what do your kids do while they wait?

[TanuvasaMama]

This is my first year homeschooling and I have 4 that I teach, a toddler and a newborn. Needless to say, my kids spend plenty of time waiting for me while I'm with the others. I'm looking for small things they school aged kids can do while they wait...journal writing, handwriting practice...those types of things. Maybe even an educational game or two.

 

What do your kids do while they wait on you??

[twoxcell]

Copywork

educational toys

educational computer games(online, and discs)

[Guest]

Read

[silliness7]

This is my first year homeschooling and I have 4 that I teach, a toddler and a newborn. Needless to say, my kids spend plenty of time waiting for me while I'm with the others. I'm looking for small things they school aged kids can do while they wait...journal writing, handwriting practice...those types of things. Maybe even an educational game or two.

 

What do your kids do while they wait on you??

 

My kids have a list of independent work that they need to do which I will check when it's their "turn." They know they are in trouble when their turn comes and the allotted work is not done. If they get done early then they may play quietly in another part of the house so they won't disturb those of us schooling.

[HollyB]

My daughter likes to do Draw Write Now books. They are great for copywork, handwriting, and art. She is always willing to do them. I also have a magazine file box on the bookshelf that holds workbooks (Explode the Code, Daily Geography, math) that she can do on her own. She knows she can grab anything in there and do as many pages as she wants. I have a second box with a few fun books that are related to this weeks history or science topic. She also loves to study the globe and make her own maps.

[TanuvasaMama]

Copywork

educational toys

educational computer games(online, and discs)

 

which online games have you found?

[UmMusa]

It's my first year homeschooling, too! I have a 21 month old who has been giving me a run for my money. Nothing keeps her attention longer than 15 seconds, at least not while we're in school. She like to dump out the box of map pencils or my box of 100 copper clasps. I finally gave in a decided to let her play with those b/c it bought us time. She also loves to play with coins ( I think b/c she sees us using them for math). She's at a stage where she doesn't put them in her mouth.

 

The other kids do wait around often, so I keep a basket with the dozen or so nonfiction library books for the week I picked out. They all have 45 min nonfiction time daily, so they can always work on that. They also have 15 minutes independent Quran reading. My 5 yr old works on her phonics book off and on, and I do have a couple of folders of tracing letters (in Arabic) and other printables that are fall related she can color.

 

Maybe you could print things out from some sites and keep them in a folder they can use?

[twoxcell]

My ds is doing Talking Fingers right now. It cost money, but I was reviewing it. The kids also like starfall, fun 4 the brain, spelling city, PBS kids, and some others. We also have a bunch of Jumpstart, reader rabbit, etc. computer learning games.

[Chris in VA]

When we first started, I had a K'er and a 9th grader.

When I worked with the older one, the younger one would do chores (make her bed, fold towels,sweep the kitchen, wash the sliding glass door window, dustbust under the couch cushions, take the trash out around the house, water the plants, etc.), look at books, use her letters to work out words, do some Montessori works, go outside and play by herself, pet the dog...

As she got older, she could do the other side of her Saxon worksheet, write her spelling words (3X each, write the vowels in blue and the consonants in red, write them in the cornmeal tray, make a sentence for each, write in ABC order, etc.), read, do chores, write her grandmother and her cousin, copy a narration, look after the pets (brush the dog, change the gerbil's cage), sew, go outside...There's always lots to do.

[Tylianna]

They bug me and say "I'm done!" "Mom, what do I do?" etc... lol

 

I have a "Seasonal" workbook that I print out pages for them to do every week. The ones that have no WORDS or NUMBERS are to be used when I am reading aloud. The others (crosswords, puzzles etc) can be used when they are 'patiently' waiting. :) If all else fails, I make them do math or handwriting :)

[helena]

I have a little tiered book holder to display books. When I can't help them they read one and log it in their reading log. I put all types of books in there, and switch them weekly.

 

Here's a similar shelf: http://office-accessories.nationalbusinessfurniture.com/Organizer-8-Tiered-Sections-91064.aspx. It's funny because once I displayed the books that way, they took an interest in them.

Here's their reading log: http://www.thehomeschoolshop.com/sh-reading.htm

 

They also like to do a page from their logic work books. They're quick, fun and fairly easy, so they can do it by themselves.

