New Here and Need Some Encouragement

[KrisC]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Kris, and I just started homeschooling this month. About five years ago, a friend of mine mentioned WTM. So when my husband last spring finally got onboard with the home schooling idea, that's what I told him I wanted to do. He found this forum, and it really got him excited to homeschool.

 

So anyway, the more I read WTM, the more stressed I get. I guess I had listened to a lot of people saying that they could get through school easily in the morning, freeing their afternoons for extra curricular activities or free time.

 

However, it seems that WTM says the kids study all day, take a two hour reading "break," then start studying again pretty much all day long. I love the idea of having them learn Latin and of course all the core subjects. However, I love the idea of a less stressed life, too.

 

I have two boys and a girl: 5th, 3rd and K. My 5th grader is behind significantly and fights me every step of the way. Which is what he did with homework so at least now we get it out of the way in the morning. My 3rd grader is very bright but thinks he knows everything, and doesn't seem to have much enthusiasm for the work. My kindergartener is a social butterfly who is crushed that she is not going to school. However, she's progressing well with reading and I'm thrilled to have her home. I just worry about her floundering while I'm working with the boys.

 

I'm grateful for this forum and just wanted to finally come out of the woodwork, so to speak.

 

This week I've been very blue. I guess the transition is tough.

 

Kris

[ArizonaGirl]

Hi! Welcome to homeschooling!

 

I have been homeschooling for about three years now, and we thought we had figured out what worked for us, but this year two of my boys are really fighting me, too. My fifth grader and my seventh grader just don't want to do school. I think it must be a boy thing.

 

It took us a while to adjust to being home. It will come, but it may take time. I don't really have advice for you, but I want you to know you are not alone.

 

ETA: There were many days I just wanted to send all of them back to school. In fact, I did that for one semester, and although I enjoyed the break, it wasn't the best thing for them. I think if we had stuck it out, we might have settled in faster. You'll know (or figure out) what's best for your children as you go.

Edited September 30, 2010 by ArizonaGirl

[DB in NJ]

Welcome to WTM, Kris. And welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling!!

 

Just to tell you a bit about me, so you know where my advice is coming from, I'm a 46 year old mother of 3. We began homeschooling when my oldest (who's almost 20) was 6 years old. I have homeschooled all 3 of my kids all the way through, with my dd now being in 10th grade and my baby is in 6th. My oldest is in college; he earned a 3.94 GPA his first year and is on the Dean's List. I tell you all this not to brag, but to let you know that 14 short years ago, I was in your shoes and scared to death. Turns out that we did a few things right in spite of my inadequacies, nerves, and ignorance.

 

Now, to address your issues.

 

"the more I read WTM, the more stressed I get. I guess I had listened to a lot of people saying that they could get through school easily in the morning, freeing their afternoons for extra curricular activities or free time. However, it seems that WTM says the kids study all day, take a two hour reading "break," then start studying again pretty much all day long."

 

1. People are different. If my children and I were morning people, we could get up early and get school done by 11. And if I were as organized as I'd like to be, we'd have a hot lunch on the table every day, my house would be spotless, the toilet paper rolls would always be full, and the laundry would always be done. But alas, I fail. ;) But hey, there ARE people out there like that, and I say more power to them!

 

"I love the idea of having them learn Latin and of course all the core subjects. However, I love the idea of a less stressed life, too."

 

2. See there's the thing -- BALANCE! You're off to a good start. You realize ahead of time, before you're running around with your hair on fire, that you not only LOVE the idea of a less-stressed life, but that you NEED a less-stressed life. Kris, you're a mother (times 3. to TWO BOYS.); you're a wife; you're most likely a daughter and a sister too. You have relationships that need your attention. That means you need to not be CONSUMED by homeschooling your kids. Think of it as your job. It's what you do, it isn't who you are. Find the balance and fight to maintain it, making sure to leave time for YOU.

 

"My 5th grader is behind significantly and fights me every step of the way. Which is what he did with homework so at least now we get it out of the way in the morning. My 3rd grader is very bright but thinks he knows everything, and doesn't seem to have much enthusiasm for the work."

 

3. Step 1 -- before you worry about whether you'll be adhering 100% to WTM or any other method -- is to work on the character issues you mention here. The 5th grader needs to learn cooperation (your job is to teach; 5th grader's job is to learn). Your 3rd grader needs to learn how to be teachable. Time spent on these 2 issues will be time well-spent, and the payoff in the end will be tremendous, believe me!

 

"My kindergartener is a social butterfly who is crushed that she is not going to school. However, she's progressing well with reading and I'm thrilled to have her home. I just worry about her floundering while I'm working with the boys."

