What does 'a day and the life' in your schooling day look like?

[Mrs.Gregg]

We're new homeschoolers, just wondering what everyone's day looks like. :lurk5:

[Tess in the Burbs]

my kids are up and eating breakfast at 8:15. School is at 9. We move through language arts, math, Latin and then usually take a lunch break. Science and History are last and then they do quiet time in their room for one hour. They normally read but can spend it playing once done reading. Then it's usually a chore before playing until evening activities like music lessons or basketball. We have afternoon playdates most afternoons...so if they aren't playing here we are playing with others. Our days are full :tongue_smilie:

[ElizabethB]

One of my favorite homeschooling books shares a bunch of days, and they have several different approaches.

 

Homeschooling, a patchwork of days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Patchwork-Days-Share-Families/dp/0965130304/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295900721&sr=1-1-fkmr0

[justamouse]

It starts with lots of coffee and ends with wine.

 

In between there's running, paint spilling, kids yelling and the bird screaming.

 

OK, You're new at this and I feel bad so even though that's not far from the truth-

 

We're doing Ambleside Online with TWTM stuff, too.

 

We're up between 8 and 9, and while we have breakfast, I read a story. Then they narrate it back to me.

 

We jump in the car and pick up Dd 16 (and listen to SOTW2 cds), drop of Dh's green shake and lunch, back home (if I don't have food shopping to do). We walk the dogs, I make some tea and we hit the work.

 

I put on a classical CD of a composer that we're reading about. We normally start with French or Latin, all go over vocab, do the lesson (we alternate days). Then I read history (Our Island Story), they narrate it back. 5 yo Ds is running around asking me to do 'school' and I take a highlighter, make cursive a's for her, writee her name out and she copies them. Then she comes back and bugs me for more. I am trying to hold her off a few years, and just read a lot to her, but she's having none of it.

 

Lunch break.

 

Maths.

 

Grammar/poetry/Killgallon/

 

Copywork

 

We split up and go off and read. I'm reading Ds 11 The Once and Future King, Henry V and Plutarch's Caesar. The littles are reading their McGuffy's readers.

 

Ds11 reads science by himself, I read science to the littles, they narrate.

 

Coffee break, I see if dinner needs to be started, what have you.

 

Check and see what else can be done, who is the mood for what.

 

Dd 16 is checking in here and there with her stuff but for the most part she's self propelling. We do discuss what she's reading.

 

Dinner.

 

Wine. :D

Edited January 24, 2011 by justamouse

[twogirlsmommy]

If we are home for the day...here is our "loose" schedule. I put times, but just move on as things get done.

 

7:30 Kids up and chores

8:30 Breakfast

9:00 Bible

9:20 Go over work with DD9, teach math as needed, activity to keep DD4 busy

9:45 History and Art

10:30 15 minute snack break

10:45 Work with DD4 while DD9 works independently

12:30 Lunch

1:30 Read alouds, time with each child (20 min to do what they want), DD9 finish up assignments

2:30 DD4 Naptime

 

DD9 does most science, language arts, and math assignments independently (I teach math for the week and she works on the assignments). She also works on typing on the computer daily.

 

Days where we are gone (which is often) we just squish school in wherever it fits :). It often happens in the afternoons.

Edited January 24, 2011 by twogirlsmommy
forgot to add art

[Spryte]

It starts with lots of coffee and ends with wine.

 

In between there's running, paint spilling, kids yelling and the bird screaming.

 

Wait... Did I write that?? Substitute dogs barking for the bird, and that's our house.

 

We are not up and at 'em early people here, so our day starts later, after many infusions of caffeine.

[justamouse]

Wait... Did I write that?? Substitute dogs barking for the bird, and that's our house.

 

We are not up and at 'em early people here, so our day starts later, after many infusions of caffeine.

 

Ha, I forgot the dogs (who are in time out because they both got in to the garbage.:glare::glare:)

 

Nice to see I'm not the only one :D.

[mbosh237]

It starts with lots of coffee and ends with wine.

 

In between there's running, paint spilling, kids yelling and the bird screaming.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

LOL...it's comforting to know I'm not the only one!

Kids are usually up about 7:00-7:30. Breakfast is at about 8:00. After breakfast kids get dressed, teeth brushed, beds made and rooms picked up. We start at about 9:00.

I don't have specific times after that.

We do reading first, then ETC. While DD1 is working on ETC (or copywork)I work on Starfall.com with DD2 and DS. When DD1 is done with ETC we go over the calendar, do the books of the Bible, and do our counting/going over numbers. Every other day we go over maps. Usually takes us about an hour and a half or so. Snacks are at about 10:00. About 11 I start lunch (we have our heavy meal at lunch since DH is able to come home). Then after lunch we have family Bible study. Kids go to bed at 1:00, DH goes back to work.

Kids wake up about 3:00 and they just have play time for the rest of the day. In the evening we do most of our reading.

 

DD#1 isn't "officially" in Kindy until August when we have to report to our school district and so we are pretty laid back right now and just have fun.

[Guest]

It starts with lots of coffee and ends with wine.

 

In between there's running, paint spilling, kids yelling and the bird screaming.

 

OK, You're new at this and I feel bad so even though that's not far from the truth-

 

We're doing Ambleside Online with TWTM stuff, too.

 

We're up between 8 and 9, and while we have breakfast, I read a story. Then they narrate it back to me.

 

We jump in the car and pick up Dd 16 (and listen to SOTW2 cds), drop of Dh's green shake and lunch, back home (if I don't have food shopping to do). We walk the dogs, I make some tea and we hit the work.

