Moms are the busiest people on the planet, and yet some of us have chosen to take on the responsibility of homeschooling our children. How can we fit everything into one day and still keep our sanity?
Time blocking is an excellent way for homeschool parents to schedule their day. Time blocking is a system where you set up your day in blocks with specific tasks to be completed within each block, typically in 1 hour increments. This can include anything from reading and math lessons to cooking or free play hours. Time blocking has been shown to increase productivity by up to 80% and lower stress. By planning ahead and dividing the day into manageable tasks to do each hour, children can accomplish their school work as well as extracurricular activities. Many homeschooling parents have attributed time blocking to their homeschooling success.
Moms, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you can’t possibly add one more thing to your plate, try time blocking! Read on to learn more!
How Does Time Blocking Work for Homeschooling?
As homeschooling parents, we’re always looking for ways to stay focused on the task at hand. One of our favorite methods is using time blocking.
This strategy can be used with any type of schedule you follow, whether it’s a strict schedule or more flexible approach. We recommend starting with one hour blocks and adding 30 minute increments once you find the perfect fit.
Time blocking is a technique that can help you focus on specific tasks by setting aside specific blocks of time to complete them. Most time blocks are set up using hourly chunks of time.
Let’s say 10:00-11:00 is designated for math class. This means that you don’t work on writing, reading, history, or science during this time frame. It helps children focus on the task at hand and finish it, rather than jumping from subjects and not finishing lessons.
Time blocking can help you be more productive during your day by eliminating distractions and the habit of moving from task to task, which is not productive at all.
Businesses and very successful business people like Elon Musk even swear by this scheduling routine.
Time blocking is especially helpful for homeschooling parents because it combines structure and flexibility.
I like to create an individual time block each evening for the next day. This helps me schedule in anything we didn’t accomplish from the day prior, plan around the weather, and allows for me to schedule what we feel like doing.
On days that are really nice outside, we time block outdoor field trips, park visits, and picnics! Here are some of our favorite places to homeschool to keep things fun and interesting!
Or maybe on Mondays, you work on Science in the afternoon, but on Tuesdays you time block for History.
Maybe you plan an extra hour for art class tomorrow because today was a tough day and you want to give your kid a much-needed break to avoid burnout. Here are some extra ideas to help overcome burnout.
Time blocking can really transform your homeschool. Even the most disorganized people find time blocking an essential tool to help them accomplish everything they need to without feeling overwhelmed.
How Long Each Day Should Homeschooling Take?
Before we get started on time blocking, it’s important to understand how long homeschooling should take each day.
Most beginner homeschoolers think that homeschooling should mimic public school days. Homeschooling does not need to happen for 7 hours a day.
It would be easy to overschedule your children if you weren’t aware of how much time it takes to homeschool successfully.
Most children are able to complete their schoolwork in 1-4 hours. Here is an article detailing how much time should be spent on homeschooling each day based on grade level.
Homeschool Time Blocking Categories
When deciding on time blocking for your homeschool, you must first make a list of categories you would like to fit into your daily schedule.
I’ve come up with a list that can help you get your wheels turning. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and it is not in order of importance.
Here are some ideas for your time blocking schedule:
- Phonics
- Math
- Language Arts
- Breakfast
- Snack time
- Lunch
- Free Play
- Reading
- Writing
- History
- Science
- Read aloud
- Art
- Music
- Chores
- Second language
- Playdoh
- Screen time
- Cooking
- Physical education
- Computer
- Outside
- Library
- Field trip
- Religion
- Co-op
- Make-up session
- Typing
- Spelling
- Kid’s Choice
- Instrument practice
- Memory work
- STEM activity
- Geography
- Journal
- Health
- Coloring
- Family time
- Poetry
- Puzzles
- Painting
- Sports
- Free time
- Documentary
- Life skills
Of course, not all of these ideas are appropriate for every age, and it’s certainly not recommended to cram all of these into 1 day or even 1 week! Hopefully, this will give you some ideas so you can start building your time blocking homeschool schedule next!
Sample Time Blocking Homeschool Schedule
Here are some examples of some daily schedules we’ve used for Kindergarten.
Math in the morning, Language Arts in the afternoon, Play throughout the day
Some days, we spread the bookwork throughout the day. This helps my son get his wiggles out, as I call it. I usually plan for this on days I know I have my own work at home that needs to be accomplished.
Schoolwork in the morning, Play in the afternoon
These are my favorite days – when we get the bookwork done in the morning and are free to do whatever we want in the afternoon.
Field trip day
These are my son’s favorite days. No planned book work, and learning by seeing and touching. I make sure we have plenty of field trips planned.
I will admit, It is much easier to plan a time block schedule with 1 child than multiple, but I know many homeschool families with several children who incorporate time block scheduling into their day. While we are a single child family, the concept is the same for creating your own time block schedule!
