A homeschool day continually evolves as children grow and family dynamics change. We’ve homeschooled long enough to try just about every style and method. For a long time we had a dedicated “school room” but as the kids have grown we’ve found it’s easier to just meet around the kitchen table.
No two days are ever the same, but this is a little peek at the general schedule we try to keep around here and how we attempt to juggle homeschooling with five kids.
7:00: mom wakes, exercises & reads scriptures (I keep my phone on Do Not Disturb mode until 1pm so that I won’t have interruptions during our day)
8:00: kids wake up and do their 5 things (make bed, say prayers, get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair)
8:30: kids exercise- family walk or bike ride
9:00: breakfast (we eat a hearty breakfast so they’re not hungry an hour later)
9:30/10:00: Begin the school portion of our day with a devotional and family groupwork which includes
- prayer
- hymn
- scripture memory verse
- scripture reading
- Foreign Language
- poem (each child reads 1 poem from the year they are in)
- Groupwork (Monday Folksong; Tuesday Geography; Wednesday Picture & Composer Study; Thursday Nature Study (we do this in the afternoon instead of the morning); Friday Foreign Language & Recitation (practice the poems they have chosen)
10:30/11:00: Individual Student work begins. I put the baby down for a nap, my 4 year old goes upstairs to play on her own
We currently have Year 1, Year 3, and Year 4 students. They each have their own chart which outlines exactly what they should be doing every day. The year 3 and 4 students begin with scriptures, math, copywork and grammar. I assist if a new concept is being introduced or if they need help, otherwise they work on their own.
During this time I do the assigned reading with my Year 1. I then help with his math if needed, he does his copywork and reading practice on his own. He then practices his piano, works on scouting and does his chores (which is to clean all the bathrooms). After that he is free to play on his own.
I alternate reading with my Year 3 and 4. Whichever finishes individual work first gets to read with me first. If the other finishes while we are still reading, he can either work on his free reading, read to his 4 year old sister, or complete his chores. The reason I read with them rather than have them read on their own is because 1) I don’t have the time to pre-read all the books they are assigned, 2) It gives us quality one-on-one time together, and 3) we can have discussions as we read and I can better assess their comprehension and reading abilities.
We don’t start formal schooling until age 6, but my 4 year old has several activities she can do on her own such as puzzles, lacing, beads, coloring, pattern blocks, etc. She also loves to be read to, so we do spend a lot of time reading. If I have an older child waiting for me to read with him I will usually ask him to read to her or help her with her abc’s, etc…but she primarily gets this time in life to just play and be a kid.
1:00: We usually finish all our schoolwork by 1pm which is when we eat lunch and kids have free time. The baby is also awake from his nap about this time. After lunch I check my email, do anything that needs to be done on the computer (order groceries, travel planning, bill paying, etc.), clean house, dr. appointments, laundry, read stories with the youngest two, play outside with the kids, etc. The afternoons are open for whatever the day brings.
5:00: I do dinner prep and if chores, scouting & piano have not been completed yet, they need to do it at this time.
That’s essential how our days flow. As my 4 year old gets older I will need to spend more time with her and things will have to shift a bit. It is always a juggling act to try and stretch my time across 5 kids and manage all the other responsibilities, but this is what’s working for us at the present moment.
Real Life Homeschooling 