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How much time is reasonable for a 5th grader to spend daily?


frugalmamatx
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Help me out here. I was outlining our plans for this coming year, and mentioned to dd that she probably would be doing 2.5-3 hours of school a day, plus "homework" of reading. She thinks this is too much - is it? Here is my list, broken down by time:

 

Minutes

10 - Caught'cha Grammar with a Giggle
20 - Spectrum LA Grade 5 {1 page}
15 - handwriting
10 - Xtramath Drills
20 - Khan Academy Math
30 - Saxon Math 54 {1 lesson minus fact drills}
20 - Lifepac History
10 - Apologia Human Anatomy {2 sections per day, will run longer on experiment days}
30 - Spanish / Art {alternating days}
 
It's math heavy because she is behind in math, so we are doing extra to try to bring her skills up to speed. I'm guessing at some of the things as for how long they will actually take. 
Edited by frugalmamatx
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I would do Spanish daily and instead alternate History with Art. Unless she loves history.

 

My kids find it easier to do their foreign language daily even if it is for 10mins of vocabulary revision.

 

ETA:

DS10 did more than 3hrs for 5th grade excluding leisure reading.

Edited by Arcadia
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In my family growing up, a 5th grader would be doing about 3-4 hours of work in the morning, plus an hour or more of required reading in the evening (often allowed to choose their own book, but reading before bed was required as 'school'). That was broken up, as a very rough guide, at 45 minutes math, 45 minutes literature study/spelling/grammar/poetry/etc, 30 minutes writing, 30 minutes foreign language, 1 hour history, social studies or science on rotation, 15 mins typing, then the hour of reading in the evening. 

 

I believe the often quoted guide is 1 hour per grade. I don't agree with it entirely, but, I know a number of people on the boards run with it. 

Edited by abba12
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My 5th graders have spent about 4-5 hrs on schoolwork daily. That does not include reading assigned literature or music practice. For my most recent 5th grader it broke down to about 1 hr each for math, English, & social studies and 45 min each for science & French. He also practiced piano for an hour daily and read for 1-2 hrs daily.

 

I think 2.5-3 hrs is a little light. Though, maybe not, depending on how much time she spends reading and doing extracurricular activities. It certainly isn't "too much".

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My ds will spend 6.5 hours daily. 

 

Approximate breakdown:

 

Math - 1hr

Science - 1hr

Latin & Art - 1hr

History - 1.5 hrs

Literature/English - 2 hrs

 

 

ETA: That is four days a week. He will have one 3 hr school day when he will spend the other half day at co-op.

Edited by Melissa B
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Help me out here. I was outlining our plans for this coming year, and mentioned to dd that she probably would be doing 2.5-3 hours of school a day, plus "homework" of reading. She thinks this is too much - is it? Here is my list, broken down by time:

 

Minutes

10 - Caught'cha Grammar with a Giggle
20 - Spectrum LA Grade 5 {1 page}
15 - handwriting
10 - Xtramath Drills
20 - Khan Academy Math
30 - Saxon Math 54 {1 lesson minus fact drills}
20 - Lifepac History
10 - Apologia Human Anatomy {2 sections per day, will run longer on experiment days}
30 - Spanish / Art {alternating days}
 
It's math heavy because she is behind in math, so we are doing extra to try to bring her skills up to speed. I'm guessing at some of the things as for how long they will actually take. 

 

 

 

Well, IMHO, it's too much math. Math 54 by itself is plenty and more than enough, even though she is behind. Otherwise, it's pretty light in English, everything else looks fine and not nearly too much.

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Last year my 5th grader's day looked like this:

 

Bible - 30 minutes

Piano - 30 minutes

Math - 1 hr.

Writing - 45 minutes

Latin - 30 to 45 minutes

 

Science - 30 minutes 3x a week

History - 30 minutes 3x a week

Spelling - 15 minutes 3x a week

Grammar - 30 minutes 3x a week

Memory work (Poems mostly) - 10 minutes 4 x a week

 

She averaged 4.5 hrs, plus lit reading, which I don't schedule.

