Homeschool daily schedules are as unique as the kids who follow them. If you want to create a daily homeschool schedule that works, start by involving your kids in the process. Use homeschool schedule ideas or homeschool schedule templates to help you decide which schedule best fits your child's needs and personality.
Simple Homeschool Schedule
Any homeschooling family can use a simple homeschool schedule as is or use it to guide the creation of a personal schedule. There are no set times with this open-ended schedule idea so you can start your day at different times depending on when the kids get up. The larger sections could be 30 minutes each, while the smaller ones can be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
Pre-K and Kindergarten Daily Schedule
Students in preschool and kindergarten need more structure and a simple schedule. This kindergarten schedule can be followed daily, so it's predictable.
- 9:00-9:30 Breakfast
- 9:30-10:00 Calendar/Weather
- 10:00-10:15 Numbers/Math
- 10:15-10:30 Music
- 10:30-10:45 Literacy
- 10:45-11:00 Gym
- 11:00-11:30 Lunch
- 11:30-11:45 Writing
- 11:45-12:00 Science
- 12:00-12:30 Play Time
- 12:30-12:45 Math
- 12:45-1:00 Literacy
Tips for Lower Elementary Schedules
If you operate a traditional 180 days per year, kids in this age group need roughly 2-2.5 hours of instructional education time per day. Make sure you build in lots of fun breaks between work times to keep this age group focused.
First and Second Grade Daily Schedule
Many kids in this age group want to feel some sense of control over their lives, and an interactive schedule can be changed daily by the child to suit their mood. Aim for about 4-5 hours of educational time from these grades on.
Ideas for Making an Interactive Homeschool Schedule
To make an interactive schedule, you'll need to use materials or a format that is easy for kids to manipulate. Kids can then remove subjects when they're complete to gain a sense of accomplishment.
- Use index cards to represent each block of time and each subject area, then tack them to a large bulletin board.
- Use construction paper to cut out small rectangles for each block of time or subject area and stick them to the fridge with magnets.
- Write each subject area on a separate sticky note, write your standard school times along the left side of a notebook page in a journal, and stick the notes on the notebook page.
- For tech savvy kids, you can create a simple spreadsheet schedule or a table in a word processing document where kids can copy and past the subjects into the time slots.
Activities to Include on an Interactive Schedule
Break the components of your day down into specific subject areas or activities. You can include specific timeframes, broad times, or leave off times. These are the traditional school subjects and home activities included in a schedule for this age group:
- Get ready (eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed)
- Math
- ELA (Reading and writing)
- Computer
- Science
- Social Studies
- Lunch
- Free Time
- Gym
- Music/Art
Third and Fourth Grade Daily Schedule Ideas
Upper elementary students should be able to handle a lot more independent study time and longer study blocks than younger kids.
- 8:00-9:00 Personal Preparation Time (Breakfast, personal hygiene, free time)
- 9:00-9:45 Math
- 9:45-10:15 Writing/Spelling
- 10:15-10:45 History/Social Studies
- 10:45-11:15 Creative Time
- 11:15-12:00 Lunch
- 12:00-1:00 Reading
- 1:00-1:30 Science/STEM
- 1:30-2:00 Typing/Computer
- 2:00-3:00 Free Active Time
Tips for Upper Elementary Schedules
While these kids still need free time and active time, they can work for longer blocks of time than young children. Since kids will be doing more self-directed work, it can be helpful to put their least favorite or hardest work at the start of the day to get it over with before their mood and energy level declines later.
Middle School Daily Schedule Ideas
Kids in grades 5-8 have higher educational demands than elementary students and should be learning to manage their own schedules.
- 7:00-8:00 Wake Up Time (Do whatever helps you get energized for the day)
- 8:00-8:30 Breakfast/Morning Meeting
- 8:30-8:45 Daily Chore
- 8:45-10:45 Core Subjects
- 10:45-11:15 Active Time/Phys. Ed.
- 11:15-11:45 Elective Subject
- 11:45-12:30 Lunch
- 12:30-2:30 Core Subjects
- 2:30-3:30 Free Creative Time
Tips for Middle School Schedules
Tweens will want longer blocks of time for each activity and will probably have an alternating schedule where only core subjects are covered every day. You might have additional subjects that are only covered Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday.
High School Daily Schedule Ideas
High school homeschool students have a lot to cover in their day, but it can be helpful to limit each day to one or two subjects so they have plenty of time for in-depth learning. This type of schedule is often called one-subject-a-day plus.
- 8:00-10:00 Wake Up and Get Ready Time
- 10:00-12:00 School Time
- 12:00-1:00 Lunch/Family Time
- 1:00-3:00 School Time
- 3:00-4:00 Creative Time
Schedule for Success
Whether you homeschool year-round, following a traditional school schedule, or unschool, a homeschool schedule helps everyone set their expectations for the day. When kids take part in creating their own homeschool schedule, they'll be set up for the most success. A great schedule works with each unique child to ensure they don't burnout.