 

Last choice is grab a book from our poetry shelf.

 

Which ever of three choices they make, they have to do it quick, quiet, and independently. Sticking by this rule has made a real difference in the flow of our school day. It was to much for them when it was a free for all.

 

It's worth the effort to train them how to do this, which ever activities you offer. Hope you find something that works. :)

 

ps

I found that it helps to only choose activities that can be easily stopped, otherwise you end up waiting for them to finish and precious time can fly away.

 

 

Few more ideas..

You might want to check out Flashmaster and or Timez Attack (if you haven't already :))

http://www.flashmaster.com/

http://www.bigbrainz.com/

 

Also books on CD from the library using headphones. It would be easy for them to come and go through the day with that, by just pausing. And the sound wouldn't bother anyone else.

Edited October 27, 2010 by helena

[moonlight]

not an idea necessarily, but how about using workboxes for organization. it would force you to plan out everything the night before and the kids would have less time waiting around.

 

or you could use the workboxes by putting educational activities like puzzles, file folder games, logic games, etc. in the workboxes and have your child pull them out throughout the day or week when they are waiting around and you can refill them or change them around as necesary.

 

seema

[delaney]

I switch out who plays with the 2 year old to keep him happy and I plan on adding preschool teacher to their lists of duties:D once DS is no longer at our church preschool. They also love the science channel and DVR tons of shows. Man tracker? Meteorman? and there is always Netflix. They also have spelling, reading, math on IXL which we subscribe to.

[NanceXToo]

If my 10 y/o is waiting for me to prepare something for her schoolwork or to do something with her brother or whatever, I'll often tell her it's "silent reading time."

[Haiku]

My kids have phonics, math drill, grammar review, and 30 minutes of reading time to accomplish while I am working with their sibling.

 

Tara

[Testimony]

You have little ones and bigger ones. So, you need something to keep them occupied. You have to expect there will be some chaos because the younger ones will demand your attention more than the bigger ones. You may have to enlist the bigger ones to help you with the little ones, but the little ones can help you with the big ones too.

 

For example, the older child could go over the phonic drills over with the younger and the younger child can help with math facts with the older child. I learned this from the Maxwells. They came to my state's convention this year and they have 8 children. She said that was one of the things she did with her children. I never realized how the younger children can help the older children. Have the older child recite something to the younger child. Give the younger child the math drill cards or sheets and the older child can go over it first with the younger child, then the younger child can spot the older child to see if he knows it.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Mallory]

Mostly mine play with the littles. Of course they usually have no problems keeping themselves busy ;) I also feel very strongly that one of the main reasons we homeschool is so that they have plenty of time for play. I don't want to fill that time up with busy work just because it would be nice if they were all sitting around the table all morning.

 

My 4yo doesn't have any required school, so he is one of the littles. I just work with one of the boys while the other plays with the kids, then they switch. There just isn't any way I can keep a 2yo and a 4 yo occupied and teach two other grades. It just won't work.

 

When they were younger I always started with the youngest and worked up. I also have the older ones schedules split up or color coded so they can easily see what they can do alone. And they all have thier own schedules.

 

How about something like this? Start school with the 9yo on something then do school with the 4yo- while the other three played. Then let the 4yo go, check in with the 9yo and get him started on something else and do school with the 6yo. Then probably let them all play except the 7yo and get his school done. If there is time work on the 9yo one more time.

 

Probably that is all morning, but is also probably the 3R's for all the kids. That would leave the afternoon for any group work (science, history, art, music, foriegn language).

[razorbackmama]

They do their independent work. If they finish it and it's still not their turn, they occupy the toddlers.

[rafiki]

.

[alegnab]

a check-off sheet in Excel. Each child has his/her own big block. Each child's block has a row for each thing that could be done and Monday thru Friday columns, so there are little blocks to check off each day for each thing that could be done. I don't expect everything to be done in a day, but I want to have everything listed that I'd like to do at least sometimes during the school year so that when we have extra time, I don't have to wonder what it was I wanted to do when we had time. :001_smile:

 

The things dc can do on their own are: piano practice, handwriting, copywork, math facts practice (on computer or worksheets), geography practice (on computer or with puzzles), Bible reading, scripture memorization, history cards & song CD (Veritas Press), music flash cards, silent reading, typing, and art.