This is my daydreamer child and one who is slooow (not weak in understanding, though) in doing math.  

 

Edited by ScoutTN
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The general rule of thumb for homeschooling is one hour for the first grade level and an added half hour for each grade level after that.

 

So I'd say about 3 hours or so of concentrated effort.

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Saxon 5/4 is a lot more work then Saxon 3.  Even if you just teach the lesson and then do the problem set you are looking at close to an hour.  There are 30 problems for each lesson, some may be figured out quickly, while others take a few minutes.  We do Khan Academy with Saxon, but do KA during the summer and save Saxon for the school year.

 

Edited by HeatherL
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I have five hours planned four days a week, the fifth day is shorter, for my 5th grader next year, but that includes music practice, time spent listening to the kindergarteners books if he wants, and some family subjects that just take longer with three kids plus a toddler. Actually I have the same day planned for my third grader, other than she just might finish her work quicker and so have some mini breaks through the day. The plan is 8-12, plus an hour reading time after lunch.

Edited by vaquitita
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My son just finished 5th grade, and it was about 4-5 hours a day for him, which includes everything, although we were a little light on formal science.

 

Roughly:

10 minutes typing

15 minutes geography

30 minutes reading

30 minutes history

30-40 minutes math

30 minutes group work -- poetry, Bible, memorization, other stuff I read to them

30 minutes science, alternating with Bible

10 minutes spelling/grammar/logic

20 minutes writing

20 minutes Latin, alternating with math facts practice/geography drill

Plus time spent practicing martial arts skills and guitar

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How much time is reasonable for a 5th grader to spend daily?

 

Definitely reasonable; perhaps a bit light, since it looks like you are missing some components of your Language Arts. 

 

We averaged a little over 4 hours/day of focused time on academics in 5th grade, for 4 days/week, with the 5th day for educational games, longer activities (art projects, history hands-on etc.), and for meeting weekly with the homeschool group for field trips, park day, and special events. That does not include the regular family evening read-alouds, or the regular solo-reading time.

 

One DS had mild LDs, so we needed to spend a little bit of extra time in math, spelling and writing to remediate, I broke it into several smaller bites during the day -- so, a 5 minute bite of "warm-up" writing in the morning, then a non-writing activity, then 15 min of the main writing program lesson in late morning, and then another 10-15 min. of the writing program after lunch. Similarly, a 30 min. Math session before lunch, and then a 10 min. drill or supplement of math in the afternoon.

 

But that's just what my DS needed to keep going. What is it about the way you are doing school now that makes it seem "too long" to your DD? Just a thought, but it looks like a lot of workbook and solo work so maybe she's lonely or bored…?

 

- Does DD have any LDs or ADD?

School can seem eternal if she's struggling to concentrate due to brain or biological concerns. She may need short bursts of learning interspersed with 5 minutes of physical activity. Or she may need "fidget toys" or "chewies", or ability to move (sit/fidget on a yoga ball, stand with seat work at a counter to jig about, etc.) while doing school to help with focus. 

 

- Does DD dawdle or struggle getting through the day?

Maybe more outside-the-home activities, or special projects that are allowed during free time to look forward to would help speed getting through the academics. Some people use a timer to help train their student to stay on task.

 

- Is DD more social and would enjoy more interaction?

If so, where do you do school together now or where could you be more present in the school day? What about adding 30 minutes a day of you reading aloud (or together listening to an audio book) to supplement Literature, Science or History? Or watch an educational Science show together? Or play some Logic/Critical Thinking games or games that involve Math or Language Arts?

 

- Does DD need more hands-on learning, or manipulative-based or visual-based resources?

How about including a weekly supplement of educational videos from the library or Netflix or online streaming? More History and Science hands-ons projects (a lot of kits can be done mostly solo if you don't have more teacher time available).

 

- Would DD do better with variety of viewpoint for Math?

