How many hours a day does it take to homeschool your child? Not as long as you think!
Grab a quick list of
How Many Hours it Takes to Homeschool by Age and Subject!
Every new homeschool mom has visions of hours and hours of their children sitting in chairs around the dining room table “doing school.” The main reason for this idea is due to our only example, public school, where the better part of 8 hours a day is spent in some form of seatwork. When we start formulating lesson plans and daily schedules, we end up modeling them after this public school example. In essence, we end up with School At Home, rather than HomeSchool.
BY THE WAY…
If you need help creating a homeschool schedule that is easy to stick to and gives you the relaxed homeschooling atmosphere you’ve been longing for…
Take my homeschool schedule class!
>> CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE <<
Even after we realize we should not be modeling our school after traditional public school, it remains one of the top homeschool mom fears…
Are you getting enough homeschool hours in your schedule?
Granted, most of our states have some sort of guideline that sounds something like this:
Student attendance must be equivalent to the public school’s (i.e. 186 days per year, 1116 hours per year).
Just looking at those numbers can send shivers down your spine!
But, let me break this down for you and show you the reality behind these numbers and how you can stay sane through it all…
1. Many states that require the above attendance do not require you actually keep track of it.
Yes, it is a good idea to have some sort of record showing your child actually does do some form of schoolwork, but to account for every single hour isn’t necessary. If you still feel you need to have an attendance record, then make a spreadsheet with 186 boxes and every day you do school, write in the date. However, this leads me to my next point…
2. School hours for a homeschooler look MUCH different than they do for a public schooled child.
Nearly every single day is caught up in some form of teaching my children. Food preparation involves math, character lessons, nutrition, not to mention home ec. Playing outside often involves a science lesson. Even taking the children to the store offers a myriad of opportunities to educate. NONE of these LOOK like traditional school, yet they count. (Read more about what life skill activities count as school.)
Before you balk at what I just said, let me give you some perspective…
3. If the public school can count standing in the line at the water fountain as “school hours”, then I can count the children sorting the recycling as school hours.
The 186 days and 1116 hours are a guideline. Your children are not expected to be sitting in a seat for 6 hours a day doing workbooks. That would force the state to hold a double standard that wouldn’t hold a candle in court.
Speaking of court…
4. Get an HSLDA membership…just in case.
Most homeschool parents are responsible to a fault. They have kept records and papers and know their child’s aptitudes and weaknesses like they know their own. However, court can be ugly and a little piece of mind can go a long way. HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) IS that piece of mind. Plus, they have a plethora of FREE information for their members that makes the annual fee well worth it.
OK, so all that said,
how many hours does it take to homeschool…
to really crack open the books and “do school?”
Depends.
(how’s that for non-committal?)
For our family, it looks a little something like this:
Kindergarten & 1st grade: 30-45 mins
2nd-4th: 1½-2 hrs
5th-6th: 2-4 hrs
7th-up: 4+ hrs
Take my homeschool schedule class to help you put together your own schedule!
>> CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE <<
The hours all depend on the age of the child and the amount of “bookwork” you as the parent require. Our younger children only do Phonics and Math. (Read more about how we homeschool preschool and kindergarten.) Our elementary students do math, handwriting, a little grammar, reading, and participate in things the older children are doing. Our middlers are adding more strenuous assignments, and our oldest children are independently working toward high school credits. (For more specific information on our homeschool, visit The Homeschooling section of this blog.)
The rest of the hours are filled in with life-learning. In fact, I’d venture to guess we put in WAY more than 6 hours a day, 9 months out of the year.
So, I’d encourage you to stop stressing about those days and hours and create a home atmosphere filled with rich learning opportunities. Teach your children to love learning. From there, the hours will fill themselves in.
Get help managing your home while you homeschool with my book:
Home Management for the Homeschool Mom
Need more information by age and subject? CLICK HERE and DOWNLOAD the full list!
Related post: Preparing Your Homeschooled Child for College
Clara says
Amazing… I just posted about homeschooling and how everyday life is a learning experience for children – if you’d like to check it out, here’s the post: http://danielandclara.blogspot.com/2010/07/homeschooling-integrating-learning-into.html
I agree with you, about not having to spend so many hours sitting and learning from school books. In fact when a government official came to inspect my homeschooling for registration purposes, she told me there is no NEED to do as many hours as kids do in school because almost every part and minute of the day at home is a living learning moment!! No matter whether the kids are play-acting (drama) or reading books (English – literature, improving reading skills, expanding vocab, learning things from the story) or doing a jigsaw (learning patterns and fine motor skills, observation and so on)… every part of their day is learning, even when we parents aren’t involved! And most homeschooling mothers turn most of the day into a lesson of some kind or add an application (spiritual or otherwise) to everything!! 🙂
erika says
Thanks for sharing this. My local homeschool menor recently tipped me off to the idea that I can either keep track of the hours OR the days. She suggested going with days, and not even dating the days, but just writing 1-180 and listing what we did.
Still, I worried that I wasn’t spending enough time – with my to-be 1st and 2nd grader (!). But your layout of hours spent has put my mind at ease and made me think maybe I should back off a bit for now.
Thanks again!
