How Many Hours a Day Should I Homeschool? Here’s the Truth
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How many hours a day should I homeschool?
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard or read this question being asked I would be a very wealthy homeschool mom.
In saying that, it is a fair question, especially when you’ve never homeschooled before.
We’re going to go more into detail but the short of it is that in the early elementary years you can expect to homeschool anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. In the middle school and high school years homeschooling may take longer but rarely more than 3-4 hours total. It is common for homeschool families to be finished school by lunch.
If you’ve never homeschooled before and aren’t around any homeschool families then that information can be quite a revelation.
I mean, most schools are in session for a minimum of 6 hours per day. How on earth is it that you can homeschool in so much less time?
The answer to that isn’t nearly as complicated or shocking as you may think. Let me share some other helpful information before we get to that.
How Many Hours a Day Should I Homeschool?
Before I start sharing more about how many hours a day you should be homeschooling there is something incredibly important that you need to know.
All of this is a very general guideline.
Children are all unique, your family is unique, and one of the most wonderful things about homeschooling is that you get to do what works for your children and not what everyone else is doing.
The information shared below is a generalization of what a lot of the homeschooling population finds to be common. However, if you and your child(ren) don’t fall into the guidelines, then please don’t stress over it.
Even between my own children I’ve seen a marked difference in their desire and ability to do formal school when they were at a specific age.
This is simply a guide for those who are curious or perhaps for the new homeschool mom who needs permission to simplify and be okay with doing less.
Related: How to Avoid Homeschool Mom Burnout
Also, this information is shared based upon traditional homeschooling and not the most recent addition of distant learning. That is an entirely different form of schooling and really can’t be compared.
How Long Should Homeschool Take for Preschool?
Okay, let me start this one by saying that zero hours is 100% okay to do for preschool.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do preschool, I did with both of my older kiddos.
However, if your child is resistant or you just don’t have the mental energy to take it on, it is absolutely okay for you to not do preschool with your child.
There are so many studies now to show that delaying academics is actually a beneficial thing.
Children learn at their own pace and when they are developmentally ready.
Pushing 3-4 year olds to memorize the alphabet and begin to read is not only developmentally inappropriate, but has the potential to quash their love of learning.
Again, I have to add a disclaimer here because if you have a child that is ready and willing to do some formal school at this age then by all means DO!
My middle daughter had an amazing attention span and eagerness to learn at age three and I indulged her.
With all that said, for preschool and pre k 0-30 minutes is age-appropriate and totally normal.
How Long Should Homeschool Take for Elementary
Again, this information is subjective depending on your own child. However, a typical length for homeschool time during these years is 30 minutes to 2 hours.
My son is currently 6-years old and our school time takes about 2 hours. However, that is with a couple of breaks and most of that is made up of hands-on activities and read alouds.
The time that he has to sit and work in a workbook or read to me would total no more than 30-45 minutes in total.
Obviously, grade 1 is also going to be very different from grade 6. Don’t just generalize all the years together.
Related: 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices
How Long Should Homeschool Take for Middle School?
The time you spend homeschooling in middle school is probably going to be around 1.5 hours-3 hours all up.
The type of work your child does during that time though will impact how long the school day is.
How Long Should Homeschool Take for Highschool
High school is where things can change up quite a bit.
Students are usually a lot more independent by this stage and don’t require nearly as much assistance with their learning.
2-4 hours of homeschool per day is probably the norm but it could be less or more depending on what they’re working on.
Also, you have to take into consideration whether you’re going to be doing subjects as a family or if all subjects will be independent as that will definitely make a difference.
How Many Hours a Day You Should Homeschool Chart
For your ease of reference, I’ve created a chart to show you at a glance how much time is common for homeschoolers to spend doing lessons by age and per day.
- Preschool – 0-30 minutes
- Elementary – 30 mins-2 hours
- Middle School – 1.5 hours-3 hours
- Highschool – 2-4 hours
Why Doesn’t Homeschool Take as Long as Public School?
So why on earth can you homeschool in so much less time than traditional schools?
Honestly, it isn’t nearly as crazy as you think and there are likely two factors that make the most difference.
First of all are the class sizes.
Teachers have to spread their time caring for a classroom full of students and consequently, much time is left for students to simply be sitting and waiting for the teacher to get to them.
Then there’s the lining up for assemblies and all the other things that come with dealing with a large group of children.
Secondly, you’re able to cater to your child’s learning needs.
This means you’re not forcing curriculum on them that they hate.
There are faster ways to get concepts across once you understand how your child absorbs knowledge best.
Related: The Benefits of Homeschooling
Adjusting Your Mindset and Realizing the Benefits
Still not convinced that homeschooling can be done in much shorter time than traditional school?
I would recommend you work on adjusting your mindset to realize that learning happens more organically and meaningfully outside of the classroom than it does within.
Because we have all that extra time we can spend it exposing our children to situations where they can practically apply the concepts that they’ve learned in the “classroom”.
For instance, you may have addressed measurements in a math lesson. That afternoon decided to bake together where your child is then given the opportunity to apply what he has learned to a real-life situation.
We’re able to go on nature walks, visit beaches, go to museums, hang out at the library, visit playgrounds, and generally explore the world around us so much more because sit-down lessons take so much less time.
If you’re a homeschool mom wondering if you’re doing enough, the answer is yes.
In fact, you’re probably doing MORE than enough.
Related: All the Reasons to Homeschool
Closing Thoughts…
As someone who was homeschooled from age 11 through to graduation I can personally attest to the success of homeschooling.
I went straight from homeschooling to college for my nursing degree and passed without any issue.
The days that I had to work past lunch time when I was homeschooled were few and far between.
As a result, I was able to start tutoring piano lessons when I was just 14 years old.
Later, I landed jobs that my peers weren’t able to because they were in school.
My own children have the opportunity to spend hours just playing in the afternoon.
Honestly, that’s the very best thing for them right now.
Most seasoned homeschoolers will tell you that there are 24 hours in a day that you homeschool because learning doesn’t fit into a timed box. It happens everywhere and all the time.
Once we adjust our mindset it becomes so much more understandable why homeschooling takes so much less time than public school.
