teacalm Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I'm finding that there's not enough time to do everything during the day. Around 3:20 in the afternoon, the kids go to their daily swim team for an hour and a half. I have been giving ds more and more work to do for the night. He have to make his writing draft revisions for his online lit. class which is a lot of work, maybe view the Chalkdust dvd at night too so he's ready to do it the next day, assigned 3 chapters to read on his physical science text and answer the corresponding review questions, and maybe read his assigned history chapters. Do you think this is overload? I even have to give him materials to accomplish during the weekend and I feel bad sometimes because it takes away his free time (like spending time with friends). This is what he's doing: Latin Algebra I Rod Staff Eng. Word Within a Word IEW Spelling C Laurel Tree Online Intro. to Lit./Home2Teach writing Conceptual Physical Science Explorations Runkle's World Geography (M,W,F) Introductory Logic (T,TH) Painless Goverment/Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? (alternate days) Johnson's History of the American People (modified gileskirk American Culture schedule) I have not even folded in SYRWTL French/Spanish back into his schedules and I'm looking for a bible study unit. For the most part, he gets all the above done. He writes all this assignments on his planner everyday and goes to me for checking so i can scratch them off the list. Should I leave something out or schedule something less during the week? TIA. Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 We have a lot of activities going on during the week as well. My 8th grader does have to do work in the evenings when we get home. I'm not sure how long some of the course work takes that you have assigned, but if geography, logic, gov't are taking more than 10-15 mins each, than I think your schedule is overloaded. To give you an idea, this is what my 8th grader is doing and several of these are for high school credit: alg 2 (1 1/2 to 2 hrs/day) physics (1 hr and 20 mins/day......I set the timer for this b/c he would spend hrs doing it. It is actually an 11th/12th grade course, so if it takes him longer than this yr to finish it, I am ok with that.) history (30 mins.....b/c of his math and science load, I made this a very easy course.) geography (10 mins/day) grammar/writing instruction (10-15 mins per day) spelling (10 mins) writing (~30-45 mins/day) lit (30 mins/day) French (30 mins/day) theology (10-20 mins/day) On days when things get really hectic, geography and French are the subjects that are eliminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacalm Posted October 3, 2009 Author Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thank you, momof7. I was thinking of you when I post this question and was hoping that you'll se it. I know that you have an 8th grader too. Ds's schedule may seems a lot but the government,economics, spelling, vocab, and even RS Eng does not take long. He goes through those subjects fast. Runkle and Logic is about 20-25 min. tops and I make him go to the next subject. The subjects that take the longest are Latin, Algebra 1, writing, and the physical science, and these we do everyday. I don't feel bad then giving him these extra work to do at night. He's also in the Scouts every Tues. night, and the public speaking on Tues. noontime. I always read your post and for this year, I copied your system of making lesson plans ahead of time. I have to say that after 9 years of homeschooling, this year is off to a good productive start. Thanks so much for responding. By the way, ds is enjoying Paul Johnson's book and he reads this as his "desert" subject and goes looking for it he needs something easier to do. Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Both my 11th grader and my seventh grader do work at night sometimes. For the 11th grader, it is most nights. For the seventh grader, it is on days we have other things going on like co-op day or soccer day or doctor visit day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibaker103 Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 This is what he's doing: Latin Algebra I Rod Staff Eng. Word Within a Word IEW Spelling C Laurel Tree Online Intro. to Lit./Home2Teach writing Conceptual Physical Science Explorations Runkle's World Geography (M,W,F) Introductory Logic (T,TH) Painless Goverment/Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? (alternate days) Johnson's History of the American People (modified gileskirk American Culture schedule) I have not even folded in SYRWTL French/Spanish back into his schedules and I'm looking for a bible study unit. I personally think it's a lot! If you combine some things it wouldn't be so much. English you've got 5 different curriculum/classes going on. Is there anyway to cut back/condense/combine/delete? Also history you have 3 different things going on. I would wait on government unitl the end of high school and make sure geography and history could be combined. I believe the Runkle's world geography is more like an earth science so you could wait until high school for this or hold off on the physical science. It wouldn't hurt to free up some of his time so he doesn't get burnt out before high school starts and have more time to go more indepth in the subjects he is interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 This is the first year that I've had to assign "homework" (hahaha) to my oldest. She does what she can during our school day, but often ends up working to finish things up in the evening. I just think back to my school days and remember the hours of homework I had. It really just goes with the territory, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 my 2 oldest do their assigned reading in the evenings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacalm Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thank you all for responding. I use to "brag" to everyone that my kids do not have to do homework since they finish everything during the day. It looks like I'm eating my words because here I am right now and I have to pile work on ds at night. I thought of taking away his swimming so he will have more time but I know that this is not an option. Swimming calms his "pre-puberty moodiness (and nastiness)" and he is a much nicer, mellower boy when he is very tired. Another thing that everyone in my family notice is big brother is a lot nicer when he does a lot of things during the day. Like this Sat., he offered Dad to trim the hedges and when he got in the house, I gave him Algebra problems and science chapters to read. He was happy as a bird all day. Go figure! Thanks so much. Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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