Annabel Lee Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) I just put my kids' basic weekly schedules into an Excel doc. and can't believe that we'll really get all of it done. It looks like too much. Then on the accelerated learner board, people are talking about 2 hours being enough for 1st grade (and I believe that). So then, how did I end up with all this? Here's my schedules for C (1st) and J (3rd): C (1st) FLL 1: M - W WWE 1: M - Th AAS: M - Th Math: M - F Pre-Logic (games mostly): T OPG: M-F J (3rd) FLL: 5 lessons/week, M-Th to leave Fri. as "light day" WWE: 5 lessons/week, M-Th to leave Fri. as "light day" AAS: M-Th Math: M-F Logic: T Vocab/roots: M-TH or M, T, W Guitar: lesson 1x/wk, practice daily Both: Science: Th - F History: M - W Free Choice Reading: Sun - Sat. (daily) Assigned Reading: M-F (this would be reading practice w/ beginning readers for my 1st grader) Bible: daily w/ family in the evenings Character: M, W, F Penmanship: M - F Music appreciation/history: 1x/week plus review Art: 1-2x/week Spanish: M; review on T - F Nature Walks/Journaling: 1-2x/month PE: TKD 2x/wk I'll be combining subjects when and where possible - such as using WWE copywork for penmanship (on days that WWE schedules copywork). I'm thinking about just using the WWE guide so that most copywork/narrations/dictations will be from our history & science. That takes care of history and science questions & narrations. Assigned reading will frequently be tied in with other subjects. It just looks like so much. I totalled up how many subjects ea. boy will be doing per day and YIKES! Even last school year, it would take us about 6 hours to "do school". I'm bouncing back & forth between them for math & LA. It still just seems like alot. Any help? Encouragement? An "it just looks bigger on paper" would be great from someone who's BTDT. :D I'm just really nervous that this will feel like h#l1 to implement. Edited July 30, 2009 by Annabel Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkgumby Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'll just say that it looks a lot like mine for my 2nd and 3rd grader. :001_smile: We're not doing vocabulary roots or foreign language, but we're doing Logic, FLL, WWE, AAS, Math, Handwriting, Science, LOTS of history, Religion, Art lessons and appreciation, Music lessons and appreciation, Reading . . . I'd love to do nature walks, too, and field trips and other outings. My guess, though, is that all this will go more quickly than it looks on paper. Unless my kids are dawdling (which does happen, especially with my oldest), it almost never takes them the full allotted time to do their assignments. All I can suggest is to be willing to be flexible and just see how it goes, and then decide if something needs changing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithr Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think it depends on how you incorporate things. FLL and WWE don't take very long at all to do, at least the first levels of these programs, so that combined with AAS will take about 1 hour maybe? And I'd only do the penmanship on the days that you are not doing copy work (as you suggested, I'm planning the same thing!). So you've got Language Arts out of the way there. I'd do things like OPG and reader work at another time (in the evening before Bible maybe? Or snuggling on the couch for a midmorning break? Maybe while your 3rd grader is doing more independent reading? I'd combine the character and Bible times. Personally I think Logic and Word Roots at these ages are just busy work and I'd only do them when everybody is burned out and needs some fresh air. I tend to save that kind of stuff for short units sprinkled throughout the year when we need a break from the other stuff. Then the Logic is fun and the Word Roots are interesting and the kids jump at the chance to work on them. Or I used to do word roots by typing up a root and putting it on our kitchen wall or fridge and then discussing it over breakfast. That way it wasn't schooly but just a conversation starter. If you start Latin next year in 4th and let your little one sit in, they will learn lots of word roots that way. At these ages I'd limit math to 20 minutes per day. They don't need any more than that. I have found a lot of math is developmental and stuff they don't understand right away, if you just wait a month or two, they get when you revisit it. Music appreciation can be done over lunch! Art would be something I'd make available to them during free time. Guitar practice too can be done during free time. Science and history can be done after lunch. So my routine for this would be: A.M. Three R's + Spanish - (done in 1.5 hours; I'm into short lessons a la Charlotte Mason; use a timer) Recess - then maybe snuggle time on couch for reading lesson with 1st grader/independent reading for 3rd gr. Lunch - (music appreciation or word roots or maybe you could stick stories that develop character here) After lunch - history and/or science (nature walks are science so they aren't extras padded on but in lieu of a regular 'schooly' lesson) (these lessons could last anywhere from 30 minutes to more than an hour depending on the kids' interest level, I'd play it by ear). Afternoon activities - TKD, errands, chores, free time (art, music practice) Evening - Bible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 It is VERY close to what I have for my school kids. Morning Meeting 3Rs (alphaphonics, HWT, WWE, FLL, McGuffey) Free reading Math (MEP, Horizons) Latin (SSL) Spanish SOTW for History (ancients) Elemental Science (biology) Fine Arts for art/music appreciation Simply Music for piano PE AND recess daily Computer programs on rotation and dependent on kid (ETC Online, Literactive, DancePad Typing, Earobics, Safari Brainware, etc) I have realized that I can't do EVERYTHING that I want. I know, for example, that I will have to give up some aspects like reading each whole novel that goes with each WWE week. I can't do many of the SOTW activities. But at the same time, I think it's doable because every small thing really doesn't take THAT long. Our longest "classes" will be our outside time (which it should be since all the kids will be little :) ). Also, not everything is done everyday. And some things have only parts of it done daily (like FLL won't be a full lesson per day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 :grouphug: Thanks tink, Faith, & Pamela! Faith, I could just kiss you for scheduling my days out for me! Pam, I really like the idea of free reading right after the formal LA. I was trying to figure out a way to fit it into an afternoon rest time, but it just wasn't working w/ other things we've got going on. I just handed my boys a Highlights Puzzlemania book (this counts as semi-Logic or Pre-Logic, right?) in the car & they loved it. They assumed it was something fun to do while we were driving. I think I'll be able to slip in logic this way alot - keeping it fun. We have some thinking skills games on the way from RR, like Set, Duo, Rush Hour jr., etc. that will help. Yep - OPG/reader work and J's independent reading needs to just get moved on the official schedule to evening. That's when it usually happened anyhow. I don't think I can let go of math, though I can put a limit on it. I follow more of a WTM philosophy on that one. My boys really love having 'math lab' before they do their actual lesson. Thanks so much for the tips, ladies! What a nice suprise to come back here and find my problem solved. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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