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Schedule, schmedule, right? Not for me! I love scheduling and planning! Find out how to schedule your homeschool here!

How To Plan a Homeschool Year With These Top 5 Need to Know Tips and Tricks

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As my children splash about in the garden hose, and I sit on my front porch enjoying the evening sunset, I cannot help but think of my upcoming homeschool year. I bet that is NOT where you thought that was going. I am a bit later to the game than normal, for me at least. In years past, I would have been planning the next school year before the last one had ended. However, these days I am finding myself more relaxed when it comes to our homeschool planning. If you are contemplating homeschooling for this upcoming year, you may be wondering how to plan a homeschool year. I have many posts about different, and more specific schedules. Check out the year-round homeschool schedule posts, and general homeschool schedules. If you’re looking for a relaxed homeschool schedule, you can find more on that here.

How to Plan a Homeschool Year: Take Small Steps

As a recovering control “freak” I always thought I preferred having every moment planned out. To an extent, this can be nice to know what you want to learn or teach during the year, however, you may decide you want more flexibility. This is where small steps can come into play. Divide your school year into smaller segments so that you can plan accordingly. Coming from someone who always planned out the entire 180 days in one fail swoop, and then had to adjust as the year went on, it’s better to just plan in small increments.

How to Plan a Homeschool Year: Choose a Comprehensive Curriculum

My Current Choice

I have chosen The Good and the Beautiful homeschool curriculum for my boys. As outlined in the highlighted post, I love The Good and the Beautiful for many reasons. However, some of my favorite things about it is that it incorporates social studies and geography into the math and reading programs. This is great when first starting out, so you do not feel like you need to cover all the things, it does these for you throughout the course. Also, the price can’t be beaten! I feel, for the quality of the program the price is great. However, you can also download and print for FREE! Read more about why I love The Good and the Beautiful here. (Note, I am not an affiliate for The Good and the Beautiful, and I am not being compensated for either of these posts. I just truly love the curriculum.)

*This post contains affiliate links. This means I could earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchased from these links. But don’t worry, I only recommend products I have used and love.*

Other Valid Options When Planning a Homeschool Year

Hooked on Phonics

Hooked on Phonics is also a great option if you are starting out with grade/age levels of Pre-K to second grade. They now have a Hooked on Math program that would be worth looking into as well! We use Hooked on Phonics for preschool and on into second grade as a supplemental course.

Create Your Own Curriculum

Evan-Moor

For a few years, I also created my own curriculum using Evan-Moor. This is a great idea if you want a bit more control over what you are teaching. Maybe you have a child who is interested in geography, or history, you can choose the levels that they use depending on their developmental level. There are so many options with Evan-Moor! We used their Skill Sharpeners as supplemental material for much of the year. Why not take a look? Many books are now pdf and easily available. I love how many sales Evan-Moor has throughout the year.

Use the Library When You Plan Your Homeschool Year

History and science can easily be created on your own terms. I enjoyed doing my own planning when it came to these two subjects. Read more about how I created my own history curriculum here. The Library and bookstores can be a great place to build your own home library. Request books from the library, and pick them up at your convenience, some libraries will even pick up the books that you request and have them waiting for you! We started with Ancient Civilizations and then slowly moved through Early American History.

Science can also be created on your own terms. Here are a few things we have studied that went over great with a five and eight-year-old.

Take It One Day At A Time

Things can get overwhelming pretty fast if you do not take it slow. What works for you this year may not work for you next year, and that is ok! I have changed things various times, and most homeschoolers find themselves changing their game mid-year. There is no right or wrong way to homeschool your child. After all, that’s why you’re homeschooling in the first place. As long as you’re in compliance with your state’s homeschool laws, you will fall into a groove eventually. Enjoy the ride!

Are You Crazy To Homeschool Year Round? How to Know If It’s Right For You

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Homeschool Year Round:

Is It As Crazy As It Sounds?

I can imagine the conversation right now. You tell someone you want to homeschool year round and they look at you like you have just told them you are from outer space, and proceed to show them your extra toe…or something like that. Maybe they even insinuate that you are “crazy”. I must admit, I am not speaking from experience here. (As my lack of imagination for this scenario shows.) I have a very supportive family and I have not met with too many skeptic comments from others.

However, I have just finished my first year homeschooling “year-round”. (As of today actually!) So I thought I would jump on here and give you my insights before everything slips my mind, as it often does.

Would I Recommend to Homeschool Year Round?