 

4. I'm thinking she'll get over being crushed sooner rather than later. In the meantime, and to help her not to "flounder" while you're working with the boys, I suggest you get some things that she'll enjoy doing, but only let her have them when you're working with the boys. Having said that, I want to stress that you're their mother and teacher, but you do NOT have to be their entertainer. Get art supplies and tell her to create something. She may not create the entire time you're with the boys, but it'll give her something to do. The rest of the time, she needs to use her imagination and learn how to occupy her mind herself. It's a coping skill we all need; the sooner she learns it, the better.

 

I'm sorry you've been blue this week. Yes, the transition is tough, but it's because we don't like the unknown. I have a feeling you're got a good grip on who your kids are and what makes them tick. Just remember that you're in charge. No matter WHAT method or curriculum you choose, you're the boss of your day, the school program isn't.

 

Again, welcome to the boards. Keep asking questions; there's a lot of wisdom and experience to be shared here!

[TKDmom]

The transition really is tough. I started homeschooling my dd almost 2 years ago, and I felt like the first 6 months were totally wasted, and it was another 6 months before I really started feeling confident about what we were doing.

 

I think you may want to back off on what you require right at first if it is overwhelming. Many people start out with just the basics--the 3 Rs. I discovered this year that I a not motivated by just doing the basics. I tried to do that this school year, and everything just felt blah. So I took a week off, and then re-started with math and a fun subject--for us that was history. Each week or two I add in a new subject. When you are starting a new curriculum it takes a while to figure out what you're doing, and the first couple of weeks go more slowly. If you add in one thing at a time, you are less likely to get overwhelmed.

 

SWB has said over and over that the schedules in TWTM were only put in b/c the publisher insisted. They aren't something that you should hold yourself to.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Welcome to the Forum. You can really get so much from this place.

 

(Speaking towards classical education styles only)

 

My first thought is start slowly. Most people here do not jumpstart into ultra classical methods. Many start slowly and have grown into classical educators. I realize you have a 5th grader, so my advice is to spend his 5th grade year getting solid in the basics (where you mentioned he needs some work), then spend Jr. High working on Logic and beginning Latin. That will put you right where you need to be for high school and allow you time to grow into classical education.

 

As for the know-it-all, welcome to 3rd grade boys :) Since he knows everything, personally, I'd give him tons and tons of great factual reading so he can learn even more. Data, data, data for that one! Usually the know-it-alls want to know it all, so he may oblige and make the librarian his new best friend. If that's not the case, keep pushing toward that goal, it will be great for him!

 

Put your social butterfly in a co-op setting, start a book club for other home schoolers her age. Do you attend church? I have a social butterfly, too and she still blooms, even though she's mostly home with us. She has also developed the great ability of self-entertainment. I'd also suggest reading up on Charlotte Mason methods. They're very similar to classical in many ways, yet offer gentleness and more free time than classical approaches.

 

As for the "afternoons off" let me approach this in two ways. First, many people paint home schooling as a free time mecca :glare:. IMHO, those artists are probably not classical home educators or their dear children are in lower grammar grades. You CAN teach your Ker and 3rd grader classically and give them a day with much free time; however, realistically, if you choose to educate classically, for the 5th grader, it ain't happenin'. My 2nd and 3rd graders are currently putting in about 4-5 a day, sometimes longer if we're really diving into a project.

 

Secondly, if lots of free time is what you're looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree :D, particularly with three children. You really need to approach classical home schooling as a full time job. Some people may be super sweet and tell you otherwise, but if you're dedicated to classical education, you need to get realistic about your time expectations. I hope I don't sound like a meanie, I'm trying to be real with you and keep this honest...so you don't find disappointment leading you back to public school. My 5th grader finishes school in about 5 hours, depending on her diligence; we're solidly classical (b/c we've grown to be). If you count breaks and meals, we're looking at a 7-hour day.

 

Let me also suggest de-schooling a bit. I'll bet your boys have an idea of what school is...change that idea by showing them something different! Make sure that you're having fun along with all the work! Lots of opportunity in science and history for good fun! It will take some time, but you can change their minds and you will all get used to being with each other so much --- don't underestimate the need to readjust to "together time."

 

Finally, let me reiterate....start slow. Many people start off with the 3R's, add science after a few weeks, then history, etc and build up to full time schedules. For the most part, try and unschool your own mind: you don't have to follow their schedule (unless your state says so), so it won't matter if you don't start spelling until November....you can break in the summer and finish up the level in next November! You might be surprised that you can accelerate in some areas, too, without burning out the schedule. You can have a semester of Logic and then one of typing...you don't have to do it all at once!

 

I'm taking a deep breath for you. Remember this above all: I don't anyone here finds themselves exceptional, yet we all do this home schooling thing, too. It takes time to find your way and you may decided classical isn't entirely it for you...time will tell! Many people find it takes about 3-years to get into the groove. YMMV, just give yourself the time to acclimate.

