Setting up afterschooling that fits our needs

[lapsetmom]

I've just started teaching ps again after staying home and homeschooling for four years. I loved homeschooling but had to return to work and put the kids in school due to my husband's health issues. I am okay with this and know this is where we need to be right now. I really like the teachers at our school; however, it is a high poverty school that deals with a lot of needy children. It does meet No Child Left Behind Standards, and yet, it does not meet my "classical education" standards. I am wanting to start afterschooling my girls by giving them some independent work they can complete after school while I am working. I am wondering where I should focus. I do not have a lot of money to spend on curriculum, and I am trying to decide my priorities. I already have them each doing Bible study work, but I am wanting to beef up their subject area work. The school they attend gives lots of reading and writing practice, comprehension strategy instruction, and okay math instruction, but as far as rigorous systematic vocabulary, grammar, or history, I would say it is lacking. They also use Everyday Math, many of which here, I know, do not think is a good program. I do not want to overwork the girls, so my question is, how do many of you decide what to afterschool and how to set up an afterschool program that is manageable? My needs or priorities:

--thorough Bible and history knowledge

--familiarity with classic liturature

--ability to reason, think logically, and communicate well

--write cursive (this school does not make it a priority)

--understand math at a deeper level

 

Any thoughts and ideas?

[MBM]

. . . my question is, how do many of you decide what to afterschool and how to set up an afterschool program that is manageable? My needs or priorities:

--thorough Bible and history knowledge

--familiarity with classic liturature

--ability to reason, think logically, and communicate well

--write cursive (this school does not make it a priority)

--understand math at a deeper level

 

Any thoughts and ideas?

 

For math, I would use something like Singapore, which isn't terribly time-consuming. My son usually did one lesson on Friday after school, and then several on Saturday and Sunday. The remaining lessons were completed in summer. He is so thankful we made him do this because it laid a solid foundation for him in math. He's now in eighth grade and does AoPS math (his choice) along with our high school's curriculum which is a very strong program. Singapore just made the later math much easier for him to understand.

 

Someone here or on the K-8 or high school boards might have some good ideas for incorporating classical lit with reasoning, logic and writing. My son is learning logic at school, otherwise, I tend to do whatever I feel needs to be done at the time. It's not very orderly.

 

We also are very happy with history and religion at my son's school, so I don't supplement that too much anymore.

 

As far as cursive, I spent maybe 5 to 10 minutes per day a few times per week working with him on it. Within a year or so, his cursive was legible.

 

HTH! Good luck.

[aly9712]

I agree that Singapore math is great for "afterschooling" and requires higher order thinking. With regards to literature, why not just have them choose a book weekly they are responsible for reading in the evenings or mornings? You can let them choose from a list of writings that fall within the classical world. Perhaps have them complete a character map or summary when they're done. We do cursive writing in the mornings. Lately, I've been copying a few sentences from whatever book is being read and have my dd6 copy that in her best cursisve handwriting.

We've been successful for using the mornings as our "schooling" time. DD6 has about 45mins after I leave for work (I'm a teacher too) and when dad is ready to leave the house. I use a little checklist (workplan) weekly that she is to complete. Dad checks her work for accuracy before they leave. So far it's been working out great. In the evenings is when she does her "homework", but honestly, she completes the first grade weekly packet from the teacher in one evening. The rest of the time we can use however as a family or her own interest based activities. Good Luck in whatever you do, I know it's hard.

[Sara R]

You can divide up what you are looking to teach into knowledge and skills. Skills take consistent work over time: math, grammar, foreign languages. Subject matter knowledge doesn't require as organized a presentation: history, science, literature.

 

Skills:

Math: I agree with the recommendations for Singapore Math. Be aware that most kids need more practice with fractions than Singapore provides.

 

Grammar: This is the tricky one that I haven't figured out yet. I would love to find an independent grammar program that could be done after school in 10-20 minutes a day.

 

Handwriting: Do a cursive workbook page a day or a few times a week.

 

Subject matter knowledge:

Try to do these informally through just living at your house. Are you in the car a lot? It is pretty simple to get audiobooks of classic literature, or Story of the World for history. We listen to Story of the World on car trips and the kids enjoy it.

 

Vocabulary can be pretty informal too. Try to use big words around them. I know when my kids were little I got in the habit of simplifying my language, but as they have gotten bigger I have tried to use more complex words. You could subscribe to the Word of the Day (email from Merriam Webster) and talk about it over breakfast or dinner.

[Caroline]

My kids carry a Singapore math book in their bags to school every day. They also have a reading book with them at all times, at school, on the way to soccer,etc. My bag for the kids at their siblings' soccer games includes history books, reading books, copywork practice, and some Kumon workbooks along with the normal soccer game toys. That bag is always in the car.

 

For us, afterschooling is a way of life. Going to museums and the zoo, having discussions at the dinner table, everyone learning new stuff all the time... That is just who we are.

[LimitBreak]

I do not want to overwork the girls, so my question is, how do many of you decide what to afterschool and how to set up an afterschool program that is manageable?

 

I'm also in a similar situation. I'm the breadwinner because of my husband's health issues. My ds also goes to a school that doesn't meet my "classical standards".

 

Since we don't have time to afterschool every subject, I had to decide which subject we would do Consistently. I decided on:

 

Grammar: We're using FLL. It doesn't take very long & it is scripted. My husband is able to handle this.

 

Arts: Music. Ds takes piano lessons once a week. He is also involved in a children's choir once a week. We take him to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra once per year (family series).

 

Math: I use as a main source SM 2-3 times per week. I occasionally throw-in a couple of MEP worksheets.

 

I bought SOTW vol 1 but we are not on a consistent schedule with it.

 

So we've decided to focus on English, Math and Music. History once in a while.

[ApronMama]

Our afterschooling is focused on extra practice where its needed (math facts in our case) and an organized but fun approach to subjects my son loves but doesn't get at school. He loves science, but the science they do at school is stuff he learned years ago.

 

We do extra math practice every day and WWE when we have time (its usually the first thing to get overlooked).

 

We listen to SOTW in the car and use the activity guide for the chapters we are most interested in. He loves the maps and the activities. We try to do 2 days a week--one day for narration and maps, one day for the activities. The big activities I save for "budget reduction" days at school.

 

For science, we pick a topic to work on each Wednesday afternoon (ds' school has early release that day). He reads about the subject for his required reading time for school and we do an activity together that requires some parent help.

 

I think the key is to figure out what is most important to you, what your kids want to do, set a loose schedule and plan and don't stress if you don't get to all of it.