Schedules and routines make the homeschool day run smoothly (most days 🙂).
Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to form a daily or weekly schedule for your student that strikes a healthy balance between structure and flexibility.
If you have a second grader at home, we’d like to share some ideas for a 2nd grade homeschool schedule … just to get your wheels turning on what might work best for you.
A Day in the Life of a Homeschooled 2nd Grader
If 1st grade is when a child experiences his or her first real taste of “formal” schooling, and 3rd grade is when independent learning kicks in, then what does homeschooling 2nd grade look like?
Second grade is the bridge between the two. I think of it as a transition year.
You’ll still be working on character building and teaching valuable manners, habits, and routines, but it’s also time to introduce “bigger” academic concepts.
Now that your 2nd grader is probably reading and writing on his own—and has learned to count objects—he or she is ready for things like word problems, counting money, and telling time.
Second graders continue to need plenty of breaks and time for free play, but their attention spans are increasing.
While learning through activities and play is still important, they’re beginning to develop the maturity it takes to concentrate on deeper learning and more book work.
Gain Clarity. Plan Your Week Quickly & Easily.
What Subjects Are Typically Taught in Second Grade?
Let’s talk about what we mean by “deeper learning.”
Second grade is when you begin to expand on the basics. For example, your child has most likely learned to read and write already. In second grade, she’ll move into:
- spelling
- grammar
- vocabulary
- story writing
While she may already know coin denominations and how to count objects, now she’s ready to combine the two and learn to count money.
It’s an exciting time as students’ very basic skills snowball into a cycle of higher learning.
Now that they’ve mastered reading, their comprehension increases, and they can absorb more and more content.
The usual second grade subjects include:
- Language arts
- Math
- Science
- Social studies
You might want to include physical education in some form, and mix in more creative subjects like art and music.
As always, check with your state to ensure you’re covering everything your 2nd grader needs to learn to meet state requirements.
(You can find a link to your state’s requirements toward the bottom of this post.)
Sample 2nd Grade Homeschool Schedule
Whether you’re new to homeschooling, want a change from last year, or just aren’t sure how to create a schedule for a second grader, getting started can be the hardest part.
For inspiration, here is a possible daily schedule for second grade students.
Bear in mind, this is just a sample homeschool day. As always, we suggest using the schedule example for ideas and making it your own.
7-8 a.m. Wake Up and Get Ready for the Day
Our sample schedule works well for a family of early risers. Of course, you can adjust the suggested times to fit your family’s needs.
In this sample schedule, you and your kids begin school by 8 a.m. The hour between 7 and 8 is reserved for getting dressed, breakfast, chores, and devotions or Bible study at the table.
You could also officially open the school day with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quick overview of what you’ll be doing for the day.
Second graders love to know what to expect!
8-9 a.m. Book Work
While your kids are still fresh and ready to go, it’s time to get them started on the more intense subjects that involve working from textbooks or handouts.
Since math lessons are often taught every day, starting with math ensures that day’s lesson will be accomplished.
Second graders typically can’t handle an hour at a time in a single subject, so you can complete this time block with another daily requirement like language arts.
Some parents find it helpful to let students take a break between subjects to ease the transition.
Your child can dispel some physical energy with fun activities or a quick walk to aid his or her focus on the next topic.
9-10 a.m. Creative Subjects
After a short break, this 2nd grade sample schedule moves on to the creative side of the brain with art, music, and other creative subjects.
Switching sides of the brain keeps your second grader from losing focus and growing weary.
Some suggestions for this hour include:
- Drawing
- Picture Writing
- Piano lessons
- Singing
- Crafting
10-11 a.m. Continued Book Work
Now that the left side of the brain has rested, it’s time to wake it up again. This next hour in our suggested schedule focuses once more on formal subjects.
These may include:
- Math
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
- Reading
- Grammar
11 a.m. -12 p.m. Hands-On Activities
In this schedule, the hour before lunch is dedicated to hands-on activities for the remainder of the day’s formal studies.
Science and geography lend themselves well to these types of activities. Try nature walks, fun experiments, and relevant games.
12-1 p.m. Lunch/Afternoon Chores
At this point, your child has been working on schoolwork in one form or another for four hours. The lunch break allows them to refuel and transition into the afternoon.
It also lends itself well to more chores, which teach responsibility in an age-appropriate way.
You may even sneak in some reading or math if your child helps make the meal (by measuring ingredients or reading the recipe).
Afternoon and Evening
In our sample schedule, all formal schooling takes place in the morning. This targets early risers and children who like to get their schoolwork done early for the day.
Your own child may not be a morning person or may want to spread learning out, and that’s okay.
If you concentrate on school all morning, we suggest lots of free play in the afternoons.
Second graders need plenty of time to use their imaginations, play with other kids, and learn to occupy themselves.
For children who thrive with structure, break up the afternoon into blocks similar to the morning. However, instead of assigning academic subjects to the blocks, designate them as reading time, independent craft time, or hobby time.
This also gives the homeschool parent an opportunity to work one-on-one with other students, tend to smaller children, or complete housework.
Alternatively, this is the time of day you can finish up any of your 2nd grade homeschool lesson plans that didn’t get completed.
By “unscheduling” the afternoon, you provide opportunities to catch up or spend extra time on subjects that require more attention.
In our sample schedule, evenings are also unstructured. This allows for extracurriculars, additional free play, and educational games.
How Long Should a 2nd Grader Homeschool?
Some homeschool parents worry about the length of time to spend on school each day.
The truth is, there is no one answer to how long your 2nd grader should spend in school as there is no “typical” homeschool day.
Instead, you’ll need to consider factors such as:
- Your individual child’s attention span.
- Your goals for the day.
- Extra activities that include stealth learning. (Maybe your child only spends 2 hours per day on actual bookwork, but you fold nonstop learning into everything you do.)
Tips & Ideas to Make Their Second Grade Year the Best Yet
As previously mentioned, second grade is a transition year.
Your child is still at an age where she needs plenty of time to informally explore and play.
To make her second-grade year successful, here are some ideas to work into your homeschool schedule:
- Weave in informal learning like field trips.
- Create “stations” or centers used only at certain times (to keep them interesting and fresh).
- Try the “one subject per day” approach if your student struggles with jumping from one subject to the next.
Don’t forget about extracurriculars! Clubs, co-ops, and library groups not only introduce a social aspect into the day, they also introduce your child to different styles of teaching.
It’s helpful to use schedule samples like the one above to create your own plan for homeschooling.
That said, our example 2nd grade homeschool routine is only the beginning. As always when we offer a sample schedule, use it as a starting point and customize it to your own family’s lifestyle and needs.
Don’t forget to download your free schedule pages!