[brown_academy]

Let me just say I started on here tuesday at 2 am because I was so stressd and ready to quit-THIS PLACE ROCKS-and everyone here is sooooooo helpful! YOU ARE NOT ALONE !!!!

[Snickerdoodle]

I think it is also helpful to ask yourself:

 

why you are homeschooling

what are your short term goals

what are your long term goals

where are your children (academically and developmentally)

 

You've got to know where you are, what you are dealing with and where you are going.

 

You can do this. Breathe.

[KrisC]

"Secondly, if lots of free time is what you're looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree :D, particularly with three children."

 

I know! But.... What was happening in PS for my oldest was he was sent home with work he did not complete, plus homework, nightly reading, boy scouts, one sport, clarinet, religious ed. The child would wake up at 7 and fall in bed at 9, not having done everything he was supposed to. Yes, he fought homework and practicing his instrument, and that made everything go slower. Still, I definitely want, from home schooling, a more realistic schedule.

 

But moreso, my kids were not learning the basics in school. My 10 yo ended 4th grade unable to write a paragraph or do subtraction. My 9yo was hungry to learn in second grade and I found the curriculum less-than-adequate (being kind here). So the classical learning structure appeals to me. But there's a disconnect for me, somewhere. I want my kids to have free time to just be kids. I guess I want it all!

 

Did I mention I own my own business? I'm a massage therapist trying to get a private practice going.

 

I will update my signature with what we are doing. My 10yo DS has requested a schedule, and I am doing my best to oblige, even it's just put up on a day to day basis for now.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement. I will definitely read more about Charlotte Mason, I think I need the cliff notes. :-) I did read last night that JW, if she could do it again, would have taken a week off in October, three weeks in December, a week in Feb/March, and continued a modified schedule through the summer. That appealed to me, however, I may be more of a slow and steady wins the race type, rather than work work work work, do nothing type.

[regentrude]

Hi Kris,

the WTM is a wonderful book - but it is not the only way to homeschool classically, and classical is not the only way to homeschool. Reading WTM made me at times feel woefully inadequate, but then my husband and I thought about what our educational goals are and what is important for our family.

Our 6th grader does 4 hours of school work (and, in addition to that, self selected reading and PE) and is, in fact, done by lunch time since we begin at 8am. Our 8th grader does 5 hours of academics (plus additional creative writing, a lot of reading, choir and horseback riding). We do not do every single thing WTM suggests - but we do other things that are not in there.

For us, for instance, it is important that DD has enough time to pursue both her creative writing projects and to spend time outdoors at the farm, working in a horse barn with other girls and young women. So we decided we don't study Greek, for example. Being scientists, we have a much heavier emphasis on science than WTM and are doing more advanced studies than suggested there.

You do not have to adhere to the book by the letter. If you prefer a more relaxed schedule, your kids can still get a great education.

[johnandtinagilbert]

"Secondly, if lots of free time is what you're looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree :D, particularly with three children."

 

I know! But.... What was happening in PS for my oldest was he was sent home with work he did not complete, plus homework, nightly reading, boy scouts, one sport, clarinet, religious ed. The child would wake up at 7 and fall in bed at 9, not having done everything he was supposed to. Yes, he fought homework and practicing his instrument, and that made everything go slower. Still, I definitely want, from home schooling, a more realistic schedule. You can stop that with home schooling :)

 

But moreso, my kids were not learning the basics in school. My 10 yo ended 4th grade unable to write a paragraph or do subtraction. My 9yo was hungry to learn in second grade and I found the curriculum less-than-adequate (being kind here). So the classical learning structure appeals to me. But there's a disconnect for me, somewhere. I want my kids to have free time to just be kids. I guess I want it all! The WTM appears harder than it needs to be b/c it is ULTRA top notch all in one place. You'll find that you can be top notch and still have a life, especially for younger dc (dear children)

 

Did I mention I own my own business? I'm a massage therapist trying to get a private practice going. Sounds like you're the home schooling personality...we like to do things on our own :)

 

I will update my signature with what we are doing. My 10yo DS has requested a schedule, and I am doing my best to oblige, even it's just put up on a day to day basis for now.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement. I will definitely read more about Charlotte Mason, I think I need the cliff notes. :-) I did read last night that JW, if she could do it again, would have taken a week off in October, three weeks in December, a week in Feb/March, and continued a modified schedule through the summer. That appealed to me, however, I may be more of a slow and steady wins the race type, rather than work work work work, do nothing type.

