Our Day — Homeschooling
Full household flow · school starts by 9:00 · 3 hours learning before lunch🌅
Morning
- 1Wake up
- 2Tea & brekkie
- 3Clean up kitchen & dining room
- 4Brush teeth · Make beds · Get dressed
- 5Mom start laundry
- 6Boys movement break
- 7Snack
- 8▶ Start learning by 9:00
📖
School Block
- 93 hours of learning before lunch
- 1012:30Lunch @ 12:30
- 11Fold laundry
🌤️
Afternoon
- 12Aspen nap
- 131 hour 1-on-1 learning with Banyan
- 14Banyan chores
- 15Aspen wake up → snack
- 16Leave the house
🌙
Evening
- 17Dinner
- 18Clean up kitchen & dining room
- 19Baths & jammies
- 20Teeth
- 21Tidy house as family
- 22Puzzle or book
- 23Bedtime
Household Routines
AM · PM · Evening kitchen reset · Aspen morning chores☀️
Morning Routine
AM- 1Start kettle
- 2Make bed
- 3Tea & Journal
- 4Breakfast
- 5Teeth / Shower / Skincare
- 6Kids chores
- 7Start laundry
- 8Kids' free play
- 9Outside time
- 10Mom prep lesson
- 11Start school
🌙
Evening Routine
PM- 1Kids set table
- 2Teeth
- 3Meds
- 4Get middles out
- 5Story time
- 6Pets & lights out
- 7Skincare
- 8Journal / Planner
🍽️
Evening Kitchen Reset
🧹
Wipe table
🌀
Vacuum
🍳
Dishwasher
🫖
Stove → Kettle
🌿
Aspen Morning Chores
~10 minMake bedFeed TerraceWipe kitchen tableReset mudroom (shoes · coats · bags)
Aspen's Preschool Day
Full daily program · rotate activities · stop before disinterestPhilosophy: Predictability supports regulation. Follow the child's energy — shorten or skip blocks if needed. Learning happens through play. Stop before boredom.
Wake upBreakfastHygiene (teeth · face · hands · hair)Get dressedSimple "plan for the day"
→ Goal: Predictability & regulated start
Outdoor playWalk around the blockBackyard explorationIndoor obstacle courseDancing / music time
→ Goal: Gross motor & self-regulation. Brains learn best after moving.
CalendarWeatherSing 1–2 songsRead 1 bookQuick concept (colors · numbers · shapes · letters)
→ Rule: Stop before boredom. Goal: Builds attention & listening.
One structured activity per session — rotate through:
Sensory binPlay doughSimple puzzleMatching gamesLacing cards / beadsKinetic sandFind it scavenger huntCutting practiceSorting objects (color · size · shape)Sticker activityTracing linesTweezer practiceLetter matchingPouring practice w/ water
→ Goal: Fine motor + attention practice
BlocksDollhouseCarsPlay kitchenOpen-ended toysPretend play
Make healthy snack together (have him help!)1–2 booksConversation about the story
Nature scavenger hunt (find: green · small · round)Chalk drawing (letters · shapes · numbers)Counting objectsThrowing / catching practiceWater & measuring cupsObstacle course (crawl · jump · balance)Mother May I?Hot / ColdRed Light / Green Light
→ Goal: Gross motor + language + regulation
Name tracing / recognition (first · middle · last)Counting w/ real objectsShape & letter reviewMatching gameSound awareness — "What starts with M?"Sorting activity
Clean upMake lunch togetherNaptime
Keep it simple & process-focused — not product-heavy. Set it up, give minimal instructions, let them explore, describe what they're doing, stop when uninterested.
Tray of paint / thick paperStickers / blank paperGlue stick / torn paperPlay dough & toolsWater & brushes on sidewalkSponge paintingMixing colors (color wheel)Stamps + ink + paperWatercolor & watercolor paper
Guiding Philosophy
A Year-Round Learning System for Neurodivergent Learners · Tennessee FrameworkThis is a complete educational system designed around the neurological, emotional, and intellectual needs of neurodivergent children. It is not a school-at-home model. It does not replicate traditional calendars, grading systems, or age-based expectations. It organizes learning around three core commitments.