Celee says
Maybe I’m too ambitions, but it takes us longer than that. It’s a far cry from public school, though, where my kids would come home at 3:15 with an hour’s worth of homework or more. My older kids are 4th and 6th this year and they’ll do school 6+ hrs per day. My 2nd grader will do school for more like 5 hrs per day. I love that my kids can study subjects they wouldn’t have time for in school like Bible, Greek, Music, and Art. Even though we’ll be busy for most of the day, I think they’ll enjoy much of what they’re learning. Hopefully it won’t all feel like school, as you pointed out.
Celee
Amy says
Like I said, it is relative to what you, as the parent, require. We probably just have different scholastic schedules and priorities. I’m glad you chimed in with a different number, so readers can see the varying between homeschools. 🙂
Margaret says
And that freedom to do what we think is best for our own families is one of the best things about homeschooling!
I live in Pennsylvania where the laws are pretty strict. We do have to track hours or days, with a day assumed to be 5 hours for primary, 5.5 for secondary. We are free to determine what activities are educational. A day of reading, swimming or going to the gym (or just going for a good run with the dog), practicing piano, doing some drawing and helping me in the kitchen could easily be a half-day to count. And, count those I do.
Amy says
Pennsylvania was one of the states I thought of when I was writing this post. The laws there are strict, but at least you still get to determine what your day consists of. Just curious if you write much on your blog about specifically being a Penn. homeschooler?
Margaret says
I have posts here and there, but not too much. I should do more!
Amy says
Definitely! 🙂
Ann Finch says
Margaret, PLEASE do this! I am moving to PA from NYS and frankly, I am terrified! and I have been a homeschooling mom for 18 years in NY and have graduated two already! 😉
Sue says
There is a missionary mom who has 6 children, but has to abide by her homes state Pennsylvania laws. She created a blog for FREE that meets Pennsylvania requirements and it is fantastic! We live in Idaho with the most lax laws, yet we use Easy Peasy because Lee Giles has done an amazing job setting it up. Thought I would post a link in case any homeschool moms may want to check it out. https://allinonehomeschool.com/
brenda says
My kids (last year Kindergarten and 4th) spent on average 3-4 hours a day. BUT….not all of that is at the table of course. There were play breaks and snack breaks figured in. Also a lot of our curriculum is read-aloud (MOH, Apologia Elem Science) so that time was spent on the couch snuggled up or out in the yard looking at plants for botany. Math we do in the floor and at the table. So the hours of school work sound long but they are not that many hours of seatwork. Great post! We forget all the time wasters that are counted as school hours in public school….all the waiting in line and passing out papers and even lunch!
Michelle says
Well said Amy!
Life learning is such an essential part of a child’s education – something most public school children are missing out on.
Blessings,
Michelle
Julie says
As a public school {gasp :)} special educator, I’m very out of place posting a comment here, but I wanted to point out that just because I send my children to public school doesn’t mean that they are missing out on life learning. We are constantly doing things at home in the afternoon and evenings that many home school families do as part of their “school day.” The teacher in me makes the most of everyday opportunities and helps my children develop a love for continuous learning.
Amy says
Julie,
You are so right–although, not the norm, I’m afraid.
I often tell people I was homeschooled even though I went to public school My parents were VERY conscientious of where we went and what we talked about and did on “off” hours. I’m probably one of the few children who ever brought germinated wheat to show and tell! lol
Your children will reap great benefits from having such a hands-on mother! Thanks for chiming in. 🙂
Cheryl says
Way to go, Julie! It is awesome that you are able to do this with them.
Many parents are too busy, or their children are too busy doing homework and/or with sports to get the extra learning experiences at home. One friend who homeschooled, but later had to send her daughter to public school always homeschooled in the evenings. Her daughter absolutely thrived. Another never had time to add to their day as her children were always so busy with homework. They are lovers of Science, but never had time to do all their fun activities and the school hardly did Science at all. They are moving and she has just removed her children from p.s. for the rest of the year. They’ve already started back into their Science, Art and Music now that they have time again.
Grace Wheeler says
Um Hi. Have I ever told you I love your blog? Oh, that’s right, I’ve told you about 50 times already. 51 times won’t hurt, right? I LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Thanks for this! I (almost literally) felt a weight off my shoulder reading this! Thanks!
Can you share what Math you do with your kindy’s and 1st’ers?
Amy says
Horizons 🙂 (and you humble me, Grace—thanks so much for being you)
Dawn Phelps says
We’ve been doing this a long time and I still sometimes panic. Thanks for the reminder that we are ALWAYS schooling…it just doesn’t look like the public school.
Samantha says
I’ve been homeschooling for over 7 years now. I have found that over the years, our days have become longer. As I’ve added more children to our day (I have 3) and the children have gotten older – our days have become longer as well. When I only had a first grader, we were easily done before lunch time.
Fast forward to this school year with an 8th grader taking high school courses, a 6th grader, and a 4th grader. My middle child is very artistic and all of my kids enjoy hands-on projects so we tend to incorporate those in our history studies. So, our days tend to be like regular school days in length but we do a wide variety of activities within that time frame. As well, more difficult and demanding courses like Algebra and other higher math courses, and high school lab science do take more time. One of the things my children love about our school days, though, is that when they are done, they are done for the day. They don’t have to worry about another hour or more of homework when they get home from swim team.
Thank you for this post.
Samantha
Not So Average Mama says
You said it best right here “Teach your children to love learning. From there, the hours will fill themselves in.”
Ashley says
Thanks for sharing this. When I started homeschooling my preschooler, I was trying to get her to sit still and focus for 2 hours a day. And I was failing miserably… It’s comforting to know that I don’t need to focus on “doing school” as much, but teaching throughout the day as opportunities arise.
