August 5, 2026 – Planning (and Simplifying) Your School Schedule

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Plan What’s First, Then Plan the Rest

So many good things are available for homeschool families, and our schedules can have a lot happening on them. We also know from experience that there will be times when they are all happening at once and we will definitely need some serious breathing room. 

Plan What’s First

It’s pretty simple: give God the first portion of your school time. The first minutes of your downtime. The first thought when interruptions come. The first priority in all areas. If we honor Him first in all of our planned times, He multiplies the peace in our hearts as we face all the busy, and often unplanned, times. 

Plan the Rest

Now, we can think about planning everything else. Some of you plan your schedule and curriculum well in advance. Some plan during the summer for the next year. Some plan each evening for the next day, and some of you wait until the end of the day and write down what really happened in your planner. God can use all these methods as they are yielded to Him. He can give us wisdom to find the simple, most effective way to plan our days. Seek Him first, and God will give wisdom for each child, for each subject, and strength to carry it through (Matthew 6:33). 

• Evaluate each child’s ability (google free placement tests in subject areas) and make a simple plan of study. Be willing to adjust the plan as you go. 
• Gather the curriculum and sign up for any outside classes. (If new to homeschooling, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a great place to start with a budget-friendly full curriculum for every student, subject, and grade). 
• Create a simple, flexible daily schedule. Don’t overplan your days. 
• Plan in downtime for rest and play. 

Plan to make pursuing God and His ways your family’s main purpose this year. If you are seeking Him, He will be faithful to lead you—today, and every day of the new school year. You will gain confidence by staying close to the Lord, doing His will, in His strength, for His children—at Home. Where They Belong.

If you know someone new to homeschooling, our Homeschooling 101 Supplement has all the information necessary to start their journey, including planning templates! Plus: here are six helpful articles on planning for the new school year!

~Deborah

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Todd Wilson

Lesson Planning and the Will of Todd

Lesson planning? You want me to give advice on lesson planning? You might as well ask me to share my favorite recipes or all my advice on manicures. I just don’t do lesson plans. 

If I prepared a lesson plan, it would include subjects like:
-Power Napping
-Spitting for Distance
-An Introduction to Body Noises
You know, all the important stuff. 

Thankfully, my wife does the lesson planning at our house. 

However, with all teasing aside, I actually do have some advice when you’re planning for the upcoming year.

First of all, make time for the most important stuff like baking cookies, reading aloud good books on the couch with the kids, playing board games, taking a nap, and hiding love notes in your husband’s underwear drawer.

Second of all, refuse to let the “not-as-important stuff” keep you from doing the most important stuff. Sometimes lesson plans do that. Often, the lesson plan becomes everything. You write it out, get frustrated when you get off-track, make everyone miserable trying to finish it, and eventually feel defeated by failing to complete it.

So here’s my advice: plan time for the important stuff, don’t sweat the other stuff, and make your lesson plan a flexible guide, not a god.

Be Real,
Todd
P.S. If you need some other guidance on power napping or spitting, let me know.

P.P.S. Back-to-School Specials: We’re offering two Back-to-School specials that are designed to encourage and equip you for the coming year. You can see them here.

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About the author

Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. A favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches, he is the founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, and hosts two podcasts: The Familyman Show and The Smiling Homeschooler. Todd, and his wife, Debbie, homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated, with four married) in northern Indiana.

PAC is a simple, easy-to-use homeschool curriculum for Jr. High and High School students.
Visit us at https://pacworks.com to learn more!

Julie Lavender

Homeschool Planning Is Simpler than Classroom Planning

My first year of homeschooling began much like my earlier half-dozen years as an educator. You see, I’d taught public school in three states (my husband’s military career brought about a move every two or three years) for six years before we started our family.  

After a couple of weeks, I realized my homeschool schedule mirrored that of a classroom full of kids. I had to simplify!

Here are four tips I learned about simplifying: 

* Plan ahead, but stay flexible.

It really helped me to plan loosely, for the entire year—in a very broad sense. My overall-scope planning took place during the summer. When school started, I stayed at least a week or two ahead with lesson plans.  

However, flexibility was key! Plans often went awry when “life happened.” 

* Teach as many subjects together as possible. 

The ages of my kids mandated one-on-one instruction for math and reading. I combined other subjects, like social studies and science, for all four kids, or in some instances, for the two older kids and the two younger kids. And of course, we all gathered for Bible lessons, games, music, or crafts as a family. 

* Declutter your work space. 

Keep curriculum handy, crafts and manipulatives organized, and tools tidy. 

* Learn through real life experiences.

Get outside frequently, take field trips often, complete chores together, communicate clearly with family members, and learn as you “do life.”

Ask God for wisdom to plan and simplify your schedule. He’s just a whisper away!

Happy schooling!

Julie

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About the author

Julie Lavender enjoyed homeschooling her four children alongside her husband David for 27+ years. She has a heart for homeschooling families. Though her active days of homeschooling are in the past, she prays daily for those educating their children at home. Julie is the author of books like Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime, as well as articles for newspapers and magazines. She’s been a guest on Focus on the Family Broadcast twice and writes devotions for Guideposts Publications.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com makes planning your school schedule easier! Whether you need help compiling a year of course content by grade level and want to use the School Boxes or you want the free Printable Calendars or Custom Schedule Builders, SchoolhouseTeachers.com has you covered! If you’re looking for more resources for organizing your school year, check out the Homeschool Records Center!