Learning is continuous. Skills deepen through sustained attention, not repetitive review of material already mastered. Time is structured to allow momentum without exhaustion.
Acceleration is humane when paired with real rest. Breaks are long, predictable, and protected. Rest is not earned. It is structural. Acceleration without recovery leads to burnout.
Meaning precedes motivation. Children learn best when learning connects to identity, curiosity, and the world beyond abstractions. Field trips are not rewards. Socratic dialogue is not enrichment. Projects are not extras.
👤
Role of Parents
- Architects of learning environments, not credentialed teachers
- Facilitate access to experts, materials, experiences, and dialogue
- Observe, document, adjust — ask good questions and model intellectual honesty
- Growth tracked through narrative, observation, and the child's own sense of mastery — not grades or peer comparison
"Learning is a shared project, not a service delivered to children."
🚫
What This System Does Not Do
- Does not replicate traditional school calendars or mimic institutional norms for their own sake
- Does not organize learning around standardized benchmarks (though it meets and often exceeds them)
- Does not treat family life as secondary to academics
- Birthdays are fully protected. Family rituals are not interrupted. Rest is real.
📈
How This System Scales Over Time
Ages 6–9
Foundation & Rhythm
Playful but consistent mastery. Curiosity-driven. Mastery celebrated without pressure. Science through observation, simple experiments. History through people and stories.
Ages 10–12
Deepening Inquiry
Increasing rigor. Systems-level thinking. Beginning to transfer autonomy. Social studies introduces primary sources, arguments for and against. Concepts deepen, abstract reasoning emerges.
Ages 13–15
Intellectual Independence
Rigorous content, explicit political economy. Sophisticated Socratic dialogues. Math may include calculus. Social studies: Federalist Papers, formal lab work, long-term research projects.
Ages 16–18
Preparation & Agency
Child designs closing and planning processes. Parent is facilitator more than instructor. Child increasingly owns the structure — identifies questions, seeks resources, pursues answers.
What stays the same at every age: Rhythms are predictable · Breaks remain substantial · Reflection is annual · Documentation is minimal · Family rhythm matters more than external benchmarks
🛡️
What This System Protects
- Childhood Memory — memorable, place-based learning. Conversation about fairness. No worksheets, test prep, or rote material. They remember field trips, museums, real work.
- Love of Learning — removes ceilings and comparisons. Does not pathologize difference. Rebuilds trust in neurodivergent children told they are slow or incapable.
- Family Cohesion — birthdays are the center. No homework assigned to evenings. Daily instruction ends by early afternoon. August break is real and uninterrupted.
School Day
Academic schedule · curriculum · digital tools · social studies scope⏱️
Daily Schedule — Mon through Thu
9:00–9:40
Online Learning Block
Khan Academy · 30–40 min · one domain (math or language) · follows child's readiness
9:40–9:50
Movement Break
Outdoor time, stretching, or sensory regulation
9:50–10:30
Reading & Language Arts
Independent reading, guided reading, vocabulary, or writing · shorter more frequent blocks for ND learners
10:30–10:40
Break
10:40–11:20
Science or Social Studies
Rotating focus. Primary sources, experiments, current events, historical narratives. Not every subject every day.
11:20–11:30
Break
11:30–12:10
Socratic Dialogue / Critical Thinking
Structured conversation around a question, text, or dilemma. Emphasis on reasoning, evidence, perspective-taking. This is core academic skill, not enrichment.
12:10–12:40
Lunch / Extended Break
12:40–1:10
Enrichment, Elective, or Project Time
Art, music, coding, nature study, or continuation of a longer project. Follows the child's interest and the week's rhythm.
Total instructional time: ~4 hours · Movement & breaks built in throughout
📅
Friday — Field & Project Day
Fridays are intentionally different. This is when learning leaves the home base. Counts fully as instructional time when planned with clear learning goals.