Laurie says
Thanks so much for this post. I wandered to your site after seeing a link at The Homeschool Classroom. My husband and I are taking the leap into homeschooling our 15 year old son this year. He has only gone to public school his entire life, so I am kind of nervous about the whole thing. But, I think that it’s the best decision for him and our family. And, I need all the help and advice I can get!
Anyway…thanks again.
jennifer says
I have just had an epiphany and it’s name is sonlight!!! We did a very ‘traditional’ program last year and it was hard to make a textbook chapter and worksheet last an ‘hour’. We now have a more learning friendly, reading friendly, laid back atmosphere. I encourage anyone to check out other programs and styles. We now have no trouble getting in 4-5 hours of ‘school’. Add in bible school, ‘farm’ school, swimming lessons, cooking school, and we are finally ‘on track’.
Steph @ MomKaboodle & The Helping Mommy says
Thanks so much for this reminder! This is our first year of homeschooling (kindergarten), and I’ve been kicking myself lately that we haven’t been getting much “official” school time in. But all of the other learning that we do definitely counts!
Love your site – it’s such a welcoming place to be!
Amy says
Thanks so much for visiting, Steph!
Angela says
Just what I needed to hear, and at the right time too 🙂 Yesterday was our official ‘Day 1’ and we didn’t spend as much ‘sit down school work’ as I thought we would (between housework, meals, 19 month old baby, naps, play time and life in general). However, when I started researching and organising all this info in my head and heart – one of my ‘big things’ is that I have always taught my children throughout everyday in many different ways. When my children started school, they both were advanced for their ages and even sometimes very bored at school from lack of challenging things to do. I never thought about it until I started feeling convicted to homeschool, but it is almost as if it is totally fine for children to learn in the family environment as part of everyday life, but once they turn 5 or so, we are suddenly unable to provide learning opportunities, resources and knowledge to be able to carry their education any further, lol. I really admire teachers and know that they would never had become teachers unless they were interested in teaching and advancing and influencing the lives of children… however I feel that it is ‘policy-makers’ that cause such problems with their ‘red-tape’, their regulations, jumping on the bandwagon of whatever the latest ‘research’ is… they are not the ones on the ground having to put all of these things into place, not having to try and nurture children that are crying or hurt without crossing any ‘teacher/student contact’ regulations, not the ones that see the effects of bullying on other children but are helpless to do much about it because of the latest ‘bullying policy’ – no one gets the help they need in that situation.
Okay – ranting and raving over… for now, lol.
Thanks for reminding me what is one of the foundations to our ‘homeschool’ in such a timely way.
Warmest blessings,
Angela
Stef Layton says
LOVE YOU ! I am SO guilty of schooling a home rather than homeschooling ! 3 hours done – go play. We’re changing that up this year and working on some projects throughout the week, cooking together, serving each other, etc. So important not to get locked into a time frame !!
p.s. FL dropped counting days when we started homeschooling, they don’t even track that anymore. I still do though !!
Amy says
LOL – I think it is just in our human nature to revert to what we know. I even find myself thinking inside the box and wondering how I ended up there!
renee @ FIMBY says
Here’s another perspective – it takes as many hours to homeschool as it does raise children. It’s all learning! (smile) From a mom who schedules 4 mornings/week for sit down/directed learning time with the kids.
Karen Conley says
Makes sense, the normal school classroom has about 30 kids to be attended to, if it was broken down to just 5 or so, school would probally go much quicker, like homeschool. I have a daughter who is 4, so I’ve been dipping more & more into homeschooling & learning from others & they say similar things as you do.
Thanks for sharing,
Karen
susan morris says
So agree!! Great article!!
Thersa F says
I love this website! Thank you for taking the time to share with people like me who are homeschooling for the first time. My son is in the 9th grade and I homeschool him 4 hours a day broken up into two parts. Is this enough? I focus a lot on the core subjects even though he does othe work as well.
Amy says
My 8th grader works 4-5 hrs per day depending on how much work he has to get accomplished. Sounds reasonable to me. 🙂
Diana says
I am thinking about home schooling. My daughter has begged me to do this since she was in Kindergarden. I myself never heard of it as I went to Catholic school K-8 grade then public high school. She is now going into 4 th grade. However, my son who is going to be 6 next week just completed all day kindergarden. He walked through the graduation ceremony as well. Yet, his teacher recommended holding him back as he is “not ready for 1st grade”. He is a young 6 year old. I had agreed with her until these last few days. We did not tell him we were holding him back, the school did not necessarily tell me to wait, but they also did not advise me to tell him either. Unfortunately he is now talking about going to first grade. We talked about doing K again and he said I am not going to do that, I am a first grader. I have a master;s degree in nursing. Is it possible for me to teach them? They are both in private school as my husband is against them going to public school. Yet, what better teacher then their mother at much less expense? Your comments are welcome…
Amy says
Absolutely you are qualified to teach your children! What we forget is that teachers do not specified degrees, they have a degree in “education.” We absolutely love homeschooling and feel there is no better option out there for a Christian family, especially one that desires to grow closer as a family and closer to the Lord.
