Want to have a flawlessly run homeschool every day? Here is our Homeschool Routine Checklist to help each day be fun and effective!
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I talked about how to have homeschool success from the start by making an effective homeschooling routine. In our Homeschool Routine, each child has a Daily Checklist that they can refer to so that nothing gets left undone at the end of each school day. This checklist is essential for me! If a child wants to go play with a friend, all I have to do is glance at their checklist to make sure everything has been done. It takes a load off of my brain, and gives each child a sense of ownership and accountability for their education and learning.
Daily Checklist
Here is a brief overview of what is included on our Homeschool Routine Daily Checklist:
Morning Responsibilities
Chart:
Our morning charts are something that we start when our kids turn 2. Morning charts include the list of all the things the kids need to accomplish each morning. Simple things like going potty, brushing hair, making bed, getting dressed, etc.
Dishwasher:
The older kids are also responsible for either emptying part of the dishwasher, or training someone else on their part. We have unloading the dishwasher broken into 3 sections: top, bottom, and silverware so even the youngest helpers can be involved.
Piano:
Each child receives a piano lesson every week. They are responsible to independently practice their piano each morning. We don’t do a time limit when they are still in the younger level books, but instead they practice each song 3 times. No sense in practicing to meet a time limit if you have already mastered your songs for the week! As the kids get older and move into playing actual pieces, we do set a goal practice time based on their skill level and the practice needed to master the pieces.
Exercise
We start each morning of our homeschool with exercise. One of our favorite Youtube channels is Cosmic Kids Yoga. We have also whipped out some of the Just Dance games for fun. We will go on walks sometimes, but right now it is winter, so we stay inside with the baby for our exercise for the most part. If you have other good Youtube channels for kids exercise, let me know in the comments what they are!
Language Arts
We use the Language Arts Curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful. I don’t know that there is any way that I can say enough good about this curriculum! It teaches great morals, has beautiful pictures, and the best part for me is that it requires NO PREPARATION! With having so many littles at home, that is HUGE! I can open the book and go. There is a script to follow, and everything is included. If you want to try it out, many levels are available for free on the website!
Spelling
The spelling words are taken from The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Course Companion Book. I give the kids a spelling test from one of the word lists. If they spell the word wrong, or seem to struggle with the word, that is one of their words for the week. Some weeks they have no spelling words. Again, no need to continue to practice something you have already mastered!
Reading
Reading is something that is very much a part of our family culture. Before we even started homeschool, I made Book Lists for the kids to read off of during summer time. In order to keep their imaginations alive and their vocabulary continually expanding, we read books off of these book lists.
Memorization
Again, these poems are from The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Course Companion Book. They memorize a poem, and then have to recite it to Dad to pass it off. Then it’s on to the next poem! You will find that the poems, like good song lyrics will run through the kids’ minds throughout the day. Some of our favorite poems are also chosen from The Book of Virtues.
Currently, we also are working on memorizing the States and Capitals. We have an easy song and printable to help us memorize these in a fun and easy way!
Math
We are currently in limbo a bit with Math. We are using generic Grade Level Math worksheets while we wait for Singapore Math Dimensions to finish releasing the levels that we need. Depending on whether the concept is new or somewhat of a review determines how many pages the child does that day. We also are going back to the basics with flash card math facts to get a good strong quick memory of the math facts 1-12 in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Spanish
I have always wanted to learn Spanish since the time I was a child. Here I am in my mid-30s and I am still bound and determined to be fluent. Right now the kids each do Duolingo for 15 minutes a day, and we have phrases around the house. We are going to be starting a new Spanish curriculum soon, so I will let you know how that goes!
Chore
If they are home all day, you better believe they have chores! We have a great chore system that we use to keep things clean and in running order around here. Depending on the skill level, age, and interest of the kids, we switch up chores about every 3-4 months.
What About Everything Else?
The items listed above are the ones that we focus on every single day. We have designated days for History, Science, Handwriting, Library, Music, and Field Trips and any other fun activities that we want to do too!
Here is a free printable copy of our Daily Homeschool Routine Checklist so you can use it in your own Homeschool!
