Homeschooling High School: Structure Time Not Content

There is no end to the list of really good experiences available to homeschoolers. An easy way to make sure there is space for project work and other independent study is to structure time, not content, to make space each week that can be used for hands-on projects, reading catch-up, time outdoors, and rest.

Four Day Weeks

In our homeschool we only do formal lessons 4 days a week. This means we always have a little margin built into our weeks. This isn’t something that happens once in a while or only after a season of hard work. Every week we get a break. Right in the middle!

Some weeks that means we take lunch down to the river. Some weeks we take it slow and drink tea. Some weeks we all pitch in to rake leaves or deep clean. Some weeks kids work on projects for Speech Club, Chess Club, or the Makers Fair. But there is always dedicated space in the schedule to make that happen.

Finished Early

We aim to be finished with formal lessons by 1 pm every day. We use the morning to get the bulk of our work done. Afternoons are reserved for getting extra help in a subject, working on homework from outside classes, or just going to the park to play catch. Our days are not packed with responsibilities. There is a rhythm–time to learn, time to play and create, time to rest.

Morning Time

One place where I have structured both the time and the content is Morning Time. This is the first thing we do when we gather. We pray, sing, read scripture and poetry, then study history and Latin. For the most part I have planned the specifics of what we will be doing, using the seasons and church year as a guide. But kids have started to contribute ideas and make requests. It’s a wonderful way to make space for singing and reading poems and other things that fill us up.