All said and done, yes I would recommend it. As I have outlined before homeschooling year round has given me more flexibility. In fact, it has been the best year so far. We are now heading into our fourth year homeschooling, and by far this one was easiest. Count in the fact that I was homeschooling two boys, with an otherwise full schedule, I would say that is no small feat.

The way our school year turned out we are actually getting some time off for summer. As of today June 22nd 2023 we will likely get a good 7-8 weeks off of school. For some families that may not be enough, however for us this will likely be too much.

how to homeschool year round

I always advise my readers to look at your state’s homeschool laws. This should be your first priority. You can also take a look at HSLDA.org My state is a very low regulated state. This means I have a lot more flexibility in certain areas.

Most states do regulate how many days you have to homeschool. Generally this is the same as the public school systems. So for me, I have to homeschool or do some sort of education 180 days of the year. However, what is called education can vary. We do volunteer work, and my boys do a lot of public speaking, so if I chose to I could call this school for the day and mark it as one of my 180 days.

For instance, we only did 137 days of bookwork this year. The other 43 days were made up with volunteer work, trips to the zoo, museums…if I felt they were being particularly helpful around home, gaining new skills, expressing understanding of different concepts, then I would count it as a school day. (Usually with this I would count it as “cumulative days”) Really, it is what you make of it.

I Planned My Year The Way It Worked Best For Us

Vacations and holidays are not very common with our family so I did not have to plan around either of these. I set up my year to go something like this: three weeks of school, one week off. This worked great for us. As we got closer to the end of the year we started doubling up and taking less weeks off. Since we had taken so many breaks through the year, we didn’t have any issues powering through without a week off for the last couple of months.

That is the great thing about homeschooling, you can do things however they work best into your routines, schedules or lifestyle.

How Long Can You Take Off For Summer?

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Again, this is flexible! Depending on how you scheduled out your year and how well you stuck to it, or rearranged it, you can take off as little or as much for breaks as you need. (Within reason of course.)

When we started homeschooling we stuck with the public schools schedule. I pushed this schedule too hard and too long for us though. I found we do much better with more frequent breaks. Six to nine weeks without a break was just an invitation for burnout, tears and stress. No thanks.

Additionally, I found that we didn’t end up doing the whole summer break anyway. We get so used to our routine that we start to bore easily. I know it sounds crazy, but some of my homeschool mom friends say their children are asking when they can start school again…(perhaps we should check their fingers and toes to make sure they’re not from outer space.) Totally kidding, but that seems to be normal for a lot of homeschool kids. They thrive, as all kids do, on schedule and routine. Take them out of that for too long and they do start to miss it.

Seven to eight weeks of summer likely wont last here

This brings me back to what I said earlier. I can plan for us to have seven to eight weeks off, but likely I will get itchy to start again sooner. I start to feel crummy when I am not on my normal routine, and as I said, this goes for my kids too. We will still have plenty of time for summer fun. Once I start planning for next years curriculum (which I usually have started waaaay before now) I will get antsy to try it out.

Consider part time through the summer

Many families have found that working part time through the summer is a great compromise. You are still flexible for any last minute invites for summer fun, but you are still keeping in a routine. I have not tried this with my kids much, they seem to resist the idea enough that I don’t push it.

A part time schedule can look like anything really. Two days a week, three days a week, half days here and there. Whatever works for you! Be flexible and try different things to see where you fall into the best groove.

Why Not Try To Homeschool Year Round

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What do you have to loose? One more year under your belt, more experience, proving to people who said you were crazy that your extra toe is just genetic and not because you chose to homeschool year round…

Will I Choose To Homeschool Year Round Again?

Oddly enough, since starting this blog, I haven’t thought much about my next year with homeschooling. At least not as much as usual. In times past I have been purchasing curriculum for the next year, far earlier than I should have. Usually I have flow charts, lists, schedules, and all kinds of things already lined up. I have relaxed quite a bit in my homeschool journey. But when it comes to homeschooling year round, yes I will continue. It may look differently from year to year, but that is the great thing about year round homeschool, you can be as flexible as you need to be.

Try it out for yourself, check out my other posts about homeschool schedules and decide for yourself if you’re crazy or not.

Homeschool Schedule How to Make a Year Round Schedule

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person writing their homeschool schedule in a planner

Find out how I make a year-round homeschool schedule work for us. You’ll find out how to make it work for you!

