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Hi! New to afterschooling...


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I've been homeschooling my two dds but this year my older is going to ps for 5th grade. I want to keep schooling at home for at least math and english and she has stated she wants to still do history at home as well. My question is how do you fit it all in? I know she will have lots of homework each night and she won't be home till at least 3:30 everyday. I've thought of doing a little in the am (15 min) and another session in the pm and then maybe on Saturday. I'm worried we won't actually stick to it though. I don't want her entire day to be school work but I also don't want her to only get what the school is offering. I thought to only do english but after looking through the math book I know we need to do our own program as well. Any and all tips and suggestions are welcome. TIA!!

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Chances are she won't have that much homework, especially if you think she is beyond the math text.

 

I send a Singapore math book to school with my kids to work on when they are done their school math, but the rest of the class is still working. You could do that with history, too, because most classes have a reading period during the day.

 

I guess my philosophy is to dense up the school day, rather than spending their play time doing lessons. Also, we just foster an environment conducive to learning at our house. Learning just takes place continuously here.

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First, welcome!

 

My dd10 will also be in the 5th grade in September. Officially, we have been afterschooling since she was in the 1st grade. I will be afterschooling the subjects you mentioned; math, english, history, but will be adding Spanish as well.

 

Hopefully I've helped somewhat with the following...

 

 

 

My question is how do you fit it all in?

 

Well, up till now, dd has not had too much homework to speak of so it hasn't been difficult to fit it in. I anticipate her workload to increase in 5th grade, but I won't really know how we'll fit it in until I can actually gauge her academic requirements for this school year. As of right now, I'm pretty sure that our history (STOW) and language arts (MCT LA) will alternate at bedtime. Math (Math Mammoth) will be interwoven between homework and extracurriculars. Spanish (I am fluent) will be done through daily immersion. As PP mentioned, dh and I strive to create a natural learning habitat in our home where our children are continuously making new discoveries (right now my girls are sprawled on the living room floor, reading and listening to soft jazz :lol:). It's amazing how much time there is to do this when you turn off the t.v. set!

 

 

I'm worried we won't actually stick to it though.

 

From time to time, I've worried about this too, but I know that if I falter, my children are on the receiving end of the short stick. There will be days or maybe even some weeks when you don't do any afterschooling at all, followed by the same amount of time when you will dive into afterschooling head on. Be easy on yourself. I think as long as you keep moving along your child(ren) will always benefit. I've come to learn that with afterschooling, it's not all or nothing. It's about fitting it whenever and wherever you can. I also use and plan for the time when they are off from school. This summer has been a mini homeschooling dream!! We are learning so much and having fun while doing it.

 

 

I don't want her entire day to be school work but I also don't want her to only get what the school is offering.

 

I feel exactly as you do. The sweet spot is to find balance between the two. It sounds like your dc has a conscientious mom who will ultimately end up doing what is best for her family.

 

 

I thought to only do english but after looking through the math book I know we need to do our own program as well. Any and all tips and suggestions are welcome. TIA!!

 

So, here are the reasons why my dd will be doing:

 

Language Arts: LA in the elementary years is not as strong as I would like it to be. This is dd's strongest area and I want her to keep growing. Because she is an auditory learner, MCT is perfect for her. We began this June with the Island Level. We read and discuss. That's it. She (and I) has learned much more than I think she would have with a workbook program.

 

Math: Dd is strong math student but is not a math lover. She has a better way with words than she does with numbers and as such I feel she needs to be exposed to different ways of calculating and computing math so that she continues to grow. Math Mammoth has been a great fit for her. It provides the perfect amount of mom assistance and independence.

 

 

History: I love, love, love the idea of history done chronologically. We are working through STOW Ancients (grammar and logic stages) and my girls really enjoy it. They are getting an incredible feel for the past peoples who have shaped our current world and an appreciation for other cultures than their own. Love it!

 

HTH some. Good luck to you. I know I've gleaned so much from the wonderful women on these boards. Keep asking away and someone will answer.

 

Ciao

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Thank you for this discussion. I'm new to afterschooling as well. Our PS system is adequate, but it's in a small town and expectations are low. I'm hoping to prop up their school work with afterschooling that meets their specific needs. I'll list some details so that we can compare and get a sense of the workload and approach.

 

DS13 (going into 9th) has lagged behind in math, so I'm starting him on the Life of Fred series as soon as it arrives. He's also resistant to afterschooling, so we're going to start slow. If we have time and after he gets used to the idea of afterschooling, he'll begin a writing program, but I'm not sure yet what form this will take -- perhaps something as informal as journaling, or as formal as history papers from primary research. He has strong interest in WW2, so that might engage him. He's already a great writer, but has some anxiety around the process and tries to take short-cuts.

 

DD6 (1st) is ahead in practically everything. She loves the math and reading we did over the summer, so we'll continue that, as well as add on writing and grammer with First Language Lessons, Spelling Workout, and Writing with Ease. At playtime, she asks to do computer math games or to do problems in workbooks, so I don't think we need to make math part of her formal afterschooling.

 

DS4 is still in daycare, and they're doing a good job of preparing him for K, but he's asked to be taught to read. I'll be using Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading when it arrives, but at the moment am using homemade flash cards for strengthening letter recognition and just reading books together.

 

The two little ones are also getting The Story of the World at bedtime, alternating with other fun reading. I think I'll pull SOTW away from bedtime, though, because they seem to prefer fiction before bed.

 

For music, they'll start lessons this fall on instruments they can use to join DH's Scottish bagpipe band, and I'll ask them to practice for a few minutes every day.

 

We'll see how much time it takes and how they handle it, and will adjust accordingly. I'm also worried that I won't stick to it, and I appreciate the thought that it doesn't need to be perfect, as long as we're making forward progress.

 

For summers, we'll add on more subjects (perhaps a language or ethics). I'm also planning to send them to an intensive week-long art and science camp each summer, otherwise known as "visiting grandma, the watercolorist, and grandpa, the geophysicist." :)

 

HistoryMom

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Thanks for the ideas and encouragement! We've finished week one and we're not exactly happy. Dd is bored - first week was "getting to know each other week", which means they did nothing. She hates the reading log - it is mandatory to read each night and record thoughts about selection. She has always been an avid reader but I only chose a few books each year for her to write about and she feels this is now a "job". She finds the math boring - its 5th grade and all they did this week was addition and subtraction.:001_huh: I'm hoping for a better second week!! Dh feels its now important for her to "experience" school, peers, etc. so we'll tough it out and hope for the best.

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My suggestion would be to start small and add as the year goes on.

What are your biggest priorities? For me, I prefer to make sure that we get math and phonics done rather than fret that we've haven't hit everything on a longer list. I love the idea of making the school day more dense, but that's not a good fit for my DS right now.

 

It's amazing what my DS has learned in 20ish minutes before school. He is a rising 3rd grader -- we've honed his handwriting (most kids in his 2nd grade class were not properly forming their letters) and now we're sticking to the basics -- just phonics and math. He loves math and exceeded all his classmates in it last year (he's almost done with SM 2b). History is filled in with SOTW cds and historical novels a la Sonlight. He's completed WWE 1 and I'm waiting for his sister to finish so they can work on WWE 2 together. Slow and steady...

 

Good luck! Sounds like you have a very willing learner, which goes a very long way. :)

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