We do a non-traditional schedule too:

Start Aug 2 --- 7 weeks on--- 1 week off

School until Thanksgiving week (an 8 week session)

2 weeks for Christmas break

2 weeks in March for Spring Break (incidentally, it will start on a Wed)

one week off for summer break.

We don't get burnt out; we get it all done; still enjoy an extended break for summer, but not too much that we space out :D

 

There is a Simply Charlotte Mason book and website that will give nice cliff notes.

 

Keep the ??? coming...we're here for you!

[NotDaMama]

Welcome to the Forum. You can really get so much from this place.

 

(Speaking towards classical education styles only)

 

My first thought is start slowly. Most people here do not jumpstart into ultra classical methods. Many start slowly and have grown into classical educators. I realize you have a 5th grader, so my advice is to spend his 5th grade year getting solid in the basics (where you mentioned he needs some work), then spend Jr. High working on Logic and beginning Latin. That will put you right where you need to be for high school and allow you time to grow into classical education.

 

As for the know-it-all, welcome to 3rd grade boys :) Since he knows everything, personally, I'd give him tons and tons of great factual reading so he can learn even more. Data, data, data for that one! Usually the know-it-alls want to know it all, so he may oblige and make the librarian his new best friend. If that's not the case, keep pushing toward that goal, it will be great for him!

 

Put your social butterfly in a co-op setting, start a book club for other home schoolers her age. Do you attend church? I have a social butterfly, too and she still blooms, even though she's mostly home with us. She has also developed the great ability of self-entertainment. I'd also suggest reading up on Charlotte Mason methods. They're very similar to classical in many ways, yet offer gentleness and more free time than classical approaches.

 

As for the "afternoons off" let me approach this in two ways. First, many people paint home schooling as a free time mecca :glare:. IMHO, those artists are probably not classical home educators or their dear children are in lower grammar grades. You CAN teach your Ker and 3rd grader classically and give them a day with much free time; however, realistically, if you choose to educate classically, for the 5th grader, it ain't happenin'. My 2nd and 3rd graders are currently putting in about 4-5 a day, sometimes longer if we're really diving into a project.

 

Secondly, if lots of free time is what you're looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree :D, particularly with three children. You really need to approach classical home schooling as a full time job. Some people may be super sweet and tell you otherwise, but if you're dedicated to classical education, you need to get realistic about your time expectations. I hope I don't sound like a meanie, I'm trying to be real with you and keep this honest...so you don't find disappointment leading you back to public school. My 5th grader finishes school in about 5 hours, depending on her diligence; we're solidly classical (b/c we've grown to be). If you count breaks and meals, we're looking at a 7-hour day.

 

Let me also suggest de-schooling a bit. I'll bet your boys have an idea of what school is...change that idea by showing them something different! Make sure that you're having fun along with all the work! Lots of opportunity in science and history for good fun! It will take some time, but you can change their minds and you will all get used to being with each other so much --- don't underestimate the need to readjust to "together time."

 

Finally, let me reiterate....start slow. Many people start off with the 3R's, add science after a few weeks, then history, etc and build up to full time schedules. For the most part, try and unschool your own mind: you don't have to follow their schedule (unless your state says so), so it won't matter if you don't start spelling until November....you can break in the summer and finish up the level in next November! You might be surprised that you can accelerate in some areas, too, without burning out the schedule. You can have a semester of Logic and then one of typing...you don't have to do it all at once!

 

I'm taking a deep breath for you. Remember this above all: I don't anyone here finds themselves exceptional, yet we all do this home schooling thing, too. It takes time to find your way and you may decided classical isn't entirely it for you...time will tell! Many people find it takes about 3-years to get into the groove. YMMV, just give yourself the time to acclimate.

 

 

:iagree: I agree with how long hsing should take each day. How long it takes depends heavily on how much and what you are teaching are to the dc. I request that when people say how long it takes for them, could they please say what they accomplish in that amount of time? That would really help out those of us who are new. My wife and I are in our second year.

 

BTW, I post more than my wife because she is either hip deep in teaching or too spaced out after teaching to produce two syllable words... :blink:

[WTMCassandra]

Some stressors are fixed by homeschooling, and some are created. The ladies here have already said wise things. I would reiterate--START SLOW and work on character issues. Perhaps get your husband involved in getting your 5th grader to respect you both as Mom and teacher.

 

First figure out a schedule where all three Rs are covered, and then slowly add in more things. History and science could be all done together, which cuts down on the time and planning for Mom. Only consider adding Latin if things are going well.

 

The good news is that you won't have nightly homework to deal with. My children only have homework if they have not done their job during the day. If your DS has requested a schedule, I'd give him one. Seriously. If that will help him take more responsibility for his own learning, it is totally worth it. Just make sure he shows you his work--and that you check it!--after each subject.

