I might have mentioned this once or twice, but we’ve got a kid or two with a bit of ADHD in our house, and a Mom with a lot of ADHD. So, finding a good homeschooling schedule can be a challenge. But, I’ve found something that has been working for almost a year now: The 20-minute homeschool schedule.
Hi, future Ticia here, after three years of using the 20-minute homeschool schedule, I’ve tweaked it a little bit, and thought that was worth noting the difference between doing this with elementary kids and junior high kids.
Why a 20-minute homeschool schedule?
Because I was tired of the crying? Not a valid reason, okay but that was one reason. Princess would get frustrated as she dragged her math lessons on forever and ever until the end of time. Problems I knew she could finish in 20 minutes were taking an hour.
I’ll completely admit I came to the 20-minute homeschool schedule primarily to deal with the math fights.
Last year we were covering division. We were okay the first month or so as they learned basic division, but then we got to long division, and it was daunting. Ten minutes would pass and she’d have one problem done, and her brothers were done with the first side.
So I reviewed what I knew had worked in the past, what works for her in other areas, and what works for me.
Future Ticia: All of these points are still valid, also I’ve found if I don’t give my family a chance to move every little bit their focus slips.
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I keep a 20-minute cleaning schedule
My phone is filled with 20-minute playlists. I can do anything for 20 minutes. I can clean filthy rooms, take walks, any number of things. The playlists are numbered: 20 minutes 1, 20 minutes 2, it’s not complicated. I’m listening to 20 minutes 2 right now, When the playlist stops I will stop typing and go to bed.
Or, that’s the theory. I don’t always follow my own 20-minute schedule. Maybe I should read other people’s time management tips.
Why does the 20-minute homeschool schedule work?
Because I’ve taught my kids to concentrate for that long. They know twenty minutes isn’t that long, and it gives hope. There’s certainly enough brain research which says that’s a good amount of time to work and then take a break.
Also, Princess focuses better once she knows it doesn’t matter how much she gets done, but that she’s working hard.
That’s the one catch I added into our 20-minute homeschool schedule, everyone has to be working hard. If I look over and you’re playing with the ribbon you found on the floor, I start the timer* over or move it back a minute. No one wants that, so they concentrate better.
After the 20 minutes are over they get a 5-minute break. This break is very important, it gives them time to get some of the wiggles out and lets me prep for the next lesson.
Future Ticia: I now also make sure to set the timer for our breaks.I found I was getting distracted and letting time slip away and then our school day was taking much longer.
How I’m modifying the 20-minute schedule for the coming year
This year I’m changing things up a bit. I’m still going to use the 20-minute timer* (I love this timer and that the kids can SEE how much time is left, again with that bit of hope as the red space gets smaller), and the 5-minute break, but we won’t all be doing the same thing. I have a list of activities they have to finish each day, and they will choose what order they want to work on them in.
I’ve got two reasons for this. First the practical one, I’m upping what I expect of them on the computer, and we have one computer for them to use right now with the programs I want them to learn.
I also have a second sneaky reason, this will teach them responsibility, and self-reliance. At the end of the day, I’ll be checking how they did, and if they got their work done. This is an important first step for them to be self-motivated students, a key skill in college and in life.
Back when the kids were little I was told, “Begin with the end in mind,” and that’s driven my parenting goals all along. I know who I want my kids to be when they graduate high school, and there are a lot of steps to get them there. This is another small step in that direction.
Future Ticia, the junior high addition to our 20-minute homeschool schedule:
They no longer take 20 minutes to complete math (though Princess sometimes still does), and I was left with lots of time wasted and extra time spent on things that weren’t relevant at the time.
Now, they spend 20 minutes working, if they finish math in those 2o minutes, then they go on to writing. At the end of 20 minutes, they take a break, regardless of how their work is doing.
This also allows time for the projects you can’t easily schedule in, extra projects, long-term, cleaning.
Do you have a homeschool schedule that works for you?
- Homeschool Planet for scheduling and grading
- Take a Not Back to School Day
- Help for fidgety kids
- Create a Block Schedule
- How to make a mini office
Go check out “How Much Time Does Homeschooling Really Take?” with iHomeschool Network.
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