Your Math supplements -- Xtramath Drills and Khan Academy -- are somewhat similar in perspective as Saxon. What about substituting for those two supplements with resources that come from a very different viewpoint -- like Beast Academy 3A/B or 4A/B, or Life of Fred for Khan Academy --or some booklets that cover specific math topics and use manipulatives like Cusienaire Rods, Geoboards, Pattern Blocks, and Multi-Link Cubes? How about an alternate method for math drills instead of Xtramath -- triangle flash cards or Times Tales (or other visual storytelling method to link with math facts) or Number Munchers (or other computer game), or skip count songs and Schoolhouse Rock: Math videos?

 

 

...Here is my list, broken down by time:

 

10 - Caught'cha Grammar with a Giggle
20 - Spectrum LA Grade 5 {1 page}
15 - handwriting
10 - Xtramath Drills
20 - Khan Academy Math
30 - Saxon Math 54 {1 lesson minus fact drills}
20 - Lifepac History
10 - Apologia Human Anatomy {2 sections per day, will run longer on experiment days}
30 - Spanish / Art {alternating days}

 

As far as scheduling, it looks like you have about 3.5 hours total per day:

 

Language Arts = 65-75 minutes

- Reading - 20-30 min (??) - solo reading "homework"

- Read Alouds - ?

- Writing - ?

- Handwriting - 15 min

- Spelling - ?

- Grammar - 30 min = 10 min (Grammar with a Giggle) + 20 min (Spectrum LA)

- Vocabulary - ?

 

Math = 60 minutes

10 min (Xtramath Drill) + 20 min (Khan Academy) + 30 min (Saxon 54)

 

History (Lifepac) = 20 minutes

Science (Apologia) = 10-30 minutes

Spanish / Art (alternate days) = 30 minutes

 

 

Agreeing with previous poster that it looks light on language arts. Is that Spectrum LA, JUST the Language Arts (which covers grammar), or is it also the 3 additional Spectrum workbooks, one each for Reading, Writing, and Spelling Just some random thoughts about LA:

 

- where is spelling? (or, is she a complete natural and already does not need spelling?)

- does she still *need* handwriting practice? (I get it -- I had one who absolutely needed it up through 6th grade, and one who was done by the end of 4th grade)

- where is Writing? (even with DS with LDs, we were doing something with Writing in 4th and 5th grades)

- Wordsmith Apprentice is a great, gentle mostly-solo Writing program that is fun for the student, with a "cub reporter" theme and silly cartoons to introduce each new unit

- it's optional, but did you want or need anything for Vocabulary?

- what about read alouds, or listening to books on tape while driving -- it's still a great age to share wonderful books together (and it can be helpful prep for upcoming Literature discussions in middle/high school)

 

Possibly use the lighter schedule to:

- introduce some Logic and Critical Thinking a few times a week; that can be through solo materials, but also through reading through something together 2x/week and playing some Logic/Critical Thinking games

- explore outside-the-home extracurriculars (dance class, martial arts, horseback riding, hiking, orienteering, scouts, etc.)

- explore a variety of fun activities or develop personal interests through a regularly scheduled 2x/week: cake decorating, electronics, robotics, sewing, whittling, cooking/baking, etc.

- consider getting bit more serious about Spanish studies and increase to 4-5x/week

- consider increasing the number of days you do Art, if it is an esp. enjoyed activity

Edited by Lori D.
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I'd cut the Khan Math too. I think using the X-tra math for the drill is fine but that w/ Saxon is plenty for the day. Fwiw there are only 120 lessons (plus Investigations if you do those) so depending on how many days you do school you could get caught up just keeping on to the next book when you finish with this one and maybe going into the summer, assuming she is doing well with it and it is just a matter of putting in the time. 

 

I wonder about the LA too, but I don/t know anything about Spectrum. I would want some work on composition (at whatever level she is at), not just handwriting. I wonder about spelling too but perhaps you just have a natural speller, in which case lucky you.

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My plan for my oldest is probably about 4 hours with breaks...

 

Math (Saxon 65) - 45 min

Grammar (R&S 5) - 25-30 min

Spelling (Calvert or megawords) - 15 min

Reading - 45 min

Latin (Latin Prep) - 30 min

History or Science - 45 min

 

She'll also practice piano.

