Welcome to a glimpse of a typical day homeschooling our three boys who are ages 5, 3 and 1. Each day looks a little different, but I have a structure which I pull from during different parts of our day. It helps me to be as consistent as possible while balancing my other responsibilities as a home maker. Join me as I share our routine and some resources that have worked well for us. This is a journey that I want to be marked by fun, creativity, and personalised learning/activities. I’ll share what I do in my own personal routine which helps me to stay focused, and on top of things as much as possible.
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The start of our day:
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: An ease into the day
- Getting dressed, breakfast time, and quick wash up time.
- Set intentions for the day
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Praise and worship/Bible reading
- We start with praise and worship (dance or fitness on Youtube)
- Bible reading time
The boys have a lot of energy in the morning and I usually do not so what helps me to cope well with this is praise and worship. We watch a few videos on Youtube which they love to sing and dance along to. It’s a great way to learn new songs, and it helps to bring focus to our minds for the day. Our Bible reading time at this age is not very long and it is all story based. Our mid-morning session is dedicated to Bible study, exploring the stories of faith and lessons they hold for our lives. We have discussions around the story. This is for about 10 minutes.
Resources we love:
Bible: Illustrated Childrens Bible : North Parade Publishing: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Our favourite Youtube channel: (2) Listener Kids – YouTube
10:00-10:30 Character studies:
- Conversation and activity around a character that I am teaching them.
- Take short breaks as needed.
Character studies is an area that I am really passionate about and I really try to be consistent in working on activities and setting time aside to have conversations about this with the boys. I like to start the day with character studies because I want it to frame the day as we play and interact with each other. This works really well for us as they remember what we discuss and often pull each other up if they aren’t displaying the particular trait that we discussed in the morning!
Snack time and break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM:
- The boys help put their snack plate together- which they love to be involved with!
- While they eat, they can play or draw etc. I take the youngest for his nap.
Start a few core subjects
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM:
- 1 page of penmanship each, 1 page of phonics each
- Older boy works on 1 page of sudoku
- 1 page of maths/numbers (occasionally)
At this age through trial an error I have discovered that my boys cannot contain too much formal sit down work. What has helped a great deal is to have them work together with myself for a maximum of 5-10 minutes. We work on one page of penmanship, and one page of phonics/reading for the day. By breaking this down into bitesized lessons I have found that they are so receptive and enthusiastic to work. I get just enough out of the experience with them before their minds move onto something else! At this stage it is just enough and the plan is to build on this little by little without them noticing. My oldest enjoys Sudoku so to develop that a little we have him work on 1 puzzle a day which he is fine with.
Resources we love:
Penmanship books: KS1 English Year 1 Handwriting Targeted Practice Book (CGP Year 1 English) : CGP Books, CGP Books: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Phonics and reading books: Learn to Read Activity Book: 101 Fun Lessons to Teach Your Child to Read : Braun, Hannah: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Lunch and Break
11:30 AM – 13:30 PM:
- Enjoy lunch.
- Take a break for relaxation, creativity, or personal interests.
- I’ll prep for our outdoor adventure or afternoon extra curricular activity
We take frequent breaks throughout the morning as I have found that this helps the boys to focus more and not feel too overwhelmed. It also helps me to use a few minutes here and there to reset the house throughout the morning. After lunch they have free time, the youngest is awake from his nap and I prepare for our afternoon trip outside of the house.
13:30 PM – 16:30 PM: Afternoon fun
- Gymnastics or swimming or park fun
This is a time for the boys to use their bodies in physical activity which they absolutely love! it’s so nice to see them learning new skills but also being in a space where they can just be so physical- because it’s truly what they need.
17:00 Dinner time
More things that we love to do
These things are woven into our day based upon the flow of and tone of the day.
- We love all things hands on so we are often working on puzzles, doing science experiments, playing with playdoh, drawing and building lego cities, magnatile castles and marble runs, and building forts and hotels!
- We are part of a homeschooling community which we attend once a week. This is focused on teaching geography for this current season. It’s great for the social interaction and learning.
- We watch educational YouTube videos. I haven’t ventured into the area of using apps just yet because they love TV already! I want to pace it out as our digital age has opened up a world of resources at our fingertips. I am very keen on fostering and encouraging a love of learning traditionally (e.g. loving books, words, numbers, pen and paper, play etc) as they all involve an active engagement of the mind. I want that to form the building blocks on which they love learning rather than the razz and dazzle of a digital device. There will be a place for it at some point and we are just trying to navigate when the right time for that will be.
- We have a lot of books as I try to build up a beautiful library for the boys so we dip in and out of different topics such as history, science and general information throughout the day. Read aloud time is enjoyed by us all.
- To aide in my mission of encouraging a love of books, we go to the library once a week. This is cemented in our routine.
- Twi learning!
Resources we love:
The above schedule is what a typical day looks like for us at this age and stage of our home education journey. I am learning that in order to enjoy the day and my children, I need to be flexible and anticipate that needs, interests, moods and life can shift our routine at any moment! I am not bound to the time slots. They simply serve as a framework for me as I aim to set a rhythm for our days.
If you’re considering homeschooling, remember that each journey is unique, and the key is to embrace the freedom it offers while crafting an educational experience that resonates with your family’s values and aspirations. If you are at the beginning stage, there are beginner guides that can help launch you into this new world.
Mama’s thoughts:
This is hard and holy work. As I navigate the ebb and flow of homeschooling, I’m continually reminded of the immense privilege it is to shape my childrens’ educational journey. Through flexibility, creativity, and a deep commitment to personalized learning, our homeschool routine becomes a dynamic tapestry of exploration and growth.
Homeschooling, for us, is not just about academics; it’s a journey of faith, love, and discovering the wonders of God’s creation together.
I have an opportunity to build a specific type of legacy and that just blows my mind. I set an atmosphere and have been given the capacity to love, be loved and launch something unique in my sons. Good work can turn into great work and great work turns into legacy which will outlive me. My heart is in this. I am graced for this.
gracedforhome.com 