Having trouble...

[mommy4ever]

I am feeling stressed with getting things organized and scheduled. Perhaps it's overwhelmed. Yesterday I feel bad about. I gave the girls a few math sheets and told them if they were good and did them with no fuss we'd go out. While they worked I read a novel, then after they were done we spent 3 hours at the park. I think the break was a good thing. But we just haven't been getting much done lately, or so it feels.

 

I think part of this, is I really don't know what I should expect TO get done. :confused: I know we are doing ok with the math thing, the girls like numbers so they love to do it. But when it comes to LA or History, we are really struggling at getting anything done at all. DD6 was doing great with OPGTR and AAS. Now we are lucky to get 2 lessons a week done. She resists. Yet complains when she doesn't get stickers as often. I know as things get harder, it takes more time. But she is the one being resistant.

 

What should the schedule for grade 1/2 and grade 5/6 look like? What is a reasonable expectation of work completed? Being our first year into this, I really don't know what we should be reasonably accomplishing.... perhaps we are doing it... i just don't know it?

[zookeeperof3]

Sometimes, we all just need a break from school. Don't feel bad about taking some down time for yourself, we all need it.

 

As for school times, my rough schedule has been 1/2 grades 60-90 minutes per day. 5/6th grades 3 hours per day. that includes reading on your own time.

Blessings,

Kim

[Capt_Uhura]

Take a deep breathe. That first year is the hardest I think for kids coming out of PS. It's hard for them to see home as a learning place. I think if I were in your shoes, I'd drop everything and do something different. For reading, get some We Both Read books where you read the left page and she reads the right. The pictures are engaging on the non-fiction titles. If those are too hard for her, then pick what you want her to work on. Is it sight words? Is it long vowel sounds? Then you read a book to her, and find those words and have her read them. Write a silly story about your family using words she knows how to read. For phonogram work, write them on cards. put the cards on a box. Take a bean bag. You say the phonogram sound and she tosses the bean bag into the appropriate box.

 

I don't feel much is needed in history for the 1/2grader. What are you using? Listening to SOTW (if that suits your family) and having her narrate to you is enough.

 

get some fun Stuart Murphy math books as well (I'm blanking on the name) on concepts you're working on in math. Take those outside and sit on a blanket and read them.

 

Get back to a positive place for learning and then slowing start adding in other things one by one. Once that one thing becomes a habit, add in another thing.

 

The grade 5/6 kid is a different story as the expectations are higher.

 

I pulled my DS out after 2nd grade. He's finishing up 4th grade. My other son wanted to go to K so he went but wanted to HS by midyear. He finished the year so this was my first year HSing both. It was quite an adjustment. I also have 3yr old. IT's hard trying to meet everyone's needs.

 

Also, be sure to have active breaks between subjects if you think your kids need it. Some like to bam bam bam, be done for the rest of the day. My boys like breaks and to stretch it out all throughout the day. :glare:

:grouphug:

[Lovedtodeath]

There are threads on here asking for people's schedules for various grade levels. That might help you. It may also help you to look at Heart of Dakota, even if you would never use it, because every subject is scheduled every day. So you could look at the samples and see what is expected each week.

 

2nd grade

 

Would anyone be willing to share their daily schedule for a 1st grader? Thanks! : )

 

Share your plans for 5th grade?

 

We are at 2nd/3rd grade now. In 1st/2nd we did school about 4 days a week, spending about 20 minutes on Spelling, 20 minutes on Math, and a few minutes on Writing With Ease. That was all I required. We covered other subjects in an unschoolish way. It is working.

[Tracy]

I have recently been reading some Charlotte Mason materials, and I have been intrigued by the "short lesson" concept. The idea is that you give your child what he/she can do in a short amount of time (10-45 minutes, depending on the child and the subject). If they finish early, then the rest of the time is free time for them. In this manner, students are actually able to study more subjects and get more done (supposedly--I haven't tried it, yet). You can get books about the Charlotte Mason method that give various schedules for the different grade levels. I would also look at WTM for sample schedules.

[Lovedtodeath]

Heart of Dakota is based on the Charlotte Mason method. There are sample schedules on their forum.