Why we love a homeschool routine instead of a schedule

homeschool routine

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a homeschool routine instead of a schedule

2021 is officially around the corner, so it’s time to think about the homeschool routine for the year. I purposefully say routine instead of schedule, because that is what I decided to focus on. Let me explain the difference and what our routine will be for the next few months.

Routine vs schedule

So, first things first. Let me explain the difference between a routine and a schedule. The dictionary says the following:

  • Routine = a sequence of actions regularly followed.
  • Schedule = a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of intended events and times.

So what it basically means is that with a schedule you have specific times and dates set to do something. So for example: at 9.00am we do Math at 10.00am we do crafts etc. Whereas a routine just mentions the things you want done in a particular order. Which in our case means: in the morning we do our morning basket, Language Arts and Math.

Why we are going for a routine

homeschool routine
printable from Arrows&Applesauce

I don’t know what your day looks like, but with two kids aged 5 and 2.5 (and a big belly) it is basically impossible to stick to certain times for me. Especially when the things on the list are all pretty short. Plus, I do not want to rush through certain topics just because the timer goes off. If Josh has a ton of questions about a Bible story we just read, I want to take the time to talk about it.

I am a huge believer of following the child in your schoolday. Does a child need more time to focus on Math? Go for it. Does he have a hard day and Math is just not working? That is also okay! Move on and try again another time. In a day like this, a routine just makes more sense to me.

What our routine looks like

Our schoolday starts around 9.00am when my ‘homeschool block’ starts. That is when we had breakfast, my husband left for work and we have cleaned up breakfast. So, here’s our routine for 2021:

  • Morning Basket (read more about our morning basket and what it looks like in this post)
  • Snack time and coffee. The kids are still young, so having a little break in-between is important.
  • Language Arts (We currently use Pre-K from The Good and The Beautiful)
  • Math/Crafts/Music (we loop these three subjects)

Every weekday we follow this routine. The time it takes us to finish all the steps, is different every time. But it usually takes 20-30 minutes to do our Morning Basket. After that the kids play and I prepare my coffee and their fruit. Language Arts is about 15 to 20 minutes and the loop depends on what day it is. Math is very short and simple and takes about 10-15 minutes whereas crafts obviously takes more time.

And with our loop being done, our schoolday is officially over. The rest of the day is spent doing chores, having quiet time, playing a lot and we try to go outside every day.

What does your homeschool routine or schedule look like for 2021? Let me know in the comments!

-Stephanie

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