Curriculum planning (time scheduled) same for 2e?

[displace]

On the general boards around here I keep seeing one hour per grade (or so) for daily work. 

I cannot imagine getting through all we need to do in one hour (for a first grade, suspected dyslexia/dysgraphia) 

poetry/memorization -- 5-10 min 

Handwriting - 10-15 min

keyboarding - 10-15 min

phonics and fluency - 15 min

reading practice - 15 min

spelling -- 15 min (possibly change from AAR and AAS to a Barton or other program for 30-45 min a day, broken up throughout the day)

science (DS's favorite subject) - 30? min

history (DS's 2nd favorite subject) and rotating stuff like social studies/geography - 20-30 min?

read aloud literature, fun reading, etc - 40-60 min

math - 30 min?

 

I'm thinking almost 3 hours even without all the read aloud I'd like to do on different subjects.  With read aloud, likely OT or fine motor "play", plus extras like "PE" or art/music, recess/lunch, I could easily see a full day of work (though still MUCH better than a full school day plus coming home and doing tons of afterschooling).  This also doesn't include documentaries I'll let DS watch, or Spanish salsa which he likes watching.  I wouldn't plan on doing more than a lesson or whatever just to take up the whole time.  I am planning on giving room to do lots on hands-on stuff because I feel he learns better that way.

 

When people discuss time spent on academics is it mostly just direct instruction (exclusive of read alouds and extras)?  I realize a lot of people may have a lot less science but I won't give up the fun stuff.  I also know some can be skipped by kids without LD (like typing, possibly spelling or fluency, etc). 

 

Thoughts?  Please be gentle in your recs!

 

ETA -- I'm assuming posts here would be more focused for information than the general education or K-8 board.  Is this the best place when addressing curriculum and stuff for 2e?

[Lecka]

I think you need to look at what reading remediation program you will use, first.  Build around that.  

 

I also personally think you should consider seeing an OT before choosing what you will do for handwriting, cursive, or typing practice.  I personally think you might decide to focus on cursive or typing, but not both at once.  There is also a typing/reading program that I see mentioned as being very good.  You might tie typing into reading that way.  

 

If he thrives with both cursive and typing ----- then that is awesome.  I know that it would not be the case with my son, he needs to focus on fewer things at a time of his hard things.  He can do a huge variety of the stuff that comes easier to him, but I would pick one.  

 

I think I remember you saying you are going to see an OT.  If you are not or can not -- don't worry about it.  But if you are ----- take your advice from the OT!  You can get ideas and ask the OT about them, and see what the OT thinks, not just wait and see what the OT says.  But it is possible the OT will be able to make some definite recommendation specific to your child, on what to do for typing and/or cursive.  

 

My son is probably never going to write in cursive.  But, he did a cursive program in OT that helped his letter formation and it has helped his print.  It has really helped him but it is like -- it took an OT.  He has got a certain set of strengths and weaknesses and she can look at his eval results and know what program is designed for his profile.  I really recommend it.  

 

But if you see that he does good with cursive -- then go for it, don't worry about it.  Same if he does good with typing, or with both at the same time.  But if you are seeing an OT anyway -- I would totally ask.  

 

[Lecka]

http://www.talkingfingers.com/how_it_works/

 

I did not try this b/c I just knew my son would not be able to do the typing.... but it gets really good reviews, and I think it is worth looking at.  You could combine typing with phonics this way, it is an option.  

 

I am not saying -- do this and not Barton, at all, by any means, but it is out there and does get good reviews.  

[FairProspects]

I think most people rotate history/science so that one is M/W/F and the other is Tu/Th, and that would either free up some time or give you more time on any given day to go more in depth in those subjects with a 2E. But yes, with remediation and needing to separate out LA skills and work on each individually, I don't think we have EVER come in under the recommended time frames. Dyslexics are notoriously slow processors and everything just takes more time. We do plenty of fun projects, classes, etc. so it doesn't feel overloaded, but we've always needed a full day to do our work. Remediation takes time and is one of the reasons homeschooling a dyslexic is so difficult. Many people just don't want to or can't put in the time consistently day after day that is necessary. Heck, there are days I'm not sure I can do it either.

[OneStepAtATime]

One thing we have been doing and it has helped with planning is to do History one week and Science the next, but depending on the lesson/materials for that week it may only be 2 or 3 days of that week.  On Fridays I try to review anything from the week before so nothing gets lost from lack of use.  I found that trying to do both History and Science the same week was tougher.  DS does history on his own anyway, so he's the easy one in that respect, but we still do stuff together.

[Pen]

I think you will need to decide what is "school" and what is "life".

 

Read alouds can be part of bedtime or rest time practices when they fit in your day.

 

Science can be something done for fun! So can learning about history.

 

Sometimes he can be working on some art, and sometimes there can be music.

 

Your main "school" would be Language Arts remediation (I'd get a program for that and follow it as appropriate for his problems, age, etc.) and math. That might take more than an hour, but probably at age 6 not much more than that. Maybe 1/2 hour math, and 1 hour for all of the LA remediation work, plus poetry if you do that, etc..

 

Playing outside/PE can also be worked in to your day and the weather.

