Often, I’m asked by non-homeschooling, temporarily-homeschooling, and homeschool-curious friends and acquaintances what our typical homeschool day looks like. Considering the frequency with which I’ve been asked this reasonable question, I figured I’d just post my answer on my tiny corner of the interwebs.

First, a little clarifying background information regarding our homeschool situation. I have a very bright, engineering-minded 5-year-old; a highly creative and mathematically-inclined 7-year-old; and a science-loving 9-year-old leader who struggles with self-confidence.

Our eldest two were formerly enrolled in a private school, which did a great job shifting to online learning last year, but it also helped us realize that online learning simply does not work for us. What does prove most effective for us: workbooks. So, that’s what we use, in combination with a math tutor for our eldest– primarily to enhance her self-confidence — and some small, masked, in-person classes at a local homeschool enrichment academy.

Regarding assessments, we do no standardized testing. I have much life experience that has made the ineffectiveness of standardized testing clear. Instead, we opted to be evaluated each trimester by a certified teacher, though we are only required to hold this assessment annually.

That said, here it is… our typical homeschool day!

8:15/8:30AM- Watch a video, discuss, and journal about our social studies topic.

9:00- Workbook time! Subjects: reading comprehension, language arts, phonics (for 5- and 7-year-old), cursive (for 7- and 9-year-old), math, vocabulary (for 7- and 9-year-old), early literacy (for 5-year-old), writing (for 7-year-old and 9-year-old), and science (for 9-year-old.)

10:30/10:45AM- Work completed… usually. (Some days we move slower, whether it’s because of moodiness or more challenging lessons, but we are almost always done by 11:00AM.)

11:00/11:15AM- lunch

12:00PM- Play outside no matter the weather.

1:00PM- Quiet time (usually arts and crafts and/or an educational TV program.)

2:30PM- Head to a local playground or park.

This is what works for us and our family. It has enabled each child to progress at their own speed along their own trajectory. My 5-year-old is racing through first grade material, my 7-year-old is in a blend of second and third grade material, and my 9-year-old is solidly succeeding with fourth grade work.

What’s most important is that they are all developing a love of learning and honing a more nuanced awareness of U.S. history.