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Saxon 5/4 is a lot more work then Saxon 3.  Even if you just teach the lesson and then do the problem set you are looking at close to an hour.  There are 30 problems for each lesson, some may be figured out quickly, while others take a few minutes.  We do Khan Academy with Saxon, but do KA during the summer and save Saxon for the school year.

Agreed, maybe it's because we're using it ahead (read: slow writing and easily distractable) but my daughter takes 45 minutes on Saxon 5/4 except on test days which are very short (we don't do the investigation that day). Even if we didn't do the fact practice it would take 40 minutes at least generally.

Edited by tm919
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Saxon 5/4 is a lot more work then Saxon 3.  Even if you just teach the lesson and then do the problem set you are looking at close to an hour.  There are 30 problems for each lesson, some may be figured out quickly, while others take a few minutes.  We do Khan Academy with Saxon, but do KA during the summer and save Saxon for the school year.

 

I'm just switching to Saxon this year - prior to this she was using ACE Paces for Math, and doing 2-3 pages a day which is about 30-45 problems. If she didn't dawdle, she finished those in 15 minutes. She has good processing speed - once I can get her to sit down and actually DO the work. 

 

I'd cut the Khan Math too. I think using the X-tra math for the drill is fine but that w/ Saxon is plenty for the day. Fwiw there are only 120 lessons (plus Investigations if you do those) so depending on how many days you do school you could get caught up just keeping on to the next book when you finish with this one and maybe going into the summer, assuming she is doing well with it and it is just a matter of putting in the time. 

 

I wonder about the LA too, but I don/t know anything about Spectrum. I would want some work on composition (at whatever level she is at), not just handwriting. I wonder about spelling too but perhaps you just have a natural speller, in which case lucky you.

 

Khan Academy she actually wants to keep - she competes with her friends {also homeschooled} to see who can get the most points daily. 

 

She is a natural speller {a fluke - I can't spell at all} so no spelling. Handwriting is per her request - she wants to learn "fancy" writing aka cursive which I've not covered at all. I do need to add in some composition though - it is touched on in the Spectrum workbook a little but she is behind in writing as well. 

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Definitely reasonable; perhaps a bit light, since it looks like you are missing some components of your Language Arts. 

 

We averaged a little over 4 hours/day of focused time on academics in 5th grade, for 4 days/week, with the 5th day for educational games, longer activities (art projects, history hands-on etc.), and for meeting weekly with the homeschool group for field trips, park day, and special events. That does not include the regular family evening read-alouds, or the regular solo-reading time.

 

One DS had mild LDs, so we needed to spend a little bit of extra time in math, spelling and writing to remediate, I broke it into several smaller bites during the day -- so, a 5 minute bite of "warm-up" writing in the morning, then a non-writing activity, then 15 min of the main writing program lesson in late morning, and then another 10-15 min. of the writing program after lunch. Similarly, a 30 min. Math session before lunch, and then a 10 min. drill or supplement of math in the afternoon.

 

But that's just what my DS needed to keep going. What is it about the way you are doing school now that makes it seem "too long" to your DD? Just a thought, but it looks like a lot of workbook and solo work so maybe she's lonely or bored…?

 

- Does DD have any LDs or ADD?

School can seem eternal if she's struggling to concentrate due to brain or biological concerns. She may need short bursts of learning interspersed with 5 minutes of physical activity. Or she may need "fidget toys" or "chewies", or ability to move (sit/fidget on a yoga ball, stand with seat work at a counter to jig about, etc.) while doing school to help with focus. 

 

She has suspected ASD. I have tried the short breaks for activity before and it normally ends up derailing our day because I'm spending half my time herding her back to her schoolwork. I might try the yoga ball though. 

 

- Does DD dawdle or struggle getting through the day?

Maybe more outside-the-home activities, or special projects that are allowed during free time to look forward to would help speed getting through the academics. Some people use a timer to help train their student to stay on task.