 

 

[Pen]

 

 

When people discuss time spent on academics is it mostly just direct instruction (exclusive of read alouds and extras)?  I realize a lot of people may have a lot less science but I won't give up the fun stuff.  I also know some can be skipped by kids without LD (like typing, possibly spelling or fluency, etc). 

 

 

 

 

I think so, yes.

 

For us there is "learning" going on many, many hours. But direct instruction "school" is much less. And it changes at different times. My ds won't do certain subjects without them being required and that included reading remediation. Other things he does because he loves to. Currently that includes reading, which he has been doing all morning while I have been on the computer-- so that is not now a part of the time I would count, but he is certainly learning. Once upon a time reading was the most intense 1 on1 thing we did each day.  Now that is math and writing composition. Otoh he knows more about astronomy than I do.

[kbutton]

Hmm. Depends on the kid and what needs to be done. Sometimes academic stuff budges for therapy (formal or informal)--sort of going slower to go faster. I have one kiddo that has some dyslexic tendencies, possible CAPD, probable ADHD, and is SLOW as molasses. Things aren't automatic. I have another with ASD, SPD, ADHD, and sometimes anxiety. I approach both very differently even though they are both 2e. One needs things combined and more efficient; the other one needs to learn the skills in isolation and then combine them with other things. One might need to spend less time on something in more frequent sessions, the other might need to totally immerse in something rather than do it in short bursts. So, it's a real balancing act; add in meltdowns, and you never know how long school takes here. Some days we radically adjust. It does end up working out in the end.

 

Every time you post, I think, "Man, she's being thorough" in a good way. However, let me be the first to say that sometimes when you actually dive in, you'll find that there are things you didn't uncover or foresee, not because you didn't plan well enough, but because you aren't omniscient. I think you are preparing to go forward with a really solid approach, but if some things don't go quite as planned (whatever your ultimate choice), don't get too stressed about it. You'll be plenty prepared to choose another option and change course as needed. :-)

 

I think the key is to be flexible and realize that most people have some area in which they or their children are the exception to the rule. :-)

[Heathermomster]

OP, do you have any other children?  

[displace]

I think you need to look at what reading remediation program you will use, first.  Build around that.  

 

I also personally think you should consider seeing an OT before choosing what you will do for handwriting, cursive, or typing practice.  I personally think you might decide to focus on cursive or typing, but not both at once.  There is also a typing/reading program that I see mentioned as being very good.  You might tie typing into reading that way.  

 

If he thrives with both cursive and typing ----- then that is awesome.  I know that it would not be the case with my son, he needs to focus on fewer things at a time of his hard things.  He can do a huge variety of the stuff that comes easier to him, but I would pick one.  

 

I think I remember you saying you are going to see an OT.  If you are not or can not -- don't worry about it.  But if you are ----- take your advice from the OT!  You can get ideas and ask the OT about them, and see what the OT thinks, not just wait and see what the OT says.  But it is possible the OT will be able to make some definite recommendation specific to your child, on what to do for typing and/or cursive.  

 

My son is probably never going to write in cursive.  But, he did a cursive program in OT that helped his letter formation and it has helped his print.  It has really helped him but it is like -- it took an OT.  He has got a certain set of strengths and weaknesses and she can look at his eval results and know what program is designed for his profile.  I really recommend it.  

 

But if you see that he does good with cursive -- then go for it, don't worry about it.  Same if he does good with typing, or with both at the same time.  But if you are seeing an OT anyway -- I would totally ask.  

 

Good points.  We have our OT appointment in a couple weeks.  We were doing PT but now I know we need OT.  I'm grateful I have the appointment so soon, it was originally in January.  But that's a great idea to ask them about specific programs, cursive vs print vs typing, etc.  I'm wondering if we should just switch as we've been doing HWT and having a rough time.  But I wouldn't do two physical programs (print and cursive), just one and likely continue typing.  I'm not an expert but I'd put the handwriting in the severe category. 

[displace]

http://www.talkingfingers.com/how_it_works/

 

I did not try this b/c I just knew my son would not be able to do the typing.... but it gets really good reviews, and I think it is worth looking at.  You could combine typing with phonics this way, it is an option.  

 

I am not saying -- do this and not Barton, at all, by any means, but it is out there and does get good reviews.  

 

Thanks for the link.  I've bookmarked it so I can look at it later.

[displace]

I think most people rotate history/science so that one is M/W/F and the other is Tu/Th, and that would either free up some time or give you more time on any given day to go more in depth in those subjects with a 2E. But yes, with remediation and needing to separate out LA skills and work on each individually, I don't think we have EVER come in under the recommended time frames. Dyslexics are notoriously slow processors and everything just takes more time. We do plenty of fun projects, classes, etc. so it doesn't feel overloaded, but we've always needed a full day to do our work. Remediation takes time and is one of the reasons homeschooling a dyslexic is so difficult. Many people just don't want to or can't put in the time consistently day after day that is necessary. Heck, there are days I'm not sure I can do it either.

