The Eden Institute Biblical Herbalism Education

What a Homeschool Day Really Looks Like: Schedules, Hours and Starting Young

By Camila Johnson · October 29, 2026

A homeschool day is a lot shorter than a school day. HSLDA says most kids only need two to three hours of school a day when they’re taught at home, and little ones need even less structure than that. The rest of the day is reading, playing, chores, cooking and being outside, and a lot of real learning happens there too.

What does a homeschool day look like?

Every homeschool day looks a little different, and you get to set it. You’re not stuck with 8 to 3, Monday through Friday. Pennsylvania’s own homeschool guide even says study times “may be defined as evenings and weekends.” Check your state’s law, then build a day that fits your family.

In my house, the day starts before the girls are up. I wake up early and spend time with Jesus, because I can’t give from an empty cup. Then the basics go first. My girls’ Khan Academy work starts first thing in the morning and is due that night, and I sit with each of them to go over yesterday’s work.

The rest of the day follows what they love. One of my girls loves animals, so that’s what we dig into, and that’s our science class. They say things like, “Man, school was fun today.”

A simple rhythm to start with

If you’re starting from scratch, try this and adjust as you learn your kids:

  1. Bible and a read-aloud together. Start the day at the table.
  2. The basics while minds are fresh: reading, writing and math. Short blocks work. HSLDA says “a lot can be accomplished in just 30 minute blocks of time.”
  3. Hands-on subjects: science, nature study, art, cooking.
  4. Outside and free play.

HSLDA’s best scheduling advice is to put your big commitments on the calendar first and fit everything else around them, and to not “allow checklists or routines to distract you from the importance of the relationships.”

Eden’s Table runs on a weekly rhythm instead of a daily one: one plant a week. Monday you hear it, Tuesday you see it, Wednesday you do it, Thursday you find it in the world, and Friday you go outside.

How many hours a day does homeschooling take?

Less than a school day. HSLDA says “most kids only need 2–3 hours of school each day when they’re being taught at home,” and that the typical day, especially for elementary-age children, takes a lot less time than school.

I decided on quality over quantity, because a lot of times those teachable moments happen pretty quickly. I don’t want 15 boxes to check, because if I’m overwhelmed and frustrated, my kids will feel it.

Does my state require a certain number of hours?

Some states do, and they count it differently. A few examples:

StateWhat the law asks
Tennessee (independent home school)At least 4 hours of instruction a day, 180 days a year
Pennsylvania180 days, or 900 hours for K-6 and 990 hours for grades 7-12
MissouriAt least 1,000 hours a school term, 600 of them in core subjects, and 400 of those at your regular homeschool location
Georgia180 days of at least 4.5 hours each
Ohio (home education option)No hours requirement

These are examples, not your state. Look yours up on HSLDA’s legal map before you plan your year, and the laws and paperwork guide walks through the rest.

How do I homeschool kindergarten?

Kindergarten is a great age to start. Little ones get more out of sitting down with you and doing it together, so they get the hang of the basics: reading, writing and even basic arithmetic. Keep it short and hands-on:

  • Read aloud every day. Picture books, Bible stories, poems.
  • Practice reading and writing at the table, a little every day.
  • Count real things: spoons, buttons, seeds, steps to the mailbox.
  • Go outside every day. Look, touch, smell, collect.
  • Keep screens off. More on that below.

HSLDA says “young kids do not need as strict of a schedule as high school students.” With really little ones, your days are more chaotic, so pick something you can literally open and go. The free Sprouts week for K-2 is built that way: one plant, five days, at the table and outside.

Do I have to homeschool kindergarten?

It depends on your state’s compulsory school age. In 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, it ranged from age 5 in Virginia to age 8 in Washington.

  • Pennsylvania’s education department says plainly, “Kindergarten is not required in Pennsylvania.”
  • In Missouri, you begin complying with the homeschool law when your child turns 7.
  • Here in Tennessee, HSLDA says the law applies starting at age 6, and you can ask your local public school principal for a one-semester or one-year deferral.