 

I put on a classical CD of a composer that we're reading about. We normally start with French or Latin, all go over vocab, do the lesson (we alternate days). Then I read history (Our Island Story), they narrate it back. 5 yo Ds is running around asking me to do 'school' and I take a highlighter, make cursive a's for her, writee her name out and she copies them. Then she comes back and bugs me for more. I am trying to hold her off a few years, and just read a lot to her, but she's having none of it.

 

Lunch break.

 

Maths.

 

Grammar/poetry/Killgallon/

 

Copywork

 

We split up and go off and read. I'm reading Ds 11 The Once and Future King, Henry V and Plutarch's Caesar. The littles are reading their McGuffy's readers.

 

Ds11 reads science by himself, I read science to the littles, they narrate.

 

Coffee break, I see if dinner needs to be started, what have you.

 

Check and see what else can be done, who is the mood for what.

 

Dd 16 is checking in here and there with her stuff but for the most part she's self propelling. We do discuss what she's reading.

 

Dinner.

 

Wine. :D

 

When in the world do you fit in your own writing that you just described so beautifully on the logic board???? Are you a night writer?

[anneofalamo]

I wake up at 5:30 to the sound of my cat meowing, no screeching to be let out. To the kitchen for the 1st of many cauldrons of coffee, first made by my loving dh, who left at 4am.

I go to computer, send a list to the lady I work for (I am her assistant) it is a TO DO list and thoughts that need to be hammered out.

Then I grab my glasses, coffee, let cat back in and read devotional, pray, and read bible, sometimes pray some more, sometimes, just sit, enjoy coffee while my cat purrs on my lap.

7am

the sounds of alarms around the house begin.

Two children are dressed, two like to remain in pj's til break time.

Breakfast starts, chores done, and books set up on table.

8am

pledge (yep, every day)

and bible reading out loud We do different books, right now we are back in Matthew after a long time in the Old Testament!

Then discuss plans for the day, dinner menu, any thing different in the day, week, etc.

 

My oldest DS 14 goes to the school computer in the dining room for Apologia and Teaching Textbooks. He gives me an update to where he is at, and I note it in my brain (schedule)

I teach Easy grammar to the 5/6th grade combo of my twins girls 11 and DS12

While they are doing the worksheets after explaining, I check emails, IM my boss, check WTM forum 33 times

and then prep dinner!

We grade pages as we go and do 3-4 pages a day, we are on an accelerated grammar schedule!

Next, girls and I do Math U see, and DS12 goes to ALEKs on laptop in living room.

Once the girls are settled in with math, I do the work on puter. I also am making copies for SotW for that day, cause I am horrible at pre copy.

The girls finish, we grade go over and set up what they need to do next time. they go to reading spectrum or spelling or word wise or all three! ha ha independently, I finish my job things. MOn and Tues I do All about spelling (again accelerated) with my DS12 who has some holes we are filling with spelling.

9:45 BREAK TIME

frantic time for me to prep for history mon and tues and science wed and thurs

10am=back for history (sotw1) or Science

my oldest does guitar, grammar, science and current events government all with out me, bless his pointed little head

11-we are doing time travelers history the revolutionary war all together.

11:30 the girls and DS14 do Aleks on computers, Math u See with DS12 to get him out of the epsilon into zeta!

12:15 lunch

1pm

back at it

spanish for the 5/6th combo

DS14, has computer and is doing an automotive class (book work right now)

they all read for 1/2 hour, do book reports as necessary and then write on what ever report I assigned from days work past etc.

they each get 1/2 hour to check their emails and play in Gmail, news etc

then chores and their PS friends are home

play play play

til dinner

 

no school on Fridays,

[justamouse]

When in the world do you fit in your own writing that you just described so beautifully on the logic board???? Are you a night writer?

 

Yup. I start writing around 10 pm and motor till about 1-3 am. I had tried getting up early for two years and got nothing done. I sagged and drooped through every day. Then I gave up, started up my old night owl ways and I'm getting more done than I have in a long time-and that incredibly flowed over to school work, too. That was a big aha this year for me.

 

With school I *am* actually still on vacation with the hatchlings, though. We're starting back this week, but slowly. We've had some family problems (ILs health) and we've just been taking it easy.

[guateangel]

This is our first year....

Approximate times as we don't follow the clock.

 

8am - Everyone starts rolling out of bed.

8:30 - Breakfast

9am - School officially begins (I say that loosely, today we didn't start until 10am.) Tackle math first since it's the most difficult for dd.

10am - FLL, ETC and Vocab (usually break for 10-15 min.)

11am - Spelling and memory work

11:30 - Free reading (goes off and reads her choice of books until lunch.)

12pm-1pm - Lunch and play outside

1pm - History or Science, sometimes art.

2pm - Structured reading with mom and mom reads books.

3pm - Chores, then she's 'free' until math homework in the evening.

 

Typical school day is from 9am-3pm with lots of breaks and play.

 

Our day would not be this long if it wasn't for my 3 yr. old and his many distruptions, the phone, dogs, door, arguments, etc.

 

6pm or so she does 1-2 pages of math mammoth.

7:30pm she reads to me for 30 min and I read to her for an hour or so.

Lights out at 9pm. Sometimes she'll listen to an audio book as she falls asleep.