 

Thanks for your reply.  I appreciate the honesty regarding time needed.  And it makes me feel better that I'm more on target instead of way off in left field with my expectations.  I don't want to go into this blind, thinking we'll be done by 11 am after only a few hours.  I'd rather assume it will take all day instead of assuming too little.  I may substitute some history stuff like just documentaries instead of reading books or doing a million projects, and maybe use some science stuff the same way, but I'll hopefully get some good curriculum together.  I'm just looking forward to at least ONE day off a week from all school, and doing some extracurriculars (i.e. OT) done as well.  Exciting!  :) 

 

[Lecka]

When my son went into OT and he had his eval -- she said HWT was not the best fit for him.  It is a great program, it is not necessarily the best fit for everyone. 

 

You also might find out about other OT things that can help his handwriting, but that are not "doing a handwriting program." 

 

I am glad you have the appointment so soon. 

 

I am glad you are thinking about homeschooling, too :) 

 

Something about me -- I have a strong mindset of aligning with the public school.  But since you are homeschooling -- you do not have to do that.  What is the point.  I spent a LOT of time doing reading remediation b/c I wanted him to be caught up as fast as possible, and that was the number one priority.  But ----- there is no rule saying you have to be in a race.  But a lot of resources aimed at public school ARE aimed at getting kids caught up to grade level as quickly as possible -- it is a goal that makes sense in public school.  I don't think it makes sense in homeschool, though.  When you are able to accommodate in the meantime -- it doesn't really matter. 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

You know, one thing I have really liked is having Fridays as review days, much lighter, so that we can have time for other things.  And if something funky comes up during the week, we just shift what we were planning on doing that day to Friday, since it was going to be review and lighter anyway.

 

We haven't done this yet this year but another thing that worked well last year was budgeting a lighter week in every 6 weeks.  Documentaries, educational games, fun quicky science experiments randomly chosen from an experiments for fun book, listening to radio plays while painting or building with legos, etc.  They were still learning, but it helped to know that every 6 weeks there would be a sort of break where I wasn't having to prep tons of lessons and I could catch up on paperwork for the business, bills, housework, etc.  I laid the schedule out working backwards from where I knew we wanted to end stuff to take an extended vacation in June of the next year and ending with our planned on start date.  I tried to line up Christmas at the end of a 6 weeks session and gave us 2 and a half weeks instead of just one week.

[Storygirl]

On the general boards around here I keep seeing one hour per grade (or so) for daily work. 

I cannot imagine getting through all we need to do in one hour (for a first grade, suspected dyslexia/dysgraphia) 

poetry/memorization -- 5-10 min  

Does he have trouble memorizing things? Many people with dyslexia would have a difficult time memorizing poetry (or anything else). That's not to say that you wouldn't work on this. However, if you are planning to use an intensive program for remediating reading, phonics, and spelling, he is likely to need to reserve that brain power for the remediation. If you would like to include poetry (which I totally recommend), I'd say just get a good anthology and read a poem aloud each day at breakfast or when beginning school. Bam. Poetry done in one or two minutes. Don't make him try to memorize it. Just expose your children to good poetry and let that be enough.

 

Handwriting - 10-15 min

keyboarding - 10-15 min

Is keyboarding essential at this age? My kids have not done much of it, and they are third grade and up. I'd work on handwriting only for this year and save keyboarding for a later time.

 

phonics and fluency - 15 min

reading practice - 15 min

spelling -- 15 min (possibly change from AAR and AAS to a Barton or other program for 30-45 min a day, broken up throughout the day)

I think that Barton is a full LA program??? (Haven't used it myself). Then you would not need separate spelling and reading programs.

 

science (DS's favorite subject) - 30? min

history (DS's 2nd favorite subject) and rotating stuff like social studies/geography - 20-30 min?

I would plan to rotate science and history and keep them simple and fun. Keep it simple for you, because you will be very busy juggling everything else, and fun for him. I'd try to pick things that your preschooler can sit in on -- Let's Read and Find Out Science books from the library, studying the seasons of the year and doing related projects, etc. My kids have been loving the Bill Nye science videos this year. And Magic School Bus. I'd also do a very simple history, not any full history curriculum.

 

read aloud literature, fun reading, etc - 40-60 min

I read to my children while they eat lunch, and DH reads to them before bed. They get a lot of readalouds -- at least an hour a day --but it doesn't add to our schoolwork.

 

math - 30 min?

Depends upon the program you choose. Can he memorize math facts? This is difficult for many with dyslexia.

I'm thinking almost 3 hours even without all the read aloud I'd like to do on different subjects. 

 

Thoughts?  Please be gentle in your recs!

 

 

 

My thoughts in blue. My calculations show about an hour total for LA/handwriting/poetry. Alternate science and history for about 20 to 30 minutes per day (could be less if you are just reading a library book -- 15 min?). 30 minutes for math. That's about two hours. Plus fun readalouds at bedtime or another non-school time.

 

Honestly, I think it is better to plan LESS when you are just beginning. Your son will be working hard and tiring out. You can always ramp things up or add more subjects as you go along.

