pocjets Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I will have 5 kids that I'm teaching next year and I'm beginning to think about our schedule. We have always done every subject, every day. I'm wondering if it would be easier to go towards a block schedule for certain subjects. I can't decide if it's easier/better to do everything, every day (shorter lessons) or do some things 2 times a week for a longer period of time. If you block schedule, what subjects do you teach that way? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Have you read The Latin Centered Curriculum? IMO, it has the best suggested schedule for this. For example, for my first grader (next year): Monday-Friday (daily): Phonics Maths Latin Copywork/Recitation Afternoon work rotating: Monday: English Studies Tuesday: Christian Studies Wednesday: Modern Studies Thursday: Nature/Science Friday: Classical Studies That is an example of their primary schedule; their grammar school and secondary school schedule looks similar (with the afternoon studies rotating daily), but more "beefed up". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 My kids are a little older - 7th and 8th grade this year. For years we did every subject, every day. Then last year I started to lighten Wednesday a little since we have piano lessons that take up most of the afternoon. It wasn't a lot - 2 paragraph summary of history instead of four. This year I've changed more with a light Friday. We do math (usually a test, so it's pretty short), and science (we do BJU DLO, and that just has to be done every day or it.takes.for.ever. LOL!) as "normal" subjects. Then we do all the "other" stuff... TeenPact prep, merit badge stuff (related to school stuff, but this way DS gets credit for it), 2 labs from our ASK kits, cooking class (Schoolhouse Teachers dot com Sue Gregg Cooking with Whole Foods class), Aero Class catch up for Big, anything else that needs cleaning up for the week, and every other week we volunteer at a food pantry. It feels lighter, but it's still lots of learning and lots of fun stuff. The kids love it and I really look forward to the more relaxed day - and all the loose ends for the week get tied up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 We do a bit everyday usually. But my kids are young and the constant switching is good for some of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 You might keep skill subjects every day and block content subjects (science on Monday, geography on Tuesday, art appreciation on Wednesday, etc.) Some people do a loop (maybe 6 or 7 days) so more variety is possible, and it doesn't matter which day of the week it is but which day in the rotation. I have just one and he's young, so we do the 3 R's and piano daily, 4 days of history, 3 days of Spanish, 2 days of science (from the book; we do some kind of science most days), and 1 day each of logic, PE and art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I only teach 2 students, but we still rotate several subjects. Both of my kids prefer a few nice long lessons to lots of 10-15 minute ones, so discounting morning time, we only have 3-4 subjects a day. 1. We do math daily. 2. We alternate Phonics/Spelling instruction with Writing/Grammar instruction. (Although they ARE required to write a bit and read a bit every day, independently.) 3. We have a rotation of Art and Music Appreciation, History, Science, and Geography (Saving the 5th day for whatever subject needs it). Occasional 4. 3x a week Latin (days we dont have co-op classes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 One homeschooling friend always dropped one subject each day, and rotated through the subjects. So if your list had 8 major subjects to cover each day, you only do 7, and rotate through dropping a subject a day, so each subject is dropped only once every 8 days. She found it really helped her kids, esp. in the elementary and middle school years, to know they would get a break from their "hard" subject (math, or writing, perhaps) about every week and a half -- which made it seem much more manageable, and they got through a lot more work that way. Our experience: throughout, we found that some subjects do not need to be touched on 5x/week, and can be alternated. Every family's needs and goals will be different, but below is just what we found worked for frequency of subjects. Again, just what worked for us, but, as much as possible in the elementary/middle school years, we tried to complete our regular things in 4 days a week, and used the 5th day a week for: - catch-up - projects (make art, history hands-on, science experiments, etc.) - educational supplements - outside-the-home activities. You may find it works better to plan on a 38-week or 40-week school year, to allow for that 4 day a week schedule, or to fit in more "mini-breaks" throughout the year, which can be very refreshing. We also started our day with a together time of a mix of things -- Bible, logic/critical thinking "brain warm-up", vocabulary game/puzzle, civics/history, or misc. topic of interest, etc -- so because we were seeing things briefly and informally at the start of many days, that allowed us to touch on some subjects (such as Logic/Critical Thinking, Vocabulary, etc.) less frequently each week. BEST of luck in finding the schedule that works best for YOUR family! