Another scheduling question

[robsiew]

After reading another thread about scheduling, I have another question that popped into my head....

 

These last 2 years we've hs'ed I've scheduled the day so that I work with each child for a block of time. So... I call the youngest over... we do any work he needs to do with me (um.. well for him... all of it!). When I finish with him I move onto the next one.... down the row. While I'm working with each child individually the others are working on independent work or doing their chores. This has worked well, other than one thing. Sometimes by the time I get to the last kid (usually one of the older two) a good portion of our day is gone and I am just getting to them. They are no longer fresh and both of us just want to "get 'er done!"

 

I also see that some people work with all their children at the same time, say on math. They sit all their kids down at the table and they all work on math. How do you do this with kids at all different levels? How do you do the actual "teaching time" with each child during a time when you have all kids working on the same thing?

 

Part of me wants to explore everyone doing the same thing at the same time, but I'm not seeing practically how this works. Maybe it can't with curriculum that has high teacher involvement? Most everything I teach has pretty high teacher involvement. Also, my kids are all quite young... maybe it doesn't work so well with younger kids who aren't quite as independent?:001_huh:

[thowell]

My girls all work at the same time. Now, dd10 is using TT so not much from me there but, dsd11 is using MM and BJU and dd6 is using CLE. Here is how we do it. I start with dd6 because her teacher time is shorter. While I am instructing her dsd11 is working on multiplication facts and review that she knows how to do. Once I have finished instruction with dd6 she works alone and then I move on to dsd11. At some point they are both working independently but I am at the table for any questions they have. I do this for all of the subjects dd6 always gets instruction first for that subject then on to the next kiddo and at the end of my instruction time they are all finishing up on their own then we move to the next subject. Hope this makes sense. I tried doing it like you are doing it and I ran into the same problem with whoever I got to last. This has worked much better for us.

[robsiew]

My girls all work at the same time. Now, dd10 is using TT so not much from me there but, dsd11 is using MM and BJU and dd6 is using CLE. Here is how we do it. I start with dd6 because her teacher time is shorter. While I am instructing her dsd11 is working on multiplication facts and review that she knows how to do. Once I have finished instruction with dd6 she works alone and then I move on to dsd11. At some point they are both working independently but I am at the table for any questions they have. I do this for all of the subjects dd6 always gets instruction first for that subject then on to the next kiddo and at the end of my instruction time they are all finishing up on their own then we move to the next subject. Hope this makes sense. I tried doing it like you are doing it and I ran into the same problem with whoever I got to last. This has worked much better for us.

 

You make me want to do it this way! But, I'm still having trouble envisioning FLL, WWE and AAS.... how would I do these subjects that require me almost the whole time?

[MamaT]

I used to work from youngest to oldest, but found like you, that they were burned out by the time I got to the oldest two. I reversed the process. I start with my high schooler after we do our "together stuff" (Bible, memory work, read aloud) and math. I am usually going over things with him that he has done independently the day before. Then I work down from there. It has worked better for us this way.

[thowell]

You make me want to do it this way! But, I'm still having trouble envisioning FLL, WWE and AAS.... how would I do these subjects that require me almost the whole time?

 

All of my girls are doing WWE and I simply do it at different times. Such as while dd6 is doing WWE dsd11 might be doing a quick reading comp. worksheet. Once I am finished with dd6 I move on to the next girl. I will add this. I also make each girl a weekly checklist every Monday of all the core assignments for the week. If I am busy with another child and they have finished with what they were working on they can look at their checklist and do anything they like that can be done independently. They each have their own bookshelf with everything that is theirs so they always know where to find things. If all else fails and one of the girls is stuck on something and the others have nothing more to do they may take a 10 minute break while I finish up. I can tell you when we first started and I worked with each child at a time I would not be finished with school until sometimes 3:00. Since we have started doing things this way we are all finished by around 12:30!

[charmama4]

And I mean that in the most possible nicest way :D. It was like I was typing your delima!

 

Well, after much thought I am starting to do what the OP is doing. I will only have 3 to HS next year and will have all of them at the table with me. While my boys are doing their corrections, facts practice, reading over their lesson or reading a book, I will work with their younger sis which is mostly one on one. When she gets to the point of independent work, I switch over to one of the boys and then the next.

 

When math is complete by all we move on to another group subject like, history or science. So basically the mornings are group study and after lunch is independent work. Of course it sounds good now, because I haven't applied it yet, but for the OP it seems to work for her family so there's hope for me....and you.

[robsiew]

I can tell you when we first started and I worked with each child at a time I would not be finished with school until sometimes 3:00. Since we have started doing things this way we are all finished by around 12:30!