 

Dawdles constantly. It's one of the reasons I'm going for a lighter year this year - I am hoping to work on better schooling habits with her, including just sucking it up and getting the work done fast when you don't like that subject. I like the timer idea - might do a race the timer for a prize. 

 

- Is DD more social and would enjoy more interaction?

If so, where do you do school together now or where could you be more present in the school day? What about adding 30 minutes a day of you reading aloud (or together listening to an audio book) to supplement Literature, Science or History? Or watch an educational Science show together? Or play some Logic/Critical Thinking games or games that involve Math or Language Arts?

 

DD is both social and not social if that makes sense. She wants company, but at the same time it often distracts her until she can't handle it anymore. DD prefers to read to herself, and rarely will allow me to do a read-aloud {normally she grabs it and just reads it herself}. She watches educational shows on a regular basis - normally Bill Nye or similar. 

 

- Does DD need more hands-on learning, or manipulative-based or visual-based resources?

How about including a weekly supplement of educational videos from the library or Netflix or online streaming? More History and Science hands-ons projects (a lot of kits can be done mostly solo if you don't have more teacher time available).

 

See above about the shows. I would like to add more hands on projects but, being realistic, they don't normally get done. I have a very busy schedule myself and extras like projects end up getting cut. DD is not allowed to do solo projects anymore - I got tired of her doing a project, getting frustrated because she couldn't get it to work, making a giant mess and then walking away in meltdown mode - leaving me to pick up all the pieces. 

 

- Would DD do better with variety of viewpoint for Math?

Your Math supplements -- Xtramath Drills and Khan Academy -- are somewhat similar in perspective as Saxon. What about substituting for those two supplements with resources that come from a very different viewpoint -- like Beast Academy 3A/B or 4A/B, or Life of Fred for Khan Academy --or some booklets that cover specific math topics and use manipulatives like Cusienaire Rods, Geoboards, Pattern Blocks, and Multi-Link Cubes? How about an alternate method for math drills instead of Xtramath -- triangle flash cards or Times Tales (or other visual storytelling method to link with math facts) or Number Munchers (or other computer game), or skip count songs and Schoolhouse Rock: Math videos?

 

I use manipulatives on a regular basis with her for math. Doesn't seem to make a difference. She has schoolhouse rock. Buying or using other materials to come at math from a different POV is not an option this year - I am on a very tight budget and need to make what I have work. I realize they are from similar perspectives but the repetition of the same topics presented in mostly the same way seems to work for dd. Khan Academy is what got her out of second grade math {finally} after struggling with it for over a year. 

 

 

 

As far as scheduling, it looks like you have about 3.5 hours total per day:

 

Language Arts = 65-75 minutes

- Reading - 20-30 min (??) - solo reading "homework"

- Read Alouds - ?

- Writing - ?

- Handwriting - 15 min

- Spelling - ?

- Grammar - 30 min = 10 min (Grammar with a Giggle) + 20 min (Spectrum LA)

- Vocabulary - ?

 

Math = 60 minutes

10 min (Xtramath Drill) + 20 min (Khan Academy) + 30 min (Saxon 54)

 

History (Lifepac) = 20 minutes

Science (Apologia) = 10-30 minutes

Spanish / Art (alternate days) = 30 minutes

 

 

Agreeing with previous poster that it looks light on language arts. Is that Spectrum LA, JUST the Language Arts (which covers grammar), or is it also the 3 additional Spectrum workbooks, one each for Reading, Writing, and Spelling Just some random thoughts about LA:

 

- where is spelling? (or, is she a complete natural and already does not need spelling?)

- does she still *need* handwriting practice? (I get it -- I had one who absolutely needed it up through 6th grade, and one who was done by the end of 4th grade)

- where is Writing? (even with DS with LDs, we were doing something with Writing in 4th and 5th grades)

- Wordsmith Apprentice is a great, gentle mostly-solo Writing program that is fun for the student, with a "cub reporter" theme and silly cartoons to introduce each new unit

- it's optional, but did you want or need anything for Vocabulary?

