How do you fit in aftershcooling?

[gandpsmommy]

We have homeschooled dd8 from the beginning. She is now in third grade. We are contemplating enrolling her in public school next year because there is a magnet class for fourth graders which will be using curr. designed for gifted students, some of which is the same curr. I was considering using with her at home next year, and we think it might be positive for her to be around other children more often. We still haven't made our decision, and her participation in the magnet class is dependent upon testing, which will not occur until next month, so all of this is hypothetical.

 

But it just made me start to wonder, how do you have time to afterschool a child? She would be in school from 9:00 until 4:00. We live about half an hour away from the school, so she would be gone from home from 8:30 until at least 4:30. I'm assuming she would have some homework. And she is a competitive gymnast, so at least two, but maybe three schoolnights a week (depending on whether she is scheduled for practice on Saturday or not) she will go straight from school to gymnastics practice (3 hrs. long). Since the gym is 30 min. from our house, she wouldn't be getting home until 8:00 or 8:30 on those evenings. She would then have to eat dinner, do homework, and take a shower. It would then be (past) bedtime.

 

Once a week she would have a music lesson (for 1/2 hr.), and then she would have to find 15-30 minutes at least five times a week to practice her instrument. And if she decides to continue tennis lessons, she would have a one hour class on the two days that she doesn't have gymnastics.

 

I just don't see any way we would have time to do anything more than what she would get from school. I was hoping to study Latin again (we did a year in second grade) and begin Spanish with her next year. A foreign language was the main thing I know of that she wouldn't be getting from the magnet class. But there might be other things. I have spoken with the Curr. coordinators for the district, and the gifted curr. coordinator in particular, but I haven't been able to visit the class yet or look at all of the curr.

 

How do you guys do it?

Edited March 21, 2010 by gandpsmommy

[LibrarianMom]

Suggestions:

 

Make good use of the commutes as it sounds like you'll be in the car at least an hour + a day. This is a great time to get both required and fun reading done or to listen to books on tape.

 

I'd check to see exactly what kind of homework expectations there are. Is this class being held this year so you could check with other parents?

 

You may find that the extra-curricular activities require enough time that anything beyond school work is going to be too much.

[Guest]

I wonder, too, how anyone does it -- the kid more than the parent. My daughter was only briefly in private school last fall; she's older than your daughter, is in 8th grade, but the school hours you mention plus the commute were about what we experienced, and the homework averaged 1 to 2 hours at its lightest. My daughter also rides and has a work-study job at the riding stables.

 

She was having trouble with some of the concepts in her English class (symbolism, etc.) and I knew I could straighten many of them out if we just had a free afternoon or two. But there was never a let-up; and my daughter became so exhausted that she wanted nothing but to rest, practically in a coma, if she had any free time at all.

 

I think a lot of the kids at her school dropped out of just about everything else to keep up with school. There were only a handful of them that kept up with outside activities; most switched to school-run teams, tried out for the school play, sang in the school choir, etc. It became very inbred, in my opinion.

 

How DO you get a child to sit down to yet more work after a schedule like this? I would think their minds just become numb. But perhaps I'm projecting?

[gandpsmommy]

I wonder, too, how anyone does it -- the kid more than the parent. My daughter was only briefly in private school last fall; she's older than your daughter, is in 8th grade, but the school hours you mention plus the commute were about what we experienced, and the homework averaged 1 to 2 hours at its lightest. My daughter also rides and has a work-study job at the riding stables.

 

She was having trouble with some of the concepts in her English class (symbolism, etc.) and I knew I could straighten many of them out if we just had a free afternoon or two. But there was never a let-up; and my daughter became so exhausted that she wanted nothing but to rest, practically in a coma, if she had any free time at all.

 

I think a lot of the kids at her school dropped out of just about everything else to keep up with school. There were only a handful of them that kept up with outside activities; most switched to school-run teams, tried out for the school play, sang in the school choir, etc. It became very inbred, in my opinion.

 

How DO you get a child to sit down to yet more work after a schedule like this? I would think their minds just become numb. But perhaps I'm projecting?

