At Adirondack Learning Academy, we are often asked about the number of hours students should spend on their coursework. Many parents believe a homeschool day should be the same length of time as a traditional school day, approximately 6 hours. During the pandemic, studies were conducted to determine the sufficient number of hours needed. At the PreK level, there should be a maximum of 60 minutes of content focused learning per day. As we enter elementary and middle school, the number of hours increases to approximately 2-3 hours with 4 hours as the maximum for high school students. The chart below gives a recommended guideline.
Many of our students transition from public or private school settings to homeschooling. It is important to remember that even in those settings, your child is not spending all 6 hours actively engaged in academic instruction. A study of 1,200 teachers showed that time throughout the day is spent settling down the class, collecting homework, reviewing questions from the homework, lunch, recess and refocusing the class after a disruption with an average of only 7 minutes spent on teaching new course content.
Homeschooling offers content focused learning in shorter and more flexible periods of time which often results in more learning and greater academic success. As you retrain your brain during the transition from the traditional school model to homeschooling, remind yourself to maintain a sustainable routine which works for your family. Take breaks when necessary, allow yourself and your child to move around which helps with the absorption of newly introduced concepts and be flexible with your schedule. Our staff is very skilled at guiding your family’s transition to homeschooling. Call us today at (800)374-1007 and let us take you where you want to go! *Image:ISBE.net
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