CarolynD Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I'm toying with the idea of going with a 4 day school week. Does anyone have an opinion on this? Is it better to schedule for 5 and do 4 if we work ahead? Thanks, Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearnpurple Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We are doing a regular 4 day week with Friday (day 5) for Music, Art, Spanish, Library, Field Trip, Cooking, Sewing.....anything that is not "regular school" according to the dc! It gives them an incentive to finish their work by Thursday.....no I am not spreading day 5 out in the previous 4 days, just relaxing a little....... This is the first year they are excited about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We have always done a 4 day week for academics and saved science experiments, art activities, etc. for Fridays. This year we are doing a co-op on Thursdays instead, so Friday will be a full school day. We'll see how it goes . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do a five day week, but few things are done all five days. I'm toying with the idea of going to a rotating schedule next year, where everything would be scheduled for four days a week, but at least one subject would not be done each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbaby Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 4 day weeks here also. We have Fridays set aside for field trips and other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I do both. For things we do together (i.e. Bible, History, Science, etc) we do a 4-day week. I do plan for five days for some seatwork. I have to work on Friday (and Tuesday but we just do a couple of our "together" work on that day) so they take things they can complete without my help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjo Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do 4 full days at home. The fifth day is for outside classes - spanish, science, piano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Mondays we go to co-op so I plan a 4 day week. If we need to catch up we will do that on Sat. I'm trying to decide when library day should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hsmomto4 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do a 4 day week and Friday is for cleaning :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workingmom Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I plan a four day week and sometimes if they want they work ahead on the fifth day to do basic stuff like math and handwriting. Its very doable and we finished everything however we don't take three months off in the summer more like 6 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We've always had a lighter Friday. DD will be the only one left homeschooling now, so we can work things out to suit her best. She has horse-riding lessons every other Monday, and we are now volunteering at the Humane Society once a week. I am thinking of having Monday as our lighter day, and doing the riding lessons and the volunteering, and maybe even piano lessons on Mondays. Then do the regular schoolwork on other dayas. Not sure that will work out, but I'm tossing it around right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 4 Days. We have Fun Mondays here. Art, picture study, recitations, literature discussions, special unit studies, science experiments, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Something different - we do a 4-day week, but we do it as 3 full days and 2 half days (Thursday and Friday). We ended up with the two 1/2 days because the kids had music lessons and martial arts on those afternoons and we just didn't get anything done. And - if they work ahead on the 3 full days (and they often do!), we use Thurs/Fri for fun stuff. Holiday projects or crafts or game days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We have 5+ a bit. :001_smile: My dh teaches the older ones logic two days a week and one of those days is Saturday, so we have lessons scheduled 6 days a week, but Saturday is only one "class", Wednesday is a 1/2 day to allow a library trip, and not every subject is covered every day. How is that for confusing? :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We are doing a regular 4 day week with Friday (day 5) for Music, Art, Spanish, Library, Field Trip, Cooking, Sewing.....anything that is not "regular school" according to the dc! It gives them an incentive to finish their work by Thursday.....no I am not spreading day 5 out in the previous 4 days, just relaxing a little....... This is the first year they are excited about it! We have always done a 4 day week for academics and saved science experiments, art activities, etc. for Fridays. This year we are doing a co-op on Thursdays instead, so Friday will be a full school day. We'll see how it goes . . . These are good ideas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.z.ichigo Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 4 day weeks here. School takes between 4 and 6 hours each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I've done 4 day weeks in the past. Last year I planned for 4 1/2 days so one day could be a half-day and we could go to a homeschool meeting those afternoons. I'm thinking about maybe trying to schedule a 4 day week next year with art, music, science experiments, and the homeschool meeting on Wednesday. Art and music haven't been getting done here the last couple of years, so I'm hoping this may help them get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We school Monday through Thursday for most sit down subjects. I have to work on Tuesdays, so I have the assignments laid out for dd when I leave in the morning and she has a lot to do really...so I count that as a regular school day. (Grandma is here to see that she stay on task and it works well.) On Fridays we have always had a lighter day, especially if she has completed her assignments. I will be teaching a hs art class on Friday afternoons this year, and she is enrolled in the class too. So we'll probably do library on Fridays while we're in town for the class, leaving some light catch up or other electives time for the morning. This is going to be a great school year! Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheezie Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We usually do a 4 day week, and Friday is for grocery shopping, errands, etc. I work every weekend 12 hours each day, so I have to have a day where there's not much going on, other than fun stuff. (and to me, going to town/grocery shopping is fun. ;)). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do 4 day weeks with Fridays left for playgroup, field trips and in the past co-op. It has worked well for us.