- Museum or historical site visit (with preparation and follow-up)
- Nature center or state park exploration
- Homeschool co-op or academic club participation
- Extended project work (building, researching, creating)
- Library research sessions
- Observation at working environments (farms, studios, workshops)
🧩
Core Curriculum Subjects
Language Arts
Reading comp · Spelling · Writing · Cursive
Math
Khan Academy primary track
Science
CK-12 reference + hands-on
Social Studies
History · Civics · Economics · Culture
Art & Music
Idea book · creative practice
Foreign Language & ASL
Social & Emotional Learning
Breathing exercisesTai ChiQi gongYogaAffirmationsTappingButterfly hugVibration plate
💻
Core Digital Tools
Khan Academy
Primary Daily Anchor
Used 4 days per week (Mon–Thu). One domain per session — either math or language, not both. Sessions follow the child's readiness and stop at fatigue. Provides continuity without ceilings — no dictating speed, depth, or meaning.
✓ Accelerated math · Reading & grammar support · Exploration of advanced topics based on interest
IXL
Periodic Diagnostic Only
NOT used regularly. Purchased for short full-membership windows — 2 to 3 times per year, before major breaks (August, Winter, Spring). These windows are the shortest available subscription period.
When not used: coverage, confidence, not completion. Run broad diagnostic scan across math and language skills, surface blind spots, reassure parents quietly. Goal is observation, not correction.
CK-12
Flexible Reference Library
A flexible, modular content library used selectively for science, math concepts, and social studies. CK-12 is a map, not a route. During science-heavy weeks it may sometimes replace the daily Khan Academy block.
Use to: pull specific concept explanations · pre-read before experiments · as reference during projects · skip content already mastered · preview future material
🌍
Social Studies — Scope & Values Orientation
Core Principles
- People-first history — history is the story of ordinary people making choices under constraint. Not a parade of presidents and wars.
- Local & regional grounding — East Tennessee has its own histories of resistance, complicity, and change studied with care and specificity
- Rights as contested and expanded — the Constitution is not static; it has been forced to expand through centuries of struggle
- Systems over individuals — slavery was not individual prejudice; it was a system of racial capitalism. Children learn to see systems, not just stories.
Key Content Areas
Indigenous HistorySlavery & Its LegaciesLabor & ClassAppalachian & East TN HistoryCivics & Constitutional Rights
Teaching Approach
This is not indoctrination. It is intellectual honesty. Children are taught to ask: Who benefited? Who was harmed? What changed, and why? They are also the questions historians ask.
- Primary sources — speeches, letters, firsthand accounts
- Museums, historic sites, and archives
- Field learning and narrative
- Evidence and perspective — taught to ask, form arguments, not produce single right answers
A Friday spent at a textile mill discussing labor history, observing machinery, and writing reflections meets multiple subject requirements at once.
Year & Breaks
Annual calendar · break philosophy · transition ritual · documentation📆
12-Month Calendar Model
~42 instructional weeks · ~189 instructional days · buffer of 9 days above the 180-day requirement
Block 1 — Fall Segment (12–13 weeks)
September
4 weeks
Bridge week first
October
4 weeks
November
4 weeks
December
1–2 weeks
→ Winter Break
Winter Break (3 weeks · solstice-centered)
Dec / Jan
3 weeks OFF
Mid-Dec to early Jan
January
4 weeks
Block 2 starts
February
4 weeks
March
2 weeks
→ Spring Break
Spring Break (3 weeks · late March / early April)
March / April
3 weeks OFF
Late March – early April
April ← Now
~3 weeks
Block 3 in progress
May
4 weeks
June
4 weeks
July
4 weeks
Final stretch
August
4 weeks OFF
Aug 19–27 · Identity-first rest
→ September
Bridge week
New year begins
🌿
Break Philosophy
Breaks in this system are real. They are not "light learning weeks." They are not opportunities to catch up or get ahead. They are full cessation of academic work, protected by the family and designed to meet neurological and emotional needs.