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL: 4-5x/week - Math - Reading - LA: Spelling, Writing 3x/week - LA: Handwriting, Phonics, Grammar - History - Science 2x/week - Geography - Vocabulary 1x/week - Logic / Critical Thinking - Art, Music HIGH SCHOOL: 5x/week - Math - English: Literature, Writing - Foreign Language 2-4x/week (varied, depending what the specific course was and how it was being accomplished) - Electives - Fine Arts 2x/week (History and Science alternated, with one as MW, the other as Tues/Th) (Econ and Gov't each only 1 semester, and done in different years; alternated with an Elective or Fine Arts) - History - Science - Economics - Government 1x/week - finish up History (usually quizzes, papers, projects) - finish up Science (usually labs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pocjets Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thank you all! This has given me a lot to think through. It helps to see what others are doing too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 We try to touch on everything every day, but concentrate more on one subject once or twice a week. Like science, we do an in depth lesson and activity/experiment once or twice a week for 1-1.5 hrs., but they read a few pages in a supplemental book or watch a video on the off days. Another day we will focus on geography, and on the off days they will spend a little time working on a long term project. Fridays are our light day because of music coop. Usually, we spend an hour or two in the morning wrapping up any loose ends from the week then head out. If something comes up and we don'the get to everything, then we implement a loop schedule until we get back on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I have absolutely nothing to add except thank you... this is exactly what I've been figuring out this weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 This year, we've done kindy in three days a week. Reading, math, handwriting, and Spanish on those three days. History, science, art/music were each one day per week. Next year, the first grade plan is likely language arts, math, handwriting and Spanish 5 days a week. Language arts will have some variation on what is covered on which days. Science and history 3x weekly, music/art 1x weekly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I block schedule a few subjects. I found trying to assign one lesson of each of those subjects to a day of the week unwieldy, so now we rotate. Geography for as many days as it takes to finish the unit, then a unit of MindUP, then Health/ Sex ed, Science, and back to Geography again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I only have one and do a bock schedule. Here's how it looks: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays: History (1H); Math (45M); Lit (30M); Writing (45M); Latin (30M) Mondays & Wednesdays Only: Philosophy (45M-this will be ending next week & be replaced by a 5 wk Minecraft class); Geography (30M) Tuesdays & Thursdays: Band/Flute @ local HS (2 H); Bible (30M); Math (45 M); Science (1H); Grammar (30M); plus an additional class of Latin on Tuesdays Thursdays & Fridays only: Church History (30 M) if it's scheduled in TOG. If no classes are scheduled in TOG, this time is used to catch up on any other work. This schedule really works well for us. It works out to be about 4:45 to 5:00 hours of school work a day. Next year we will have longer days @ 6-7 hours depending upon how Band/Flute at the HS is scheduled. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'm doing Nancy Larson Science, which is scheduled every day, with a K and 3rd grader. Initially I tried doing it every day, but realized that because of the brevity of the lessons and the amount of stuff required to organize (for any science program) it's best to do it once or at most twice a week. I'm doing it once a week. I think that could apply to any science program where you're doing anything besides reading. We do history probably twice a week. Art and music on other days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Our frequency of subjects feels like it changes every year as the kids move to different grade levels. Here's our schedule for this year:Monday (our light day): Abbreviated Morning Meeting (together) Bible copywork (together) Grace: math, math fact practice, writing, literature Sophia: math, math fact practice, phonics, spelling Nature Study (together) Tuesday/Thursday: Morning Meeting (together) Bible study (together) Grace: Math, math fact practice, grammar, spelling, Spanish Sophia: spelling, cursive, math, math fact practice, Spanish Content subject of the week (together) Wednesday/Friday: Morning Meeting (together) Bible study (together) Grace: math, math fact practice, writing, literature, spelling Sophia: phonics, cursive, spelling, math fact practice, math I block schedule our content subjects by focusing on one thing for three weeks. We do history for three weeks, science for three weeks, geography for three weeks, and interest led learning for two weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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