 

It's 2:54pm and we still haven't gotten to memory work, reading or chores. DD is in the front yard sledding. Oh well....the beauty of homeschooling. :)

Edited January 24, 2011 by guateangel

[kristinannie]

I am just starting HSing this summer so this is a tentative schedule:

 

8-9: Get everyone up, dressed and fed (including the baby), except on Tues and Thurs when we have to leave to bring DD3 to preschool and have to leave at 8am

9-10:30: Math, Phonics, Handwriting, Religion (about 15-30 min) each with DS5

11-12: Pick up my DD3 from preschool on Tues and Thurs

12-2: Playtime/lunch

2-4 (while DD3 and baby nap): History, Science, Art, Music (different stuff on different days)

 

Wed: No set school (except maybe math games). I plan to do nature study on Wed morning every week and also use this day for field trips to the science center, museums, or anything else where we want to avoid weekend crowds!

 

That is the plan for now. Of course, we will still do lots of reading in the evenings. DS5 has karate twice a week too. Things will get a lot more hectic as the kids get older, but I am hoping that we have a really good system in place by then!!!!!!!!

[mcconnellboys]

We generally start school at about 8 a.m. and finish at about 3:30 p.m. (That used to be 3 when he was in elementary.) This includes reading time, which some don't count in the hours of their "school day."

 

I did 20 minute classes for my son throughout his elementary years. This moved to 30 minute classes when he got into fifth grade, and moved up to hour long class sessions this year.

 

Most school work was done Monday through Thursday in the elementary years, leaving perhaps only some reading and field trips on Fridays. If we didn't have a trip or had a short one, then he might finish up school early for the day.

 

Now that he's in middle school, I need to schedule more actual work on Fridays and we take field trips less often.

 

He has always had some outside classes and has quite a few this year. If I can schedule those into his days ahead of time, then I do. If opportunities come up after my schedule is already made, then I work around that somehow.

 

Here is his schedule this year, which won't really be all that helpful to you save that we still tend to schedule the same subjects at the same time of day as we always have:

 

8-9 Reading time, which includes religion studies and some short work in geography and chemistry most days, too (~5 minutes each).

 

9-10 Math time

 

10-11 Language Arts

 

11-12 Languages

 

12-1 Lunch

 

1-1:30 Logic

 

1:30-3:30 alternating history/lit and science

 

Welcome!

[nono]

What does it look like? OK, you asked...:D

 

Well if you had come by today, you'd have found me teaching in a plain outfit with a potato sack dish towel wrapped around my head, as today Sister Mary May-I? was teaching. My kids were dressed neatly because Sister requires it.

 

Other days, like when Mom actually teaches, they can stay in their pjs.

 

When Doc Hudson teaches, they have to wear sweats and sneakers because he's prone to having the kids do random sets of laps and such...

 

As for the schedule, we start at 9:15 a.m. and end before lunch. My kids are little.

[patchfire]

Dd gets up at 6:45, does math from 7 to 7:45. We all eat breakfast at 7:45 and we do various schoolish things the rest of the morning, except for a 15 minute play break (ds's is longer). We eat lunch at 11:30, and at 12 dd practices piano, and then usually does 45-90 minutes of additional work. Ds has "rest time" and little dd has naptime. Naptime is sanity time. :tongue_smilie:

 

Some days we are out of the house more or less–-Mondays look completely different because after math & breakfast, dd has a full day of enrichment classes out of the house, and ds has the same on Monday afternoons. Dd practice trumpet after 'school hours.'

 

Lately school has looked Disney-fied, as the kids have been watching lots of Disney movies in preparation for our upcoming trip. Yep, I rearranged school a bit so they could watch more movies. Heh. In the spring and autumn, there's a lot more outdoor play.

[Mommamia]

It starts with lots of coffee and ends with wine.

 

:D

 

:lol::iagree:

[Rosy]

By 9:30, kids are up, dressed, fed, and ready to start (after much nagging...we're still working on that aspect of the schedule). We usually start around then--but we'll start as late as 10:15 or as early as 8:30 if I'm really on my game (that rarely happens). We do the following:

 

Read-aloud

Pray

Bible lesson (BSG4AA) or read a story on godly character

History (Story of the World)

DD10 departs to do math, the rest of us do Writing With Ease

Math

Spelling

Lunch

 

The above takes about 2-2 1/2 hours. At this point, everyone is done except DD10. She needs my help with Classical Writing and First Language Lessons, but she does the rest independently. We do science at our homeschool co-op and the kids do karate, gymnastics, or dance for PE. I'm still trying to figure out how to work in art and music.

[Laura Corin]

This is during term time, and this is during the holidays. The former was during a period when the boys seemed to work well independently; this ebbed and flowed, so I often had to sit right by them, rather than getting chores done during school time.

 

Laura

[MamaSheep]

A typical day at my house (keeping in mind that pretty much no day goes 100% to a "typical" plan) looks sort of like this:

 

I get up around 7-ish when dh gets out of the shower. We go downstairs and he reads scripture to me while I make breakfast. Currently we're reading through the New Testament. Frequently I will interrupt him (or he will pause) so he can look up in one or another electronic study helps what else that word can mean in Greek, or what another passage says about the same topic so we can compare. It's a good way to get my brain funtioning in the morning. Usually the kids are listening in, but at present we're not making them sit down and hash it out with us.

 

Then we have breakfast together, and dh heads out to his office. He's the boss, and has a little flexibility as to when he shows up, so that's kind of nice, but we usually try to get him out the door by eight.

 

After breakfast the kids empty the dishwasher while I get shower and then we all get dressed and start school. If I've done my job right, each child's work for the day is in a set of drawers next to their little desks (glorified TV trays--they don't do much of their work there, but it gives us a "home base" to keep things orderly). Above each child's desk is a magnet board where they can keep reference materials like handwriting charts, times tables, maps, or whatever. Along the bottom of that is a strip of velcro, and (again, assuming I did the proper set-up the day before) there is a row of numbered tags velcroed to this strip that tells the kids which drawers they will be working from today, and in which order.