 

This is very inspirational!! That is exactly what I'm experiencing. Most days we go until at least 2pm. I'm getting inspired!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I would suggest rotating through your kids a little faster. Rather than do all of the work with one child and then moving on to the next, do one or two things with the first (15-30 minutes) and then move on to the next one. Over this last school year my typical morning started something like

 

8:00 math w/ 5th grader

8:15 math w/ 3rd grader

8:30 phonics w/ Ker

8:50 play with toddler

9:00 memory work, listen to lit narrations, discuss Bible, grammar lesson w/ 5th

9:30 same as above w/ 3rd grader

10:00 nurse toddler

10:10 math w/ Ker

 

This let's everyone get their harder subjects over with early while their minds are best able to focus. We used a MOTH schedule so that when they weren't working with me they knew what to do. The full schedule is on my blog. HTH

[california-mama]

We started using Math on the Level last year as my son hated math and really struggled. We tried so many other programs and MOTL has been a huge hit. He now really enjoys math.

 

I sit with both all kids (ages 7 and 12) and we do math together. If we are working on multiplying fractions I start my son on a series of problems and then I give my daughter an easier variation. Even my 3 year old can participate. She loves to match up equivalent fraction cubes.

 

We also use Delta Education Math in a Nutshell kits and several living math type books in our study of history and science as well. This can all be done with children of multiple ages.

 

I do have a few math workbooks for my daughter since she loves them and sometimes she will sit and do several pages while I work with my son. My daughter is 7 and is working at a 4th grade math level. We have never used a hard-core formal math program with her. She would probably love a textbook approach, but she is so advanced for her age (at least in math), I'm not even sure where to start her. I'm also not sure changing formats for her at this point is a great idea since she is doing so well. It really works well for us to do math together.

 

We also do math first thing - I love to get it out of the way! Doing math together helps us cover more material and learning together is more fun.

[robsiew]

Thank you so much Ladies for your input! I'm going to give it a shot going by subject and not by kid....

 

I think this may afford us some time to play some math games and also for the olders to help/play something with the youngers at times. I'm still processing and thinking about what this all may look like, but you've given me a great place to start....

 

Thanks again for your valuable input!:D

[prairiegirl]

I used to do it by kid and I was the one who was getting burned out. I now do it by some subjects. There's alot of juggling and most days are not the same. There are some days that I feel like a pingpong ball but I would rather the bouncing around than the wondering if our learning time would ever end.

 

I do math all together. They all sit at the table. My oldest can do her lesson usually by herself but I am there if she has any questions. I start my middle one on a drill sheet usually and then I work with my youngest. When my middle is done his sheet, then we do the lesson together.

 

The other subjects aren't as neat. It all depends on what each child has to do in each subject. If there is copywork to be done then I get them started on that and work with another child on grammar or reading. Whatever they are able to do by themselves, I use that time to work with another child. I usually leave my oldest till the last to do grammar and CW. It doesn't help that most of our curriculum is teacher intensive, but we make the best with what we have.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

I have my sons do school together but not the same subjects.

For example next year's schedule:

8:30- ds10 MOH readings/ CKEB (we rotate History and Science)

9am- ds10does math and ds6 would do handwriting (I start explaining the lesson to ds10 and then when he is working on his own I check on ds6)

9:30-ds10 CLE LA and WW (independent) and ds6 math with me

10am- ds10 Reading Comp, Writing (independent) and ds6 Phonics and FLL with me

10:30- ds10 Latin and ds6 LHFHG

11am-ds10 practice piano and ds6 finishes LHFHG

11:30- Everyone does Art/Music

12-lunch

12:30- ds10 silent reading and ds6 quiet time (this is my break period)

1pm- History/Science projects and activities

1:30- on T/TH French and MWF- Young Peacemaker with ds10 and ds6 is free

 

If ds9 needs me at anytime I am right there but for the most part he does things on his own. I do History/Science with ds9 when dd2 is napping and ds6 has the option of centers or tagging along with us.

[woolybear]

:bigear:

This is something I have been struggling with as well. I just have two dc, but most of our work is teacher intensive. I have rotated who I start with, but whoever goes second usually gets a tire/burnt out mommy and they are often past their prime time to do school. So, many days it seems only one is really getting a real school day in. Therefor, it often seems as if each child does about 2 days of school a week!

 

On the other hand, when I do work with them separately, they get much more out of our time. And they really like having my undivided attention.Sometimes I can do a really focused time with one and accomplish so much in an hour. So......still debating this and reading here......

[MerryAtHope]

You make me want to do it this way! But, I'm still having trouble envisioning FLL, WWE and AAS.... how would I do these subjects that require me almost the whole time?

 

Can you combine any of your kids--could the 9 & 8 yo do the same level of AAS for example?

 

I kind of do a mix of the two methods--instead of one big long block of one on one time, I do AAS with one & then AAS with the next. That way I can make the subect I want to focus on come first and the kids and I are pretty fresh for it still.

 

BUT...I only have 2 kids and am not juggling as many as you!

 

Hope you can find a way to make things work. Merry :-)