If your child is already enrolled in a public kindergarten, different rules can apply, so check your state’s page on HSLDA’s legal map.

What age should I start homeschooling?

You can start formal lessons whenever your state’s law allows. Before that, there’s no rush. HSLDA notes that, depending on the state, “homeschool families are free to choose when they begin formal or informal education.”

What about preschool and toddlers?

For toddlers and preschoolers, play is the lesson. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ report The Power of Play says, “Play is not frivolous: it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function.” The AAP also says “real time social interactions and play are superior to digital media for learning.”

So talk with them, read to them, sing, cook, garden and walk outside. Let them help with whatever you’re doing. That isn’t a warm-up for the real lesson. It is the lesson.

Should little ones learn on screens?

The World Health Organization recommends:

  • Under age 1: no screen time.
  • Age 1: sedentary screen time isn’t recommended.
  • Ages 2 to 4: no more than one hour a day, and “less is better.”
  • Ages 3 and 4: at least 180 minutes of physical activity a day.

I keep my little ones off screens. Through 4th grade, learning in my house happens at the table and outside. Around 5th grade, kids can start learning to work more independently on a screen, and even then I keep it minimal. The Khan Academy guide shows how I do it.

Can I homeschool and work?

Yes. HSLDA’s answer is, “Yes! You can homeschool even if you are working full-time!”

It takes planning, and it’s less common. In the latest federal survey (2022-23), 8.8% of children in two-parent families were homeschooled when one parent worked full time and the other stayed home. That dropped to 4.5% when the other parent worked part time, and 1.1% when both parents worked full time.

The Lord opened doors for me to be able to work from home, and then I decided to homeschool my babies. Working from home made it a perfect fit. It isn’t always quiet. When I’m working and the girls get loud, I try to stop before I redirect them and ask myself, am I not loving the sounds of joy right now?

What helps:

  • Pick an open-and-go curriculum, so planning doesn’t eat your nights.
  • Assign independent work ahead of time for older kids. Mine do Khan Academy, set up the day before and checked each morning.
  • Teach the together subjects when you’re off, if your state allows it. Pennsylvania lets study times fall on evenings and weekends.
  • Share the teaching. HSLDA says that “as long as you are your child’s primary teacher, your child is free to learn from someone else,” though the rules vary by state. Co-ops, tutors and grandparents all count. The homeschool worries guide covers finding a co-op.
  • Take care of you first. Get up before the kids if you can.

Try a week before you plan a year

The easiest way to see what your days could look like is to teach one real week. Week 1 of Eden’s Table is free for Sprouts (K-2) or Seedlings (3-5). Print it, teach it the same morning, and see how your kids respond.

Sources

Questions families ask

How many hours a day is homeschool?

There's no single number. HSLDA says most kids only need two to three hours of school a day when they're taught at home, and young children need less structure than older ones. Some states set a minimum, like Tennessee's four hours a day for 180 days for an independent home school, so check your state's law.

Do I have to homeschool kindergarten?

It depends on your state's compulsory school age. In 2020 it ranged from 5 in Virginia to 8 in Washington. Pennsylvania's education department says kindergarten is not required there, and Missouri's law applies once a child turns 7.

What does a homeschool schedule look like?

Most families do the basics, like reading, writing and math, while minds are fresh, then hands-on subjects, then time outside. You're not limited to school hours, and young children need less structure than older ones.

What age should you start homeschooling?

You can start formal lessons whenever your state's law allows. Before that, play is how young children learn: the American Academy of Pediatrics says play enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function.

How much screen time is OK for little ones?

The World Health Organization recommends no screen time for babies under 1 and no more than one hour of sedentary screen time a day for ages 2 to 4, with less being better. In this guide, K-4 learning is hands-on, at the table and outside.

Can you homeschool while working full time?

Yes. HSLDA says you can homeschool even if you work full time. Families make it work with an open-and-go curriculum, independent work for older kids, evening or weekend lessons where state law allows, and help from co-ops or tutors.