Diana says
Thank you Amy. I continue to pray about this. My husband is not on board with home schooling. Nor is he on board for me changing my hours to part time. I am the bread winner of the family. Unfortunately, I no longer want that title. I have come to a point in my life where the spirit is leading me to be home with my family. I am praying for wisdom on how to do this finanacially as well as with my husband’s support. Thank you for your prayers…
Linda Claiborne says
when I was homeschooling high schoolers it was under 4 hours of actual tale time.
deb eubanks says
I hs my 12 yr old.. she has down syndrome. I love what u said about always questioning.. r we good enough!!! Brother does that happen to be allllll the time. She still has alot of trouble reading, and she is about 2nd grade there, but she is really good otherwise. I jsut read alot of the worksheet work to her; otherwise we would hs allll the time.
This is what God told me to do, and I LOVE it. I still question , because she is the only child in the “class” if I am doing the right thing for her socially. Kids don’t except her very well, due to her speech delay, and her slow walking so…. my question to myself… Would she have more friends in spec. ed in school?? Would they not expect her to learn? sooo for now and probably forever we hs.
Sharon says
I am so glad I found your blog. I started homeschooling my daughter this year. She has always went to public school and now she is in 6th grade. We are usually done in 3 hours. I started stressing today that it wasn’t enought but of course I am on the school at home mentality. It has been a hard adjustment from her going to public and her being homeschooled because you do get use to the public school’s schedule. My daughter has had to make adjustments with it also since she was so use to doing it that way for all of these years. I usually break up the week by doing different subjects everyday and that’s why I guess we are getting done earlier than I thought we would. Once again thank you for your blog and the encouragement that goes along with it.
Amy says
You are so welcome, Sharon! 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks for this! I started homeschooling my preschooler and plan to continue through at least grade school. I was worrying that my son wasn’t having enough “sit down” work and it’s just ending with him crying because he doesn’t want to make anymore “A”s and me frustrated with him. So the opposite of what I want. Thanks for the time management help. I think I’ll focus more on learning throughout the day rather than force him to sit down and do worksheets all day long.
Amy says
As homeschoolers we are looking for mastery, so the number of A’s he is writing isn’t nearly as important as the quality of the A’s he is writing. Your doing a great job, mama!
Donna Sanchez says
Thank you! My 2nd graders teacher is having real problems with her, and my second grader isn’t liking school. Everything she is doing is pointing towards – she is bored, but teaching has to be the same for all kids in school settings. I’m seriously considering pulling her out of public school after I figure out how to homeschool and homeschooling her. Thank you so much for this post, it’s confirming my resolve!
Amy says
You are welcome! 🙂
Cathy says
Hi, I know I’m commenting rather late on these posts but I will only start homeschooling next week. Florida is very lenient, pretty much pass on evaluation (not necessarily a test) and keep a portfolio ready for review by the district at any time… that’s all.
But I’m commenting because my kindergartner comes home every night with 30 minutes of “at the table” homework so I was rather shocked to see that some parents only require their KG students to do 30-45 minutes for the entire day. I am more and more sold on homeschooling with everything I read.
Amy says
Welcome to homeschooling! We love it! And, there is absolutely no reason for a 5 or 6 year old to have a whole day of sit down school plus homework. That would take the love of learning right out of anyone!
Colin says
I am in 7th grade I have ADHD and I am on average doing homework from 2:30 to 9:30
Colleen G says
I am still amazed at how short our school day is. I keep expecting it to lengthen out as the kids get bigger but we are still getting everything covered at just about 2 hours.
Sharon says
My daughter is in 6th grade and she is usually done in 2 hours. I sometimes worry that she’s not doing enough. I’m glad to hear that someone else is the same way.
Jaime Harris says
I cannot tell you what a RELIEF it was to read this post. I’m in our first full year of homeschooling (2 daughters – kindergarten and a two year old). EVERY DAY from August to December, it seemed guilt tried to invade my home with thoughts of us ‘not doing enough’. I was attempting to spend about two hours doing lessons, with ALOT of information to drive home. Of course, it was too much! I cringe just re-reading that statement! So, since Christmas break, I’ve begun simplifying our load. Getting back to basics and realizing that we don’t have to perform or keep up with anyone else has been a huge weight lifted. This, after all, is our home. The Lord has poured his love into me and my family through this shedding of expectation. I’ve focused more on TIME spent that schedule.
Your post, which I found through a friend, comes at a very opportune time to confirm the route we are now taking. I thank you for helping me continue to sigh a big ole sigh of relief! God Bless!
Amy says
Praise The Lord!
Gwen giacoboni says
I have a problem. Our son is 13 and has adhd. He has been in school since kindergarten and this past October we pulled him out because he couldn’t keep up. This homeschooling is new to us and recently my son doesn’t reay want to do any school work. He would rather just play and be free. I tell him he can do that after his lessons. Seems like no one is happy here. Don’t know what to do!
Amy says
If you can discover what makes him tick and then tap into that natural bent, you will find that he will do school work with way less fuss. Take a look at my Homeschooling page and read some of the posts in the Lifestyle of Learning series or Delight Directed series. https://raisingarrows.net/the-homeschooling-mother/
shannon moore says
Just adding to that…I took my kids out of public school when we began to travel for work. I was always a homeschooling mom! I did everything educational. I had a very hard time with my two older ones. They had done it there whole life. There were disciplines galore. I’m also a pastor. I just want to say what the Lord had put on my heart. My two older sons were not respecting me as a teacher because it wasn’t in a ps format. SO after several months..I do mean a while! They began to change. They did not want to do the work and my very Christian kids cried and stated Homeschooling was awful. I think we need to be realistic! Children are smart and they know what they are doing. When I began to say we can do this an easy loving way or we can do it miserable and do it anyway..you choose! If you choose the harder way then know that extras that you are very used to like the mall..youth group trips and this that and the other will be taken. When I showed them were doing this I’m your teacher no matter where you are in you life at the ps or at home..well..things changed they enjoy there day , they get all of it done, no fussing. We do our school work & then our chores and I help along side and I get dinner on. Then we do church..go to the gym..or whatever. it’s been great! Sometimes its a power struggle moms 🙂
Kerri says
Thanks this helped ease my mind about homeschooling my son for second grade next school year.
