One day I was trying to write down the subjects I wanted to accomplish with my kids and the approximate time it would take to achieve these subjects and I quickly became overwhelmed and nervous I wouldn’t be able to multitask the way I dreamed of. At the time, I was only homeschooling a first grader and had a toddler I felt pressed for time and was trying to brainstorm solutions to cover multiple subjects without doing school for 8 hours a day.
Introducing a loop schedule to simplify your homeschool without sacrificing the subjects you dreamed of teaching can be what your looking for. A loop schedule is completely customizable to your needs, wants, and the season of life you are in. You can make a list of subjects you want to accomplish and bring variety without overwhelming yourself and your kids.
By the end of this post, you’ll know what a loop schedule is, how to set one up, and why it might become your favorite homeschool tool—especially if you’re juggling life with little ones.
What is a Loop Schedule?
You can really customize what a loop schedule is and how it will look in your home. My loop schedule has changed many times throughout the years. You can assign subjects to certain days for example you could do music on Monday, Tuesday you could do art, Wednesday you could have a cooking class. This way you are adding variety to your school but aren’t carrying the burden of all these subjects every single day.
Another option, instead of assigning subjects to specific days/times, you work through a list in order and simply pick up where you left off each day. I like this approach, especially with our morning basket work. I find it so freeing to set a timer for the amount of time I want to work on my list of supplemental subjects and whatever we can complete is enough and I know where to pick up the next day.
My favorite loop schedule option is focus on the said subject for 6 weeks and then loop back to another subject. In our homeschool we attend Monday- Thursday(review/makeup work on Friday) for 6 weeks and then take a week long break. Within 6 weeks we complete a unit of science and aren’t distracted with history. We enjoy our break and then when we return to school we drop science and loop to history for the next 6 weeks.
I am sure you have heard of time blocking which is extremely effective, especially in a public school setting. Students are able to block off their time throughout the day for the assigned subject. While a loop schedule is able to be effective we are able to customize what will work for our family and our season of life. Loop scheduling gives me the opportunity to plan for multiple subjects,avoid burnout, and introduce new subjects to gauge interest.
Example of a loop schedule:
Option #1:
Monday: History, Art
Tuesday: Science, Music
Wednesday: Poetry, Nature Study, and so on…
– No stress if you miss a day—just continue the loop.
Option #2:
History
art
science
music
poetry
nature study
cooking
– start at the top and work through what you can on Monday – continue the loop where you ended on Tuesday
Option #3:
Week 1-6
History and music
*Break*
Week 7 -13
Sciecne and art
Benefits of a Loop Schedule
There are many benefits to instilling a loop schedule into your homeschool, but one of my most treasured benefits is the flexibility to tackle more subjects and less pressure to get them all done. As we know life happens, baby’s start teething, toddlers need extra snuggles, big kids need a brain break. With a loop schedule established you don’t have to worry about “falling behind” because there’s no strict schedule.
When I was listing out all the amazing subjects and lessons I wanted to cover and expose our kids too it would of easily overloaded our day. One of the big reasons we chose to homeschool was to give our kids more time to play and have a childhood full of fun and if I had overloaded our day with these subjects that would of been the opposite of what I intended. By looping subjects I can ensure that non core subjects are getting the consistent attention they need without doing too much daily.
Establishing a loop schedule is the ideal solution for families with babies and toddlers.While all parenting days are unpredictable that is especially true of the baby/toddler stage. When you have a relaxed homeschool rhythm you have room to take the unpredictable days with grace because you know the important material is covered.
An established homeschool loop schedule will help alleviate your overwhelm and hopefully reduce any of that pesky mom guilt of, “am I doing enough?” Once you establish a relaxed rhythm you will be able to feel productive without the rigid daily schedule many new homeschoolers make.
How to Create a Loop Schedule
Step 1: List Out the Subjects You Want to Include
– Core subjects (language arts, math, science, history)
– Extras (art, music, poetry, nature study, handicrafts, foreign languages)
Step 2: Prioritize Subjects Based on Frequency
– Example: “We do math and reading daily, but history and science go into our loop.”
Step 3: Create Your Loop List
– Sample loop list for grammar stage:
– Day 1: History
– Day 2: Science
– Day 3: Art & Poetry
– Day 4: Nature Study
– Day 5: Music & Handicrafts
I want to Emphasize that this is NOT tied to a calendar—simply flow through the list.
Step 4: Set Realistic Time Goals for Each Subject
– Example: 20-30 minutes per loop subject, depending on age.
Step 5: Adjust as Needed
– Be encouraged to be as flexible as you need and make changes as your life and schedule changes. I have personally changed our loop schedule many times throughout the years. As a homeschooling family we have the flexibility to adjust as needed.
Tips for Using a Loop Schedule with Young Kids or Babies
Keep Sessions Short
– Attention spans are short; avoid overwhelm by limiting each subject to small, manageable time.
Combine Ages When Possible
– When teaching multiple kids using one one-loop schedule try to combine ages with subjects. Family learning is a great way to expose younger kids to more advanced lessons and an opportunity for older kids to review concepts and encourage younger kids.
Use a Visual System
– I keep a binder with a loop list. I have used a checklist since kids love checking things off or adding a sticker.
Make Use of Quiet Times
– One thing I would suggest is to work on loop subjects during nap time or independent play.
Give Yourself Grace
– loop schedules are about progress, not perfection. They give you the opportunity to explore multiple areas of interest without daily pressure. When you can’t complete your list give yourself grace that you will loop back to it on the next cycle.
Common Questions About Loop Schedules
“What if I don’t get to everything?”
– Answer: You won’t, and that’s okay. Consistency over time is more important than covering everything in one day.
“How do I include core subjects like math and reading?”
-I suggest keeping daily subjects outside of the loop and focusing the loop on enrichment subjects.
“Is a loop schedule too unstructured for me?”
– A loop schedule can be as structured as you want or as relaxed as you need. I encourage you to list out what your goals are and what time you have available to supplementary subjects and create your loop schedule from there.
If there is one thing you take away from this post know that loop schedules help you fit more subjects into your homeschool days.You can embrace a flexible, guilt-free rhythm—perfect for busy families.
Give a loop schedule a try—you might find it’s the simple solution you’ve been looking for to make homeschool days with little ones more joyful and less stressful.