- Predictability reduces anxiety — when children know breaks are coming, they can pace their effort. Uncertainty about rest creates chronic low-level stress.
- Rest and recovery are not the same. Recovery implies repairing damage. Rest implies structural necessity. This system treats rest as part of the design.
- No guilt. No logging. Breaks do not count toward the 180-day requirement. They are genuinely off the instructional calendar.
- "Just a little math" doesn't work. It teaches children that rest is conditional. It loses trust in the system. Better to return after a full break.
| Break | Length | Timing | What Is Expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 4 weeks | Aug 19–27ish | Nothing. Full release from academics. Birthdays. Family identity. |
| Winter | 3 weeks | Solstice-centered, mid-Dec to early Jan | Nothing. Time-regulated downtime. Full release. |
| Spring | 3 weeks | Late March / early April | Nothing. Regulation, reconnection with nature, preparation for final push. Outdoor time encouraged but not required. |
🌅
Annual Transition Ritual
5-day closing week in late July / early August. A structured opportunity for reflection, closure, and forward orientation. Reduces transition anxiety. Builds narrative identity.
Day 1
Looking BackOpen-ended reflection. Begin with storytelling. "What do you remember most from this year?"
Day 2
Naming GrowthFocus on specific skills, knowledge, changes — "What got easier this year? What book or idea stayed with you?"
Day 3
Truth-TellingEmotional honesty. "What didn't work? What felt bad? What needs to change?" Parents share too.
Day 4
Wondering ForwardShift toward future without pressure or expectation. "What do you want to explore? What are you curious about?"
Day 5
CeremonySpecial meal or outing chosen by the child. Burn list of things to let go. Create visual timeline. "The Learning Year is complete."
Bridge & Planning Week (early September)
5 days, 3–3.5 hours/day. Re-establish routines not pushing productivity. Day 1–2: ease back in with familiar subjects. Day 3: goal setting. This is a transition, not a full instructional week.
📋
Documentation & TN Compliance
Tennessee requires: 180 days of instruction per year, at least 4 hours per day. No portfolios, tests, or third-party evaluations required for home school option families.
| Type | What Is Required | What Is Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Simple log — date + notation that instruction occurred | Note focus areas and activities (1–2 sentences) |
| Monthly | Brief paragraph summarizing focus areas and activities | 1–2 paragraphs capturing focus and rhythm of the month |
| Annual | Narrative summary (TN does not mandate this) | 1–2 page summary organized by subject or theme — not a transcript. Serves as family record and child's own sense of progress. |
What Documentation Is NOT
- Not proof of worthiness or defense against scrutiny
- Not submitted anywhere unless the family chooses the school option
- Not portfolios, tests, or third-party evaluations
- If documentation becomes burdensome, it is too complex. This system prioritizes the parent's energy and the child's experience over administrative performance.