Stacey says
Your article made me feel much better about the length of time we spend doing homeschooling activities. This is our first year of homeschooling and my children are 10, 12, and 14. Now that we’re close to the end of the year, I’m stressing out a lot. I’m worried about not having an acceptable portfolio and being given a bad evaluation. I’ve had to learn so much this year and I just really can’t wait to get through it.
Thank you for your article though..
Erin says
4 hours sounds right for middle schoolers and up.. the key thing here is the learning doesn’t actually stop after hour 4, but the whole study/school environment does
Christie Farmer says
Thank you!!! I feel so much guilt when we do life learning and I don’t have the time in the day to actually fit in “real school”!! Thank you!
Angela says
FANTASTIC Perspective! Thank you!! If you can count waiting in the line at the water fountain… I can count the unofficial schooling that makes for 75% of our day just living and learning.
Sahnda says
Love your post! This is my first year ‘schooling at home’ for my 3rd and 5th grader. I say schooling at home because I’m going through a public online school. I thought it would be a good start but it’s miserable. We’re spending upwards to six hours a day and use the weekend to catch up! I’ve been doing research to find something different to do on my own but I’m completely overwhelmed. Thinking of using Sonlight or Oak Meadows. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Amy says
Hello! I am not familiar with Oak Meadows, but Sonlight is a good living books curriculum. It’s a learning curve for sure, but think about who you are as a mom and what you hope to accomplish in your homeschool and then work toward that with your curriculum. And feel free to ask questions of others. Enjoy those children! 🙂
Lola says
My son is in home school because he was having difficulty in public school. He is being instructed 5 hours a day 5 days a week, yet, my mother and grandmother seem to think he’s going to end up an, “an adult with the IQ of a 4th grader” mind you he’s already in the 7th grade with every class on an 8th grade level except for reading which I’ve been working over time to improve. This article let me know that i’m on the right track. He’s only been doing this since October, too early to already consider it a failure.
Carol says
Thank u so much! Just came across your website and what a blessing! gave me so much hope reading your post. I’m a working mom and was wondering if i can homeschool my 3year old next year. I pray God allow me more free time but now i work from 8-5. Based on your post seems like i can do it even with the little time i have now. Thanks again and i pray God blessings for you and your family!
Candy says
Can u be a full time working patent and home school
Amy says
Yes! I personally know people who have done it. You will have to completely rethink WHEN you do school, but it can work.
amanda says
I am a mom that works about.28hrs.a.week. Im thinking of bo
eschooling my 12 & 13 yr old next yr. My son is adhd and I dont have him on meds anymore, he is in IEP but its not helping much. I think he would vet more out of it if I homeschooled him. Though my schedule is flexable it still kinda scary. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Amy says
Taking that leap is always a bit scary – so, what you are feeling is perfectly normal. Consider what classes he needs and then research how you can teach those. Try to find a local homeschool group so you can find other moms to pick their brains and learn from. You CAN do this, but it won’t look like you envision. You kind of have to throw all your preconceived notions about school out the window and learn from your child and from yourself what works best for you!
Julia says
Thank you!
As a former teacher myself, I am finding it hard to transition into a free-er lifestyle revolved around life learning and love of learning than of the regimented ways I was taught and taught others. My daughter is 18 months with a second on the way so as a Type A personality, I am already investigating and plotting my routine for HS. Yes… a former PS Teacher wants to HS, I’ve seen too much to do anything else!
Your blog brings up excellent points that I had either not considered or had forgotten/overlooked until now. I have been doing searches for a week now on how many hours a day/yr our state requires for home education (South Dakota). I was starting to think that I could not possibly require my children to sit down and do as between 4.5 hours for younger elementary up to 7 hours for 4-12 grades. Ah, but you are right! There are so many ways to educate our children without regimented schedules and books. Gardening, field trips, art classes, book shopping, zoo experiences, projects, etc. It all counts, even the cooking and cleaning (most of us had home economics in PS).
What took me 50 minutes to do with a large class could take me literally minutes with my children. Not to say anything of the time wasted with attendance, behavior, review, announcements, etc during the school day and individual class periods. And even then, many lessons had to expand into the next day because of those said interruptions, constantly forcing things to be rescheduled and leaving so many either behind or bored.
Also, lets take into account that in the 1950s, most children were only in school for 4-4.5 hours EACH day (public school!). As the decades have passed we have added longer days, additional days, and additional subjects- most I would contend were “fluff” or agenda-based away from traditional thought/values. I digress. Yet the long term studies have shown there is no gain in knowledge or experience, and in fact, often times we see a decline in ability. I forgot the study name but John Taylor Gatto sites it often, but there is a long term study that concludes that the children that graduated from high school in 1960 are 40% smarter and more prepared for life than those that graduated in 2000 (my graduation yr). That each decade we lose about 10% of our knowledge and ability over the last generation. And we have longer school days and years than ever before.
