It took me a year or two to figure out how I wanted to set up our homeschool schedule. I tried a few different versions until I found what works for us. Since then, we’ve stuck with the same format for about ten years. It’s simple, very straightforward, and serves several purposes.
A Good Homeschool Student Schedule:
- Sets clear expectations
- Accommodates quicker or slower learning in each subject area
- Gives the student some independence
- Serves as a rough documentation of progress
There are many homeschool student schedules and planners available for download or purchase. All I use is a google doc with a table on it. The table has the days of the week across the top and the subjects listed on the left side. Every week I print up a new blank schedule and pencil in assignments, field trips, sports, etc. Although you could type in all the activities, I find pencil much easier. I’m able to add or erase and make changes as needed.
Expectations
By filling this out, I’m setting clear expectations for each day. The “Extras/Notes” at the top include any sports or outside the home commitments. Many of these are typed in as they don’t change from week to week. I also have a block at the bottom labeled “Other”. Notes in this section can range from a special project or field trip to reminders to e-mail someone or to feed the neighbor’s cats. My kids are encouraged to add in things that they need to remember to do as well.
Accomodations
I don’t usually fill in a whole week at a time. I’ll fill in all of Monday and parts of the other days. Then I update it as we go along, depending on whether we need more time on an assignment or can move more quickly to the next.
I do get input from my kids. We might decide to do a different writing assignment because we stumbled across something super interesting in history. Or, I just might erase a whole day if we decide to do a spontaneous field trip. (As a homeschooler, you can do that!)
Independence in Learning
I don’t mark in any starting or ending times for each subject. I think that letting students establish their own learning routine is important. It sets them on the path toward independent learning. By independent learning, I don’t mean that they are learning without any help. I mean that they are taking ownership and responsibility for getting their work done. They’re learning how to manage their time and ask for help when needed.
Some kids like to get the hardest stuff done first. Others want to ease into things. When you homeschool, you can allow them to work through things in the way that feels best to them. My experience is that this approach doesn’t limit their ability to succeed in scenarios where they have less control over their schedules such as sports, part-time jobs, and college course work. In fact, it seems to help them objectively look at what’s required and then successfully complete it.
There are a few constraints on my family’s homeschool schedule. They may have to wait for me to finish with their sibling before I can help them. Or they may need to work with me on a subject sooner rather than later for that same reason. Generally, we know who’s going to need help with what subject and we’ll juggle that around so that each student has one on one time with me. That also holds true if there’s a computer or other resources that need to be shared.
Documentation of Progress
One of the best things about these schedules is that they easily allow me to look back and see what we’ve covered over the course of the year. They’re invaluable when I go to write my year-end student evaluations. And it’s fun to see all we’ve accomplished.
I think it’s important that you play around with your homeschool student schedules. Maybe you’ll come up with something more structured than what I have. Or you’ll come up with something much looser. Choose what works for you. Make it resonate with your homeschool philosophy. Make it easily do-able. Then be flexible as both you and your students grow and change.
Enjoy your journey!
