Creating a Homeschool Calendar and Schedule

One of the unique benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility to design your own school calendar. Whether you want to follow a traditional schedule, school year-round, or create a custom rhythm that fits your family’s lifestyle, choosing the right calendar takes thoughtful planning.

Create a Schedule

Develop a daily or weekly schedule that includes academic subjects, breaks, and extracurricular activities. A routine helps establish a sense of structure and discipline, which is essential for children with learning challenges, such as autism and ADHD.

State Laws and Requirements

Before choosing a calendar, research your state’s homeschool laws. Some states require a certain number of instructional days or hours, specific subjects, or attendance records. Complying with these regulations will guide the minimum structure your calendar must follow.

Family Lifestyle and Needs

Consider your family’s natural rhythm. Are your children more focused in the morning or afternoon? Do you frequently take trips or have seasonal commitments, such as farming, traveling, or participating in sports? Build a calendar around your life, rather than forcing your life to fit a calendar.

Educational Goals

What are your goals for the school year? If your child is preparing for standardized testing, community college, or high school graduation, you may need more structured terms. If your focus is on project-based or interest-led learning, a more flexible schedule may be more suitable for you.

Pacing and Breaks

Balance structure with rest. Whether you follow a traditional 9-month schedule, year-round schooling, or a 4-day week, plan regular breaks to avoid burnout. Many families adopt a 6-week-on, 1-week-off approach to build in recovery time. (See article, Different Homeschooling Calendars: Choosing the Right Fit for Your Family.)

Alignment with Co-ops or Enrichment Programs

If you’re part of a co-op, virtual school, or outside program, match their calendar as closely as possible. Aligning your schedule can simplify logistics and make transitions between settings smoother.

Work Schedules and Childcare

If the homeschooling parent also works, consider what schedule will realistically support consistent teaching. Families with dual-working parents or those in shared custody arrangements may require unconventional calendars.

Continue with Step 5

Ready to Begin Your Homeschooling Journey?

 

Download our 32-page Getting Started with Homeschooling Guide and Checklists—a comprehensive resource packed with tips, tools, and step-by-step checklists to help you feel confident and organized from day one. Whether you're exploring homeschooling for the first time or looking to refresh your current approach, this guide is your go-to starting point.

Holidays and Cultural Observances

Decide which holidays, cultural events, or religious observances your family celebrates. You can build these directly into your school year, allowing space for meaningful family traditions and community events.

Student Learning Styles

Some children thrive with a predictable, daily schedule. Others may learn best with short bursts of intensive work and frequent rest. Adapt your calendar to your child’s needs and capacity for attention and stamina.

Assessment and Review Windows

Set regular times during the year to evaluate progress, make adjustments, and celebrate achievements. Whether quarterly or by semester, these checkpoints help you stay on track and maintain realistic expectations.

Flexibility and Resilience

Finally, leave room for life to happen. Illness, family emergencies, or unexpected opportunities will arise. Building flexibility into your calendar makes it easier to pivot when needed without feeling like you’re falling behind.

There’s no one-size-fits-all homeschool calendar. By tailoring your academic year to your family’s unique needs, goals, and values, you can create a sustainable and enriching experience for both you and your child. Periodically revisit your calendar to see what’s working and what needs to change—it’s okay to evolve.

Learning Challenges

Use the arrows to navigate through the different learning disabilities and disorders.

Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage, such as a stroke, head injury, or neurodegenerative disease, that affects speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Dysphasia is an outdated term that was once used to describe partial language loss due to brain damage. Today, aphasia is the preferred and more accurate medical term.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects children and adults. It involves ongoing inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity patterns that can disrupt daily life and vary in severity.

AuDHD (Autism + ADHD)

Homeschooling a child with AuDHD—meaning they are both autistic and have ADHD—comes with unique opportunities and challenges. These children often display exceptional creativity, strong passions, and deep curiosity, but they may also struggle with attention, regulation, sensory sensitivities, executive functioning, and transitions.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects how the brain interprets sounds, not hearing itself. People with APD hear normally but struggle to understand speech, especially in noisy settings. Early diagnosis and support can significantly improve learning and communication.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals communicate, interact, learn, and behave. It involves a range of challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication. The term “spectrum” reflects the broad diversity in how autism presents in each person.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a childhood mental health condition marked by chronic irritability and frequent, intense outbursts that are out of proportion to the situation. While similar behaviors may appear in children with autism, they often stem from sensory or processing challenges, and the root causes differ even when the two conditions co-occur.

Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material affects development and results in the physical and intellectual characteristics associated with the condition. It’s one of the most common chromosomal disorders.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with numbers. It is sometimes referred to as “number dyslexia” because, like dyslexia for reading, dyscalculia makes it difficult to process mathematical information.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition that affects writing skills, making it hard to write clearly, spell correctly, and organize thoughts on paper.

Dyspraxia / DCD

Dyspraxia, or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a brain-based condition that affects physical coordination and motor skills. People with dyspraxia may struggle with everyday activities such as writing, dressing, or playing sports, and it can also affect their ability to plan, organize, and communicate clearly.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a neurological learning disability that affects reading, spelling, and writing. It often runs in families and involves difficulty with phonological processing—the ability to recognize and work with the sounds in spoken language.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Anxiety is a normal response to stress, such as relationship changes, public speaking, or major decisions. However, when it becomes persistent and disrupts daily life, it may indicate a mental health disorder. Anxiety and depression often occur together—nearly half of those with depression also have an anxiety disorder.

Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder (MRELD)

Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder (MRELD) is a communication disorder that affects both understanding and expressing language. Individuals with MRELD struggle to comprehend spoken language and have difficulty forming words or sentences to communicate clearly.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition marked by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a childhood behavior disorder marked by ongoing uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures. Children with ODD often cause more difficulty for others than for themselves.

Sensory Process Disorder (SPD)

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition where the brain struggles to process multisensory input effectively, leading to inappropriate responses to environmental demands. It commonly occurs in individuals with dyspraxia, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD.

Visual Process Disorder (VPD)

Visual processing disorder (VPD) is a condition that makes it challenging to interpret visual information, even with normal or sharp vision. It’s not a physical disability of the eye but rather a deficit in the brain’s ability to process visual input.