Tips to Make Homeschool Time Blocking Successful
So you’ve decided to try time blocking for your homeschooling routine. Great! Let’s set you up for success with some great tips from myself and other homeschool moms!
Tip #1 – Give yourself a scheduling buffer. If you think your child will need 45 minutes to complete a lesson/task, go ahead and schedule it for an hour. This way, you won’t be rushing them and stressing yourself out to stay on schedule. If they finish early, great! If not, no harm, no foul.
Tip #2 – Don’t overschedule. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was an education. Give yourself and your children permission to stay on schedule and not work ahead or cram too much into 1 day.
Tip #3 – Start small at first. It would be easy to be optimistic when you first create a time block homeschooling routine. Don’t do that to yourself or your kids. Start with fewer items on your schedule and add more as you see how long things take.
Tip #4 – If you have multiple children, try to do subjects together if possible. This is not always possible, especially if the ages are significantly different, but if possible, it makes for a smooth day!
Tip #5 – Schedule subjects at different times if you know your child may need specialized attention. This one is a big one! If one child struggles with math and another child struggles with spelling, schedule those subjects at different time blocks so that you can be available and give them the individualized attention needed to learn the material. (This also helps with mom guilt!)
Tip #5 – Schedule time for your tasks when children are learning independently. If you know that reading time is generally a quiet time in your house, maybe that is when you schedule an important task for yourself.
Tip #6 – Schedule top priority subjects right after breakfast. The main classes that children should focus on every day are reading, writing, and arithmetic. Children can focus best in the morning, which is why schools often teach math (with requires high focus) in the morning. I do this for our homeschooling too. Plus, if something comes up and you can’t finish homeschooling for the day, at least you’ll know you completed the main subjects.
Tip #7 – Schedule a make-up session time block. It’s inevitable that at some point, your schedule will get off track. You can prepare for this by scheduling a make-up session at the end of the homeschooling day. This can flex to free time or another task if a make-up session isn’t needed. This tip can set you up for success!
Tip #8 – Combine tasks when possible. I love to read aloud during snack time. It kills two birds with 1 stone, and helps keep my son in “school mode.”
Tip #9 – Be specific when setting up your time block schedule. This is especially important for younger children. For example, I don’t write “Art” on our schedule. I write playdoh, painting, slime, modeling clay, or rock painting. This helps me plan ahead for what supplies I need to have ready, plus it takes the guess work out so my son knows what to expect when I say it’s time to do art class.
Tip # 10 – Give yourself grace. Even with the best-laid plans, it is not going to go perfectly every day. As hard as we try, things happen. Just because it doesn’t work well 1 day doesn’t mean it’s not going to work another day. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Homeschooling is hard! Tomorrow is a new day.
Tip # 11 – Adjust if it’s not working. If you find that the schedule you’ve created needs tweaked, adjust! Don’t hold yourself and your kids to something that isn’t working. If you try math in the morning and your kids are too sleepy, shift it to the afternoon and try that. Keep adjusting until you find a schedule that works for your family.
Tip # 12 – Schedule the least favorite subject first. I hate doing dishes so I used to put it off. Now, I make myself get it done first thing in the morning. The same idea applies to homeschooling. Kids that dislike spelling may struggle to complete it if it’s the last class of the day. Get it over with and move on.
The Best Time Blocking Resources
Here are some of my favorite time blocking planners:
- KAICN Daily Planner– This planner is the one I use. The sample schedules above are written on this planner. It includes a goal section, meal planning, water intake, and the most important part – an hourly planner. I love that it is double sided because I can use 1 side for my son and the other side for me for 1 day, if needed. It could also be used for 2 children.
- The Time Box Daily To Do List Notepad– This one is very simple and gives a brain dump area as well as a priority area. It also allows for scheduling in 30 minute increments.
- Time Tracker Study Planner – This one is great for those who like to plan a week at a time.
- 2022 Ensight Tabbed Appointment Book & Hourly Planner – This one is great for those who like a tabbed yearly planner. It also allows for scheduling in 15 minute increments which older students tend to appreciate. (Just be careful not to overschedule!)
- Jennakate -Time Block Schedule Planner – This one is highly customizable and reusable. This planner is a magnet, so you can hang it on the fridge or any magnetic surface for that matter. Creative parents will love this one!
- You can also opt for a digital time blocking schedule by using Google Calendar. You can even set reminders when it’s time to move onto the next task.
Conclusion
Homeschooling can be stressful, but planning ahead and staying organized can help tremendously. Studies have shown that time blocking hourly is much more productive than using a checklist approach.
Time blocking means that you block out specific times in the day or week to focus on certain tasks like reading, writing, and math.
It may take some trial-and-error before finding what works best for your family, but once you do find something that helps keep everyone focused and happy there are so many benefits!
Have you tried time blocking for your homeschool? How did it work for your family? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Happy Homeschooling!
