have a sense of order so that your day runs smoothly.
Planning Your Homeschooling Schedule
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It is essential that you know what your state requires in regard to how many hours you need to homeschool your child before you can plan your schedule. While there are some states that don’t require a set number of hours for teaching, others do require you to keep a record of the time that you spend in homeschooling.
Once you have this information you will be able to decide just how much time you will need to spend on each subject. The basic subjects that you will need to teach include math, reading, science, and history. Some states require that other subjects also be taught so make sure you know whether or not your state has any such additional requirements. You should also include art, music and physical education.
While these subjects aren’t required, they will help make a well-rounded education. Of course, you can also add in any that your child is interested in (a.k.a. electives). Keep in mind that some of these subjects will require more time than others. You will also need to have time for lunch. Also, keep in mind that field trips count as instruction so make sure to include them throughout the school year.
Now that you know what you need to do, you will want to put your schedule down on paper. After you have something that you think will work, you will need to give it a try. You may find that you are spending too much time on one subject or not enough time on another. Either way, you will need to make some adjustments until you have it the way you want.
Using Excel To Create Your Schedule for Homeschool
Microsoft Excel is an easy way to create a homeschool schedule. You simply need to take the following steps in order to do so:
- Create a grid of seven columns with each named after one of the days of the week.
- Create the time slots for each day, which should be based upon your family’s needs.
- Fill in your daily meals and chores. This will give you a better overview of what is going to happen during a typical day.
- Fill in your outside activities (i.e. volunteer work, religious instruction, classes, sports, co-op).
- Fill in your core subjects (i.e. English, math, science, history).
- Fill in any electives you have chosen to teach.
- Make sure to allow for some downtime throughout the day. You never know when you may have to run to the store or go to a doctor’s appointment.
What A Sample Homeschool Schedule Template May Look Like
Sometimes it can be helpful to see what a homeschool day may look like. This could give you some good ideas about your own schedule. Of course, it is important to create a schedule that will best suit your family’s particular needs. So, remember that this is only meant to be an example, not something that is required by any state.
- 8:00 AM – Opening of the school day
- 8:30 AM – Read and discuss a book
- 9:30 AM – Spelling and Vocabulary
- 9:45 AM – Free reading
- 10:30 AM – Writing
- 11:00 AM – Lunch
- 11:30 AM – Recess or physical education
- 12:15 PM – Math
- 12:45 PM – Computer time or a hands-on activity
- 1:30 PM – An elective
- 2:00 PM – History or Social Studies
- 2:30 PM – Science
- 3:00 PM – Snack
- 3:20 PM – Art or Music
In Conclusion For A Homeschooling Schedule
Whenever you take a field trip you will need to decide whether you want to completely deviate from your schedule or just do the core subjects. Remember that there is a lot of freedom to be had whenever you are homeschooling, which is one of its biggest benefits. Nevertheless, it is important to have a schedule that you can stick to.