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We also have lighter Fridays, but we school 6 days a week (Sunday through Friday, Saturday is the day off). We never really "finish" a week on Friday, we've always had a policy that we finish a week with starting something new too, though we do revise the most important subjects and what we learned that week. We used to set Hebrew aside for Fridays (they did use it during the week - TV, films, chats with their friends from Israel, along with homeworks etc. - but we used to do the "formal study" on Fridays), but the next year we'll give it more importance and do it few days a week too, so we'll no longer have a subject that is reserved for the lighter day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do a 5 day week. We've done semesters with a 4 day week (we had a half-day co-op on the 5th day) and I always felt like we were trying to catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth Conley Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We were reduced to a de-facto 4 day schedule due to our co-op activities on each Wednesday. We were spending the entire day at co-op. Because of this, we never felt like we could take time off or even have a field trip. 20% of our academic time was already gone. We ended up working several extra weeks in the summer to meet all our academic goals. I'll never do it again. We now co-op for one afternoon only. The mornings are sacrosanct. We get our academics done then. Period, full stop! We like to have time for field trips and vacations. We also like to get finished by summer. Shrinking down to a four day school week is great, if you're doing it for reasons that work for you. Otherwise, it's an albatross around the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 4-Day... Friday we have co-op (every other week) or Field trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I plan for five days, but Friday is light. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We school five days a week but we take a library storytime break on Tuesday mornings and our Fridays are pretty light. This fall we'll have coop on Friday afternoons so we'll just do a few things in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOM24WONDERS Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 The younger 3 do a 4 day week - once they hit high school, it's a five day....so my oldest (son) is doing a 5 day. The middle two will do math and grammar on Friday (or Monday...can't decide which day I want off this year :) ) The youngest will do math and reading. I have to have that free day - I schedule all Dr/Eye/Ortho/Dentist appointments for after lunch on other school days - and that free day is just that FREE. We clean the house from top to bottom and then take some time to do NOTHING for a while. It's nice. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do school on Friday, but it's lighter. First we clean the house then do math, spelling test, art and I'm thinking of doing a few days of history on Friday too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I did 4 day when they were younger, but we really need a 5-day week now that they are older. I do schedule a week off occasionally for things like field trips and doctor appts. I also like to have a couple of months off in the summer. If we schooled year round, a 4 day week might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do 5 days a week, but Friday is scheduled lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We schedule more "by the minutes" than by the task, so we just first time-slotted our days, activities, rest times, meal times, exercise times, music practice, etc., (simple excel spreadsheet) and then whatever 'squares' were left, we started prioritizing homeschool assignments, and entered them into the timeslots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do a 4 day "school" week so Fridays are left open to finish up anything that did not get done M-TH or for extra thinks like field trips, art projects or more time consuming things. This worked really well for us last year, so we have no plans to change it this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenadina Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do 4.5 days...our half day consists of piano practice, memory work, science, and art :) I think 4 days is reasonable at the elementary level. Both WWE and CW both schedule for a 4 day week ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 We do four days of regular subjects and reserve all day Friday for nature study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japhmi Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Math and Latin 5 days a week in the morning. Monday afternoon may have some simple things, before Ballet and CCD in the later afternoon-evening timeframe Other subjects are planned on a 4-day week. We may move math to a 4-day-week, opening up some time on Friday for catch-up or something fun. DD is already half way though Saxon Math 2.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolynD Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thanks for all the replies. I love seeing how everyone plans their days! I've spent all my morning condensing my yearly 5 day week plans into 4 and it looks like it will work out fine. Abeka Math may give me some trouble for my 1st grader but Saxon, R&S 4, and other subjects fit nicely into a 4 day week. I really like the idea of using Friday for field trips, nature walks, art, library, science. All of the fun stuff! Perhaps we can get the house cleaned first. A little motivation to do something fun is always helpful! On another note, someone on another thread mentioned Donna Young's free homeschool planner. If you need help organizing, I highly recommend the yearly planner. After putting things to paper, especially my first grader's Language Arts, I was able to see where I had too many workbooks overlapping and was able to spread things out and hopefully I'll be able to accomplish more without overwhelming DD. The Science yearly planner is nice to use for LA and History too. Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Four days on academic scheduling for us with the fifth used for catch up and field trips or learning more about something that was particularly interesting from the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 4 days with Wednesday off. I'm trying to add in stuff like extra Art and science experiments that day, but we really like taking the day off from lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pageta Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 We're doing a four day week, but I have one child in first grade. I mapped out what we need to accomplish each week. Some subjects its a lesson a day. Other subjects, I just know how far I need to get over the course of the week. I like having a day of grace lest something goes haywire (little people don't take naps) and I don't get everything done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in La Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 We've always done a 4 day week. We take Fridays off, unless we need to catch up on some work (like math). We use that day for running errands, extra cleaning, library or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberry Queen Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I'm doing a 5 day week this year. I decided that since it would take me 45 weeks to get 180 days doing school 4 days a week, I would switch to 5 days a week and get 9 full weeks off. I get more rejuvenated by having a full week off rather than little bits here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 We used to have a terrible day every Monday so we quit doing school on Mondays. We just take the day to relax, clean the house and enjoy each other. The rest of the week goes much better now. Our school year has many more weeks than it used to, but it is worth it. 180 days is 180 days, and it is better for us without Mondays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda1951 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 elementary we did 4 days. they have a lot less to do in elementary grades than high school. We mainly did 4 days back then because we had doctors appointments, dentist, wanting to go to the mall and check out the book stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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