JC Community Center
Mid May – Mid August · Homeschool Programs · Far Left EntranceContact: Roy @ JC Community Center · Homeschool PE Leader · Far Left Entrance | Membership: Free | Monthly Pass $25/child (HS)
📅
Tuesday Schedule
1:00–2:00
🏃 PE
HS / PS
2:00–3:30
🏊 Open HS Swim
HS / PS · ages 2–3 free
2:15–3:15
🎨 HS Art + Preschool Art
HS / PS · runs same time as Minecraft
2:00–3:00
🎮 HS Minecraft
HS only · runs same time as Art
⚡ Art & Minecraft run simultaneously — choose one
📅
Thursday Schedule
1:00–2:00
🏃 PE
HS / PS
2:00–3:00
🎮 HS Gaming Hour
HS only · new game each week w/ moderator
2:15–3:15
📖 HS Book Club
HS only · runs same time as Gaming Hour
⚡ Book Club & Gaming Hour run simultaneously — choose one
🕐 Arrive 10–15 min early to set up gym equipment
Meal Ideas
Quick reference for brekkie & lunch · weekly themed dinners🌅
Brekkie
🥣 Overnight oats🥣 Oatmeal🍮 Chia pudding🍓 Parfaits🧀 Cottage cheese & fruit🥚 Boiled eggs🍞 PB toast🍳 Egg + cheese toast🌯 Breakfast burrito
🥪
Lunch
🌯 Wraps🥪 PB&J / Nutella & honey & banana / lunchmeat🫔 Quesadillas + avocado🍕 English muffin pizzas🍝 Cold pasta salad🥗 Salad🫓 Hummus · chicken · pita · cucumbers🫓 Naan · chicken · cashew nuts
🍽️
Weekly Themed Dinners
Sun
🐟 Seafood
Mon
🫙 Miso / Mediterranean
Tue
🌮 Taco Tuesday
Wed
🍲 Crockpot
Thu
🍽️ Varied
Fri
🍕 Pizza / Flatbread
Sat
🍞 Hokkaido / Sicilian
Weekly Rhythm
Recurring tasks · meals · activities by daySun
Seafood Sunday 🐟
Dad: Laundry
Pod
Plasma
Hike 🥾
Mon
Mediterranean / Miso
Mom: Laundry
Clean Bedrooms
Water Plants 🌿
Library
Tue
Taco Tuesday 🌮
Towel Laundry
Clean Kitchen & Dining
HS Community Ctr
Prep crockpot
Dad: Trash out
Wed
Crockpot Wednesday 🍲
Rag Laundry
Clean Bathroom
Gymnastics 🤸
Thu
Webinar Laundry
Clean Living Room
HS Community Ctr
Meal plan next week
Fri
Pizza Friday 🍕
Movie Night 🎬
Aspen Laundry
Clean Mudroom & Car
Mom: Therapy
Dad: Plasma
Sat
Bouyon Laundry
Mom Time ✨
Pick up groceries
Hokkaido / Sicilian
🧺 Laundry Rotation
Sun · DadMon · MomTue · TowelsWed · RagsThu · WebinarFri · AspenSat · BouyonCleaning
Meals
Chores
Activities
Personal
This Week
Week of April 19, 2026Monday
Wake up / Boys up & make bed
Aspen nap
Pick Banyan up
OT
Boys Bed · Mom Bed
Tuesday
Therapy
Aspen nap
Pick Banyan up · Library
Boys Bed · Mom Bed
Wednesday
Gymnastics 🤸
Aspen nap
Pick Banyan up
Boys Bed · Mom Bed
Thursday
Aspen nap
Grocery · Pick kids up
Boys Bed · Mom Bed
Friday
EMDR
Aspen nap
Pick Banyan up · Parkour
Pizza & Movie Night 🍕🎬
Saturday
Vet visit
Boys / Bookos · Aspen nap
Pick Josh · Grocery / McD
Mom & Dad alone time ✨
Sunday
Mom meal prep
Boys cartoons · Aspen nap
Dad: school work
Boys Bed · Mom Bed
Important/Appts
Kids
Pickups/Errands
Bedtime
Monthly Calendar
April & May 2026April 2026
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 19UC Library #2Kids class | 20 | 21Surprise & Nani | 22Community Ctr | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26EG Possoms | 27Community Ctr | 28Game/Party HS UCPL 10–11:30 | 29Community Ctr | 30 |
May 2026
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5CC · UCPL HS 10–11:30 | 6 | 7Community Ctr | 8 | 9Loop Club UCPL 11:30–1:30 |
| 10 | 11 | 12Community Ctr | 13 | 14Community Ctr | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19CC · UCPL #5 10–11:30 | 20 | 21Community Ctr | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26Community Ctr | 27 | 28Book Club UCPL 4pmCommunity Ctr | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
Community Center
UCPL / Library
Special Events
Programs / Clubs
Other
To add: OT recurring slot · Therapy / EMDR schedule · Plasma days · May CC Tue/Thu exact start date (mid-May — confirm with Roy) · Any medical appointments
Today
Banyan
age 9
Aspen
age 3 · parallel
Together
both kids
📚 Open & Go
📝 Mom's Notes