 

I definitely overplanned and overscheduled when I began homeschooling. In fact, I continued to do so every year and then would get frustrated that I couldn't accomplish all of it. If I were you, I'd prioritize and start with JUST Barton (or whatever reading you choose) and math for the first couple of weeks. The third week, add something on, and then add something else on week four, and so on, until you are up to speed.

 

You'll find your groove as you go along!

[Mom22ns]

My thoughts in blue. My calculations show about an hour total for LA/handwriting/poetry. Alternate science and history for about 20 to 30 minutes per day (could be less if you are just reading a library book -- 15 min?). 30 minutes for math. That's about two hours. Plus fun readalouds at bedtime or another non-school time.

 

Honestly, I think it is better to plan LESS when you are just beginning. Your son will be working hard and tiring out. You can always ramp things up or add more subjects as you go along.

 

I definitely overplanned and overscheduled when I began homeschooling. In fact, I continued to do so every year and then would get frustrated that I couldn't accomplish all of it. If I were you, I'd prioritize and start with JUST Barton (or whatever reading you choose) and math for the first couple of weeks. The third week, add something on, and then add something else on week four, and so on, until you are up to speed.

 

You'll find your groove as you go along!

 

I agree with this and will add that it also leaves time for something to go wrong. With a 2e kid, the 15 minutes that was scheduled for writing may end up taking 30. It may be stressful enough that he really needs a break afterwards... you get the idea. If you have less that "must" be done, then these days don't blow up and become stressful. Days that go smoothly, you can keep a list of projects, science, history, crafts, sensory, etc that you would love to do on days when stress is low and there is plenty of time, but if they are planned into every day, they can end up sapping all your energy and leaving you feeling like a failure because you just can't get it all done.

[Minerva]

One thing that seems to work well for us is to focus on core subjects (reading, spelling, writing, math) three days a week.  My dyslexic daughter loves science, history, art, and music so we save these classes for the two days a week when we can really dive into them and take our time. When I was trying to cram too much into each day, everything got rushed and nothing was satisfying for anyone. I really need our core days to have a lot of breaks, to do smaller chunks of spelling and reading (two twenty minute chunks of each subject rather than forty minute slogs). I also like that our science and art days tend to be really messy on the same day :tongue_smilie:

 

We have thirty minutes of silent reading every morning right after breakfast, and an hour of reading out loud right before bed. We often read a poem during our read aloud at bedtime. I tend to read the same poem for a week or so (once we find a poem we all love) but don't require my daughter to memorize them since this is so taxing for her. She loves poetry and I hate to suck the joy out of it.

 

Don't be afraid to tweak your schedule until you find what works for you. 

 

 

[Pen]

adding:

 

When we were most actively remediating reading, we did reading 7 days per week, with no breaks, though week end days and holiday days were shorter (half the regular weekday amount).

 

I like Minerva's idea above, though my ds needs math more often or he starts to lose it.  We also have daily free reading (but not timed b/c it is now just a joy and happens without pressure), and read aloud history time.

 

I also have found that more, shorter sessions are better than longer ones. And the research on brains and learning seems to support this.

[MomatHWTK]

There is sometimes a disconnect between what we as teachers would like to see our students learn, and what they have the actual stamina to do on any given day.  I'm not sure how heavy the ps schedule is, but there may be a lot of built in rest time for students who are quicker at their work.  And- there may be a lot of extra time (well over 1 hour a day) for students that need to work at a slower pace. 

 

I think you will have the best luck if you fit the curricula and the schedule to the child and not the other way around.

 

I guess I would first, work with my child and see what he can handle.  I have one that loses all ability to read if he is fatigued.  It does no good to try to teach a longer lesson if the 2nd half of it is completely forgotten. 

 

Second, I would decide based on the length of time my child can handle how long I want to teach each day. 

 

Third, I would prioritize what I want to teach.

 

Fourth, I'd fit those classes, by priority, into the the time frame that I had determined in step 2.

 

 

[scrapbookbuzz]

Please remember that YOUR journey is not someone else's journey and vice versa. I think so many of us tend to get hung up

in the comparison trap. One of the reasons we homeschool is BECAUSE of our differences. I'd like my gifted 10yo son to be further 

along in his math but he's not. He's gifted linguistically but not mathematically. And the emotional maturity disconnect that comes with that

is astounding. BUT that is our journey, not yours. All any of us really do is what we THINK needs to be done. We can't ever truly KNOW until

AFTER the fact but we do the best we can anyway.

 

Do the best YOU can do and don't let anyone make you feel down about it! The very fact that you're concerned about the whole thing

means you're doing just fine! You are doing what YOU need to do for YOUR child/ren. And that's what counts!

[displace]

I agree with this and will add that it also leaves time for something to go wrong. With a 2e kid, the 15 minutes that was scheduled for writing may end up taking 30. It may be stressful enough that he really needs a break afterwards... you get the idea. If you have less that "must" be done, then these days don't blow up and become stressful. Days that go smoothly, you can keep a list of projects, science, history, crafts, sensory, etc that you would love to do on days when stress is low and there is plenty of time, but if they are planned into every day, they can end up sapping all your energy and leaving you feeling like a failure because you just can't get it all done.

