Ok, I had to edit post because it was blank. 

I am finding that my 10 yr old seems to do better when he starts school later in the day... and around 9:00 pm he breezes through everything-seems to be his best time.

So I'm wondering, does anyone else start the school day before bed? 

You do school at 9 pm? Wow :D

We start around 10 or 11 am.

Well, actually, we finish around 9pm.. we start around 6 or 7 in the evening. We've only been doing this for about 2  weeks,  but compared to when we were doing it in the morning or early afternoon, he seems to retain everything more and also be much quieter and co-operative. 

I wasn't sure if this was part of his 'uniqueness' or a common thing.  :-)

Lots of people do their schooling in the evenings. There are many working homeschool parents in that situation, actually.

I am all about paying attention to your children's internal clocks and natural rhythms, so I am happy you have found the time of day which suits him best. :)

We do it at all kinds of times. I work early mornings. I am off by noon. I usually leave some written work for her to do while I am at work. Or lately I have been sending links to learning games to her email.

Then in the afternoon we will do hands on stuff like teaching math concepts and science.

Sometimes in the evening we end up doing stuff too, just because for instance, I will ask her something and then she will want to know more about it. If she asks to know more, I run with it, no matter what time it is.

One of the blessings of home school is that you can do what works best for your family. I would struggle letting my children do all of their school in the evening but that is mostly because I like to keep our evenings free for family time.

We do half of our school lessons around 9:30, have a long lunch break, and start again around 2:30. The hard part for me that my son sees the school bus drive by at 3:30 and thinks he should be done. We've talked about his long break in the middle of the day and the fact that he doesn't have any home work and that seems to help.

If that's what works best for him - go for it! :-)  My son and I don't function well for "brain work" in the morning.  We usually don't gear up for formal schoolwork until mid-late afternoon.  Earlier in the day I'm doing volunteer work, making phone calls, etc.  Also, DH does Algebra & Physics/Chemistry with DS after he gets home - or on weekends.

Don't be afraid to adjust your schedule as needed.  We school four days a week, and have HS co-op on Fridays for three hours.  Then there's the time DH and DS do work on the weekends.  We also school year round.  Sometimes we do get started in the mornings.  We are *very* flexible with our schedule/routine.  It's just what works here.  It would drive other people nuts! ;-)

*** Edited to add:  We are actually "schooling" 24/7, so it's really hard to nail down.  We have our curriculum spine, so we're like "school-in-a-box" with that for a portion of the day.  The other day is going down rabbit trails and a more self-directed, unschooling approach.

JCC

We've been starting by 10 or 10:30 am and going until lunchtime, usually around 1. My daughter is only 5.5 so this is enough time to do "formal" school, I think. My mom doesn't seem to understand that she doesn't need to be "in school" for four hours, even though I try to explain about the lack of busy work, lining up, drinking fountain breaks, student interruptions, etc etc etc. :-)

I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, so even getting started at 10 am is a struggle enough for me. I've tried to make this a solid start time, though, after I have my breakfast and personal morning devotions, then I get a shower THEN we start. The trade off is, though, that I have the whole afternoon to then do whatever else we want to do.  Or just a quiet afternoon when the two younger kids are napping and I can settle in with a good book. :-)

The morning is just the "formal" (such that it is) school time, though. Before nap time we get out an additional chapter book for read-aloud time (currently Charlotte's Web - I am LOVING introducing my kids to my old favorites!!) and I let my daughter help me with cooking, table setting, clean up, and all the other things that real-life learning includes. :)

We school throughout the day as time permits.  If DH is home he often participates or plays with the other children. But he works odd hours, so we have most of the day and evening available to fit in whatever we like. 

We do this and that all day long, with long breaks in between, but often - very often, we start after 9 and it is my son's best time too.  He is very much a nightowl by nature.  I don't give him ANYTHING until after lunch to do. 

It seems that if I go over everything with him, and make sure he understands it, then leave him to finish everything on his own, he does sooo much better than if I hover or sit next to him the whole time. So I just explain and leave him to it.   He is becoming more and more comfortable doing it on his own than if I sat next to him.  LOL He just informed me this evening that he would like to learn German.   I'm so glad he's being more independant in his learning- and suggesting things to learn!  Finally, we're both losing that PS mindset!

Sometimes in the evening we end up doing stuff too, just because for instance, I will ask her something and then she will want to know more about it. If she asks to know more, I run with it, no matter what time it is.

FIrst I have to say that for ALL of us, I'm sure that we do this...if our children ask about something, we teach on the fly! :)  A true blessing in hsing!  :)  I absolutely love it....my kids are asking math questions ALL the time....even to each other, and my youngest isn't even 5!  :)

For us, we haven't been doing so good in the 'set time' department lately, mainly cuz of the many tripswe've been making to St Louis fo my MIL (she's in the hosptial following a car wreck...).  However, right before that, DH and I were talking and realize that for both boys, they do SO much better if we get up early in the AM and do breakfast, dressed, and school and are completely done before noon.  If I straggle and drag my feet (because I, too, am NOT a morning person!), they are not attentive and really fight me on how long we have to do school.  I just have to get my mind around the fact that for the betterment of my children (and my sanity!) we have to start early and hvae the rest of the day for free time and 'free learning'.  :)

I tend to homeschool is spurts through the day... we start anywhere after 8 am.  But with a wiggly 5 year old sitting down and doing anything for more than 1/2 hour or so is horrible!  So we do a little math, go outside for "recess", come in a read a book about dinosaurs together, do a little house work, go run some errands (Do we have enough money to by this? How much postage do I need on this letter?  What is a forever stamp?)  Go get big sis at school, let the older two play webkins together, do some online phonics games after DH comes home and can entertain the 2 year old, talk about measuring cups while in the bathtub...  and we seem to do a lot on the weekends when DH is home.  It's just easier when there is another adult around.  We spread it around!

Edie

we don't usually get started on anything till after lunch DH works noon to 9pm and we keep most mornings open for family time then we do our learning if there is no inntruptions like family errands.  I love the freedom to study whenever we get time and learn all day no matter where we are.

Amanda S.,

I am glad to hear that I am not the only mom that "teaches" all day.  I will use ever day life for a lesson. My husband laughs when he is home and I ask my daughter to "recite" what we learned that day . Or explain the meaning/reason of something or another. Like yesterday we were jumping on the trampoline in the early evening, and I saw the seed from a pine cone, and branched into a "lesson" on how seeds travel :)

We  do alot of our "bookwork" in the morning. I find that if we don't start soon after breakfast, it will be lunch before we are underway. But I think as long as it's working, go with it. LOL

Kristy