 

Generally, we start the morning off with both of them working on penmanship in their HWT books (ds is a little old for that, but has struggled with handwriting, so I'm still having him work on it). Then ds will work on his grammar and vocabulary while dd and I work on spelling and reading. After that, each child does a math lesson, and when they get to that point, whatever time it is, they can start their lunch break.

 

After lunch, they help clean up and then we start on the afternoon work. Generally we do "skills" kinds of work before lunch and "content" work after. There will be one or two "small" subjects, like a poetry, art, health, etc. that we do, but don't spend gobs of time on, and then a "big" subject--science or history. We generally do history on Mondays and Wednesdays, and science on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For both of these subjects we usually do a little reading and discussion as a group, and then they each have some additional reading at their own grade level, and then write up a notebook page. For history we also do a timeline (which doesn't take long), ds has some short quizzes, and dd does a small lapbook booklet that goes along with the chapter (we're using SOTW for our together reading for history). But I split that up so we do some of it Monday and some of it Wednesday and it's not overwhelming to either of them. On Friday afternoons we do a project (either history or science, depending on what we're studying), go to the library, or have a field trip.

 

After school we have play time, and I do a little housework, but also spend some time doing things that I enjoy--quilting, reading, whatever. Moms need breaks too. Then I start dinner, dh comes home, we round up the kids from their friends houses or send their friends home from our house, and eat together.

 

More playtime after dinner until about 7:30 or so, when we have "snack and story time" (because they have a hard time sleeping if their tummies don't have a little something extra in them) where we have some kind of fun snack (if we have dessert, this is when) and read a book out loud together, just for fun. Dd goes to bed at 8:30, dh and I hang out and watch tv, play a game, or read together, and ds usually disappears with a book or video game until his bedtime at 9:30.

 

ETA: Oh, and somewhere in there, usually after school or after dinner, I try to get the papers marked and the next day's work set up. If I drop the ball and don't get it done, then I give the kids a little play time in the morning after breakfast while I do it then. Sometimes that means I skip my shower. Bleh.

Edited January 24, 2011 by MamaSheep

[RootAnn]

Your day will look different than everyone else's depending on your philosophy, your kid's motivation, your curriculum choices, # of kids, ages/abilities of kids, etc.

 

However, you asked, so I'll type out a "typical" day (at least this month):

Kids are up, dressed, chores (mostly) done, and fed by 9 a.m.

Oldest starts with 30 minutes of assigned (usually history-related) reading while I do spelling with next oldest. I'm also usually helping #3 & #4 draw/color/build something & sometimes nursing #5.

The next 30 minute block is split between finishing up spelling & starting math for #2, changing a diaper on #5 or cleaning up after #4 doesn't make it to the potty, and listening to oldest play her assigned piano pieces for me.

At 10, oldest starts her math and #2 finishes up her math. This 30 minute block usually involves at least one screaming/yelling fit or sulky silence with arms folded by one of these two children. Child #5 goes down for a nap around now which makes my life easier.

At 10:30, the children get snacks if they did their chores earlier. I grab caffeine or extra water (if I'm feeling "healthy"). Eldest comes back to do spelling for 30 minutes while #2, #3, & #4 trash the upstairs and make lots of noise but not enough to wake the sleeping baby.

At 11ish, eldest moves onto writing and I sneak on the computer for a few minutes. While I'm checking email, eldest does the littlest possible work to "finish" her assignment and sneaks off to join the others.

 

I fix lunch for the kids (& myself if I'm lucky) & the kids play until 1 p.m.

 

At 1, the older two work on latin while I attempt to keep #4 busy doing something other than biting/hitting/ or breaking someone or something. I usually have to change his clothes by this time as well. The baby is back up, so more nursing.

At 1:30, everyone gathers around to listen to the bible & the older two study their catechism work.

At 2, we do either history or science for 45 minutes. After that, it is a hodge-podge of me helping #2 with her extra reading work, going through math/phonics/handwriting with #3, helping #1 finish any work she didn't do previously or which wasn't up to my expectations, and getting snacks for the kids (again). When this settles down, #3 gets either craft-time, cooking class, extra aloud reading, or some other 'fun' activity.

 

After school work is done, my #2 sneaks off to listen to a book on tape & draw, my #1 reads, #3 plays make believe by herself, #4 hides somewhere to either poop in his pants or fall asleep, and #5 finds any writing utensils that were left out in his reach to write on anything (walls especially are nice, although today he wrote on my shirt) that strikes his fancy.

 

I sneak back on the computer after dinner to check in on things while everyone makes a complete mess of the stuff they didn't mess up before.

We try to pick up right before DH comes home from work.

We do read-alouds mostly at bedtime lately.

[ScoutTN]

today was like this:

 

DH was up and doing around 6:15.

DD got up around 6:45 and me around 7:15

DS around 7:45

Cold cereal for breakfast today for all. This is unusual for us - generally we are all up by 7 and have breakfast together and family devotions.

8:00 Bible

8:20 Copywork and HWT for DD while I read picture books to DS and start the dishwasher.

8:45 Phonics and reading

Snack and housework break. Kids brush teeth, get dressed. I make beds and fold some laundry.

9:30 Math

10:00 DD does Starfall for about 15 minutes.

Play until lunch. I read 2 chapters from Farmer Boy during lunch and we practice our memory verses.