 

This is very much along the lines of what I was thinking. How does a child have the mental or physical energy to do more academics after such a long school day and homework, and will my dd have the stamina to continue her much-loved extracurriculars?

 

I had thought about doing some things in the car, like SOTW audio cd's or other audiobooks, or our Geography songs, or a Spanish language cd or dvd (we have a dvd player in our car), but I almost hesitate to think about letting dd do anything but decompress during the ride home (or to activities) in the afternoon, after such a long day. And I won't be getting to spend nearly as much time with dd if she attends school, so I'd like to just get to chat with her sometime.

[LibrarianMom]

My kids don't participate in many extra-curriculars yet. DD does an art class (1x per week). DS is doing soccer this spring and might continue. DD used to do dance and might return but again that is one night a week. Both kids do Kid's Club at our church, and I hope to add music lessons for dd this year. None of these activities require the large time commitment your daughter has. Granted my children are young enough they pretty much don't have homework yet or at least much. I also work so we don't finish supper until 6:30 p.m. or later. We don't do something terribly structured every day but try to do something most days of the week. We also try to make good use of our weekends. I'm trying to really clamp down on my kids' TV viewing as it has gotten out of control and am encouraging dd that if you're watching TV you need to be doing something else (drawing, crafts, etc.). I find my goals are bigger than my time, but I figure something is better than nothing. I also remind myself that life activities such as cooking, gardening, playing games, and other things have a lot of educational value as well.

[Guest Rosalind]

I use the time before school to supplement my child's school curriculum. That was the only way I could squeeze in supplemental work. I work with him immediately after he eats breakfast- he's more willing to do challenging mental work then. We do Chinese and grammar during that time (alternating days). We don't spend much time working before school (about 15 mins), but my son retains the material well so I'm not so worried about how much time we spend on the supplemental work before he has to prepare for the school day.

[MBM]

Your daughter is a busy girl! My son is in seventh grade, but his extracurricular schedule is much lighter. His fencing and swimming lessons take place on Saturdays with optional extra fencing on Mondays and Wednesdays. Saxophone lessons are on Mondays. That's about it, though.

 

During the school year, we get the lion's share of afterschooling done on weekends -- three hours or so -- with short reviews done during the week. Most days, ds and I read about three pages of Shakespeare, and before bedtime we all read quietly together as a family in the living room. For this reading time, I allow my son to choose what he likes, but I have to approve it. (IOW, no Calvin and Hobbes, although that's alright for other times.) For example, ds just finished A Doll's House and is now reading Les Misérables. As for math, our school's program is strong. Ds takes an early math class (which he loves) at our high school, and this frees up his time during the day to work on (usually) AoPS -- unless he sneaks onto a computer to play Spider Solitaire -- lol.

 

We teach the main lessons of Latin (Wheelock's) during summer and then review throughout the year. So far, this has worked well.

 

The high schools in our area offer challenging courses (including Latin and Greek), so by then, I will probably not do much afterschooling at all.

 

I think to afterschool well, you have to be creative and flexible with your plans. It's surprising how much can get done even if you just plod along doing short bits here and there. We somehow have accomplished most of our afterschooling goals and yet, ds still has time for playing with friends and watching a little TV most nights.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. :)

Edited March 22, 2010 by MBM

[Sara R]

I agree with using the time before school well. 15-30 minutes a day, every morning while fresh, adds up to a lot over time. What subjects will you need to afterschool?

[outdoorgirls]

Your daughter is quite busy. Sound like the curriculum covers most of what you like and what you would be doing if you were to continue homeschooling. So really that leaves foreign language. With her schedule I would be hesitate to do any foreign language program that was too intensive. You might find something that could be done in 15 minutes or so a day maybe 3-4 days a week with at least one day on the weekend but frankly that may even be a bit much with her schedule. You may really only have summers but as someone else suggested you could listen to books on tape on the commute. I know there are some audio beginner spanish books that she could follow along with as she sits in the car.

