How to Create a Monthly Homeschool Schedule
When you’re unsure where to start with homeschool planning, it’s super easy to see how to create a monthly homeschool schedule that will get you off to an excellent start.
For more scheduling help, get these homeschool schedule printables to make homeschool planning easy.
When you have your monthly commitments in your schedule, you can move on to weekly and daily schedules. You just need to jump right in.
I’ve also added some great printables for you to use. You now know what homeschool curriculum you’ll be using and how to afford it.
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Monthly vs Weekly Homeschool Schedule
Monthly schedules work well when I want to plan, especially for unit studies or when we have a set of themes for the month. They give us flexibility to move things around without feeling like we’ve fallen behind.
I’ve found that monthly planning gives me more breathing room and helps me see the big picture without getting caught up in the daily shuffle.. It reduces the constant stress of weekly prep and lets me confidently map out themes, units, and breaks. With a month laid out, I can pace our work in a more natural and less rushed way.
Weekly planning is excellent for fine-tuning, but having that monthly view has helped me stay consistent and avoid burnout.
Homeschool planner printables have made it so much easier for me to lay everything out clearly and adjust things without rewriting my whole plan.
Recommended Homeschool Books
Are you just starting with homeschooling, or do you need some inspiration or help? Try reading any of these books, which can infuse your homeschool with much-needed love or inspiration as you plan your year’s activities.
Homeschool Planning Guide for the Unorganized Mom: An easy-to-follow plan for successful homeschooling when you don’t even know where to startThe Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and LifeThe Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your KidsThe Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at HomeA Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of LearningThe Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education
Tips on How to Create a Monthly Homeschool Schedule
So if you’re now interested in finding your rhythm without the stress of daily micromanaging, I’ll show you how I map out our month so I can focus more on teaching and less on scrambling.
Plan Your Holidays
What weeks will you need off for holidays for the year? Go ahead and set those aside. December can be hectic, so I plan for a very light schedule. We take two weeks off at the end of December, which is a welcome break by mid-year.
Remember to add any other holidays you know you’ll take off for the weekend or earlier so that you have time to prepare and perhaps have a lighter day scheduled.
Weeks of School
I’m in Ontario, so we don’t have to keep any records, but for those who do, how many hours of school will you need to get in for the year? How many weeks does that correspond to? Will you teach kids through the summer or take it off completely? These are great things to consider when planning your year.
Recommended Homeschool Planner Printables
I use these planner printables to keep our homeschool months stress-free and clear. They’re mom-friendly, easy to use, and perfect for planning out lessons, tracking progress, and making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Examine Your Curriculum
How many lessons does your math book have, or your history curriculum? How many days will you do that subject each week? Can you finish one lesson in one week, or will it take two? Figure this out for each of your books so that you have a rough idea of where you should be in the book.
Leave room for interruptions.
If you know you’ll have 40 weeks of school this year and plan 40 weeks of lessons, you may get behind and freak out if you’re not on track.
If I’m planning for 40 weeks of school I’ll have 35 weeks of lessons planned. This is because there will be times other than a vacation lost due to illness or other things that pop up due to everyday life.
Use a pencil
If you’re a paper planner, then use a pencil. I use my Excel sheet to plan our year overview to see if we’re on track. If we do get off track, I move things to the next week and it’s not a big deal. I don’t stress it.
Be realistic
You don’t have to do every subject every day. Be realistic; if you have a newborn, your schedule will look very different from someone who has elementary-aged students.
Homeschool Organizers You Must Have
I also recommend a few simple homeschool organizers that help keep our books, supplies, and papers in one spot so we can actually find what we need when we need it.
Mega Homeschool Planner and Organizer Soft Flora: Fully Customizable Planner, Organizer, and Record Keeper for Homeschool Families big or Small – … memories for the year. (Homeschool Planners)SKYDUE Expanding File Folders with 8 Pockets, Accordion File Organizer with Labels, Portable Paper Bill Receipt Organizer, Letter Size, Home School Office Supplies, Olive GreenMeCids 360°Rotating Desk Organizers Homeschool Office Organization and Storage Art Supplies Organizers– 12Citylife 17 QT Plastic Storage Box with Removable Tray Craft Organizers and Storage Clear Storage Container for Organizing Bead, Tool, Sewing, PlaydohGOFLAME 12-Drawer Rolling Storage Cart, Multipurpose Organizer with 2 Sizes Plastic Drawers, Mobile Utility Cart with Lockable Casters for Home, Office, Beauty Salon, School, Macaron ColorVAKMRVE Over the Door Hanging File Organizer 5 Extra Large Pockets Wall Hanging File Folders Organizer Holders,Home Office Supplies Storage Pocket Chart for Paper Mails Planners Notebooks,Gray
If your child will be competitive in swimming, then make sure what you’ve planned can be catered to your child and their schedule. It’s about priorities. You don’t want to burn out, and you don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on your kids to finish the year either.
More Homeschool Schedule Ideas
If you’re looking for more planning inspiration, check out my favorite posts:
- Homeschool Routine Ideas
- Free printable homeschool planner
- How to Create a Weekly Homeschool Schedule
- Homeschool Planner Weekly Checklist by Schooltime Snippets
More Homeschool Planning Ideas
- How to Buy and Sell Used Homeschool Curriculum
- What are Your Homeschool Goals?
- 31 Days to a Better Planned Homeschool: A series where I’m sharing everything that I do to get ready for the new homeschool year.
Homeschooling is a journey and a lifestyle; it won’t look the same for everyone. Find what works for you and your family.
This is perfect! Having a schedule was actually one of my New Years resolutions so that I can schedule time for everything, including teaching my 2-year-old new things.
_via MeetUp Monday Link Party
If you want to color-code your schedule (for different kids, for example) you can use Frixion ink pens (by Pilot, I believe?). They are completely erasable.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us at Merry Monday.
Some great ideas. A very useful resource. Thanks for sharing on #ToddlerFunFriday