After lunch kids play outside for an hour while I finish reading Outliers.

After outside is rest time/room time for about 90 minutes.

Then they play while I make dinner. Easy tonight - leftovers.

DH comes home around 6. We eat and kids are going to bed even now!

[boscopup]

I just have a first grader that I'm schooling. Then there's a preschooler (not doing anything with him right now) and a toddler running around. Here's what we did today:

 

8:00 Kids finally came down for breakfast. This was late for us. I cleaned up the kitchen table (school table) while they ate, as it had gotten cluttered over the weekend and we had no where to work. :D

8:30 I was finally ready to sit down and start Bible with them. I opened the Bible up and read a couple chapters of Genesis. We discussed what was read. Then we sang 2 hymns. We concentrate on the same 2 hymns all week long so DS can learn them.

9:00 We sat down at the kitchen table to do math. The toddler needed something, so I got up to help him. I tried to sit back down, and the preschooler needed something, so I got up to help him. Then I sat back down and the toddler was in a fussy mode where he just yells at me for not doing whatever it is he wants. I put him in his crib for some play time (he actually enjoys playing in his crib). I sent the preschooler to the den to play. Now I was finally able to sit down and start math! I think it was 9:15 by now. :lol: We did 2 pages of Math Mammoth. I broke out the base 10 blocks and had to fend off the preschooler who was upset that I was destroying his "hotel". :glare:

9:45 Finally finished math (there were a lot of bombs and other sound effects that slowed things down), and then we quickly did R&S English orally. That takes about 5 minutes.

9:50 Pulled out The Boxcar Children #1 and had him read the first chapter out loud. Afterward, we discussed the chapter and I had him give me a narration, which I wrote down for him. I asked if he wanted to draw a picture. He said no. I expected that. :tongue_smilie:

10:05? Sent DS to the living room to pick up toys. Had preschooler help him. I then got the toddler out of his crib to join us again. They had free time until after lunch. I ended up letting them watch some Leap Frog videos so I could talk on the phone.

11:30 Lunch, then preschooler has quiet time in his room (he plays) and toddler has a nap. DS1 reads library books for about 20-30 minutes while I put the toddler down for his nap (I surf the web on my smartphone to make this time last longer, but don't tell him! ;) ).

12:00 Sat back down to do school. We started with a Bible workbook from his old school (he loves it), then did 2 pages of HWT, then did our WWE copywork sentence.

12:45ish Read a chapter from SOTW, did a narration, did some mapwork.

1:15ish Pulled out the white board and did 2 steps of AAS (we'll slow down soon)

1:45ish Back to the school table to read from a Bible story book where it fits into our SOTW time period. Then we got our Draw Write Now book #1 and drew/colored a pig and did the accompanying copywork (he did 1 sentence, I did all 4 - I enjoy doing this book with him :D).

2:15ish DONE! Go play.

 

Most days are like this, except Friday, where we only do a couple subjects. If we need to go grocery shopping, we do it during our break between morning school and lunch.

[Greenmama2]

What does it look like? OK, you asked...:D

 

Well if you had come by today, you'd have found me teaching in a plain outfit with a potato sack dish towel wrapped around my head, as today Sister Mary May-I? was teaching. My kids were dressed neatly because Sister requires it.

 

Other days, like when Mom actually teaches, they can stay in their pjs.

 

When Doc Hudson teaches, they have to wear sweats and sneakers because he's prone to having the kids do random sets of laps and such...

 

As for the schedule, we start at 9:15 a.m. and end before lunch. My kids are little.

School at your house sounds fun!

My eldest is only 4.5 we do "schoolish" things at random points scattered throughout the day. Often some bookwork or concentrated music practice after a meal then she wanders off to play for a while and school waits until the next time she "needs something to do".

[Joyofsixreboot]

I'll put times but it can vary alot depending on what else we need to do that day. Of course sometimes they are doing work in the car or at appointments and sometimes things get all switched around.

7:00 Up

7:30 Breakfast&chores

8:00 Math

8:30 LA

9:00 Snack

9:15 Reading

9:45 Recess

10:00 History

10:30 Science

11-12 Lunch and Read Aloud and play time

1:00 Varies by day~Spanish or Latin

1:30 Varies by day~art, music, PE, Nature Study and finish up writing for

4th grader

2:00 quit if we haven't already

[Guest tckats]

My kids do better in the morning so we are up at 7am. (not my choice! :) After breakfast we hit the books at 8a. We start with his hardest subject which is math then move onto language arts stuff. We alternate history and science in the afternoons. We only do the core stuff on M-Th and Fridays are for music, art, nature study and park day. We take lots of breaks and play outside.

[Virg]

Here's ours:

8:30 awake

make bed, shower, dressed & lotion, breakfast, meds, teeth, math flashcards, and chore (haha we have a white board with magnets to mark off that I just copied)

9:30 school starts

math, language, reading, penmanship, Health, Science, History (still attempting to finish the A Beka year) Now that I am using the filing system,we are done about 1 or 1:30

daycare kids eat lunch at 12:30

my kids eat lunch at 1:30

chores and play inside or out until dinner

the kids then pick up, finish their chores, meds, teeth, read until 9:30 or 10

[bluemongoose]

I have a 6yo, a 4yo, and a 2yo.

 

Kids usually wake between 8 and 9. We are pretty far up north, so it doesnt get light until late during the winter. Soon it will start shifting back to lighter in the morning, and they will wake up earlier.

 

The two older kids work through their 1/2 their morning chores and then come to breakfast.