 

WTM presents the ideal. Your family may have goals that require maximizing in some areas and minimizing others. You will find the balance that's right for you.

[Verity]

I've been wanting to pop in and leave an encouraging word. I pulled my oldest son out of 4th grade in fall 2008 for some of the same reasons you mentioned. Last year I decided to keep my 2nd grader home when I realized just what bad habits he was picking up, including thinking that he wasn't smart and that he could just coast along and do only the work he felt like and get his aid to do the rest. :eyeroll:

 

We are working our way towards an ecclectic classical education. I read the WTM and really felt inspired but also overwhelmed. Starting our second full year (with both boys and the third tagalong) I'm feeling more comfortable just because I'm more familiar with what works for us and what doesn't. With my youngest I'm starting some pre-K type stuff so there is some stress there but...we will figure this out.

 

My tips:

- don't spend a ton of money on expensive curriculums unless you are positive they will work for your kids. The best way to try something more expensive out is to buy it used from this website or an online auction site.

 

- Do start out slowly, with just the things that you think are most important for each child (reading, handwriting, copywork, math, maybe something else) for a few weeks while you research and figure out what to use for the other things.

 

- Do try to teach them together for things that you can. This takes practice and balance but for me it's worth the effort to combine what I can (YMMV).

 

Here is a sample schedule for us so far this year (since a PP asked)

 

We aren't morning people. I try to get my youngest in bed by 8:30pmish, older boys tucked in my 9pm, oldest allowed to read for an hour.

I get up before 7am, cook breakfast for hubby and take the dogs for a walk, kids up by 7-8am. Breakfast, must be dressed with teeth and hair brushed before we start school typically at 9am. Both boys at the table in our dining room I've converted, my 4 year old either plays with lego/trio blocks/trains on the floor or sits at the table and colors, plays with tangrams, playdoh, cuts and pastes, etc..

 

Bible - 20-30 minutes (4 days a week)

Last year we read one story from the Children's Illustrated Bible per day, worked on memorizing a verse every few weeks, talked about the stories and made connections. This year we are reading from the children's regular bibles using the verses assigned in Sonlight Core 2 (bought used), doing bible verses and books assigned with SL.

 

History - 30-45 minutes (4 days a week)

This year my oldest (6th grade) is doing History Odyssey 2 Middle Ages, middle son (3rd grade) is doing Story of the World. We read the chapter from SotW, my oldest does writing/outlining/map, etc from HO and other son does map work, some coloring pages. I'm also reading aloud the Famous Men of the Middle Ages and bought the student guide from Memoria Press. We do one famous man a week, both boys listen, my older son completes the student pages.

 

From here we split apart usually...

Writing (With Ease) - 15 minutes

While child #1 finishes up history I do Writing with Ease with child #2 (10-15 mins). Then while child #2 takes a recess break (20-30 mins to just play, go outside and usually takes the little one) I do Writing with Ease with my older son. He usually does his math page around this time.

 

Math (U See) - 20 minutes

I will typically send my older son for a mental breather (drink, bathroom, sometimes a short walk with the dog) while I get #2 doing his math page (Math U See - uses a video once per lesson to teach concepts so I don't have to teach, I just assist and correct). While he does math I get a load of laundry going, wash dishes, etc...checking back constantly and I make sure they know to move on and do what they can and I will be back to assist if needed.

 

Get kids back together for a small snack...

Music 15-20 minutes This year we are learning how to read music, listening to classical music/music appreciation using Themes to Remember, and I'm hoping to teach them to play the recorder),

 

Latin 20-30 minutes (we are doing it together right now twice a week, finishing up Minimus but will be getting back into daily Latin for Children lessons in a few weeks - a dvd and cd to teach us, about 15-30 minutes)

then,

Science 30-45 minutes 2 days per week. This year we are using Noeo science Chemistry II.

 

My younger son does his spelling work while older son wraps up his longer assignments. First Language Lessons are usually tucked in the second half of the day but I only do grammar usually twice a week (about 15-20 minutes).

 

We are typically be done by 1am. I make lunch, sometimes read aloud while the kids eat. On days when we don't have some subjects scheduled (for instance science is currently only two days a week, latin is only two days a week for now) we can be done by 11am or so and then we have time to go grocery shopping, run errands, go to the park.

 

This is a fairly solid four hours of work with bible, history, science, math, reading, writing, handwriting, latin and music. We do the majority of our schoolwork four days a week with Friday being used for quizzes in math, latin and any catchup we need to do from sick days or whatever. I have ended up with curriculums that involve me doing alot of reading aloud, some scripted lessons (which work better with my kids but ymmv), and we do alot of oral narrations and q&a to compensate for fine motor issues both boys have. It takes them both longer than normal to do written work.

