Planning & Schedules

How much of homeschooling should be planned, and how much should we just ‘go with the flow’? The nature of homeschooling allows every family to do what suits them – both teacher and students! I have tried a few different strategies since we started, and I think this area is something we will always been adapting and improving.

My experience with planning and schedules so far…

Take 1: Schooling one (5 year old) child

To begin with, I had only one child (Grace) officially homeschooling. At this point it worked to just have a vague idea of what I wanted to achieve, since we only needed to spend an hour or so on school work. All it involved was teaching her to read, guiding her through her maths, and giving her a little handwriting practise. The process of applying for her exemption from school helped to crystallise what we were ultimately trying to achieve, but I didn’t have much in the way of a big picture plan at this stage.

Take 2: Schooling two children with a timetable

Once I had two school-aged children to manage, things got a little more complicated. I started to do a bit more forward planning, which was helpful for direction. However I also decided to try a ‘school-at-home’ approach, with a super structured timetable. Needless to say, it soon became apparent that home is NOT school, and I constantly found myself struggling to catch up! Especially with preschoolers and babies interrupting all the time, it just didn’t work for us.

Take 3: Booklet checklist

The next approach I took was a printed booklet for each child, with a week to a page. All their subjects were listed, and for each day there was a space for ticking them off. The problems I had with this method was that we don’t always do every subject every day, and the list grew too long with all the possibilities! Also it didn’t specify what actually needed to be done for each subject. It was helpful to have a checklist rather than them having to ask me what to do though!

Take 4: Specific checklist

Our latest strategy has involved a little more planning on my part, but has ensured a bit more independence for the kids. On either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning I update a checklist for the week, for each child. There are no specific times for subjects, but for each day I have entered what they need to do for that particular subject. This means they can get on with their work straight after breakfast, and I only need to step in when they get stuck or when there is an activity that requires my help. They can do most of their work in whichever order they prefer! It also means we are more likely to get around to all the different topic studies I intend to do, by rotating them according to different days of the week.

So, here are some of my conclusions on planning and schedules:

1. There is no ultimate solution!

Be prepared for ongoing alterations and revising! It seems to be part of homeschooling life!

2. Do some forward planning

I have discovered that some forward planning is definitely helpful, so that you know which direction you’re headed in. Even when I haven’t actually been checking my yearly plan, I often realise later that we have been following it, probably because the act of writing it down lodged it in the back of my mind somewhere! It reminds you of the big picture, and helps you to consider what you’re trying to achieve in your children’s education.

3. Checklists work better than timetables

This may not be true for others, but it certainly has been for us! A checklist allows the kids more independence and flexibility. Even on the weeks where I’ve been slack at printing them off (like when we were selling the house) the kids still took it upon themselves to start their work, and basically self-managed their learning. Perhaps they didn’t do quite as much as normal, but I was pleasantly surprised at their initiative and diligence!

4. More planning on your part equals less stress during the week

Not only is this true of homeschooling, but also meal planning and chores. I have often been guilty of neglecting the pre-planning part of schooling and household management, but I know that actually doing it always makes things run more smoothly and efficiently.

5. No amount of planning can ensure perfection

I’m a perfectionist by nature, and I often find it a real struggle to just let things go! But no matter how prepared or enthusiastic I am, there are many days when things don’t go to plan and where certain subjects get left by the wayside. In these cases it’s helpful to have some subjects you consider top priority, so that you can let yourself off the hook if they at least get done! I seem to be a master at setting far too high and unrealistic expectations, both for the kids and for my energy levels!