How to Homeschool:
Scheduling, Methods
And Free Planner

Working out how to homeschool is daunting, especially when your child's future is at stake. What method will you use? How do you write a schedule? How much structure do you need?  Get the answers you need by finding out from fellow homeschoolers what they do so you can choose what works best for your child.

We'll start by looking at homeschool scheduling.

That way you can decide what might work for you!

We'll also examine the methods you can choose.

Then you can set about organizing the way that suits you and your children best!

The Courageous Homeschooling Handbook

This website has unique tips from me as one of the few second generation homeschoolers with a homeschool son at Oxford University.

You can also hold in your hands advice from the largest group of homeschool families ever collected in one book in the Courageous Homeschooling Handbook. By asking 2,000 homeschoolers for solutions to the problems and worries we all share you will be able to see the choices open to you so you can make the best decision for your child.

By sharing the methods different families use and answering questions like: What about a timetable? Which curriculum is most useful? (and do you need one?); the Handbook gives you the confidence to know you can teach your child at home and it's going to be the best decision you ever made.

Please note that the book links on this page are affiliate links so if you buy I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Homeschool Scheduling: Free Planner Template

In terms of how to homeschool when it comes to organizing your time, it'll depend on you and your children.

You can get tips on how to make your own homeschool planner.

We'll also look at homeschool scheduling and how to go about organizing your time to suit everyone.

It's no good being free and easy if it's going to send you balmy worrying your children aren't doing enough!

You can find tips for making a home school schedule here.

I'll show you our homeschool daily schedule to give you a real-life example of how to homeschool which may help you when it comes to making your own.

One thing that's likely though is that the way you home school will change as time goes on.

Jennifer tells you how she started out with a strict schedule but and then relaxed as she discovered the secret of making homeschool fun.

When I started I thought we'd do school workbooks and lots of other things as well.

I suppose it's natural to feel vulnerable at the start and that way I knew no one could accuse is of being 'behind.'

It was only when I saw  my son William, who loved numbers, suddenly begin to develop tell-tale signs of boredom and an inability to count from 1 to 10 that I realized, for him at least, workbooks were out.

We got round that with loads of fun number activities, as you can see from our math pages.

A lot of homeschoolers worry about how to plan their homeschool curriculum year-by-year according to grade level.

I'm not sure you need to do that.  Kids learn in all sorts of ways.  Mine are light years 'ahead' in some areas and just down from the treetops in others.

What's more, I've noticed (even with me!) that the 'how to homeschool' methods change.

Most home school families start organizing scheduling rather more strictly and relax later on.

We'll look at all the different methods, including eclectic homeschooling, which lets you use the magpie method and pick and choose the learning style which suits your child best.

Erika can give you a personal account of the methods she uses homeschooling her autistic child.

Free Homeschooling Curriculum

You can see our guide to the best free homeschooling curriculum choices so you can decide what might work for you.

And we've also got some suggestions on how to write homeschool lesson plans.

How To Home School: Organizing Your Time

When you choose how to organize your day, you need to pick the methods that suit your child best.

Could be that your child is used to the routine of school, and they like fairly strict scheduling, with workbooks and lesson times.

It'll also depend on the homeschooling laws where you live.

In England and Wales it's less of a concern, because it's really about following the age and abilities of your child.

Either way, I'm certain the way forward is to use methods which build on the interests of your child.

If you compare homeschooling vs public schooling, you'll see that it's the flexibility for organizing your time to build in projects and fun kids activities which is one of the reasons homeschool works best.

Learning happens in all sorts of ways and when it's fun you hardly notice.

Homeschooling Methods

But you don't need to do all the activities we do when you're scheduling how to homeschool.

I do, because the children and I enjoy it.

You'll see I don't believe you need to be a teacher (or even teach!) in order to get the most out of homeschooling.

I've seen many families who apparently 'do' nothing at all.

They carry on with their usual routines, spend time as a family, have friends round and let the children play.

The striking thing is that their methods seem to work - the children learn just fine anyway!

Many of us become more relaxed as time goes on, as you'll see from fellow homeschoolers who show you why they think unschooling is the best way to learn.

If you have a look at the statistics, you'll find there's plenty of evidence which prove the advantages of teaching your child at home.

They'll be both ahead and behind their school contemporaries, but it seems with all the learning opportunities lying round the average home - tv, books, games, computer, friends - they pretty much know how to 'teach' themselves.

Either way, it's up to you to choose the methods you feel most comfortable with.

You'll probably start differently from how you end up.

I remember feeling daunted and overwhelmed myself at the beginning. 

And it does take a while to realize that your planning needs to include time for you too!

If that seems an impossible goal, see my homechooling tips on how to carve out  time for yourself and how having time to yourself will benefit all of you.

And if you can just trust and try things out I'm certain you'll find how to homeschool in the way that suits you best.

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