 

After breakfast is the second 1/2 of morning chores.

 

School starts around 10:30. 6yo is given handwriting or something else she can work on independently for 20 min or so while I do preschool with 4yo. The 2yo plays in a baby proofed area and watches leap frog video or baby signing time while playing with his toys. 4yo likes to join him after preschool. Yes...I use the tube to educate and entertain my youngers while I work with my older:001_smile:. BUT we dont watch TV the rest of the day AND we only have DVDs...we dont actually have TV stations.

 

Then 6yo joins me for Science, History, Bible, Spelling, Art, Spanish and a Math lesson. (we dont do all of these subjects every day)

 

Lunch at 12:30

 

Free play after lunch while I clean the kitchen from lunch and do a couple of house chores.

 

1:45 is family story time. We all snuggle on the couch and read a story before I send them up to their rooms.

 

2:00-4:00 is nap/quiet time. The younger two usually sleep, and the oldest spends the time completing her Math page, writing a paragraph about our history lesson, and looking up a word or two for vocabulary and drawing a picture of the word. If she missed any spelling words during our spelling lesson, she also practices those words. When she finishes, she reads if she likes or plays quietly in her room until 4:00. This is my time to plan out the next school day if needed, do a chore or two, or just take some me time if I am just fried!

 

4:00-5:30 is snuggle time as they wake/ snack/ and playtime.

 

5:30-6:30 is dinner prep. The kids generally play while I cook.

 

6:30 Dad is home and we have dinner.

 

After dinner the two older kids to their nightly chores and get ready for bed. (We use the accountable kids chore system) Once they have gotten ready for bed they can choose to spend their tickets for fun activities.

 

8:00 is bedtime.

 

10:00 is lights out for any who have not already crashed.

 

Alterations to this: Monday is scouts...dinner is at 5 for the oldest, and she and I leave at 5:50. The men all have dinner at 6:00 and hang out afterwards.

 

Thursday afternoons is tap class. So either a shortened nap before we go, or no nap at all!

Edited January 25, 2011 by bluemongoose

[jvenice]

OK, I'll attempt this.

 

Up by 8:30 or 9:00 with breakfast while I read either a read aloud or SOTW.

SOTW Activity Guide (Ancient Portfolio Jr. for the little one)

Math by 9:45

Reading

subject of their choice or me teaching Grammar

Morning Recess or lunch/recess depending on how long all of this takes

Spelling

Handwriting or copywork depending on age

American History in the form of Trailguide to Learning for the older two

Phonics for the Younger two

Spelling for the younger three

Vocab for oldest

Science on Science days

Usually done by 3:30 or 4:00

Recess

Chores

Dinner

I FINALLY get to read and then bed.

 

Of course there are a few 'breaks' to check in on TWTM, email, etc. :tongue_smilie:

[MissKNG]

This is normal if we are doing school and home without any place to go for my K student:

 

6-6:30am - girls are usually up

8am - dressed and eating breakfast and I read a Bible story

9am- school starts: Bible coloring that goes along with the Bible story and science, crafts

10am - snack/story time

11:30 - lunch

12:30ish - quiet time

 

(day goes on - nothing "scheduled" - free play, more crafts, more read alouds, etc)

 

8pm - small girl goes to bed

8pm - night school starts: alternating nights of math and history with phonics/reading sprinkled in

9pm-ish - I read our History chapter book then big girl goes to bed

 

Our mornings have the most "structure" but between each "scheduled" event is free play. Like we don't eat breakfast for one hour - 15 minutes then they are off playing until 9am rolls around.

[PeterPan]

Lots of toddler interruptions, screaming and yelling (not me, them as they run around and play, lol), and trying to get work done. But we're mixing junior high stuff and toddler, which doesn't work well. Two different worlds at the same time, ack! You'll have it much easier.

 

Your day is going to look the way you want it to look. You're going to mix your values with any practical realities your kids bring to the table. When my dd was little, we would sing everyday, first thing, as a wonderful way to start out day. Lots of happy memories with that! And we did physical things and fun stuff in-between the harder things. Now she is older and works longer.

 

To me it's about living the dream. Figure out what your dream is and live it. And prepare for it to be interrupted by a few reality checks of your kids needing something different. :)

[RainbowSprinkles]

We try to get school started between 9 and 10. Before then we eat breakfast, get dressed etc. and my dd9 and ds6 have to do a couple of chores.

 

When that's done, dd will sit down and do her independent work. It doesn't take her too long. It's Bible and her current reader history reader. She used to have Spelling, but we did all the words orally and she knew them all, so we've dropped them for now. While she does this, I sit down with ds6 and we do Phonics and Handwriting. I just added in Bible this week. It's just a short story and then a short activity. This is also when I read aloud to him. It usually only takes 25-30 mintues and during that time my toddler does pretty good playing on his own.

 

Then ds6 has free time and he'll go play outside or play legos and entertains his little brother. I sit down with dd and we go over Math and grammar and usually then she will do the exercises by herself.

 

So now it's lunch time which is followed by naptime for my toddler. During his naptime I do Math with ds6. After that, I do history with dd and then she does science on her own.

 

It's working good right now for us. I'm making changes for next school year in our schedule and curriculum, but it shouldn't be a problem because my toddler is only getting older :)

[twacademy2010]

We juat started the first of this month and I have yet to come up with a schedule, so our day is complete chaos and it is really starting to hurt!