 

Yes that seems a better plan.  I was also thinking I could have a lot of back up plans with subjects (living books or just read alouds, games, etc) planned as part of the week in case we can't do what we wanted.  So maybe just read a book for history or play a gross motor math game or something, pre-planned each week as needed.

[displace]

One thing that seems to work well for us is to focus on core subjects (reading, spelling, writing, math) three days a week.  My dyslexic daughter loves science, history, art, and music so we save these classes for the two days a week when we can really dive into them and take our time. When I was trying to cram too much into each day, everything got rushed and nothing was satisfying for anyone. I really need our core days to have a lot of breaks, to do smaller chunks of spelling and reading (two twenty minute chunks of each subject rather than forty minute slogs). I also like that our science and art days tend to be really messy on the same day :tongue_smilie:

 

We have thirty minutes of silent reading every morning right after breakfast, and an hour of reading out loud right before bed. We often read a poem during our read aloud at bedtime. I tend to read the same poem for a week or so (once we find a poem we all love) but don't require my daughter to memorize them since this is so taxing for her. She loves poetry and I hate to suck the joy out of it.

 

Don't be afraid to tweak your schedule until you find what works for you. 

 

ITA that work will have to be in smallish chunks with lots of breaks.  I'm pretty sure part of our budget will need to be saved to buy a trampoline.  DS had to memorize a poem for K last year and he really enjoyed it.  I actually want to get him involved in an acting group because I think he'd love it.  I wouldn't even do poetry or memorization but he seems to like it so I thought I'd throw it in.  And I'll also have to consider a coop or park day.  We may do no work at all those days or shift the schedule around.

 

[displace]

adding:

 

When we were most actively remediating reading, we did reading 7 days per week, with no breaks, though week end days and holiday days were shorter (half the regular weekday amount).

 

I like Minerva's idea above, though my ds needs math more often or he starts to lose it.  We also have daily free reading (but not timed b/c it is now just a joy and happens without pressure), and read aloud history time.

 

I also have found that more, shorter sessions are better than longer ones. And the research on brains and learning seems to support this.

 

This is a concern for me regarding working on core subjects only a few times per week.  I think DS needs at least a little review daily or some fluency practice.  Who knows what program we'll use but I'm sure we could just do a piece of a lesson or re-read a prior story even if it's not a school day.  And DS doesn't mind reading a story if it's attached to a 20 min bedtime "extension".   

 

[displace]

There is sometimes a disconnect between what we as teachers would like to see our students learn, and what they have the actual stamina to do on any given day.  I'm not sure how heavy the ps schedule is, but there may be a lot of built in rest time for students who are quicker at their work.  And- there may be a lot of extra time (well over 1 hour a day) for students that need to work at a slower pace. 

 

I think you will have the best luck if you fit the curricula and the schedule to the child and not the other way around.

 

I guess I would first, work with my child and see what he can handle.  I have one that loses all ability to read if he is fatigued.  It does no good to try to teach a longer lesson if the 2nd half of it is completely forgotten. 

 

Second, I would decide based on the length of time my child can handle how long I want to teach each day. 

 

Third, I would prioritize what I want to teach.

 

Fourth, I'd fit those classes, by priority, into the the time frame that I had determined in step 2.

 

I know DS sometimes has extra homework because he didn't finish it in class.  They have 60 min math, 30 min each of: writing, "specials" (art, PE, music) rotation, phonics/reading, lunch, science, RTI, social studies, and class centers (audiobook area, reading area, etc).  I think the NT child will have a lot of free time but I have a feeling that DS is working the majority of the time.

 

But I think we'd be more effective just as he won't be practicing 30 min of dysgraphic writing but instead 15 min of focused instructive writing plus 15 min of typing.  I doubt we'd spend 60 min on math, but maybe 15 on a new lesson, 15 on doing work, and maybe 15 of fun math games or play.  Specials would be extracurriculars which we don't have currently.  Reading would be a real reading program instead of what they use, and he wouldn't be sitting around just with a book in his lap for 30 min.  IDK, it's starting to sound like a lot of work.  I know it would be better for DS (and impossible honestly for PS to give any quality remediation if he's diagnosed with dyslexia or dysgraphia, but ... it's quite a commitment. 

[displace]

Please remember that YOUR journey is not someone else's journey and vice versa. I think so many of us tend to get hung up

in the comparison trap. One of the reasons we homeschool is BECAUSE of our differences. I'd like my gifted 10yo son to be further 

along in his math but he's not. He's gifted linguistically but not mathematically. And the emotional maturity disconnect that comes with that

is astounding. BUT that is our journey, not yours. All any of us really do is what we THINK needs to be done. We can't ever truly KNOW until

AFTER the fact but we do the best we can anyway.

 

Do the best YOU can do and don't let anyone make you feel down about it! The very fact that you're concerned about the whole thing

means you're doing just fine! You are doing what YOU need to do for YOUR child/ren. And that's what counts!