 

I have a second grader at a private school who takes violin, plays sports (currently lacrosse 1 1/2 hours twice a week with a 40 minute commute). We are only doing Singapore math. We have stopped SOTW for now but still do a read aloud most nights. That is the most we can manage with school and activities. We do SM 4 days a week for maximum 30 minutes. At this age I feel they need some downtime and I do not want to overwhelm her with additional work.

 

Good luck in your decision. Carolyn

[cougarmom4]

Well, I guess it depends why you feel the need to afterschool. If something important is lacking at the school (say grammar or math), if your child isn't catching onto a new concept, if they are not teaching your beliefs, if they are not challenging your child enough. Maybe even if you are used to homeschooling and you don't want to let it all go!

 

The majority of my afterschooling is because I feel my kids need to be challenged more than they are at school. But if I had a child who was involved in so much extracurricular activities, I'd figure that was the area I was providing enrichment at that time, so no need to do more academics. If I didn't have any extracurricular activities, I'd find ways to fill our time with more academic--mind-stretching type of things. That's just how I afterschool. Not necessarily with a curriculum (although I have before when there was a need & I will be next fall), but simply providing educational activities and experiences as a family.

 

At third grade, I'd say foreign language isn't a necessity. If you had extra time, it would be great. If she wasn't challenged all day at school and really needed something new to focus on, it would be a great choice. But if it's just going to push your daughter over the edge, eh, it's perhaps not necessary at this time. It can still come later. Maybe in the future, your dd isn't so involved in gymnastics and has more time after-school and you can pick up Latin then.

[gingersmom]

I agree with using the time before school well. 15-30 minutes a day, every morning while fresh, adds up to a lot over time. What subjects will you need to afterschool?

 

This only works if your child is not leaving at 6:30am to catch her school van.

[gandpsmommy]

Well, I guess it depends why you feel the need to afterschool. If something important is lacking at the school (say grammar or math), if your child isn't catching onto a new concept, if they are not teaching your beliefs, if they are not challenging your child enough. Maybe even if you are used to homeschooling and you don't want to let it all go!

 

The majority of my afterschooling is because I feel my kids need to be challenged more than they are at school. But if I had a child who was involved in so much extracurricular activities, I'd figure that was the area I was providing enrichment at that time, so no need to do more academics. If I didn't have any extracurricular activities, I'd find ways to fill our time with more academic--mind-stretching type of things. That's just how I afterschool. Not necessarily with a curriculum (although I have before when there was a need & I will be next fall), but simply providing educational activities and experiences as a family.

 

At third grade, I'd say foreign language isn't a necessity. If you had extra time, it would be great. If she wasn't challenged all day at school and really needed something new to focus on, it would be a great choice. But if it's just going to push your daughter over the edge, eh, it's perhaps not necessary at this time. It can still come later. Maybe in the future, your dd isn't so involved in gymnastics and has more time after-school and you can pick up Latin then.

 

I like this way of thinking about it. :001_smile: Honestly, that's pretty much how I think of our summers, not really a break from education, so much as a break from bookwork academics so that we can have time for learning through other endeavors. Ds gets a lot of nature study in the summers as he loves to explore creeks, fish, hike, and just explore. They both get a lot of physical education in the summer as we go swimming almost daily, they ride their bikes frequently, we go on hikes and walks, and they participate in organized sports. This summer dd wants to go to a few weeks of art camp and they both want to do tennis camp.

[PiCO]

I like this way of thinking about it. :001_smile: Honestly, that's pretty much how I think of our summers, not really a break from education, so much as a break from bookwork academics so that we can have time for learning through other endeavors. Ds gets a lot of nature study in the summers as he loves to explore creeks, fish, hike, and just explore. They both get a lot of physical education in the summer as we go swimming almost daily, they ride their bikes frequently, we go on hikes and walks, and they participate in organized sports. This summer dd wants to go to a few weeks of art camp and they both want to do tennis camp.

 

:iagree: This is what we do. Afterschooling takes place mainly on weekends and during summers.

 

Younger dd is in school 8-3:30, and in gymnastics 3:30-7:45 3 nights. I'm thankful that the only homework she has every night is math. The other subjects get homework for the week- it's due each Thursday and they can budget their own time.