Let me start by saying that my state’s homeschool regulations are very lax. I joke that I could teach my kids to pick their boogers and call it school…(Totally kidding, they have their masters in that one.)Here in Indiana, I am required to keep a record of the number of days I have been homeschooling that year. I have to homeschool for 180 days, keep records of the days we have homeschooled, and keep to the general subjects taught in the public schools. However, there are no guidelines on what this includes. If the superintendent requests my records, I would be required to provide them. But that is pretty much it.

*This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something by clicking on my links, I could earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.*

Where to Get Additional Homeschool Schedule Information

Before following any advice on homeschooling schedules be sure to know your state’s regulations. I made a simple list in a previous blog post. You can also visit HSLDA.org.

We have been homeschooling now for three and a half years, and this year has been the best so far. This happens to be the first year we have tried a year-round homeschool schedule. I do things a little bit odd…that’s just my way. I have never read anyone who does their year-round homeschool schedule quite like me. That’s ok. That is what homeschooling is all about. Find what works best for you!

You only have to fit 180 or so days into 365 days…so the way you split it up can be endless. My family does not take time out for holidays, so my schedule may not work for you, but read on if you want to find a new way to do things.

How I Count My Days

As I stated, Indiana’s homeschool requirements are very laid-back. I need to count 180 days of school, however, I can choose what qualifies for school. I don’t want to confuse you too much. But I do have two different ways I count them. I have a 180-day chart, and I mark off 1 day when we do bookwork. I also mark off 1 day for any other activities I deem to be learning.

Say we do not do bookwork one day, but we do volunteer work that day. Then I mark that as 1 day on the 180-day chart. However, if we do both on the same day, I only count 1 day. Clear as mud? Maybe this isn’t so odd, I am not sure how others do it. It’s new to me this year. On my 180-day chart right now I am on the 108th day. However, on our actual bookwork days, I am only on day 85.

Now that I have confused you, let’s move on.

My Personal Homeschool Schedule

There are different types of homeschool schedules.

  • Block
  • Loop
  • Checklist
  • Relaxed
  • And others that I haven’t looked into as much

We have found a good mix between a Loop, Checklist, and Relaxed schedule. If you are not sure what those schedules entail, I break it down in a separate post. It took me a while to be able to mesh them all together, so don’t be in a rush to do the same. Try each one out, or just do your own thing, maybe you will find your own style.

Relaxed Homeschool Schedule

two women lying on hammock

We relax when it comes to what time we start school. I do know we have to start in the morning. If we start after lunch, forget it. I prefer to start early, however, our day could start anywhere from 7 am to 10 am. Lately, we have been working through a noon lunchtime, but we have snacks to get us through. Oftentimes, I see that we’re almost done, and I refuse to come back after lunch for one book. (But I am also hangry by then…)

We do school Monday-Friday, with the flexibility to skip a day if we need to. This is something I am working on. I am learning that if we have a bad day, it may just be best to quit and save it for another day. This is where a loop or checklist schedule comes in handy.

Loop Homeschool Schedule

I have our extra studies such as science and history on a loop schedule. I am not super specific with it though, so maybe it’s a relaxed loop…? (Is that a thing? I am making it a thing.) I have found that I need to relax about what days we do something. For example, if I have planned that every Tuesday we are going to study history, and that doesn’t happen, I tend to get stressed about it. So I just know that at least once or more a week we need to do history. The same goes for science.

I do, however, make sure that everyday language arts, math, reading, and writing are done in some form.

Checklist Homeschool Schedule

I have been doing a checklist schedule for pretty much the entire time I have been homeschooling. It has evolved a bit to become more relaxed. (I am beginning to think maybe I am more relaxed than I thought…) That being said, it’s more of a relaxed checklist. (Again, is that a thing?) As in, sometimes, I find myself erasing things that didn’t get done, and just not worrying about it. I have come a long way, believe me. I wouldn’t have erased things off my list when I started homeschooling.

Notice I did not mention anything about a block schedule. I do not like fitting my time into tiny boxes. Mainly because I know my life doesn’t work that way, and I would stress more about it. But if you already work great with a block schedule, you do you.

Now let me break it down into what a day in our homeschool looks like.

A Week in Our Homeschool

I will show an example of what our week could look like. We are on the verge of a schedule change right now. So this is how it could look for us.

Busier Homeschool Days

Monday

  • Up at 7-7:30
  • Start school by 8
  • Work from 8-9:30. We would work on just basics in that time. Math, Reading, LA. Possibly we would just study history or science and get it done for the week.
  • Leave the house by 9:30 and be done with schoolwork for the day. These days we do other activities that I qualify as learning.