There is another study that was released a few yrs back (it’s been repeated over the past 2 decades) about starting our children in formal education younger and younger. That from preschool to second grade, those that had more time spent learning did better than their counterparts until third grade; it leveled off. By Fifth grade those “early learners” were lagging behind and often suffered from boredom, burn out, and anxiety issues. This is something studied because of the huge push for more head-start programs.
I also like to keep in mind that it wasn’t until the 1950s that formally educating children became a requirement. Prior to then, it was up to the parents to decide if, when, and how much education their children received. Many children were forced into public schools by gun point because of the sudden compulsory government mandate. The proponents of it would easily site stereotypical families out yonder that would have nothing greater than a second grade education. However from experience (I taught reading and math to at-risk youth) I can assure you that many ninth graders are at a second and third grade reading level. Approximately 30-35% according to national testing and that figure is conservative! So I beg, what has government mandated hours and days done for the youth (yutes)?
A little off topic at times, but your blog got my brain’s wheels a- spinnin’ and reaffirming that homeschooling is best for our children, and that in fact I CAN do it without falling victim to my institutionalized routine. Not only can I do it better in less time, I can prayerfully instill a love and sense of fun into learning!
Amy says
All I have to say is, “Amen and Amen!” Thinking outside the box is going to head you in the right direction!
Antonio Buehler says
Don’t measure learning in terms of hours, measure it in terms of experiences, happiness and personal accomplishments. The average kid in a regular school is only receiving instruction an average of 2-2.5 hours a day. None of which is individually tailored to how the child learns, most of which is a waste of their time. You’re better off letting your child do nothing all day than sending them to school. Don’t fret over hours.
Audrey Finney says
This is my 4th year to homeschool. We have three boys that are in 3rd, 2nd, and K. I have gone back to this post several times just as a reminder and encouragement as I start to doubt and to stress. Thank you so much.
-Audrey
Mary Margaret says
Love it! It’s what I believe. My 4 th grader maybe an hr a day formal but really life is a continouslesson.
Jules says
I just want to encourage you my saying you have me in joyful tears over here. I know, I know. Over “hours a day” homeschooling. lol
I, like gazillions of others, spend hours and hours feeling like I’m not filling my kids days with enough “work” worried to death that *to whom it may concern* will deem me unworthy to teach my children, that I’m not teaching them anything, I’m not spending the right amount of time on the right things. I know I shouldn’t but since I already told you I was crying, why not confess to worrying about what others thing.
My oldest is 1st grade and we’ve been “homeschooling” her from the time she was 3, although I feel like I’ve really only been homeschooling for the last 2 “real” years.
Seeing THIS::
For our family, it looks a little something like this:
Kindergarten & 1st grade: 30-45 mins
2nd-4th: 1½-2 hrs
5th-6th: 2-4 hrs
7th-up: 4+ hrs
made me cry. Knowing I’m packing in the same time with my now 3 of 4 littles with at least the same amount of time as a homeschool in whom I have so much respect gives me the strength to push on and not through in the towel.
All that to say, THANKS!!!!
Amy says
You are welcome! ((HUGS))
p.s. – we all have moments where we wonder, where we listen to the “voices”, and where we try to cram in too much. 😉
lorin says
Im planning to homeschool for the first time next year, so this is a great read for me. Public school children get home experiences too outside of those 6 hours+ homework. I was always told by my homeschooling friends that about 2-3 hours a day and your child can get about the same amount of education as public school. But your child is happier and gets to spend more time to be a child. But if you choose to do 5+ hours a day your child will get so much more of an education because it is 1 on 1 not 1 on 25.
Michelle Penney says
Hi Amy I am hoping you can give me some help. I have a 13 year old ADHD 7th grader. I have tried school after school it does not work for my child. I do not know where to even start. I live in Arizona and do not have the money for private school. Thank you for any help you could offer.
Michelle
Amy says
I take it you are wanting to homeschool? If you choose to do this, I would highly suggest you take a month or so to totally “deprogram.” A child with ADHD has probably felt “run over” by school. They tend to be misunderstood, and because of that, they check out. Your child needs to relearn the joy of learning. Surround yourself with books, art mediums, and paper, and give your child space without someone telling him or her what to do. Avoid electronics at all costs during this detox as well. During this month, you can be researching what to do next, but it is crucial you give your child back their confidence and love of learning.
A Morgan says
I will be a new homeschool mom this year to a 6th grader. I am so overwhelmed by what hours the websites say are required in GA. 5 to 5.5 hours. If I have to have my child sit and do school work for that long, she might as well go to public school. I need ideas on how to inculcate everyday life into her work. I liked the part about cooking takes in math and I don’t know how one mom counts piano time, but I really would be interested to know as we have piano lessons and practice each week. Your site has give me more comfort and help than any site I have looked at and I’ve looked now for over a month. Thank you!
Amy says
There is no reason whatsoever to have a child in a seat for that many hours. Most states say “equivalent” – a homeschooler is much more efficient with their time and is able to use the entire day to accomplish what government schools must do between the hours of 8 and 3. Piano lessons, time playing outside, any other activities and events all count as school time. I’d encourage you to keep a notebook for a few weeks and write down everything you THINK might be educational about your day. You can even write down time it took next to it, but I don’t think even that is necessary – you know about how much time it took and what you accomplished. I think you will readily see that you have MORE than enough to make that 5.5 hrs!
