Large Family Homeschooling: What Our Day Looks Like

Pin It Over the years, our routine has changed according to the needs of our family. Previously, my focus was on the order of daily events rather than the times of day they were occurring. This worked method worked well for us. My kids always knew what to expect next.

When we began foster care, I knew we'd need to create more structure in order for our large family, and new children with special needs, to thrive. We currently have a sibling group of 3, while previously we had a sibling group of 4. Sorting out a schedule and learning large family logistics took some time. I still don't have it all figured out, but I do believe we have a thriving homeschool as we enter our 6th year.

One change in our schedule this year is that we are taking a break from all sports and evening activities, besides church and foster care related events, until the spring. This frees up our evenings for family time. 

We're also trying out a tv free living room for the year. We haven't had cable in years, but I still felt video games and Netflix were becoming distractions. The kids were surprisingly on board when I suggested a tv break. We'll see how they are feeling when winter boredom arrives!

The first video below explains how I've structured our homeschooling days. The next video gives a glimpse into our first day of school. I tend to schedule more time for lessons than actually needed so that we aren't rushing through the day. The last thing I want is for my children to feel overwhelmed. I want them to love and enjoy learning, and being together as a family.


Large Family Homeschool Schedule:

 

Our First Day {DITL Vlog}:

 

Happy homeschooling!!

-Jenny

Our Homeschool Room 2015-2016

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You can see our homeschool room in previous years by visiting these posts:

 

2012-2013

2013-2014

Only a few changes have been made to our school room since 2013. We've freshened up the paint, added a desk, and purchased two dry erase boards. One of the boards is for Classical Conversations. I used washi tape to divide it into 6 sections for the different subject areas. 

For our latest tour, I decided to make a video for you all. We still enjoy and get plenty of use out of this space. Learning also takes place throughout our home and community. The world is our classroom, but it's nice to have an organized space and place for our materials.