 

The kids all wake up about 8 and get me up. We then have breakfast. I usually let the three youger ones play with playdoh or color or something while I get my 8 yo started for the day. The three younger ones do not understand that they shouldnt interrupt me while workig with 8 yo (and I dont really expect them to understand at their ages, but maybe I should?), so I am usually running back and forth between the kitchen and school room until lunch. After lunch we either do baths or play for an hour. Then, I usully get the youger three to nap and 8 yo and i can do the more one on one stuff. After nap, it is more chaos until dinner and bed.

 

We are taking this week off for me to try to get more organized and to breathe! Im also trying to finish painting the school room at night and get our workboxes finished.

 

I havent been able to do anything with my 4 yo bc of the younger two demanding my attention. He really really wants to do school too.

 

Then dh is off on Thurs and Fri andthen NONE of us want to do work!! ugh.

 

Come Monday, I have a plan though! 8 yo and I will get up at 6 and work in the quiet until everyone else is up. Then we will have breakfast and while I work with 4 yo, 8 yo will do crafts etc with the 3 and 1.5 yo in another room. Then lunch and stuff as we already did. Hopefully this will work! :tongue_smilie:

Edited January 25, 2011 by twacademy2010

[AngelaNYC]

I usually get up at 6:30am, get dressed, make youngest dd(14) breakfast, drive her and dh to the train, swing back home, pick up oldest dd(17) and drive her to school and get home by 8:30ish. Then I have my coffee, spend about an hour on the computer, and another hour doing morning chores. Ds(9) wakes up around 9, has breakfast and relaxes til 10:30.

 

We start academics at 10:30am usually. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we start with math (Teaching Textbooks 5). We do one lesson (he prefers to only use the workbook, not the CDs) and it takes about 20 minutes. Then I'll read 1 Ambleside Online (AO) reading to him and he narrates back to me. This takes about 15 minutes. Next is spelling (Spelling Skills 4). He does one activity in about 10-15 minutes. After that, I'll read him from one of the AO "free readings" - no narration here - and it takes about 15 minutes. Then we'll read a poem together (based on the AO term poets) and he'll copy the first 2 lines into his copywork book. Copywork has to be written exactly the way it is in the book and with the best handwriting possible. This takes another 15 minutes. Finally, he reads 2 pages from his novel of choice (right now it's A Cricket in Times Square) for more reading practice (he has mild dyslexia).

 

On Tuesdays we listen to music from the current AO term's composer, while looking at and discussing paintings from the current AO term's artist. I might read brief biographies on them focusing on the time period they lived in and what part of the world they came from. This takes about 30 minutes. Then we'll do a dictation exercise, where he'll go over yesterday's copywork for a few minutes, close the book, and write it again as I dictate it to him. We'll work up to entire poems eventually. This takes about 20 minutes. We do a lesson in Spanish next (Immersion Spanish CD Roms) which takes about 15 minutes. Then we do some nature study, reading from The Handbook of Nature Study. We follow the AO term's nature schedule for this as well. After some reading, we either do some online activities, or grab the sketchbooks, colored pencils, magnifying glass, and field guide to get outside and really enjoy nature. This takes as much time as we want. At some point in the day, he will read me 2 more pages from his novel.

 

On Thursdays, we read about 5 AO scheduled readings - all with narrations. His narrations are all spoken aloud, but he will start doing one written narration each week soon. Each reading with narration takes about 15 minutes. After that, he does another spelling activity in his spelling workbook (15 minutes) and then reads me another 2 pages from his current novel.

 

We're usually done before 1pm. On Tuesdays we have a homeschool group get-together from noon to 3 and do classes on various Fridays here and there during the early afternoons. We are very relaxed and very flexible, so if we feel like going to a museum or the science center or out somewhere with friends, we'll forget about the seatwork and go out instead.

 

When we're home, ds loves to spend the afternoons being extremely creative with his nerf gun modding, claymation videos, weapon making, inventions, Legos, drawings, and going to the playground down the block to meet up with friends.

 

Homeschooling is whatever you want it to be. I love it.

[MamaHappy]

One of my favorite homeschooling books shares a bunch of days, and they have several different approaches.

 

Homeschooling, a patchwork of days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Patchwork-Days-Share-Families/dp/0965130304/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295900721&sr=1-1-fkmr0

 

Oh, I love this book! I was checking it out from the library so often, I finally just bought it. :) The follow-up book, Homeschool Open House, is really good too.

[Ravin]

Today was a pretty good example. Before I left for my 5-9 AM work shift, I left DD a to-do list including some simple chores, a handwriting sheet, and some math problems.

 

When I got home, she was still working on it so I let her be while I changed out of my work clothes and ate breakfast. Once she was done and had eaten (it was about eleven by then) we sat down and went over her "homework". We worked the math problems she missed on the chalkboard (we have a chalkboard/dry erase easel from Ikea and drag it right up to the couch to work), and that was it for math today. Other days I give her less independent work and we do a lesson together.

 

Next (after a time-out because DD wouldn't settle down and pay attention and managed to kick over the easel, knocking everything out of the tray which I required her to clean up), she read me a phonics reader, then we went through her Word Mastery list for the day. Finally, we did 2 lessons from FLL, and once her copywork was done, I cut her loose and went to take a nap.

 

She probably watched a bit of TV until time for the school bus to arrive in the neighborhood neared, then went out to play. (DW#2 is home today and could supervise and let her go out; if I have to nap and no one else is home, she doesn't get to go outside) She'll come inside in about five minutes or so (6pm), hungry. DH got home from class about half an hour ago and will fix dinner. I'll probably try and take another nap this evening as I have an overnight shift tonight and he'll have bedtime duty, which usually includes reading to her.