 

Thank you for this post.  It was nicely encouraging.  :)

 

[Pen]

ITA that work will have to be in smallish chunks with lots of breaks.  I'm pretty sure part of our budget will need to be saved to buy a trampoline.  DS had to memorize a poem for K last year and he really enjoyed it.  I actually want to get him involved in an acting group because I think he'd love it.  I wouldn't even do poetry or memorization but he seems to like it so I thought I'd throw it in.  And I'll also have to consider a coop or park day.  We may do no work at all those days or shift the schedule around.

 

 

 

Don't forget travel times...  audio books, child reading to you while you drive or if they are on a bike tag-a-long, etc.  A lot can get done in 10 or 15 minutes on the way to and from something.

[FairProspects]

Don't forget travel times...  audio books, child reading to you while you drive or if they are on a bike tag-a-long, etc.  A lot can get done in 10 or 15 minutes on the way to and from something.

 

I honestly don't know how this works for people. My boys have never been able to listen to audiobooks in the car during travel. I'm sure part of it is our horrid traffic and my necessary concentration, but usually they are way too busy asking a million questions a minute to listen to anything while we drive.

[displace]

We can listen to SOTW. Sometimes. We don't commute much currently but when we do we listen. Sometimes we will listen to the same story multiple times on different trips. As a driver I do tune out sometimes. But I catch a lot too. Reading will not be possible at the moment. If we HS I'm hoping to listen to history on audio and just use living books or projects for teaching time.

[Minerva]

I came back this morning to add something to my above post and noticed that some people have already addressed it. There are are some things that my daughter needs constant review in. Math facts and spelling (oh my!). She is very good at conceptual math but the math facts do not stick. We practice math facts almost every day of the week either in flash cards, a worksheet or a little computer game. I try to sneak this in whenever I can. I never spend more than five or so minutes on it.  Also, for a long time I tried to get spelling in every day, but this year I threw up my hands and only do it on our three days of core subjects. It just becomes so laborious and honestly, at this point, doesn't seem to make a lick of difference. I will probably add more spelling into our year at some point, but I felt I was sucking the joy out of school for dd with so much remediation, drilling and practice.

 

Honestly, this is the hardest part of schooling for me, balancing the need for constant and intensive review and keeping the love of learning as the ultimate goal of our schooling. I think this is probably hard for every homeschooling parent, but maybe especially hard for ones with LDs. 

[Heathermomster]

I honestly don't know how this works for people. My boys have never been able to listen to audiobooks in the car during travel. I'm sure part of it is our horrid traffic and my necessary concentration, but usually they are way too busy asking a million questions a minute to listen to anything while we drive.

I think we got lucky. DH and I have listened to talk radio and college football games our entire marriage.  Since DS was born, he has been fed a steady diet of talk radio, classical music, and audio books because we live 20 minutes outside of town and drive far to visit relatives and vacation.  Listening to audio is just what we do. 

[displace]

 

 

Honestly, this is the hardest part of schooling for me, balancing the need for constant and intensive review and keeping the love of learning as the ultimate goal of our schooling. I think this is probably hard for every homeschooling parent, but maybe especially hard for ones with LDs. 

 

I agree.  I personally get stuck on the difficulties that need remediation in my mind because that's what we're focused on now.  And that's one reason I'm a little insistent on giving DS science and history so much.  Those are the subjects he enjoys so I'm concerned if I treat them as electives it'll be a mistake with regards to encouraging his love of learning.  Though I think if he just has more balance in his life it'll be better overall (more PE/recess/extracurriculars, etc).

[displace]

I think we got lucky. DH and I have listened to talk radio and college football games our entire marriage.  Since DS was born, he has been fed a steady diet of talk radio, classical music, and audio books because we live 20 minutes outside of town and drive far to visit relatives and vacation.  Listening to audio is just what we do. 

 

This is awesome.  I tend to switch off NPR once DS became too aware of world news, but we always have classical on and now SOTW.  Occasionally we'll listen to rock music for variety.  DS's favorite CDs are from They Might Be Giants.  They have CDs on the alphabet, science, and others.  The songs are so funny and great.

 

[Pen]

I honestly don't know how this works for people. My boys have never been able to listen to audiobooks in the car during travel. I'm sure part of it is our horrid traffic and my necessary concentration, but usually they are way too busy asking a million questions a minute to listen to anything while we drive.

 

 

I guess different people and circumstances make it different. But maybe it is also just a matter of practice and familiarity. Or maybe how auditory someone is makes a difference. 

 

 

I find it easier to concentrate on traffic and driving with something audio on that I can tune out, rather than being asked questions. And it is easier for me to have a professional audio thing (or radio) playing than to try to listen to oral school work while driving--the latter only really works when there is not much traffic to deal with.

 

Maybe how interesting the audio is to the listener also makes a difference.

 

But, anyway, we have definitely been able to work some useful school time into travel time.

[PeterPan]

Yes that seems a better plan.  I was also thinking I could have a lot of back up plans with subjects (living books or just read alouds, games, etc) planned as part of the week in case we can't do what we wanted.  So maybe just read a book for history or play a gross motor math game or something, pre-planned each week as needed.

Or move the read-alouds, puzzles, games, etc. up.  Trust me, if you don't make a plan, they'll get shuffled and lost...