Breanna Sloan says
Amazing! This helped a lot. Thanks!
Laura says
I love that you wrote this piece 5 years ago and it is exactly what I need TONIGHT. This is the type of blog post that isreally invaluable to the homeschool community because no mattter where you live, what ages your kids are, or what your approach to homeschooling is, I have to imagine that we all worry at one point or another about whether we’re doing enough. We started homeschooling this past February when we pulled our then-kindergartener out of public school. Which is ironic because 4 years ago, we moved to the town we now live in FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Ha ha ha! Yep, we moved to one of the best school districts in the area (and pay the taxes to prove it) and didn’t even make it through kindergarten with child #1. Sometimes I can’t believe it myself, but here we are.
So I’m still very new at this and I spend A LOT of time wondering, “Am I doing enough?”, “Do we spend enough time ‘on task’?”, “Am I focused on the right things?”, “Are we progressing quickly enough?”, “Am I forcing too much information on them?”, “Do they have enough time to be creative?” and on and on and on . . . And yet, my 1st grader is reading at a 2nd grade level and has finally gotten over his fear of math and can successfully engage in 1st grade math (and enjoy doing it) and my 4.5 year old daughter has completed a kindergarten curriculum, can read at a kindergarten level and is successfully working on a 1st grade math curriculum alongside my son.
So . . . what exactly am I worried about? We do a ton of hands-on learning: at the art museum, the natural history museum, the theater, the zoo. We watch documentaries together. We listen to classical music. We go on scavenger hunts at the grocery store. And yet, I feel guilty if we don’t spend 4-5 hours a day sitting down at home doing “school.” They’re 4 and 6 for crying out loud. And all they really want to do is dress up in costumes and play. A voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that this is precisely what they should be doing right now. Do they really need to learn the parts of speech right now? Is it imperative that we spend time studying colonial America? Won’t there be time for this kind of stuff later on? Thank you for helping me to finally see that, yes, we ARE learning all the time, and yes, the most important thing I can teach them right now is that learning is fun, and yes, I am already doing plenty and everything is FINE.
As of today, I’m pulling back – for them, and for me. And I’m going to use the leftover time and energy to maybe do some things for myself – like maybe setting aside some time to exercise and get some housework done. They aren’t going to end up illiterate and clueless just because mom decided to take an hour out each day to use the stairmaster. And maybe they’ll actually benefit, in some crazy way that I can’t yet imagine, from having extra time to just be kids. I wish I could explain it, but my instinct just keeps telling me that they are way better off spending their afternoons running around dressed as Batman and Robin than they would be sitting around doing schoolwork. Am I crazy?
Amy says
This was beautifully said, Laura – and precisely what I believe. I pray you are finding margin in your day for you to be mom and your children to be children!
Felicia mccluskey says
Thank you so much for your information, it really lessened my anxiety ! Who would thought that doing science outside would be called teaching, it would be really great to learn and to run off some energy at the same time .
Heather Scott says
Thank you so much, you have given me years back that stress has taken from me. I have a unique homeschool situation, I work 2 jobs giving my 6th grader as much independent work in the morning to do, and understanding what he’s doing. Somedays he has to wait until I go on my 2 1/2 he break @ 1:30 to dive in. I know one thing, we laugh a lot and a child that cringed at the word Math now loves it. I worry about Science and Social Studies but not anymore. Thank you all my love to you
Jeanne says
Thank you, I have just started my journey to considering home schooling and I am SO glad I found your blog!
jenn says
I like this, at first I was worried that maybe i wasn’t educated well for something like this. But I have to say I know a lot about the world and how to live so, now reading this help me understand that I can do it myself for my kids. Cause all the lose in school money well they need a education like I got!
Elvira Stefanov says
You make it sounds so easy 🙂
I own a gym and we have a homeschool program there, but we use Connection Academy and I am certainly not interested in a program that require us to spend so much time facing a screen.
Do you recommend any particular curriculum that is more less hands on, handbook?
My oldest is 4.
I have read great things about Abeka,but haven’t talked to anyone that has done it in elementary in the last 15 years.
Any guidancewill be appreciated! !
Thanks in advance,
Elvira Stefanov
Amy says
At the age of 4, you don’t need any curriculum. From there, I’d suggest finding a phonics program and a math program and letting that be the extent of seatwork. I’m not a fan of huge online or boxed curriculum, but there are many families who feel most comfortable with that, so it really has to be a decision that works for your family because we are all so different.
kara says
timberdoodle is great for my 5 year old!!!
Ashley Wright says
What I like most about the homeschooling is flexibility. We homeschoolers are not tied to traditional school schedule. I am not a home schooler, but I am working for an online homeschool. I really liked your idea and enjoyed reading your post. Thanks for sharing!
kara says
hi!!!!
so this is my first year homeschooling, and let me tell you, I have been stressing WAAAAAAAY to much according to you!
I have a kindergartner and I started out schooling her 6 hours a day, then dropped to 5 and now we are just doing 4!
even doing four hours a day, I fell myself looking for ways to fell up more hours as she flies through her work so fast!!! I have printed off EXTRA work so she will get school hours!
so my question is this: how do I know if doing four hours a day is too much or too little?
I don’t want to stress her out by giving her too much, but then again, I don’t want to slack either!
