Idaho Four-Day School Week: Learning at Home on the Day Off, Grades 1–4
Idaho Four-Day School Week: Learning at Home on the Day Off, Grades 1–4
On the fifth day of an Idaho four-day school week, a short block of reading or math at home keeps young children from losing the thread, and it does not need to look like school. The Learning at Home Bundle gives parents of Grades 1–4 children four guides with workbooks for reading, math, English and motivation, written for parents rather than teachers.
See the parent guidesFor Idaho families whose school is closed one weekday, the Learning at Home Bundle ($79.99) is a practical way to use part of that day. It holds four parent guides with workbooks: Learn to Read at Home for Grades 1–2, No More School Struggles on motivation in Grade 2, Math Made Easy for Grade 3 and English Made Easy for Grade 4. It is not tied to Idaho's standards or your school's curriculum, so ask the teacher what to practice.
The resources
Learning at Home Bundle, Grades 1–4
4 resources in one download: $79.99 instead of $119.96 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Learning at Home Bundle | Parent Guides & Workbooks for Reading, Math, English & Motivation | Grades 1–4
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle | 7 Practice Packs + Warm-Up Bundle | Grades 1–4
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
The real problem
What the day off really looks like at home
The four-day week is widespread in Idaho, and for many families the fifth day is now a fixed part of the week. The State Board of Education sets a minimum number of instructional days, and HB 521, the 2024 school facilities funding law, asks districts that receive that money to attest they will not convert to four days, or that they meet the State Board minimum if they do. The policy debate is one thing. At the kitchen table, the question is simpler: what do I do with a seven-year-old on a Friday? Some families have the day covered by a grandparent, a sitter or a parent working from home; others juggle. Either way, the school days themselves are longer, and children often come home tired, so homework on school nights is a hard sell. That leaves the day off as the calmest time for a little practice. The difficulty is knowing what to practice and how. Most parents are not trained to teach reading, and well-meant help can turn into tears when a child is stuck on a sound or a subtraction fact. Short, guided sessions with clear instructions for the adult work better than a stack of random worksheets, and twenty or thirty relaxed minutes do more than a long fight.
Why it fits
How the four guides fit an Idaho day off
Each guide pairs advice for the parent with a workbook for the child, so the adult knows what to do before the child picks up a pencil.
- Learn to Read at Home guides parents of Grade 1–2 children through reading practice at home.
- No More School Struggles helps when a Grade 2 child pushes back against anything that looks like schoolwork.
- Math Made Easy gives Grade 3 families a workbook and guidance for short math sessions at home.
- English Made Easy supports Grade 4 English practice when school days are long and evenings are short.
- A guide plus workbook means you can start without asking the teacher for extra sheets each week.
- Siblings in different grades can each work in their own guide during the same quiet hour.
Getting started
A simple routine for the fifth day
These are suggestions from the classroom side of things. Shape them around your family's day, not the other way round.
- Read the parent guide firstSpend half an hour with the guide for your child's grade before you start. Knowing what the workbook is for, and what to say when your child gets stuck, saves most arguments.
- Pick one fixed timeChoose a time that rarely changes, such as after breakfast or after a morning outside. Children accept practice more easily when it is a routine and not a surprise.
- Keep sessions shortTwenty to thirty minutes is plenty for a first or second grader. Stop while it is still going well, so the next day off starts on a good note rather than a battle.
- Use the motivation guide when it stallsIf your child refuses or melts down, switch to No More School Struggles for a week. Working on the attitude first often makes the reading or math go better afterward.
- Ask the teacher what to focus onSend a short note asking which skills matter most right now. Then choose the pages that match, instead of working through the workbook in strict order.
What to buy
Which bundle suits your family
Choose the Learning at Home Bundle ($79.99, parts bought separately $119.96) if you want guidance for yourself as well as practice pages for your child. If you only want practice sheets, the Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle ($34.99, parts $50.92) offers seven math practice packs for Grades 1–4 plus warm-ups. The Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) has grammar, writing, phonics and reading packs for every grade from 1 to 6, which helps with siblings. For a science project on the day off, the Elementary Science Curriculum ($109.99) covers Grades 3–5.
Honest limits
What the bundle is not
These guides are not written for Idaho and do not follow Idaho's content standards or your school's curriculum. They are general practice for reading, math and English at home, so ask your child's teacher what to work on and check that it fits. The bundle does not replace school or count as instruction time. You supply printing, pencils and the time to sit with your child. The licence is for use in your own home; a school or tutoring group should message Teach Lessons first. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value if it does not suit you; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match what my child learns at school in Idaho?
Not necessarily. The guides are not aligned to, endorsed by or approved for Idaho's standards or any district's curriculum, and they have no Idaho-specific content. They cover general reading, math, English and motivation for Grades 1–4. Ask your child's teacher what skills are current, then choose the matching pages in the workbook.
My child is in Grade 1. Is the whole bundle useful?
The guides are written for different grades: reading for Grades 1–2, motivation for Grade 2, math for Grade 3 and English for Grade 4. A first grader will mainly use Learn to Read at Home now and grow into the others. If you only need reading help this year, you can also buy that guide on its own.
How much time should we spend on the day off?
For children in Grades 1–4, a short session of twenty to thirty minutes is usually enough, and it is better to stop while things are going well. The rest of the day can belong to play, chores or being outside. This is a suggestion, not a rule; you know your child best.
I am not a teacher. Can I really use this?
Yes. The guides are written for parents, not for teachers, and each comes with a workbook for the child. Read the parent guide first so you know what each part is for and how to respond when your child gets stuck. No teaching background is assumed.
How do I get the guides?
The bundle is a digital download. You receive a download link by email right after purchase, and the files also appear in your customer account under Orders. Print the workbook pages you need, or keep them on a tablet for reading along. Nothing is mailed to you.
Can our school hand this out to families on four-day weeks?
The standard licence covers use by one buyer. A school or district that wants to share the guides with families needs to send Teach Lessons a short message first to ask about wider use. Please do not forward the files, post them on a school website or resell them.
Make the day off a calm learning day
Open the bundle page to see the four guides and their workbooks.
See the parent guides