A Typical Day: Setting a Schedule

Setting and following a schedule is essential because it keeps the student in a routine. Keeping students in a routine helps them to stay focused on different tasks and provides them with an important life skill.

For a middle school or high school student, it should be expected that they spend approximately 45-60 minutes per subject. Please encourage them to take a couple of 10-15 minute breaks and be sure they take a more extended break for lunch for about 30 minutes. Although this age group is more independent, it is still important to check in with your student regularly and have conversations about what they are learning. Be sure they are staying on task and pace and have discussions to help keep them organized and stay on task if needed.

An elementary student usually does more than just academic subjects. They spend time talking and communicating about things that they are learning. They take breaks in the form of recess and lunch, talk to their teachers about the goals they have, and set goals. Activities such as these are vital because it helps students process what they are learning and not get overwhelmed. Providing time in the day to talk about what a student is learning will help them remember concepts being learned and provide them with a better chance of success towards mastery.

These things are done to provide students breaks so that they do not get overwhelmed or tired from subject to subject. It is important to incorporate these types of activities into the day for your student as well.

Please note, the schedules listed are suggested, to help guide you. It is important to set up a plan that works best for your student that is easy to follow to help maintain a routine. For example, Math can be done before Language Arts, or maybe your child does not need as many breaks during the day. Create a schedule that suits your student’s needs.

Here is a suggested schedule.

K-3 Suggested Schedule:

4-5 Suggested Schedule

A Typical Day Description

1. Morning Meeting (10 minutes): This is a time to meet with your student and go over some necessary skills students should know. It is also a time to review goals that have been set and review concepts being learned. Go over the calendar, weather, discuss the days of the week, current events, and the schedule for the day.
2. Language Arts Block (60-75 minutes): This includes online work, offline work, independent reading, and time to read aloud stories to a student.
3. Snack/Brain Break (15-20 minutes): Take time to prepare a nutritious snack with your student. Play a game, exercise, dance. A Brain Break is a 10-minute break that gets your student moving.
4. Math (45-60 minutes): This includes online work and offline work.
5. Lunch/Free Play (45 minutes): Work with the student to make a nutritious lunch, allow the student 20 minutes or more of free play, preferably outside, and technology-free.
6. Science (30-45 minutes): This includes online and offline work. Science may be done daily or every other day.
7. Social Studies (30-45 minutes): This includes online and offline work. Social Studies may be done daily or every other day.
8. Electives (30 minutes): Rotate elective courses, for example, do Art one day, PE the next day, etc.
9. Afternoon Meeting (10 minutes): This is a time to meet with your student and review the day.

• Please discuss with your student what they enjoyed most, what is something new they learned, what was their least favorite activity, what is something they need to review, or if they need extra help with a concept.
• Review the goals that were set, discuss if the goals were met if they need to be readjusted, and set new goals if needed.
• For Grades 1-3, please take a minute to review spelling words, ask the students to spell the word, and use it in a sentence. Please make it a challenge not to use the same sentence each day.
• Review the math concepts for the day, quiz students on what they are learning.