What Does a Typical Home School Day Look Like?
“What does a typical home school day look like?” Structure, schedule, whatever you call it, that’s been the hot question my friends have been asking me today. Our county recently closed all public schools through mid-April, and my heart goes out to all the moms and dads who are trying to make sense of a new norm that includes educating their children at home in the wake of the coronavirus.
Parents want to know—how do we do this? Even if teachers provide curriculum, how do we implement it?
First, a few caveats. I don’t know your children, their personalities, or their individual learning needs—not to mention their academic levels. I don’t know what materials your district is providing. Also, it’s difficult to nuance when offering practical help. So, take what’s helpful; leave what’s not. In an uncommon situation, I’m writing in a manner that’s uncommon for me.
What I do bring to the table is home schooling experience—my mom taught me at home for six years; I taught at an international home school co-op; and I’ve home schooled my own children for the past nine years.
That said, let me reassure you. You are the parent. You know your child; maybe better than you realize. You've been handed, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, the opportunity to grow in your knowledge, understanding, and love for your child through the process of home instruction. While this brings challenges, it also has the potential to be a parenting game-changer for you as you gain insight into your child.
As parents, we’re positioned for amazing influence on these young people as we lead them during a disruptive time. Our loving presence will offer reassurance. The academics will most likely provide some stability. My recommendation is to establish a routine that works for your family.
You set the pace. If your child needs a hug, you may give one. If worry about the coronavirus or anything else keeps them awake at night, you may shift the start time for lessons. If you need to finish a work-from-home project, you may adjust lessons for the morning. Enjoy your freedom to sip mugs of hot cocoa while reading a book out loud. You’re in this together.
In short, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all typical home school day. Each home schooling family does it differently—there’s no textbook for this—but I’ll tell you what I do in case it opens a window of possibilities for you. Then you adjust until you find a structure and routine that works for you. That’s one of the beauties of home education!
MY SCHEDULE:
On a “typical” day, my kids wake up between 7:00-7:30 a.m. There’s time for hugs and cuddles, saying "Good morning" and "I love you," and talking about any interesting dreams from the night before.
Next, I prepare breakfast while my children complete their morning routine and chores. This includes brushing teeth, getting dressed, making beds, and completing an assigned chore for the day, and it's probably very similar to what your children are used to doing. (Note: When you spend most of the day in the house together, it can get messy quickly, so sharing the chores helps hold back the chaos!)
During breakfast, I read to my children. Even older children love to hear books read aloud. Right now we’re reading through the New Testament and the Chronicles of Narnia.
While I clean up breakfast, my children get out their daily assignment lists, make sure they have pencils ready, and find any needed books.
Then I provide one-on-one math instruction. Why math first? I have a few reasons. My children’s minds are alert and clear earlier in the day. This subject requires more individualized instruction, and I’m never exactly sure how long it will take. To finish this curriculum requires daily lessons, whereas some subjects don't.
While I teach math with one child, the others complete independent work. This is a great opportunity for the younger ones to start spelling or vocabulary worksheets and older students to read independently. If someone has a question, I’m available to answer, but I encourage respect for this one-on-one tutoring time.
We usually take a short break after math lessons (snack, bathroom, etc.). Then I transition to what I call “Morning Meeting” with my first and third grader. We look at the calendar, practice the days of the week, name the months of the year or the books of the Bible, and read a literature or history lesson. This is also a great time for phonics lessons with younger readers. It’s fun to add puzzles, a short dance party, or a math activity to liven it up when you have extra time.
During this meeting with my younger students, the older ones are completing their math problems, an online typing lesson, or assigned English homework.
Before we know it, it’s close to noon and time for lunch. Afternoon always includes a rest time—nap for our toddler, a break for me, art or free reading for younger students, and assigned literature and history reading for older ones. After about an hour—hopefully the toddler’s still sleeping—I complete grammar and writing lessons as needed with each child.
Weather-permitting, we get outside for exercise (bike riding, walking, ball tossing, jogging, or tennis). There’s often time to build forts, climb trees, make a salt map, create with Lego, shoot a stop-motion video, bake a yummy treat, or open a nature museum—sometimes but not always related to what we’re learning in science, history, or literature, all of which benefit from hands-on activities.
Speaking of science, my husband teaches this subject one night a week to our older two sons. He covers the white board on our kitchen wall, and the boys have fun doing experiments that would overwhelm me. Then they read and answer textbook questions as part of their independent work during the school week. Note, if there’s an academic area where your spouse is stronger, ask for help.
For anyone with a baby or toddler, teaching can be challenging, but it’s still doable. Feed the baby on the couch while you listen to phonics lessons. Include the toddler in reading stories. Ask older siblings to take turns holding or playing with the baby so you can teach; they’ll love the extra break, the baby will love the attention, it builds sibling relationship, and it frees your hands for a few minutes.
I can only imagine how many questions and concerns might be running through the heads of parents who feel like educating their children from home is a daunting task and beyond their capability or capacity. It’s one more thing you didn’t expect or see coming—maybe even as recently as a few days ago.
As a Christian parent, it encourages me to know that I don't parent or teach my children on my own. I believe that God is with me, and I can cry out to him for help when my child (or I) get stuck on a math problem--or when we don't finish nearly as much as we had hoped by mid-day. The Bible says that God’s grace is sufficient, and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We may all be surprised how many ways God meets our families through this experience.
You can follow Katie Faris on Facebook and Instagram or learn more about her book Loving My Children: Embracing Biblical Motherhood here.