[PeterPan]

I agree.  I personally get stuck on the difficulties that need remediation in my mind because that's what we're focused on now.  And that's one reason I'm a little insistent on giving DS science and history so much.  Those are the subjects he enjoys so I'm concerned if I treat them as electives it'll be a mistake with regards to encouraging his love of learning.  Though I think if he just has more balance in his life it'll be better overall (more PE/recess/extracurriculars, etc).

Have you read Dyslexic Advantage yet?  Might give you insight into why those subjects are so important to him.  :)

[displace]

Have you read Dyslexic Advantage yet?  Might give you insight into why those subjects are so important to him.   :)

Um... I skimmed it and skipped to the back before starting the mislabeled child.  I still have it on the shelf.

 

Are you suggesting I read it? 

 

HAHA, I will.  I started it and just skimmed prior to our diagnosis and got caught up in the Eides and getting proof needed to convince everyone HSing would be best.  Now I actually get to read it.  But first I'm furiously trying to find a science curriculum. 

[OneStepAtATime]

For science at your son's age I would find a subject that interests him and just run with it for a while.  Get books from the library and read with him, get a few really good science reference books with lots of pictures, and watch you tube videos for explanations.  Do experiments.  Have lots of discussion.  Go on field trips.  Let him ask questions and help him find his own answers.  Give him a chance to do some interest led studies and just go as far as you both are willing.  When he gets bored, move on to something else.  Fire up his love of learning.    

 

One of DH's cousins has a best friend who homeschools.  I knew her but did not know she homeschooled until this summer when we were visiting at a birthday party.  She started homeschooling her son in 2nd grade.  He had an obsession with sharks.  They did learn about lots of other things in science over the years, but that whole first year they were homeschooling she just let him run with that interest in sharks as the bulk of his science.  They took field trips, read tons of books, did research, did a science fair project (which she scaffolded but did not do for him), watched documentaries, did art projects, studied the history of the study of sharks, etc.  She let him pick when he wanted to do more.  It gave him a sense of control and that his interests mattered.  That love of sharks has never truly died.  He worked hard all through Middle School and High School to learn more about Marine Science and Marine Biology because of that initial interest in sharks.  He was accepted last year to a prestigious school for Marine Science and is now part of a team studying sharks.  He is thriving in college and loves what he is doing. 

 

I realize the story is anecdotal but I thought I would share as you ponder science... :)

[Heathermomster]

This is awesome.  I tend to switch off NPR once DS became too aware of world news, but we always have classical on and now SOTW.  Occasionally we'll listen to rock music for variety.  DS's favorite CDs are from They Might Be Giants.  They have CDs on the alphabet, science, and others.  The songs are so funny and great.

 

 

I turn off the news when bad stuff is being reported.  I have a handful of CDs.  Here's my list: Song School Latin, The Hobbit, Chronicles of Narnia, Mary Pope Osborne's The Odyssey, Sherlock Holmes for Children, selected stories from All Creatures Great and Small, and a mythology CD be Jim Weiss.  DD loves the Narnia books.

 

We don't listen to classical music like we used too.  I purchased this when DS studied Ancients.  I listen to most music prior to 1995. 

[Heathermomster]

For science, Scholastic Publishing will have $1 e-book sales.  I purchased a ton of science booklets that way covering biomes, habitats, science through the year, and penguins.  I've also purchased Evan Moor science booklets and had the bindings removed at Staples.  Keep the pages you want.  Get a binder and insert/print up what you want to cover.  Plan on working three days per week, supplement with The Magic School Bus videos and trade books, and call it good.  The goal is to make things fun and encourage his curiosity.  

[PeterPan]

 But first I'm furiously trying to find a science curriculum. 

How can you POSSIBLY be in desperate, dire straits over science with a *6 yo*???  You can't be.  Go to the library, check out videos, watch them.  Check out books, read them.  Find a kit, do it.  Or just take nature walks.  Or just get kits.  

 

I guarantee you what's going to be stressing you out in 2 weeks *isn't* science, lol.  You should be thinking about things like how you'll structure your day, how you communicate, what you'll be eating for dinner, whether your laundry is on a system, what his bedtime will be, how you'll handle the others (going to school, at home, whatever), when you'll grocery shop...  

 

Get things up and running and sane.  You can solve science any time.  :)

[Pen]

At age 6 the best science was daily nature study, no matter what the weather, and gardening when weather allowed for that.  Plus learning about nutrition.

 

It made a nice rhythm to the day, and balanced the seat work time, as well as lending itself to physical exercise.

[OneStepAtATime]

At age 6 the best science was daily nature study, no matter what the weather, and gardening when weather allowed for that.  Plus learning about nutrition.

 

It made a nice rhythm to the day, and balanced the seat work time, as well as lending itself to physical exercise.

:iagree:

[SandyKC]

Please remember that YOUR journey is not someone else's journey and vice versa. I think so many of us tend to get hung up

in the comparison trap. One of the reasons we homeschool is BECAUSE of our differences. I'd like my gifted 10yo son to be further 

along in his math but he's not. He's gifted linguistically but not mathematically. And the emotional maturity disconnect that comes with that

is astounding. BUT that is our journey, not yours. All any of us really do is what we THINK needs to be done. We can't ever truly KNOW until

AFTER the fact but we do the best we can anyway.

