Anchor the day, then fill it
Pick three anchors: a start time, a hard-subject slot when your child is freshest, and an independent work block. Everything else can move without the day collapsing.
Realistic hours by age
Focused learning time is much shorter than a school day, because there is no transition or crowd management overhead.
- Ages 5-7: 2-3 hours
- Ages 8-10: 3-4 hours
- Ages 11-13: 4-5 hours
- Ages 14-16: 5-6 hours in qualification years
Plan weekly, review monthly
A weekly plan absorbs illness and travel far better than a daily one. A monthly review catches drift while it is still cheap to correct.