I do keep an extensive record of hours and draw up weekly lesson plans.. but im still afraid I wont have enough hours by may 2017
Amy says
If she’s progressing and excited, not bored and frustrated, then do as much as you like…just don’t forget to let her explore on her own too. It’s good for her to have plenty of down time. Remember, that in government school, all those hours kids are “doing school” they are not actually doing school. They are standing in lines, having breaks, eating, waiting on others to finish their work, etc.
Kara says
ok! thanks so much for your quick response! that makes me feel so much better about this whole amazing opportunity!
Erika Michelle says
I so needed to read this today. I have a first grader and we school about two- three hours a day – actually sitting doing curriculum. The rest is the kind of schooling you described above. Totally non-traditional.
I own two business’ however and sometimes I miss days and feel like I am failing as a mom or teacher. Today was one of those days.
Thank you for the peace Your brought to my heart reading this article.
Nadine says
Thank you, I’m new to homeschool with my 7 year old son. I like the “unschool” concept. It’s hard to switch my mind from school to home school.
Your words were a relief as well as inspiring .
Thank you!!
Anandi says
As a homeschooled teen, I have quite a different system.
I’m left mainly to myself, and I use the internet and books to educate myself.
I never did well in school, especially since I’ve been homeschooled most of my life.
Having the responsibility to learn by myself has definitely taught me how valuable it is, and taught me how to figure things out for myself.
Of course my parents do check that I actually do my work, but often I’ll find an interesting subject and start researching it for fun.
Yes it’s stressful because I always feel like I’m not putting in enough hours (I study around 3-4 per day) but this post helped ease my conscience a little.
Thank you!
Honey Westby says
Hi There!! Wondering who has used Horizons vs. Abeka. I have a 3rd grader, 2nd grader, and a preschooler. We start school in a month, and getting a little anxious. I would love to hear what everyone has used.
Melissa says
Thank you so much for your insight. I have shared it also with some others new on this adventure. I am learning how homeschooling is a wonderful way to preserve the family unit and fosters modeling and teaching bibilical values and character qualities that are not found in today’s schools.
Janice Hutchinson says
This article just expressed my vision of homeschooling. I am homeschooling my great grandson. My daughter worries that I might not meet state guidelines. After all, we go out for breakfast and discuss resturant behavior and menu prices. I take him on approrate appointments and read magazines in the waiting room or discuss time spent in the waiting room.
OMG, I allow him to watch Bino and Fino on You Tube and learn about African Folktales watching You Tube videos. In fact today we will take a trip to a near by nursery to purchase potting soil to plant a few things in our kitchen window sill garden. Of course, I will maneuver science work conversations between my great grandson and the employees. After all, I am not the only teacher in our home school. 🙂
Adriana says
I’m looking into homeschooling as my son has missed a lot of school being sick (6th grade). I am a single mother working 6 days a week? My mother lives with us so she would be home so that he’s not alone, but not helping him/teaching him. I’m overwhelmed trying to figure out how and if this would work for us, as I’m working all the time. How does this compare to virtual school. How do I get started, what kind of workbooks, where do I get them. is there something I need to follow so that I know we’re on track? Thank you in advance for any feedback.
Amy says
Adriana – it really depends on whether or not you will be putting him back in school next year. You can check out my post on schooling an entire grade over the summer for some ideas – https://raisingarrows.net/2016/06/can-you-homeschool-an-entire-grade-over-the-summer/ From personal experience (I was very sick as a child), he will be much quicker getting his work done at home than he would be in school. Virtual school may be a good option for you if you plan to put him back in school. It might also be less overwhelming for where you are in your life.
KiraLee says
I’m a mum of three as of May and I have just started homeschooling this year. I have had 3 full days so far and was worried I wasn’t doing enough! I have come from the big wide world of education and it has been really hard to see homeschooling without a ‘teacher’ hat on! Reading your post has helped me ALOT! Thankyou from Australia.
Amy says
Welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling! So glad you landed here, KiraLee!
Liz says
This is so helpful! It’s nice to see that it’s ok to spend way less time doing homeschool than in an actual school because 1. There’s a ton of wasted time I can recall in actual school growing up, and 2. learning real life things happens all day with mom, including explaining how things work plus building, measuring, and other hands on activities like you said. I started homeschool preschool this year, and have written a post about homeschool preschool that I would love your feedback on! I have also said we formally only do about 30 minutes/day as well so it’s great to hear similar from you. Thanks for all your great tips!
Sarah says
Thank you for this breakdown. I was getting overwhelmed. I want to accomplish a lot and keep a peace of mind. What you write is true. These are great points. My daughter excels at science math and spelling and phonics already at age 5. My son at 3, is already grasping lots of things too. And my 20 month old knows number recognition up to 10, ABC’s and colors. They all learn differently and I was able to see that the younger they are the easier it kind of is. I’ve got 4 as well And pump milk hahaha hands are full.
Priscilla says
Thank you for this, I have a special needs 5 year old who is permanently disabled physically and cognitively, my oldest daughter finished chemo in February for a brain tumor. Ive always gotten into our Homeschool years with good intentions but I fall very short daily. I felt we were doing so little- but with all our appointments weekly, and homeschooling four days a week how can I? Im so glad to have found your site, I will be scheduling all my appointments on Wednesdays and not feel so guilty about the hours because your recommendations by your schedule go well with what Im doing. God bless you!
Amy says
You are so welcome, Priscilla! And of course, there will be those times when you can’t do a Wednesday appointment, but at least you have something to shoot for! Prayers and blessings for your sweet family!