 

My boys both have some learning disabilities and ADHD. I really can't leave them alone to complete their work because they get off task so easily; however, this year I am seeing them becoming more able to be self-directed and independent (to an extent). My older son probably does 1-2 hours more solid work than his brother most days of the week. I think that's appropriate considering the age difference. The younger son takes more breaks.

 

Biggest and best is that they never have any homework. Once school is done, it's done - outside of reading. The only times that I've had my oldest do work in the evening was the once or twice that he goofed off and I just got tired of arguing with him and told him that we were moving on and he could just finish it up after dinner. While his brothers were playing he had to work - that hasn't happened again!

 

One of the most important things that I learned late last "school" year was the two hour afternoon break recommended by SWB. I didn't think it was possible but I made it happen and I am eternally grateful!! During quiet time they all must separate and go to their rooms. I suggest that they do their assigned reading during part of that time and just relax, nap, play quietly with anything without a screen. They are resistant but not as much now and I've seen that they do better in the evenings. They get along better and are less tired and wound up.

 

I have time to get housework/bills done and even get a break myself. A short siesta is a good thing!

 

Sorry for writing a book but I like to share and hope that my in depth look at a day with three boys with learning disabilities will encourage you that this is doable, it doesn't have to take 7 or 8 hours a day with kids in grammar school. They can still have free play time and you can schedule your day to fit your needs.

 

Homeschooling, especially with a classical slant, isn't an easy job. It does require sacrifice of the primary teacher's time and energy - boy I really felt it when we started school this fall after having two months mostly off for summer break. I don't have time to practice guitar or exercise as much as I would like to. But we do get to enjoy having this time with our kids and watching them continue to develop relationships with each other instead of being off in separate classrooms for most days 40 weeks a year. :) We do get to have life on our schedule, not the public/private schools schedule. We can go on outings when most people are stuck in a building for work or school. We can pursue special interests and topics as much as we like. And I truly believe my kids are learning alot more than they ever did in public school.

 

Keep coming back, ask tons of questions, read lots of other folks responses and just soak it in! :)

[johnandtinagilbert]

:iagree: I agree with how long hsing should take each day. How long it takes depends heavily on how much and what you are teaching are to the dc. I request that when people say how long it takes for them, could they please say what they accomplish in that amount of time? That would really help out those of us who are new. My wife and I are in our second year.

 

BTW, I post more than my wife because she is either hip deep in teaching or too spaced out after teaching to produce two syllable words... :blink:

Boy, can I re..re...reeelaaaate. :lol:

On my blog, I have posted what each of our dc have scheduled and how much they accomplish in that time.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

yes-gotta agree with the other posters you will find sooo much advice on here...there are many ways to homeschool.....you just have to find your groove...we were kinda doing it ourselves for the past few years and just this year start to incorporate more WTM ideas/strategies/curriculum into our schedule....so far so good....you'll find what's right for you and your family......just hang in there.

[kalphs]

Welcome! :)

We've been home educating Dd since birth.

I've read How To Teach Your Baby to Read, The Well Trained Mind, For the Children's Sake, A Charlotte Mason Companion, Everything You Need to Know About Homeschool Unit Studies, Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum and Debra Bell's The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling. I gleaned information from each book and took away what I wanted from each reading.

Dh and I sat down and talked about why we wanted to home educate our child.

We discussed what our goals and objectives were and wrote out a blueprint/plan to guide us in our endeavor.

Can you tell I'm married to a mechanical engineer? LOL!

A typical school day for us is from 8:30 am until 1:30 pm, four days a week with one day off. Lessons are kept short so we have plenty of free time in the afternoons. I have found it helpful to write out a schedule at the beginning of the year to help us stay on track. It usually takes 4 weeks to get into the swing of things.

Home education is work however it has been a wonderful experience for our family.

Blessings to you and your family as you embark on your home education endeavor!

Edited October 2, 2010 by kalphs

[Luckymama]

I'm only homeschooling a 10yo, I've only been doing so for 5 weeks (after thinking about hs for 7 years!!), and I'm not a true classical homeschooler-----so you might want to totally disregard what I'm going to share :lol:

 

A bit of background----she was at a private elementary school for K-4th grades (her older sibs attended K-8). Grammar and writing were very strong, science was quite good for lower/mid elementary, history was social studies, and there was weekly music and art instruction, math was decent for the middle group of kids in the class (she was bored to tears---truly). My background is in chemistry, having taught undergrads pre-children. I believe strongly in the importance of mathematical and scientific literacy.

 

I've been keeping track of what she accomplishes during each day, so that I can adjust if/as needed. The average daily schedule:

 

math: 20-60 minutes-------we're reviewing all pre-algrebra topics (I had afterschooled her before), adding in some fun competition math and hopefully soon geometry once a week, moving onto algebra by Christmas. She IS ready.

