Routine or schedule? It is one of the many choices we have to make as a homeschool parent. Deciding how we are going to run our day is an important decision to make. Do we want our day mapped out before us? Or do we want a more free-flowing day?
I’ve done both. Here on the benefits and challenges of both.
Schedule
Schedules can be handy. Our lives are built around schedules. If you work, attend classes, belong to clubs or organizations you will have schedules.
Homeschooling is no different. Some people have a schedule for their homeschool day. They set times for each subject, for each child, and have a start and end time to their day. Everyone knows what they are supposed to be working on and mom has set times she is working with a particular child.
We used a schedule for my first year homeschooling. I was homeschooling my two children and doing Pre-K with a girl I had in my preschool. I kept her on after I closed down.
I had every moment of our day mapped out. I knew when I was working with someone and what the other two were doing independently. I had snack time and lunch planned in and even playtime. It worked for us.
Benefits of a Schedule:
- Everyone knows what they are working on at specific times and for how long.
- Mom has set times when to work with each child.
- There are a start and end time to the day.
- Some kids need schedules. They need to know what they are working on first and what comes next. Schedules do this.
Down Side of a Schedule:
- Rigid. It doesn’t allow for interruptions or spending more time on a topic without the whole schedule getting thrown off.
- Some kids don’t like schedules. You may have a free spirit that takes extra time on something or a child that doesn’t transition well if they haven’t completed an assignment.
Routine
We naturally have routines built in our days. On the weekend, you may get up, eat breakfast, and run errands. You may not have set times when you get them done, but you will get it done.
Some homeschool families are kind of like that. They have a set of assignments that need to get done for the day. They don’t assign specific times and how long they will work on something. Kids may know the routine is to get up, eat breakfast, and begin school.
We have more of a routine now. The kids know their assignments, and they work on the things at their own pace. If I’m busy with one, the other finds something to do independently. We start by 8:00 but our ending time varies.
Benefits of a Routine:
- Kids work at their own pace.
- Allows kids to spend more time on a topic if they find something that sparks their interest.
- Flexibility. Interruptions in the day don’t throw your schedule off.
- Some kids like a more relaxed day.
Down Side of Routines:
- Some kids need their day planned out, or they can’t get things accomplished.
- It may be a challenge with a large family.
- It can take a little more juggling since there are no set work times with mom.
I think in everyone’s homeschool journey there will be times when schedules are needed and times when a routine works just fine. Many different factors impact the type of schedule needed. They include:
- The number of children.
- Age of the children.
- If you have many subjects you combine or not.
- The needs of the children.
- Homeschool method/style.
- What keeps momma sane.
You have to take into consideration all of these things to figure out what will work. Someone with a bunch of little ones running around may need something different than someone with four school-aged kids. Look at your circumstances carefully to determine what will realistically work.
When I had a preschooler and a first and third grader I needed a schedule. I couldn’t have done it without one. Neither could my son. He needed to know what he would be doing for the day and in what order.
Now that my kids are older, a routine works best. I have some things I have implemented, though that makes it easier for my kids.
- I have a pocket chart. I put up the subjects we will cover for the day. I place a name tag next to the subjects a particular child has.
- My plan book lists the assignments.
My kids look at their assignments for the day. As they finish them, they remove their name from the chart beside that subject. My son also likes to check it off in my plan book.
They often choose to do our group work first and then get to work on their other assignments. If one is working on something independently, I will have the other pick something they need to do with me. Our day flows from there. We often get side-tracked on something that sparks their interest.
Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to see what works best for your family. Some years a schedule may be just what your family needs. Other times you may find a routine is just the change of pace you need. Luckily with homeschooling, you have the choice to decide.