 

I feel the school is using good curricula. It's a Core Knowledge school, so they do get History, Science, music, and art. We do extra reading and Singapore Math in the summers.

[TracyR]

This is a great post. I was wondering the same thing. I've homeschooled for the past 10 years. Due to my own health issues I'm finding I'm going to have to put my girls in private school this coming school year. I feel very comfortable sending them. Its a good school, small and very parent involved. My girls just recently had a chance to visit for a day as well. They loved it, but I felt we were seriously lacking here at home as their curriculum is MUCH more advanced then what we are doing ( we are actually using K12!). Though they do work at their own level with math and reading at the school.Say if a child is in 1st grade and reads at a 3rd grade level they go and read with the 1st graders, if they have a 2nd grader that needs to work on 1st grade math then they work on 1st grade math.

 

So this summer we will be doing some catching up in some areas that really need attention.

 

I was thinking on the weekends we can work on things here and there ( no pressure just kind of slip it in). Usually on Sundays my girls complain of boredom of some kind, andI plan on continuing to work on things in the summer time. I am not in the mode to give homeschooling up at all. It has always been something I love and enjoy. Just need to focus on my health at the moment.

[Momling]

Both my kids are only in school about half-time, so we do have enough time to get to other subjects and have afternoon activities and have plenty of free time. One technique that's worked really well for us is to have the kids get all ready for bed right after finishing dinner... Usually they're completely ready by 7 or 7:30. Then I offer each one a choice.. "Do you want to learn some [math/reading/grammar] with me or are you ready to go to sleep?" 95% of the time they're eager to do the subject and we work for an hour, maybe followed up by reading some history or science in bed for 20 minutes. And the light is off by 8:30. (5% of the time they're actually really tired and just go to sleep).

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, my kids are in kindergarten and first grade, so their days aren't exactly grueling, yet. Our afterschooling schedule might change as they get older and have more assigned homework from school. Right now, my kindergartener has an occasional math sheet from school, and the first grader has the same homework every Mon-Thurs.: 1 math worksheet, 1 spelling assignment, read for 10 mins., and practice math flashcards.

 

So, my kids get home around 3:45 from school. They settle in and play until 5:30. Then we do 45 minutes of afterschooling: Handwriting, First Language Lessons, Story of the World, Art, Math, etc. The first grader reads independently while I work on reading with the Kindy kid. Then we eat dinner, do evening chores or take baths, read alouds for an hour, then bed.

 

This summer, I plan on beginning to teach them French. We already recite the alphabet in French, and I've taught them a few phrases. But, I'm going to label everything in the house with the French word, and start working on vocabulary and pronunciation this summer. I also plan to re-read Story of the World and do more in depth mini-studies of things that interest them in the SOTW. I am also going to let each of them choose an animal to study this summer and we will do some kind of project relating to that animal. Haven't exactly figured out what, yet. We will continue to work on handwriting, language lessons, and math over the summer as well. I plan to spend an hour or two on 2-3 days per week.

 

They love "Mommy School", and they don't complain about being to tired, so far. Once again, that might change when they get older. I think they enjoy being challenged, since both of them tell us that school is boring.

[Caroline]

My oldest two are in public school. They also both play soccer and take art or music classes, so they are pretty busy. Afterschooling for us does not include bookwork at the table or pages of math or anything like that. It is reading good books together and discussing them. It is taking walks and studying nature. It is visiting zoos and museums. It is taking history walks on the weekends. It is having great things to read scattered throughout the house. It is having conversations in Spanish at dinner. It is having political discussions. Through middle school, my kids do Singapore Math, but that is during the school day when they are done with school work. Afterschooling for us is not something we have to fit in. If I thought we needed to do tons of seatwork after school because the school was lacking, I wouldn't send my kids to that school. We moved once to change schools and we looked into private schools. I just cannot imagine sending my kids to school all day to be bored and then make them work all afternoon.

 

That said, I am looking into GA virtual school for my oldest to take at least a year of Latin and probably his PE/Health credit. When he will fit those in, I don't know.