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10-Step Homeschool Routine
Homeschoolers want a schedule! I want you to have a routine. But you can call it a schedule if that makes you happy!
I’ve learned that I can keep a routine more easily than a fixed schedule.
I laid out our family’s 10-step routine on Instagram stories and many asked me to share it permanently.
Here it is!
- Wake up after enough sleep (time of day varies).
- Spend 30 minutes or so—getting breakfast, drinking tea or coffee, kids playing.
- Brush teeth and dress.
- Move to the family room for read aloud time (usually several books over the course of an hour that includes myriad interruptions by toddlers, baby nursing, juice getting, or ending a fight over LEGO).
- Take a break—run around the house or backyard then eat a protein snack.
- Gather at the kitchen table for copywork, handwriting, working on a writing project.
- Another break—toss a frisbee, do jumping jacks, have a dance party.
- Do math at the kitchen table. If a toddler is a problem, park them in front of the TV for a show you like while guiding the other kids in math.
- LUNCH!
- History/Science/Arts after lunch. Pick one each day. Rotate.
That’s it! That’s the routine. With a range of ages, you might sometimes need to alternate attention. That’s okay! Let the child who isn’t working with you do something fun they can only do during those times. It helps!
But above all…
Drop everything for a better offer! Field trip, park day, museum, skiing, going to the beach, binge watching a great TV series.
My book, The Brave Learner, goes into detail about how to
create a lifestyle of learning. We’ve got you!
Reading Aloud Changes Everything
Did you miss our “Reading Aloud Changes Everything” webinar? It was raw. I found myself sharing personal stories of Morocco and the role of reading in my life as a child. Sometimes the scope and length of life catch me by surprise, and I realize how sacred books have been in making me into the person I am today.
But even more, I’m aware of how books have shaped informed the people my children have become as adults. They have values and sensitivity and facility with language because we spent so much time immersed in literature.
Living Books
In this moment of AI and digital decay, LIVING books are the answer written by human beings who crack open their hearts to let you see their interiors.
It is such a privilege to read a writer who takes that risk. We give that gift to our children every day when we read to them. Wow.
Watch the replay.
About Brave Writer
Brave Writer products are written by real people who love literature and understand how to engage children so that the leasons of literature stick with them.
We are different than other programs for a reason. And it’s effective as well as delightful as a result.
Throw off the school ideas—that’s why you decided to homeschool!
Join us. We walk with you the whole way.
[Podcast #317] Hygge Homeschool for the Holidays
As the leaves turn and the days shorten, there’s a distinct shift in the air – it’s the cozy season, a time for warmth, reflection, and connection. This season, we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations about embracing the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) in our homeschooling journey. Hygge is all about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. It’s the warmth of morning light streaming through the window, the comfort of a hot cup of cocoa, the joy of a shared story.
In this replayed Brave Writer podcast episode, we delve into how hygge can transform the homeschooling experience. As the season changes, so does the rhythm of our homes and our approach to education. It’s a time to slow down, to savor, and to connect more deeply with our children through learning and play.
Go here for the complete Show Notes.
Resources
- Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention!
- English Tea Store: englishteastore.com
- Read: The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
- Read: Outside Lies Magic by John Stilgoe
- Some of the games mentioned:
- Hero Kids: https://www.heroforgegames.com/hero-kids/
- Amazing Tales: https://amazing-tales.net/
- Expedition (free pdf): https://expeditiongame.com/print-and-play (for all ages)
- Your Very Own Village (free pdf): https://www.onwardheroes.com/yourveryownvillage
- MouseGuard RPG: https://www.mouse-guard.net/rpg
- Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
- Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
- Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Go to bravewriter.com/getting-started
- Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz
Connect with Julie
- Instagram: @juliebravewriter
- Threads: @juliebravewriter
- Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa
- Website: melissawiley.com
- Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
- Instagram: @melissawileybooks
- Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social
Produced by NOVA
Critical Thinking and Fundamentalism
In his book, Strong Religion, Gabriel Almond (plus authors) makes a case for the idea that when a society is going through seismic shifts that feel unnerving, the tendency is to double down on the past and black-and-white thinking. Many times we adopt a fundamentalist spirit, whether or not, we are religious.
Hallmarks of Fundamentalism
The hallmarks of that fundamentalism are a rejection of the threatening new ideas or technologies, and a desire to return to familiar ones that make a person feel safe and secure.
Black-and-white thinking leads to suspicion which creates in and out groups. Problem-solving to account for a variety of needs goes out the window.
In the homeschool space, sometimes we fall prey to fundamentalist thinking about education—who qualifies as a true homeschooler or we eye other educational spaces or philosophies with suspicion.
Critical thinking starts with curiosity and a willingness to dissent. It also expands to include uncomfortable perspectives in an attempt to learn from them. It means not having the comfort of certainty but the relief of having your own thoughts—even ones that don’t fit neatly into your group.
I know I’m in my black-and-white mind when I’m smug, flippant, and stop being curious about what makes someone else tick. I know I’m thinking better when I pause to wonder—why, how, what was it like for _____, what don’t I know about this?
This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.
Monday Morning Meetings: Fall 2025
Our five-minute weekly podcast for your kids is going strong on Substack!
There are new episodes available and they are FREE (they aren’t always).
The goal is to give your kids actionable steps to take control of their learning experience, to make it more meaningful and delightful to them.
So play a podcast for your kids then give them time to have fun with it.
Monday Morning Meetings
- D.E.A.R.
- Board Games
- The Alphabet
- Table Centerpiece
- Compare and Contrast
- Book Collage
- Holiday Helping
Check out all of the episodes HERE.
Subscribe to Brave Learning on Substack where we chat, discuss, problem-solve, and create together. Here’s what you can expect: weekly themed content, freewriting prompts, and a podcast for kiddos called Monday Morning Meeting!