- what about read alouds, or listening to books on tape while driving -- it's still a great age to share wonderful books together (and it can be helpful prep for upcoming Literature discussions in middle/high school)

 

She is a natural speller, and tested out of high school level spelling in Spelling Power. I keep trying to get her to do the local spelling bee, but she is not willing to do so. 

My approach to handwriting has been more of a "wait and see" type thing. She can write okay-ish in printing. But she complains that writing makes her hands hurt after about 10 minutes {which I understand - I have always had the same issue}. She requested this year to learn "fancy" writing aka cursive, which I was not planning on teaching her at all. 

I need to come up with something for a composition / creative writing program for her this year. I'm kind of winging it there with plans to work on teaching her how to write a paragraph, then an essay. 

Vocabulary is actually included in the Caught'cha book - it uses SAT Vocabulary and they create a "word book" as the year progresses. 

See above comments about read-alouds. Books on tape isn't an option - we use public transit and it's too distracting. 

 

Possibly use the lighter schedule to:

- introduce some Logic and Critical Thinking a few times a week; that can be through solo materials, but also through reading through something together 2x/week and playing some Logic/Critical Thinking games

- explore outside-the-home extracurriculars (dance class, martial arts, horseback riding, hiking, orienteering, scouts, etc.)

- explore a variety of fun activities or develop personal interests through a regularly scheduled 2x/week: cake decorating, electronics, robotics, sewing, whittling, cooking/baking, etc.

- consider getting bit more serious about Spanish studies and increase to 4-5x/week

- consider increasing the number of days you do Art, if it is an esp. enjoyed activity

 

We don't do outside the home extracurriculars - it just doesn't work for us due to finances and transportation {all the local homeschool stuff is either over a hour each way on the bus OR costs several hundred dollars. She will have Art lessons on Saturdays for a month at some point during the school year {through a wonderful program locally}. I do plan on starting to teach her to cook this year, and perhaps another crafting skill like crocheting or knitting. Spanish she is just starting in {hopefully}. She wants to learn Hawaiian instead but our area is very bilingual with Spanish so I would rather she learned Spanish. 

 

 

Answered in italics above. 

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Thanks everyone. I realize it is on the lighter side in some areas, and that is partially intentional. Being that this is her last year of "elementary" level schooling, I really want to work with her on school habits and consistency. I am hoping the lighter schedule will be easier for us to keep to consistently, since it is light enough to do in a short time on days when I need to be out of the house. 

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Thanks everyone. I realize it is on the lighter side in some areas, and that is partially intentional. Being that this is her last year of "elementary" level schooling, I really want to work with her on school habits and consistency. I am hoping the lighter schedule will be easier for us to keep to consistently, since it is light enough to do in a short time on days when I need to be out of the house. 

No need to apologize, she is your kid and the plus of hs'ing is that you get to choose priorities(assuming you meet the legal requirements). Getting basic skills, ef skills and work habits is more important in the long run then trying to make the schedule as rigorous as possible. 

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No need to apologize, she is your kid and the plus of hs'ing is that you get to choose priorities(assuming you meet the legal requirements). Getting basic skills, ef skills and work habits is more important in the long run then trying to make the schedule as rigorous as possible. 

 

Agree. I was just using the "scattergun" brainstorming approach in my post, thinking maybe one of oodles of ideas might be helpful. ;)

 

 

I need to come up with something for a composition / creative writing program for her this year. I'm kind of winging it there with plans to work on teaching her how to write a paragraph, then an essay. 

 

Wordsmith Apprentice might fit that bill -- or at least be a fun supplement for 2 days a week, to alternate with something more formal or structured -- maybe Bravewriter's Partnership Writing.

 

Wordsmith Apprentice is very inexpensive. It is written directly to the student, is informal, fun, and works with all 4 types of writing (descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive). It is set up as though the student is writing for a newspaper as a cub-reporter, with a silly one-page cartoon of the editor in chief speaking to the student to introduce each new type of writing (which is writing for a different department of a newspaper  :) ). You can schedule as much or as little of it a day as you like. Also, it's quite flexible as it can be as much about factual writing or about creative writing as the student would like. See table of contents and samplemore sample pages and general lesson plan/schedule.

