A chore schedule is important to have! Let me explain...

One morning, I woke up extremely sick, my older children, seeing the problem, followed our chore schedule and homeschooling schedules. When I entered the real world later in the afternoon, I smelled supper cooking, the house was clean, and the children were finishing school. Now, my children are by no means perfect...just ask those around us...but on this particular day with age appropriate chores, they followed our household chore checklist and homeschool schedule and the house did not fall apart!! :)

Keeping the house running efficiently can be a problem, especially if you are homeschooling. If every member of the family works together, following a chore schedule, life can run a little smoother!

Giving children a chore check list allows them to learn basic skills needed to run their own home, teaches basic housekeeping skills, and creates an atmosphere for great character building.

To keep chores from seeming monotonous, come up with a colorful chore schedule that can be viewed at a glance to help them remember things that need to be done around the house!!

5 Reasons Why a Chore Schedule Is So
Important for the Family.

• Teaches basic housekeeping skills.
• Creates an atmosphere for great character building.
• The work gets done with out mom doing it all.
• At a glance everyone can see what needs to be done.
• The work gets spread out among many people, making more time for other things...like FUN!!

Tips on Creating Your Chore List

• List every chore possible that needs to be done in the home.
• Take a piece of paper and divide it into fourths.
• Label them as daily, weekly, monthly, or 2x year.
• Going through each room, write down every chore you want done.
• Place those chores in each of your categories.
• Take your free downloadable household chore check-list and think about what days it makes sense to do which tasks.
• Now add the monthly chores, then the yearly...Make out a schedule for each member of my family, based on all the chores on the four lists.

My Family Example Weekly Chore Chart Sample Chore Checklist

Homeschool Record Keeping Homeschool Record keeping does not have to be overwhelming! However, no one told me that when I first started homeschooling!

How was I to keep all my children's homeschool records? What records do I need? How was I to grade every paper every day?



Tips for Keeping Good Records

Have a Homeschool Record Keeping Check List

1. Check to see if your state has specific record keeping requirements.
2. Gather school information if your child has already attended private or public school.
3. Begin keeping a portfolio if your child is just beginning school.
4. Keep a list of all the subjects your child was taught in one school year.
5. List all the curriculum used and/or books read.
6. List all immunization records.
7. Keep Attendance records.
8. Have a progress report or report card filed for each subject.
9. Begin a high school transcript for grades 9-12th.
10. Keep tests, writing papers, art work, etc... as samples of your child's work in a portfolio.

Follow a Good Homeschool Schedule!

Each home will have their own homeschool schedule that works just for that particular home. Looking at guidelines for setting up a homeschool schedule is the best way to personalise your own.Do you have a great homeschooling schedule that works for you? Share it here!! Read other homeschooling schedule examples.

Keep Grades

Colleges and universities rely on GPAs when it comes to scholarship funding for higher education. Therefore, your child’s eligibility for scholarships needs to include a transcript with a GPA. Therefore, you must keep accurate grades for 9th - 12th grade!

If you are using a standard curriculum that includes tests and quizzes, simply calculate a grade based on your student’s work on those tests, quizzes, and papers.

This is where homeschool record keeping comes in.. keep a notebook where you can record all the grades for each subject.

At the end of each 9 weeks or 18 weeks, you simply add up all the total points missed for the tests,quizzes, and papers then divide it by the points possible to determine your child's grade.

Record Grades in Grading Charts!

You need to decide who will keep the homeschooling records. Will the child help grade? Will you do all the grading? Where will the grades be put? My son created these charts to help me keep all our children's' grades organised.

What I love about these charts is how easy this makes for recording grades.

Plus, The child and I know exactly what they missed right away, making it easy for them to understand what they did wrong.

Free Down-Loadable
Homeschool Recording Sheets for every subject! Choose between Girl or boy Sheets
Boys:
Bible English Math Reading Spanish Handwriting Science History
Girls:
Bible English Math Reading Spanish Handwriting Science History How It works...

1. Finish the Homework, quiz,or test.
2. My children tell me they are finished with that assignment.
3. Show me the finished assignment.
4. Grade their work near me.
5. Record it in these charts.
6. I sign the chart to show its completion.
7. The child knows what questions were missed and fixes the wrong answers right away, and I have instant records of their grade!

Print one chart for each subject needed.

if you are having trouble printing these links...go to homeschool record keeping.

The following poem was sent to me  by the author. After experiencing 3 miscarriages in 2010, the words of this poem strike real meaning. May many other hurting women find comfort in these words and in our Saviour...the One who cares so much more!!

I was fearfully and wonderfully made,
As God covered me in your womb.
While my substance was still yet unperfect,
My members, in His book, there was room.

I was no secret to God as He formed me,
For His glory, He shared me with you,
Just long enough so you'd know me,
When we meet face to face o'er the blue.

I'll know you when I see you;
You'll know me, too, as we meet
I look like you, and yet like Christ,
I'll be sitting at His feet.

