I really need help figuring this all out... please

[Joyfullyblessed]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am homeschooling my five year old son this year. This is our very first experience in homeschooling. I think things are going fairly well, but I am beginning to think about next year, 1st grade for him, and I have some concerns.

 

Basically, right now, I don't have to report anything. I live in Ga. and they do not require anything until the child turns six years old. My son turns six in August, so I won't be reporting anything until we begin first grade in either late August or early September 2010.

 

With not having to report anything, it has been nice. I school my son 90-120 minutes per day, M-F. It is enjoyable and more relaxed at times.

 

However, once I start working with the state, they require four hours of schooling per day. This seems like quite a jump from 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day. I am seriously wondering how to schedule in four hours worth of schooling for my son each day for 1st grade???

 

I also run an in-home childcare too, so I have to work schooling around my business. It has worked well right now because I school my son in the morning hours when the little ones are taking a morning nap.

 

I guess I will break up the four hours next year if I plan on homeschooling again. I guess doing a couple of hours in the morning and then some in the afternoon might work, but I just don't know.

 

Can someone please offer up some help or advice as to how I should go about this change in schedule for next year? I really need to know how I work in enough to cover four hours daily, plus do everything else. Yes, it may seem early for me to already be thinking about this, but I want to make sure I will be able to actually do this for my son properly.

 

Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from everyone. : )

[babysparkler]

Time spent reading books at bedtime can be counted (or read-a-louds that you do with your childcare children involved as well)... and playing educational games, too. It doesn't have to be a block of time, but schooling can happen in spurts throughout the day.

Edited January 18, 2010 by babysparkler

[Hockey Mom]

For my 1st-grader, our 'boxed' curriculum (video lessons + worksheets) takes 4 hours to get through our day. We also add unit studies every now and then, which bumps our time up to about 4.5 hours per day. It's rare that we finish school under four hours though.

[....]

We just moved from a state that had an hours requirement and it came out to like 5 or 6 hours a day. :confused: I really agree that in middle school or high school, 5 or 6 hours is probably a bare minimum. However...:001_huh: for a 1st grader?

 

Count gymnastics, T-Ball, co-op or music lessons...whatever extra-curricular activities you do... Count reading books on the side, coloring, etc.

To break up 4 hours....you could do 2 hours of Core studies in the morning and then 2 hours of science, unit study or just independent reading-type stuff in the afternoon. Just a thought. One-on-one tutoring for 4 hours everyday with a 1st grader is just...:001_huh:

 

CLE is kinda time-consuming (especially the reading)...you could use a curriculum like that or BJU...BJU is a nice one (we do their spelling)...

[Verity]

Time spent reading books at bedtime can be counted (or read-a-louds that you do with your childcare children involved as well)... and playing educational games, too. It doesn't have to be a block of time, but schooling can happen in spurts throughout the day.

 

Good suggestions. I would wonder how the hours are tracked or monitored as well? When I think about what happens in a public school first grade class I don't believe that there are four hours of solid "instructional" time. A school day includes recess, story time, potty breaks, lots of waiting on teachers and classmates - and a little math manipulatives, learning to read and write, music, art, etc...

 

If you can continue doing basic reading, writing and math during the other children's nap times it should be reasonable to have 30-45 minutes of "P.E." during playtime, recess, coloring and crafts that you are probably already doing with other kids, access to puzzles and blocks, story time/read alouds, life skills (learning to cook and clean, help with laundry, pick up toys, make a sandwich). That should all count as school.

If you can add in a foreign language or language arts that includes chanting and singing (not alot of seatwork) it would probably benefit your childcare kids as well. I can't imagine their parents minding if they start to learn some latin or spanish vocabulary! :D

 

Science in first grade should include being outside and actively observing nature, making drawings of what you see. A big experiment could be planting some seeds and observing the growth of the plants. That could be done with childcare kids around and involved. Depending on space you could do a small garden and let the other kids get involved.

 

History could include local or family history or could extend to reading from Story of the World or another spine for the topic you want to explore. Reading books about historical times is a great way to start getting ideas about how people used to live.

 

Just some ideas. I wouldn't panic. You are the one who in the end is accountable for making sure your child gets the best education possible. When you look at it that way there is nothing that the state can tell you that would exceed what you want for your child - it's all in the application of those ideas. :lol:

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Seriously, I think that at that age, Water and Dirt are their own bona fide subjects and could easily go 4 hours at a whack! No problem.

[~*~Michelle~*~]

TN is the same way & you just have to think outside the box (I had the same concerns and this is what someone told me). When you're cooking, have him help measure things (math), go on a nature walk (science), go visit a fire station (social studies). There are different ways to get the 4 hrs in besides just sitting down and doing work. Does that make sense? If you think about it, just about everything you do during the day is an educational experience that can more than likely be counted towards school. Even if he's watching an educational tv show that can be counted as school. Does he watch Dora or Diego? When he's watching is he learning Spanish words? Once you think about it in those instances, it doesn't seem as daunting :)

[Joyfullyblessed]

Thank you very much for the replies. I feel better just reading these.

 

I am sure that if I plan well, I will have no problem working the four hours into our days based on some of the suggestions given. I do plan on breaking the time up throughout the day just because I think four straight hours of instructional learning would be way to much for my little guy to deal with right now.

 

I really appreciate everyone's advice. Thanks and have a wonderful evening.

[8filltheheart]

We have lived in states with the 4 hr requirement and have recently thought about relocating to GA. If we moved there, I wouldn't teach any differently than I do now which is approx 1 hr of school per grade level (so my 1st graders are only spending approx 1 hr/day on academics.)

 

However they spend the rest of their day playing playdough, singing and dancing, putting on puppet shows, dressing up, playing outside, skating , swimming.......

 

All of those activities are legitimately school related and are easily counted as school time.

 

The law stipulates the day must be 4 1/2 hrs not that 4 1/2 hrs are spent sitting down doing core academic topics. I can guarantee you that schools do not spend 4 1/2 hrs 180 days on hard core academics (unfortunately true even in the upper levels.)

 

Ironically, 1/2 days, teacher inservice days (no student attendance), movie watching days (I can't tell you how many movies kids watch in school....not academic movies, just movies), etc all count as school days.