 

Do the best YOU can do and don't let anyone make you feel down about it! The very fact that you're concerned about the whole thing

means you're doing just fine! You are doing what YOU need to do for YOUR child/ren. And that's what counts!

 

This is very well said.  As I was reading through, I was inclined to post, "Don't pay any attention whatsoever to what the boards say as far as teaching time goes."  Things are so different with a child you're providing remedial instruction. You won't know where the "meltdown" point is until you've been working with your child for awhile.  Remedial work is hard and the speed of work, tolerance for doing what is difficult for your child, your own familiarity with teaching materials (slow in the beginning) will all be factors in how long it takes.

 

You'll really just have to "read" the situation and your child's engagement as you go along.  When you sense your child is overloaded or tuned out, it's best to take a break and come back to the task.  Depending upon the level of tune-out or tantrum, your break time will vary too.

 

Realistically, I think in the beginning it's best to focus on your child's area of greatest need first.. say.. reading.  We worked on reading EVERY day without fail, and I had a set plan for each day. Some days it went better, some days the length of time became "too much." So every day varied too, but the reading was always first.. and it virtually always got done. 

 

Whatever came next depended upon where my sons' academic engagement level was at that precise moment.  Most days we also got Math instruction in.  Most days, some degree of writing.  Science and social studies were "as tolerated," but often provided as a "quiet time" video after we'd done our remedial work, so it was "life" learning as someone else pointed out--it wasn't a formal lesson at that point, but it was nevertheless learning!

 

We set up a "plan" but were flexible in following it on a day to day basis.  As my sons' abilities advanced, we got more done in a school day. My guys could tolerate more because the things that had been SOOO HARD weren't so hard any longer, so they weren't as drained and our days could be longer.

 

There's no real defining timeframe of what is appropriate that goes across kids with all abilities and all needs, so truly, I wouldn't put one speck of concern towards what "they say" is the proper timeframe for a school day. ;)

[Garga]

People do the "1 hour per grade" thing as a general guideline, but I've found for myself that it's more like 2-3 hours a day until 3rd grade, and then one to two hours per grade until 7th or 8th where it levels off to 7 or 8 hours a day from then out.

 

 

[displace]

Well, I have a tentative schedule planned out for when we're doing everything.  It's pretty comprehensive so I think we'll be able to start at least bare bones at first and then build up to school goals.  And with his LD we'll be doing at least reading/writing over the summer too.  I feel okay with it.  There are multiple breaks throughout the day for physical activity (3, with one of them a potential hour break to walk to school and back again to do electives at school), and also time for fine motor fun like playdoh/clay, etc.  There's also more than an hour for lunch.  This gives full remediation plus small segments throughout the day for additional short reading sessions, which I plan on just being old readers or echo reading.  It looks like my day will be full!  But I am hopeful I successfully overestimated times to do lessons, potentially shortening our actual school day.

 

Trial by fire!  I think if I can clean up the house tomorrow I'll just have Tuesday be his last day, or maybe Wednesday?  By then he would have had an almost two week remediation break and hopefully ready to start again.  I'm hopeful we'll just be able to continue with AAR but we'll see if we need to switch programs at some point.  So nervous.  Now I understand the stress better about HSing!

[Pen]

A neighbor who had pulled his daughter from school before I pulled my son told me it is much more scary seeming before you start in. That once you get into doing it, you just do it, and it is not so scary anymore.

 

That turned out to be true, so I am passing it on now to you.

[EKS]

I would get reading in place first.  So that means just reading instruction and practice for a while.  No spelling or writing or poetry memorization.  There's 30 minutes.

 

At the same time I would do math--with you doing all necessary writing.  There's another 30 minutes (at most).

 

If you end up doing OT, you'll have homework from that, probably 15-20 minutes.  If the OT wants him practicing handwriting, that will be part of his/her homework.  

 

Then I'd do 45-60 minutes of extras.  Read alouds for literature, history, and science.  Projects for history.  Experiments for science.

 

With this plan, you're doing 60 minutes of focused work and 60 minutes of what will be perceived by your child as "fun and games with mom."  That's it.  Once he is reading well on grade level, you can add in spelling.  Or if you feel you must do spelling, use a reading program that incorporates it--but don't do more than 30 minutes total for reading and spelling then.  If you feel you must do handwriting, and it's not a part of his OT homework, only do it for 5 minutes.

 

FWIW, when we started homeschooling my now 18yo son at age 7 (who has dyslexia and was vastly behind), we did reading and math all year that first year and that was it.  He's turned out more than fine.

[PeterPan]

Why are you even sending him back?  What is the law for withdrawal in your state?  Just seems like a cleaner break to have been out and not go back...

[displace]

Why are you even sending him back? What is the law for withdrawal in your state? Just seems like a cleaner break to have been out and not go back...

Just to say goodbye to friends, have a last day, and have some plans in place for me. We just decided this weekend and today's a day off. It's already been amazing how low stress the last couple weeks have been since we have not been after schooling. We've been playing together, having fun, and doing normal relationship things.