Whether you’ve been doing preschool at home for years or you’re just getting started, there’s probably a lot of thought that goes into your daily home preschool schedule. It seems that each new year brings subtle (and sometimes significant) changes to our daily routine.
As I’m working out our general plan for the upcoming school year I always love to do a little research and see how other families plan their schedules. This year I thought I’d share a few example home preschool schedules with you. Below you’ll find our routines for the past two years and schedules from homeschooling families from all different educational philosophies. I hope they are helpful as you get ready for the upcoming school year.
Find more resources for planning for home preschool.
Fantastic Fun and Learning 2013-2014
Fantastic Fun and Learning 2012-2013
Pros and Cons of Homeschooling
Getting Started with Home Preschool
If you’re just getting started with home preschool, it can be a little overwhelming. In the Guide to Getting Started with Home Preschool I’ve taken my best tips from over a decade as a classroom and home educator and put them into an easy-to-follow, actionable plan that will allow you to get started with confidence.
Tell me about your home preschool day
Do you prefer a more structured schedule, or is your routine more of a general guideline? How has your daily schedule changed over the years? Do you have any tips for those just getting started?
Tiffiny
Thanks for this post and all the links! It’s great timing for me as we are about to start homeschool preschool for the first time. As a previous public school teacher, I know just how important routine is for kids, but I’m terrible at following thru on my own. Here’s hoping that I’ll be able to get into a realistic and productive routine with my daughter and make it stick.
Miss Jenny
Hi. I love reading about families working a routine into their preschooler’s day! I run an in home childcare and preschool and over the years I have found that more of a routine is better for the children. When they know what to expect each day they are more confident, independent and self-assured! If they aren’t reading yet you can have a picture schedule up with times that the activities occur, that way if you are going to the zoo rather than sitting down for learning time they can wake up in the morning and quickly see what the plan is (just an idea).
Great work out there Mamas!
Shaunna Evans
I completely agree, Miss Jenny. My girls thrive with a bit of routine. This summer our schedule has been a bit off, and it has shown in many ways. I am eager to get back to our more predictable days, and I think they are, too. In the classroom and at home, I’ve found picture scheduled to be very helpful. Right now I’m trying to decide what kind of picture schedule to use for this year. I need to get that sorted out this week. 🙂
Heather Johnson
I have decided to start my 2.5 year old on a twice a week homeschooling schedule this fall. Most of the preschools around here are twice a week. She is ready for some more structure, and I think that doing twice a week lessons will help ease both of us into more structured homeschooling.
Shaunna Evans
I think it’s a fabulous idea to ease into it, and a twice a week schedule at 2.5 should be terrific. I hope you both enjoy it!
Tiffiny
Heather, I’m going to be starting the same thing with my 2.5 year old daughter for the same reasoning. I was worried I would be starting too early with her, but I’m finding more and more people doing the same thing, so that’s encouraging.
Amy @ Sunlit Pages
I’m deciding if I’m going to send my 4yo to preschool or do it at home, so these schedules will be very helpful to go through. Thanks!
Shaunna Evans
That is a big decision. I wish you the best in deciding!
Kemi Quinn
Thank you for the link 🙂
My sweetie is no longer a preschooler but she’s all about schedules. She actually makes ours up for the coming homeschool year. Having a structured schedule works really well for us. We haven’t gotten it down on paper yet but here is the general plan we’ve had since 2nd grade (we’re going into 4th). We get the heavy hitters done in the early part of the day. That’s when she functions best. Our lunch break is usually about 2 hours and we may run errands but mostly I work and clean and she plays, reads, or works on projects after eating. Here is what it looks like…
up, breakfast, cleanup
Devotions
English
Math
Reading
(big long lunch break)
Science or History
Spelling
Handwriting
Shaunna Evans
Thank you so much for sharing! I think it is terrific how your daughter makes up the schedule. That ownership and understanding when she works best is probably very motivating.
Dawn @ Homeschool Crafts
Thanks for sharing those links. It’ll be useful to learn from other homeschooling families how they juggle with multiple kids, school and making the house. 🙂
My schedule changes with each season. When my daughter was younger, it was more flexible. I put up the weekly objectives and teach every now and then. Now that she’s older, it’s more routine. We have bible time in the morning, then proceed from there on.
With another on the way, I foresee that things might be different again. We’ll have to re-adjust our routine around the baby then.
Shaunna Evans
You are so right! Schedules definitely change with each season. Congratulations on welcoming a new baby soon. I hope the transition to your new routine goes smoothly.