When is the Homeschool Day Over?

Out of all the questions that people have about homeschooling, “What is a typical homeschool day?” tops the list. While the answer varies with each family, here are a few things to consider when it comes to setting a homeschool schedule, keeping on track, and knowing when is the homeschool day over?

1. Homeschooling doesn’t take as long as you think.

Unlike public schools, homeschool subjects take less time to teach. Instead of a teacher teaching and overseeing twenty-five or more students, you have far less. Even if you’re teaching multiple grades at once, you won’t spend time controlling a crowd, making sure everyone understands, and moving from room to room. For early elementary grades, homeschool lessons can be completed in 2-3 hours. Older kids take more time, but an added benefit is that when the homework is done, it’s done. Since schoolwork is done during the day, you don’t have to spend time on added homework in the evenings.

2. When setting your homeschool schedule, remember you can shorten your homeschool day by teaching kids together.

Homeschool would take more time if you were teaching complete sets of curriculum for all of the first grade, third grade, fifth grade (or whatever ages your kids are). I’m currently homeschooling ages 9, 10, 12, 15, and 17-year-old twins. We do Bible Study together, and I read aloud missionary stories and historical novels to all my kids. This not only builds family bonds and saves money … it saves time too. I’ve learned to teach toward the older kids and then add in fun activities for the younger kids to help them understand the concepts at their level.

3. Start with the difficult and demanding subjects when setting your homeschool schedule.

If you do the fun subjects first, then the day can drag after you finally get to the hard stuff. Yet if you start with the hard stuff, then the day seems to go quickly once that’s done.

4. Don’t forget breaks!

Breaks are important, both for you and your children! Give your kids time to play outside, do crafts, or read on their own. So while officially you haven’t called the homeschool day over yet, you can schedule in time for yourself.

5. Don’t fill your day with so much that your schedule doesn’t end.

The curriculum is your guide, not your boss. The purpose of the curriculum is to provide structure and direction. Teacher lesson plans are lists of ideas. No one is expected to do it all! Not even private or public school teachers finish every lesson. (It’s true, they’ve told me!)

For the rest of my tips on a homeschool schedule and knowing when is the homeschool day over? Click HERE. 

~Tricia

P.S Have you checked out my homeschool success course yet?

Here is my welcome module to give you a glimpse of this course!

YOU can give the gift of a homeschool education to your family by joining me here: www.homeschoolsuccesscourse.com