 

An option for just creative writing might be Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly (Gail Levine) -- again, maybe alternate that with something more formal/structured. Peace Hill Press has 3 levels of Creative Writing for the middle school ages. From the comparisons in this thread "The Creative Writer: Do you like it?" it sounds like Writing Magic is gentler and more whimsical and for slightly younger students, while The Creative Writer is more formal and structured which might shut down a student just starting to write.

 

Edited by Lori D.
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At face value I would say the amount of time is reasonable, in fact I would spend a little more time on science. However, there are really two different points to consider - the amount of time it takes the student to complete the work (time each day), and the amount of work/difficulty of work.  Some students work fast, but because they do they can accomplish more in 2.5-3.0 hours than others can in 4 hours.  Some may have much more "homework" to do if they can't finish in the allotted time. Also, if your 5th grader can stay focused for all 2.5-3.0 hours without stopping for food, drink, bathroom, stretch, questions, etc. then super, but in reality I imagine there's at least an hour in there of "other non school work stuff." So ask yourself if the workload is appropriate instead of the time requirement.

 

Another thought - perhaps the fact that things are broken down into so many small parts is overwhelming her?  For example, math is three different things - drill, Khan, and Saxon.  Maybe every transition from one thing to another represents "more", even if in the end it is the same amount of time you would spend with an all inclusive language arts or math from one book.

 

ETC: DS's 5th grade schedule roughly averaged like this:

 

50 - Morning Basket

60 - Math (Beast Academy, SM 5, Dream Box)

20-45 - Writing and Rhetoric

5 - Practice Town

15-20 - Lively Latin 

15 - Biology (plus one hour a week labs)

60-120 Person Study Time

 

He has ADHD and trouble staying focused, so there's a lot of time wasted here and there.  We start at 9:00 and he's done around 2:00 or 2:30.

 

Edited by Targhee
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I typed up an amazing reply and lost it.

 

I have a rising fifth grader, too. Confirmed sensory issues. Possible ADHD or ASD, given our genetics. Low frustration tolerance. And that last once can mess everything up. Right?

 

For fourth grade, I revamped our plan to deal with her difficulties, which were (1) dealing with me and (2) physical writing.

 

She was able to get her work done very independently in about two hours, but she processes quickly. And that doesn't include hours of interest-led independent reading, bedtime read alouds, and martial arts. If I ever associated those thing with schoolwork, it would take the joy out of them for her.

 

This year it was such an amazing thing to see her get through all her work everyday without fail. I wondered if it was too light, but when I went back to what my priorities and goals were for the year, I realized she was making impressive progress in the areas of concern to me, writing and reading non-fiction.

 

The other thing that re-assured me is that I was getting better feedback about her behavior, and her coop teachers made comments like, she's as smart as a whip.

 

So my experience this year showed me you don't have to put in a lot of time to successfully homeschool but you should be really targeting strengths and weaknesses.

 

One example for her as a kid with a good memory who hates writing was using flashcards for things like vocab and geography to take advantage of her strong memory and high tolerance for mindless drill. We also used Memoria Press Recitaion to pick up odds and ends without extra reading and writing. Non-fiction reading was hit in science and history, without overwhelming her with writing. Writing was writing and we hit it three ways: physical (copywork), thinking (paragraphs), and cursive.

 

I hope these ideas help you fine tune your plan. I would keep in mind that never want to overwhelm a kid with possible ASD. Too little is better than too much with these kids, in my experience.

 

And you're going to want to hit writing as you've mentioned. Consider how I approached writing for ideas. I love how it worked out. Look at Jump In book two for a start. You could do book two and three in one year and be good. Then you have your "fancy" writing for cursive. You may also add copywork. I like Modern Speller. Mine picked up lots of good stuff through that.

 

Wishing you the best.

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