The Perfect Homeschool Routine that Works with My Schedule. I want to preface this post by saying that whatever decision you are making for your family in regard to school during a pandemic is your choice. No one knows your kids like you and you’re the best one to make this decision. This post is my opinion on why we’re homeschooling with the BookShark curriculum for the 2020 school year.
The topic of school is always difficult, but especially this year. We chose to be as safe as possible and keep the girls home. That meant I would be teaching my daughter 1st grade while my 2-year-old is transitioning out of naps. Needless to say, our days are busy and there’s a lot of patience required to make it until dinner when my spouse gets home.
We’re on week 11 of our school year and I’ve found that a homeschool routine allows for more flexibility in our days (which is funny!) When we follow the basic schedule I made up, we’re able to stay focused better on those days when a structure is needed. On days when we need some space to recharge or rest we can easily choose which things are most important for the day.
Finding a Homeschool Routine that Works with My Schedule
Having a visual schedule my daughter can follow helps me in not having to repeat myself as often. She’s able to look at the schedule when she’s bored. Some days she likes to be ‘the mom’ and guide her sister and me through the day.
A Day in our homeschool life
*We do not follow this schedule down to the minute and we’re flexible to switch around activities. If it’s raining in the morning we may choose to do our movement outside in the afternoon.
8-9 Breafast
My kids wake up anytime between 6:30-8. Some weeks I have set meal plans so I don’t have to think about what to make. Other weeks I have my oldest make her own breakfast. The schedule has examples of breakfasts she can choose from if she wants to make her own meal.
9-9:30 Move
Our ‘movement’ time is the easiest section to overlook but also one of the most important times during our day. When we are able to go outside for a walk or bike ride, it sets the mood for a great day ahead. On the days we don’t make movement a priority, we tend to have a tough day. For us, to move could look like yoga, Dance Central (a dancing video game), a YouTube workout, a nature scavenger hunt, a bike ride, giving the dog a walk, chalk, and hopscotch, or a hike at a park.
9:30-10:15 History
Next, we sneak in a bit of schooling. Because we have to do school all at once during my youngest’s nap time, it gets overwhelming to focus that long. If we do our history reading (a chapter book) during this timeslot after being active it gives both girls a chance to rest, get a drink, and be calm with a story.
10:15-11:30 Play
During playtime, the girls can choose whatever they want as a solo activity or I will play along. This could look like a board game, playing pretend, Barbies, dress up, dancing, or a puzzle. They’re welcome to do anything inside or outside as long as there is no screen involved.
11:30-12:30 Lunch
This is typically the most exciting part of the day because my husband is able to come upstairs from work. We’re excited to tell him all about our day and have some time to play with him. It’s a chance for me to have a breather and let them play together while I throw in a load of laundry or read my book.
12:45-3 School
After lunch, my youngest lays down for a nap (or quiet time). My oldest and I do our BookShark curriculum which typically takes 1.5-2 hours of focused time. We have found the most enjoyment out of doing the rest of History, followed by Science, then Math, and finally Language Arts and Writing. We do it this way for a couple of reasons.
- My daughter is fully engaged at the beginning and can focus well to absorb information from History and Science. Since Math, Language Arts, and Writing are hands-on, she’s able to do those last.
- I can assign the solo writing and copy work at the end of the lesson. When she is done with her solo work she can bring it to me to check. By this time I am working but can take time to check her work.
Keeping this homeschool routine also helps us know what to expect each day.
3pm is typically when my youngest wakes up from her nap so before that time period is up my daughter does her chores followed by screen time. Screen time is anything she wants to watch on her tablet or a ABC Mouse.
3-3:30 Specials
Specials are the hardest activity for our family. I am usually the cause of us not being able to do our specials but sometimes the girls are having fun playing together and don’t want to do specials. If I am not trying to finish up work or cleaning, we will do art, music, or PE. Each week I make sure we do at least one craft or learn about a new art medium. I’ll also typically share a new song or hand clap with my oldest that I’m counting as music class! PE is pretty non-existent for us. We do family hikes or bike rides each weekend but since we’re not going anywhere (pandemic), we’re not doing our usual swim lessons, ninja classes, or ballet classes that would normally be our PE.
3:30-5 Play
It’s the end of the day and the craziest time of the day for my girls. They’re excited about my husband getting off work and they tend to be starving and a bit chaotic. I’ve learned that if we have a snack after specials and play outside during this time, things go much smoother. If I try to clean, read a book, or make dinner without them having something to do, it is challenging. Some days I might let them watch a movie during this time or I might tell them that I need more quiet time and they can do Art Hub for Kids or read books. This time is really just a time to do whatever until dinner and it changes daily.
5-8 Dinner, Play, Bed
The end of the day is spent as a family, having dinner together, playing together (or doing a chore together like raking leaves), and then bedtime. Bedtime is another good time to get in chapter book reading. When the day gets chaotic, we’ll do our History chapter book reading before bed to give us some extra time during the day.
This is the routine that works for us and allows flexibility in our schedule. I am happy to completely throw it out the window if someone is sick or we need a mental health day. I am happy to move around the pieces of the puzzle to make them fit with our day when things pop up like tantrums or thunderstorms.
I would love to know how you’re scheduling your day, or if you think having an outline will help your family unit stay a little saner during the homeschooling day.
For more information on our BookShark curriculum and how it easily fits into our homeschool routine with very little prep (as I discussed in this post), check this link on the BookShark site.
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