School Schedules: Craft the Perfect Homeschooling Day

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, approximately 3.7 million United States students in grades K-12 were homeschooled in the 2020-2021 school year. The large increase of homeschooled students can be credited to recent world events, but there's no doubt choosing to bring the classroom inside the home is a big decision.

Homeschooling is usually parent-led, and getting started may come with trial and error. With state-wide laws and regulations to follow and choosing an effective curriculum, it can be challenging to craft the right schedule for any child. However, there are methods to make sure your homeschool schedule works for you and your student.

What a Typical Homeschool Day Looks Like

There are several ways families approach making a homeschool schedule, so it's difficult to say what a typical day looks like for every child.

Homeschool schedules are often differentiated by grade level or age. An elementary school student requires more scheduled breaks in a day, while a high schooler can take on their daily lessons with extracurriculars.

Some homeschool families choose to mimic the traditional public school day, having students learn bright and early from 8 am to 3 pm, providing lunch or recess time, and even adhering to A/B block or period scheduling.

Other parents craft their student's schedules a little differently by considering what their student's needs are. For example, if their child requires more sleep, they'll start later in the day. Or if a child is more alert and dedicated to learning in the afternoon, they'll schedule a prime time for learning math or other intensive subjects.

How to Make a Homeschool Schedule

1. Consider the Factors

Does your family travel a lot? Are you preoccupied with work? Is your student enrolled in training programs or creative classes? While adhering to the typical public school schedule may be convenient, it may not work for your family if you have other obligations.

2. Learn More About Your Student

Your scholar might need to take more breaks during math than social studies. Or perhaps they enjoyed taking art classes at their local school. Learn what subjects your student enjoys and what they need more help with. Once you understand what kind of learner your child is, then you can tailor a class schedule to their needs. This way, you can spend more time on a subject if it's required or less.

3. It Doesn’t Hurt to Try

With a rich learning environment and curriculum, you don't have to cram every subject in one day. Loop scheduling allows subjects to be covered the following day, giving your student more time to learn and enjoy subjects. 

Even so, if your student thrives with more independence, you can give them the flexibility to tackle schoolwork on their own time. Once you try out a schedule or two, you’ll learn what works and what doesn't.

Spice Up Your Homeschool Schedule with Online Courses

Got your schedule all set? Diversify your student's day-to-day with Laurel Spring School's online courses. Laurel Springs is an online private school offering mastery-based, self-paced courses. Our flexible classes allow K-12 students to learn anytime, anywhere.

"We offer a wide range of elective courses to fit student needs and allow them to explore options for possible college majors,” says, Erika Morris, Laurel Springs School’s student services manager, "It’s great for Middle school students to enroll in our World Language courses early preparing and advancing them for High School Level World Language courses.”

Our rolling enrollments make part-time enrollment simple. Explore our single courses to learn how our online education can enhance your homeschooled student's learning experience.