Remember, now, God's wisdom,
He knew what was best for me.
He'll also help to ease the time
of waiting, trust and see.

Author: Darrell Riggs

 Are you looking for a good Homeschool Schedule that works for your family? Are you frustrated by not being able to "fit it all in?

Each home will have their own homeschool schedule that works just for that particular home. Looking at the guidelines of setting up a schedule is the best way to personalize your own.

Just because one schedule works for one family, it may not necessarily work for another family. The best homeschooling schedules are tailored to the needs of individual families.

Try these timeless tips...

So let's get started!

Homeschool Schedule Guidelines

1. Set a time to start and end the day.

Part of being diligent with our homeschooling means that we do not lie in bed until we feel like getting up. DO NOT let them sleep until 9 am and never really get dressed.

In the real world, there is a time to get up and a time to go to bed.

My biggest concern when I started homeschooling my children was that they develop good habits. My children learn from me, because I am their teacher and their mom!!

No matter what they do in life, they will need the discipline to get up in the morning and to go to bed at a proper time.

2. Schedule a lunch time and recess time.

I write the lunch and recess times into ours schedule to give my children a goal to work toward. It also keeps the day consistent.

Children need boundaries. I have found my children do much better when they know exactly what is expected of then.

3. Determine you states laws on the number of hours and days of school.

Some states require number of days and some require number of hours.

In either case, it is important to now what days you plan on doing school and for how long... All year, 3 months on and one month off, or 9 months on and 3 months off.

Check out your states laws here! Check out your state's laws here!

4. Consider the number of children in the household.

With 8 children in my household, different children are doing multiple tasks all through out the day.

Some of my little ones take naps in the afternoon...put that in the schedule.

My younger ones finish school earlier. This leaves me with more time in the afternoon to help the 4 older children and do music practice.

5. Plan in normal household activities, such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, rest...

A good schedule not only includes teaching school, but has times to clean, cook,laundry, and nap in it as well. If I do not take the time to put these regular activities into my homeschool schedule...they do NOT happen!

In my schedule, I try to do all the cleaning and vacuuming while my older ones are independently working on school.

My preschool, kindergarten and first grade children (yes even my two year old) follow me around and help me clean. Check out age appropriate chores for preschool children. Then around 9:30, I start the younger ones on school.

6. Schedule in extracurricular activities.

We go on field trips to the fire house, park, field trips, and library visits.

But don't forget grocery shopping, doctor appointments, music lessons... Don't let these times change your schedule...just add it in.

7. Plan in chores for the all the children.

It is very important that children in the household help in chores. Each of my children have a chore list...Even my preschoolers learn to do chores around the house!

Mom does less work if everyone is pitching in.

In our household, everyone needs to be showered, dressed, hair brushed, bed made, bathroom clean,and room cleaned BEFORE breakfast. With five bedrooms, that is five less rooms I need to clean in the morning. This works for after school and before bed as well.

8. Make a list of all the things you’d like to accomplish each day, estimate the time required for each.

Make a list: school, cleaning, meals, laundry, nap, music practice...

Then put how long each of these might take to accomplish.

9. Create a schedule that allows you to get your school, housework, meals, sleep, and activities finished.

Be realistic with your times...yet not rigid. The schedule is to give you some guidelines to work with not to stress you out!

10. Schedule the hardest subjects when the children are at their best.

My older children do Math, Science, and History first. These are their harder subjects. They take longer and use more brain cells! I have planned these in the morning, because this is the time when they are thinking the best!

11. Decide whether you want a time/clock schedule or an after breakfast and before lunch type schedule.

A time schedule is when you are set on the clock. For example 7:00 is breakfast, 7:30 start math, 8:30 history...ect.

On a before breakfast schedule: Certain chore or tasks are accomplished before breakfast...OR...Math, Science, and History or finished before lunch.

Depending what works best for you is the type of schedule you pick.

Now What? Sit down and create your unique homeschool schedule!

It is important to have a schedule for homeschooling, yet be flexible, don't let the schedule control you.

It is just a guideline to help you accomplish your daily tasks. Try many different schedules to find the one that works best.

In the end, your hard work will pay off and everyone in the home will be happier for your time and effort!



Return from Homeschool Schedule to Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!! A command!! (Psalm 118:24) Do we obey it?

Does the day have to go well for us to rejoice and be glad in in? Or are we to rejoice when the day does not go well?

It is so much easier to rejoice in the good times...times when I sit at the dinner table with my table laden with food, my children healthy and surrounding me, and a husband that loves me unconditionally!!

What about the times when sickness comes, bills come due, the food is scarce, and the loved one you cherish dies...do we still rejoice and be glad in the day?

Someone once asked me, "How can I rejoice when there is so much turmoil, sorrow, and sadness in this world?"

Simple I trust in God, I may not be able to change the whole world, but I can change my heart by trusting in God who gives me the strength to continue on rejoicing in His love.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Phil. 4:4)