Scheduling

Block scheduling is a time-management method that dedicates larger chunks of time to fewer subjects, allowing deeper focus and immersion rather than brief daily coverage of everything.

Catch-up time refers to intentionally scheduled buffer periods in a homeschool routine that allow families to complete unfinished work, review material, or recover from disruptions without falling permanently behind.

Child-led learning is an educational approach where children have significant autonomy in deciding what, how, and how long they study particular topics. Parents serve as facilitators rather than directors, using the child's natural curiosity and interests as the primary driver of education.

Delight-directed learning is a homeschool approach that centers education around a child's natural interests and passions while maintaining parental guidance to ensure core academic subjects are still covered.

Deschooling is an intentional transition period between leaving traditional school and beginning homeschool, allowing both children and parents to recover from institutional schooling and rediscover a natural love of learning.

Family-style learning is a homeschool approach where children of different ages learn together using the same books, themes, or curricula, with expectations tailored to each child's developmental level rather than separating instruction by grade.

A four-day school week is a homeschool scheduling approach where academic instruction happens over four days instead of five, freeing one day weekly for field trips, appointments, enrichment, or flexible learning.

Interest-led learning is an educational approach where children's natural curiosities and passions guide what and how they learn. It recognizes that students learn best when genuinely interested in a subject and can be integrated into any homeschool style.

A light day in homeschooling is a scheduled day with reduced academic workload, focusing on fewer subjects or more relaxed learning activities while maintaining educational engagement during busy periods, illness, or when the family needs flexibility.

Loop scheduling is a flexible homeschool planning method where you cycle through a rotating list of subjects sequentially rather than assigning specific subjects to specific days, simply picking up where you left off each session.

The quarter system divides the academic year into four terms of approximately 9-10 weeks each, with breaks between quarters. Many homeschool families prefer this structure for its flexibility, regular reset points, and built-in breaks that help prevent burnout.

In homeschooling, a rhythm is a natural flow where activities happen in a consistent order without specific times, while a routine is a set sequence of tasks that repeats daily. Rhythm emphasizes flexibility; routine emphasizes predictability.

A rolling start means beginning your homeschool year, curriculum, or program whenever you're ready rather than waiting for traditional fall start dates. It embraces the flexibility that makes homeschooling unique.

Seat time refers to measuring educational progress by hours spent in instruction rather than demonstrated mastery. Some states require homeschoolers to document instructional hours, while the broader education system is moving toward competency-based alternatives.

The semester system divides the school year into two primary terms (fall and spring) of approximately 15-18 weeks each, and is the most common academic calendar structure in U.S. education.

A six-week rotation is a year-round homeschool schedule where families conduct school for six consecutive weeks followed by one week off, repeating throughout the year to prevent burnout.

A soft start is a flexible, low-pressure way to begin the homeschool day, allowing students to ease into learning through choice-driven activities before transitioning to structured academics.

Strewing is the practice of intentionally placing interesting items, books, or materials in a child's environment for them to discover on their own, without pressure or expectation, allowing natural curiosity to drive learning.

Summer slide refers to the academic skill loss students experience during extended summer breaks, with research showing children lose an average of one month of learning—particularly in math—when school is out of session.

A term schedule organizes the homeschool year into distinct periods (typically 6-12 weeks) focused on specific subjects or activities, with planned breaks between terms for rest and flexibility.

Transcript hours are the documented instructional time a homeschool student spends on a subject, used to calculate academic credits. One credit typically equals 120-180 hours of instruction based on the Carnegie unit standard.

The trimester system divides the academic year into three terms of approximately 12-13 weeks each, offering a middle ground between the traditional two-semester system and the faster-paced quarter system.

A year-end wrap is the intentional process of closing out the homeschool year—completing curriculum, organizing records, evaluating student progress, and preparing documentation that may be required by your state.

Year-round homeschooling distributes school days across the entire calendar year with frequent shorter breaks, rather than following the traditional nine-month schedule with a long summer vacation.