Tuesday

  • Up between 7-8 am
  • Start school by 8-8:30
  • We cover at least math, reading, and LA
  • Finish school by 11:30
  • Head out the door by 11:30-11:45
  • When we are out, we are doing activities I qualify as learning.
  • My kindergartener has piano lessons in the afternoons.

More Relaxed Homeschool Days

Wednesday

  • Somewhere between 9-11 am, we start school
  • We cover math, LA, reading, writing
  • Usually were done by the early afternoon
  • The rest of the day is open for errands, chilling, or visiting our friends

Thursdays

  • Somewhere between 9-11 am, we start school
  • We cover math, LA, reading, and writing
  • I try to finish in the early afternoon
  • The rest of the day is used for Bible study and relaxing

Fridays

  • Somewhere between 9-11 am, we start school
  • We cover math, LA, reading, writing and history, and science if not yet done
  • Hopefully, again, we can be done early afternoon
  • The rest of the day is up to us to enjoy.

Daily Homeschool Schedule

That pretty much summed it up as far as the days go, too. However, during the summer and warm months, we like to get outside. I found a fabulous picnic blanket that we use and love.

Side note, this blanket has been awesome. It is easy to handle, and wipeable. The 5×10 size is big enough for me, two boys, and all our books. We still have plenty of room to stretch out. I can’t wait for warmer weather, to take this blanket to the parks, and just enjoy the warmth! (Seriously, I have been just too cold lately!)

Anyway, our daily schedule is generally something like this…My boys are generally awake before me. I wake up and get my coffee. I finish my coffee while cleaning up the office, or preparing our books for the day. If we need any supplies, I make sure we have them out.

Then we play a fun game, run around the house, and just generally try to get in a good mood for the day. (Sometimes this is very hard for me. I try to be playful, but I have a hard time being a kid.) Sign up for my newsletter to get details on how we do this, and why we do it…You’ll get a free Preschool Activities Checklist as well! 

What About Summer?

smiling girl lying on green grass

This schedule gives me plenty of time during the day to get everything done. I am currently on a week off, and I will say we do get bored quickly. It is hard right now with winter in full swing.

 During the summer months, we are able to get out to the pool, park, or friends’ houses. Most of our friends are homeschooled as well, so we don’t have a hard time getting together with others. 

Monthly Schedule

Here is where it gets a bit different from what I have seen from other homeschooled families. I try to average 15 days a month. I happen to split that by three weeks on, and one week off. So that means I get a week off every month! Now, I do not worry about taking off time for holidays. However, a year-round schedule can still give you all the time off you need for these and other vacations.

I have tried doing longer stretches, say 6 weeks on with a week or two off. However, I feel we need more frequent breaks. So far this year has been the smoothest, most stress-free year. I owe that to the three weeks on, one week off method.

Make It Work For You

You could average 18 days a month for 10 months and still have off two months in the summer. This year, we have not yet gotten to our summer to see how it will go. However, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I am already ahead of my schedule. I have only a couple of books I want to finish in this grade before moving on. Since I can count other activities, such as volunteer work, as a school day, I am ahead of schedule.

I am also thinking about not worrying so much about “grade” levels, and just getting in the work that needs to be done, and moving on to the next “year”.

No matter what you decide to do, a year-round schedule can work great for you! There is so much flexibility there! Get your children’s input. Ask them how they would like to split it up. You are in control, make it work for you, and you may find out that this is just what your homeschool needs!

5 responses to “Homeschool Schedule How to Make a Year Round Schedule”

  1. Homeschool Planning: Organize the Perfect Homeschool Year

    […] year we tested out the year-round schedule. We have loved it, though I do find us wrapping things up a bit earlier than I originally planned. […]

    Reply
  2. Homeschool Year Round: Is It As Crazy As It Sounds?

    […] said and done, yes I would recommend it. As I have outlined before homeschooling year round has given me more flexibility. In fact, it has been the best year so far. We are now heading into our fourth year homeschooling, […]

    Reply
  3. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HOMESCHOOL? – Big Bag of Everything

    […] have now been homeschooling for 3 years, and I am happy to report I have found a love for it, and yes, a certain love for this “new math” that so many parents were panicking over […]

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  4. Homeschool Schedules and How to Be More Flexible

    […] and plans can be overwhelming, however. I like to plan things, and I work best on a schedule. When making a schedule, I like to think that it will work just as I have written it out. However, we know that, with […]

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  5. Year-Round Homeschool Schedule

    […] two years are crucial to finding yourself. You will find your groove too, whether it is with a year-round homeschool schedule, or […]

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