 

science: 30-90 minutes, longer for a lab day-----info in my signature and on the blog

 

history: 30-90 minutes----reading, discussing, creating. We're using a combination of a very strong middle school history text (K12's Human Odyssey Vol. 1) with the Oxford Press series The World in Ancient Times and additional library book and dvd resources.

 

grammar: 5-10 minutes. As I said, her grammar is SOLID.

 

spelling/vocabulary: coming directly from the science and history readings

 

literature: hard to say how much time daily, probably 30 minutes. I've been finding some historical fiction that goes with the history periods. She's just starting poetry using Michael Clay Thompson's Building Poems with Figuratively Speaking (literary terms). She does read on her own, her choices of books, for a minimum of 1 hr each day---this reading is NOT assigned.

 

French: 15-30 minutes. We're learning together :)

 

Writing: We've just beta-tested two weeks of a new 5th grade writing curriculum. In November, she's going to be following the Young Writer's Program in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), using October to work her way throught the YWP middle school workbook. This child loves creative writing, so I'm not torturing the poor thing (for me, NaNoWriMo would be torture!).

 

There is no Latin---she wanted to start with French which is fine with me. There is no formal logic. She does number puzzles, logic puzzles, plays chess and such all the time. We debate as a family at the dinner table. Having two older, well-read siblings is at times better than a formal curriculum!

[momto2blessings]

I don't want to confuse things for you, but if Charlotte Mason (CM) interests you at all, this is a great article by Susan W. Bauer:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/charlotte-mason-education/

 

It talks about how similar WTM and CM are. A main criticism by her of CM is in the Lang. Arts area---we beef this up, but otherwise follow more of a CM lifestyle with short, to the point, lessons in the younger years. I use www.amblesideonline.com and www.simplycharlottemason.com (free curriculum guides).

 

Only you and your husband can decide what's best and it can be confusing when new, but I wished I would have followed CM more strictly from the start. It's deep, virtuous, well-rounded material presented in doable time frames so we're not doing school all day. Blessings on your journey, it will get easier:) Gina

[kalphs]

I don't want to confuse things for you, but if Charlotte Mason (CM) interests you at all, this is a great article by Susan W. Bauer:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/charlotte-mason-education/

 

It talks about how similar WTM and CM are. A main criticism by her of CM is in the Lang. Arts area---we beef this up, but otherwise follow more of a CM lifestyle with short, to the point, lessons in the younger years. I use www.amblesideonline.com and www.simplycharlottemason.com (free curriculum guides).

 

Only you and your husband can decide what's best and it can be confusing when new, but I wished I would have followed CM more strictly from the start. It's deep, virtuous, well-rounded material presented in doable time frames so we're not doing school all day. Blessings on your journey, it will get easier:) Gina

Bump

[livingnlearning]

Hey there,

 

I can relate to your situation with your 5th grader. That's how my son was in public school until we pulled him out after his 3rd grade year. He had completely learned to skate through tests and wouldn't complete any work, no matter what we did. The teachers wouldn't work with me and I don't think the kid went out for recess for two years and when I asked them to get me involved they would say he was the student, not me. Under their program he had straight A's on his tests and straight 0's on his work assignments for a grand average of C-'s on his entire report cards! I pulled him mostly b/c he was learning to be a lazy turd and his records were going to be a shambles and I wasn't getting any help from the school.

 

Anyway-I spent a lot of time and tears in the whole family getting him remotivated, just not worrying about what he was learning but how he was working. I geared down to short work assignments, went heavy on work focus/completion and rewarded him with his time off in short stints. He had gotten so burned out on busy work he wouldn't do ANY work unless I was flogging him, it was awful. Allowing him to get back in touch with the concept of work and accomplishment and progress helped him immensely. Also I let him self-direct a lot of his work, he chose his topics other than the basics and I let him just read and talk about what he had read by way of work. He got excited about learning and reporting back. I had him "teach" his younger sister about what he learned and make easy tests for her and assign little project. She knows more about Egypt than she ever wanted to know! :D But then he could SEE and CONNECT with WHY we did a worksheet, what purpose the questions at the end served; in becoming a teacher he learned how to LEARN. It was really neat and both kids had fun with it... I let her teach him a little bit about horses too. From that point they have been great about learning, even when they maybe don't enjoy it always they see the reason.

 

I'm long-winded. I guess what I would say in regard to your son is from my experience, spend this early time just getting to know him and what makes him tick, student-wise. Let him feel a little more in control than he has been. I think that wet noodle behavior is their way of exerting some control in the situation when they feel so out of control; see how you can give him back some control in his learning so that he gets interested again.

