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Creating school and chore checklists can completely transform your homeschool routine. These simple tools promote independence, reduce stress for moms, and build lifelong skills like responsibility and time management. This post will show you why checklists work, how to create them, and the best tips for using them in your homeschool—even if you’re just starting out.
Creating school and chore checklists was probably the BEST thing I ever did in our homeschool! Seriously. It was a total game changer. Having checklists takes the stress off of YOU and puts it on the kids. They know exactly what is expected without you having to remind them constantly, and you can easily check their progress. It is a key part of successful homeschooling. (See more here: How to Be Successful in Homeschooling & Parenting)
Using checklists and charts helps your kids develop responsibility, fosters independence, and keeps your homeschool running smoothly. At the same time, it gives your gives a sense of accomplishment as they check off their tasks. Whether you’re a new homeschool mom or a seasoned one, you’ll find that using checklists is a simple, powerful way to bring structure and peace to your days.
Creating a school and chore checklist not only helps your child stay organized—it also teaches them how to take ownership of their work. As they mark things off, they gain a sense of accomplishment and develop essential character traits like:
Responsibility
Diligence
Initiative
Perseverance
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Whether you’re teaching one child or many, checklists keep things clear, consistent, and manageable.
School and chore checklists are also important because:
Kids learn how to work without constant reminders and grow in personal responsibility.
With a school and chore chart, your kids can jump in and get started. If Mom isn’t around for some reason, they are still able to begin with any work they can do on their own.
They can see what has to be done and know there is an end in sight. Being able to mark things off as they get them done is motivating to them. (Don’t you love crossing things off your to-do list? I know I do!)
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No more getting to the end of the day only to find they were playing before they finished their school work. The charts show them what needs to be done before play time, and you can glance at them at any time to see how they are progressing.
File charts weekly in a binder to maintain a full year’s worth of documentation. All their work will be documented on the charts, so you won’t have to be searching for papers or trying to remember who did what. You don’t need a big fancy planner for this. These charts are super simple to make and use.
How do you make a chore sheet or school chart? Put the days of the week across the top, and the subjects or activities they need to do down the side. At the bottom, include a row for their daily jobs. Also, add any extra things like practicing math facts or piano, silent reading, or activities that you want to be sure they do each day. (This can easily be created as an Excel, Google Sheets, or Word doc.)
Give each of the kids a clipboard for their charts, so they don’t get lost. Have them put their clipboard with the completed chart on your desk daily after they have finished all their assignments for the day.
You can also add a column beside the days of the week for grades, if you track them. At the end of each week, I would average the score of their graded work for each subject and put that score (or grade) in the column. This is an EASY PEASY way to keep track of their grades, especially when they get into the upper grades and you need them for a transcript.
List page numbers and assignments clearly. As they complete the work, they simply put a check mark beside it. They can see what is done and what remains to be done. This keeps your kids accountable, and they can’t say they didn’t know what they were supposed to do, or that they forgot. It is all there for them to see daily.
They can review their books or semester requirements to determine how much work they need to complete each week to meet the deadline. Letting them plan their work teaches them time management and how to prioritize.
At the same time, they will feel like they are in control of their education, which makes them more invested. As a result, they will be more likely to work harder to stay on the schedule that they set up for themselves.
Schedule weekly planning time. This will vary based on how many you are teaching at the same time. As my kids all started getting older and more independent in their work, my workload was lightened.
As you can probably tell, I LOVED using a school and chore chart for the kids. They work! The charts we used for 31 years of homeschooling are in the set below, along with a few other charts, and lots of good tips as well!)
This is the final lesson in our FREE Planning A Successful School Year in 5 Easy Steps course.
