Our Homeschool Routine | Day in the Life Mom of 9

Our homeschool routine has become so familiar to us that, as I heard one experienced homeschool mom say, “It feels like putting on your favorite old pair of jeans!” Our homeschool routine grounds us. It is what we are always aiming for and what we come back to when things get off track. Want to know what homeschooling really looks like? Follow along as I share Our Homeschool Routine | Day in the Life Mom of 9.

You may also enjoy reading 10 Tips for How to Homeschool a Large Family and Mom of Nine shares how to Homeschool While Pregnant.

Video: Our Homeschool Routine | Day in the Life Mom of 9

How Our Routine Has Changed Through the Years

Our homeschool routine has changed a little over the years. As I share what our homeschool routine looks like on an average day, bear in mind that this is not what it has always looked like. Our daily routine looked very different when we had younger kids and less of them. For example, when I had a child in 2nd, Kindergarten, preschool, and an infant, I did a lot more direct teaching and one-on-one work with them. I still do a lot of one-on one-work with our K-3 kids.

When our kids were younger, it was easier to do everything together because the age span was smaller. Having teenagers changes things a little. This year our age span is the widest it has ever been. We have a 17 year old down to a 15 month old, so keeping to our routine really helps keep us grounded. Our older kids for the most part work independently. They attend a local high school homeschool co-op one day a week where they are responsible to other teachers for a majority of their credits. This has helped ease the burden on me at home, so it has been a great fit for our family. Even so, there are a few things at home that the teens still participate in with the whole family, primarily Morning Time and Read Aloud times.

Breakfast and Morning Time

Some of our younger kids are up earlier and have their breakfast at 7:30. Others come downstairs just as the clock strikes 8:30. We have asked everyone to be in the kitchen by 8:30 (dressed and with their beds already made) so we can gather for Morning Time. Usually the little kids have already been up with me and we have had our breakfast together. I have probably read some nursery rhymes and the Bible story to them so I can get it in before the older kids come down.

In the past, certain children (ahem, teenagers) have had difficulty getting downstairs by 8:30, so we made a consequence this year that the late comer has to take over breakfast clean up for the person whose job it is that day. So far, it has worked beautifully and no one has been late yet!

When 8:30 rolls around and the older kids have arrived, I start Morning Time. I have done several posts on Morning Time if you would like to read more about this. Some of the topics we cover in Morning time include these. We work on Scripture memory and other memory work, watch or listen to current events, read and memorize poetry, observe famous works of art, read a missionary biography, practice/listen to Russian (the foreign language we study), review common grammar or spelling rules, etc. Some things we do daily. Others we loop on a schedule.

Chores

Depending on how long Morning Time goes, we begin chores around 9:00 or 9:30. We have a chore chart posted so everyone knows where to go and what is expected.

When we first made this chore chart, learning how to complete the chores well was a big learning curve. I would check the chores and lots of things were missed. It took lots and lots of practice for them to get good. For a little while, our academic work got pushed back a little later so that we could focus on doing the chores well. They know that I will check and call them out if they try to cut corners, so they have gradually become better and better at doing it well.

We do chores by zones. I have divided the house up into sections: ie. kitchen, bathrooms, living room, school room, entry way, etc. They rotate daily between these zones. Everyone has learned how to clean each of these areas and what I will be checking for when they finish.

Usually by 9:30 or 10:00, the house is picked up and clean so we can get to our school work.

Independent Work

As soon as the kids finish their chores (9:30-10ish), everyone grabs their homeschool checklists and gets started. To see what curriculum our family uses, read Our Large Family Homeschool Curriculum.

It is so nice to have a clean house when we start our day. Of course the house doesn’t look picture perfect, but it’s a clean slate and a great place to begin our day.

My job during this time is three-fold.

1. First of all, I help kids who need assistance with their work. Although our kids work independently on their checklists, I am available as a facilitator to help them when they come to a new concept. If they are struggling to understand a skill or have any questions, they know they are supposed to bring their work to me. Usually they need the most help with Math. Learning to work on their own has really helped them take ownership of their studies.
2. I also work one-on-one with our youngest school age child who is learning to read and write and starting beginning math. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes.
3. A third part (often the challenging part!) is caring for our preschooler and baby. Since they have usually been up and spent time alone with me early for breakfast, they often play on the floor or with toys while everyone is working. Sometimes, I will have an older child take a short break between subjects and read to a little one or take them outside for a few minutes. This is a nice break for the older kid AND fun for the baby or preschooler. One thing I particularly try to be aware of is that they are daily getting their needs met through the 5 Important Routines for a Homeschool Preschool: Work Time, Outside Time, Read Aloud Time, Quiet Time, and Exploration Time.

Lunch/Outside Time

Typically, the kids try to get their independent work done by lunch time. (Roughly 2.5 hours, give or take.) It doesn’t always work out this way. Sometimes the older kids will have work to finish up after lunch, but being done by lunch is the goal.

For lunch, I make something for myself and the youngest kids. The others like to make their own lunch. Depending on the weather, we might eat outside. We usually have something simple for lunches: salad, leftover soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. Occasionally, I will make a hot meal. It usually depends on what the grocery situation looks like, ha!

Read Aloud

This is our favorite time of the day. The little ones go down for nap time. Everyone gathers in the living room and I read aloud to them. Often even our preschool child will sit in on this. They learn SO much from someone reading aloud to them. Even though kids are able to read, reading aloud to them has so many benefits.

“People would stand in line for days and pay hundreds of dollars if there were a pill that could do everything for a child that reading aloud does. It expands their interest in books, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and attention span. Simply put, it’s a free ‘oral vaccine’ for literacy.”

Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook

Check Their Work

After our read aloud time, I take our kids aside one by one to review their checklists. Sometimes our middle and high school kids are still finishing up a few things, but usually the elementary kids are done with their work by lunch. When they finish their checklist and have it checked by me, they get a chocolate treat.

I ask them what they read about today in the Bible, in literature, and in history. If they did not need me for math that day, I ask to see their math. I look at their copywork and writing narrations. This is a time for me to check in with each child individually to see where they are at and what they need help with the most. This is a great time to really get into their world and see things from their perspective. It only takes a few precious minutes, but it marks our school day as complete so we can move on to doing other things!

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What does your homeschool routine look like these days? Leave a comment and share with others. We can all learn from each other!

PIn It! Our Homeschool Routine | Day in the Life Mom of 9