 

Timewise-we take a lot of time. We seem to do most things seminar-style for some reason. The kids (10 and 13 now) just love to discuss, anything other than flat out math problems seems to be a group discussion and it's difficult to wrap that up quickly and still move along. I do have some tasks that I pretty much force them to not talk and just work but I'm constantly amazed at how much and how quickly they learn when we start talking about one topic and travel over to left field and over the fence and all over the map and before you know it we've done geography, science, history and math in what started out as a state capital or geography location! They never forget anything that we talk about... it's weird. :001_huh:

 

We sit down at the table at about 10 am and with a couple breaks here and there we usually wrap up around 4:30 or so...

[kalanamak]

So anyway, the more I read WTM, the more stressed I get. I guess I had listened to a lot of people saying that they could get through school easily in the morning, freeing their afternoons for extra curricular activities or free time.

 

However, it seems that WTM says the kids study all day, take a two hour reading "break," then start studying again pretty much all day long. I love the idea of having them learn Latin and of course all the core subjects.

 

 

Being a homeschooled child (and teaching them) is a skill that develops with practice.

 

If you are new, personally, I'd get the three Rs settled before adding more bookwork.

 

You can do history just as fun readalouds and discussions, and science can be just hands on at this point (nature walks, growing a garden, simple kitchen chemistry, rock hunting, etc). If you are able to get the kids on board about seeing you all as partners in learning, you will be a lot happier. If one is a hold out, work towards at least mannerly compliance.

 

Since I work full time, I need my kiddo to be focused and efficient for our time together at the books. To do this, I make the lessons short but insist on concentration. Sometimes we have "the talk" about how much faster it gets done when he focuses. Sometimes I remind him of all the time other kids sit in school and if he wants me to continue to keep him at home, he's going to need to work with me (my son wants to be hs). These are things that work for me, but you will need to learn what works for you and yours.

 

Once we are done with the book work, I try to integrate what we are learning in our daily life, but not to the point of beating it to death. A sign at the store: "there is another '-ough' word...how do you think that one is said?" or "point to the subject of that sentence" or "I just bought 5 boxes of X, and each has 30 oz. in it. How many oz are you going to have to care to the car for me? (grin)" The whole world becomes you shared puzzle, adventure, mystery. To me, that is when the whole thing "lifts off".

 

One thing I did to keep from overdoing it was add up the times advised in WTM for each subject. E.g. for this year, if I do 15 sessions of 15 minutes each of spelling for each of the 12 months, I cover the time advised for spelling. If I feel my son is behind in something, I add a little more time to it, hopefully some of that as games (we did a heck of a lot of math facts games last year...Zeus on the Loose our favorite). Don't forget audio reinforcement. We are finishing up the last little bit of SOTW 2 after a toedip into 3, and I'm finding kiddo listened to the CD of it many times while I was at work, and crows when he hears me read a section he remembers. You two littles, e.g. can work on an art project while listening to MPO's Odyssey while you do math with your older. I would quiz my son a little to make sure he was listening, and came to find out that he could learn much of a story while drawing and cutting and pasting.

 

These are just some examples. I am wondering if you are trying to do "school at home", and too much too soon, before you're all deep in the saddle and "riding with ease" (bad pun!).

 

HTH

[KrisC]

Wow, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the responses to my post. I am feeling better today! :grouphug:

 

Yesterday I ordered WWE Level 2, for my 10 year old son. From a post here I realized that I had misread SWB's guidelines for transitioning from public school. My husband's a little distraught that he's so far behind, but really, we knew it. And now he will learn to write.

 

So, my first thing to do is write up a schedule/checklist for us. I've been coming up with the schedule on a day-to-day basis. After doing it for three weeks, I feel like I have enough of a clue to write a realistic schedule. And I'm grateful for the tips on helping my DD and DS8.

 

I will read the Charlotte Mason links ASAP, as well. I'm excited to learn more about it!

 

Thank you all sooooo much! :auto:

 

Kris

Edited October 2, 2010 by KrisC

[momto2blessings]

Glad you're feeling more peace! Just wanted to mention that if you like what you read about Charlotte Mason, this planner is wonderful:

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/planning-your-charlotte-mason-education/

 

You could use it with planning any education, but she outlines what a CM education looks like, how often to plan certain subjectss, daily/weekly, schedules examples, etc. The Simply Charlotte Mason discussion forum is a wonderful blessing, too (as is this one!) Blessings on your journey. :)Gina

[kalanamak]

 

Yesterday I ordered WWE Level 2, for my 10 year old son. From a post here I realized that I had misread SWB's guidelines for transitioning from public school. My husband's a little distraught that he's so far behind, but really, we knew it. And now he will learn to write.

 

Kris

 

You will enjoy WWE 2. I think it is really well done, and your kiddo can build some confidence!