 

Mornings DH is home, they watch Avatar (the cartoon) together after her chores are done. Mornings I'm off or get home earlier in the morning, she doesn't have a chore/homework list. Geography is on the lesson plan in addition to the subjects mentioned once a week or more often if she asks for it. We do lessons M-Th, Friday she goes to an enrichment program run by the PS, and Saturday and Sunday she generally spends outside or at friends' houses all day long, unless we have an outing planned. Sometimes lessons get shunted aside because of appointments; that happened one day last week; I had a WIC appointment and it ate up what would have been lesson time on the one day a week I have between overnight shifts. Other times, we get lessons done at a less leisurely pace in order to go on an outing (library, zoo, museum, etc.)

[ondreeuh]

Each person's schedule is going to depend on the ages and needs of their kids. I have a very active 3 y/o, a noise-sensitive and very distractable 9 y/o, and a small house.

 

We start relatively late here. It takes time for all of us to wake up (and for meds to kick in ;)). Some days they watch TV or play while I do lesson planning, other days we cook together or do an art project. Often we play music and dance around! I do a lot of informal learning activities with Noel but have no set schedule.

 

I have just started giving Corbin his math instruction while Noel is busy and letting him complete the problems upstairs. My goal is to at least get through math before Noel's nap (at noon).

 

During naptime we try to efficiently get through the rest of our work. We work through read aloud, reader, grammar, reading/phonics, writing, spelling, journal, and handwriting. If we finish early we do history or science. Fridays we do quizzes and tests, so things go a bit faster which is nice for all of us.

 

Once he starts preschool we will have 3 mornings a week without having to work around him, and we will do history and science during that time instead of having to squeeze it in.

[Mom0012]

I wake up around 6:00 or 6:30 and play around on the computer and then take a shower. I wake my kids up at 7:30. They will read in bed for about 1/2 an hour and then my daughter will go downstairs and do her piano practice and some independent work while I work with my son. Basically, he and I will go over any errors in his work from the day before and then I will give him instruction in his subjects for the day. This takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

 

Then, we switch and my son goes off to work independently while I work with my daughter, which generally takes 45 minutes max.

 

After that, I fix breakfast and do our SL readings while the kids are eating. This takes about an hour, so once they are done eating, my son plays with his legos and my daughter draws or colors while I finish reading.

 

After breakfast, they each unload one level of the dishwasher and I reload it and start a load of laundry. I take care of administrative things around the house and do minor chores and stop to help the kids as they need it.

 

We are usually done by 1:00 or, with my son, sometimes 2:00 or rarely even later than that.

 

In the afternoon, the kids usually either have a playdate scheduled, swim team, ballet, or brownies. By the time we get back from that, it is time for me to make dinner. After I clean up, my day has ended and I take some time for myself while the kids watch a little tv before bed.

 

Fridays are lighter for us as far as schoolwork goes and we do field trips, art lessons, science experiments, etc.

 

Lisa

[ElizabethB]

Oh, I love this book! I was checking it out from the library so often, I finally just bought it. :) The follow-up book, Homeschool Open House, is really good too.

 

That does look good, thanks!!

[kalanamak]

We're new homeschoolers, just wondering what everyone's day looks like. :lurk5:

 

Weekdays I leave the house by 6:30, work, and am home at 4. Kiddo has spend the day cleaning up and then re-messing the house, helping with Papa's carpentry, running errands, going to homeschool gym, or kayaking etc. By 5 I am fed, organized, etc. We do school work for 1 or 2 hours, he eats, then he goes to the gym again, or we read or play or do science or art. Usually more gym. He is in bed by 9:30 or 10, and reading until 10:30.

 

Weekends I rouse him at 8, feed him, and launch into school. Last Sunday we did 4 hours of chemistry, mostly hands on. (It ended with Alka-Seltzer, and we moved to recent cultural history by learning the jingle "plop-plop, fizz-fizz, oh what a relief it is" which led to a discussion of hangovers and the concept of diuretics (which alcohol is ). I drew a renal tubule and told kiddo the story of how I once, as a teen, sat half a hot day in a tub of cool water reading and re-reading a physiology text trying to understand countercurrent mechanisms. This lead to discussion on drug abuse, and we ended on discussing the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey.)

 

After 3-6 hours of school on Sat and Sunday, with lunch in there somewhere, hubby takes kiddo on a run or the gym or a visit.

 

We do some school every except illness or something worthwhile to do, like a field trip or a special treat. If the weather is fabulous, the boys might be outside all day.

Edited January 26, 2011 by kalanamak

[rafiki]

.

[NanceXToo]

I just posted a "What Do You Do Every Day?" post to my blog, with a bunch of pictures...

 

http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/175611.html

[kalphs]

We're new homeschoolers, just wondering what everyone's day looks like. :lurk5:

Here is what our schedule looks like this year...

Awake at 7:00 am.

Breakfast with devotional, poetry and literature reading.

7:45-8:15 Getting ready for the day.

8:30 British history

9:00 Science

9:30 Math

10:00-10:10 Break time

10:10 Phonics/Word Study

10:45 Grammar

11:15 Assigned reading from literature

11:45 Lunch

12:30 Read Aloud "The Chronicles of Narnia"

1:00 Copywork

1:30 French or Art

2:30 Shakspeare and a Snack on Mondays.

Snack with Read Aloud T-F.

6:30-7:00 Dh and Dd read American History together on M & Thr.

[Jilly]

Here is a day in the life blog post that I posted earlier this year. :)

[TXMary2]

I haven't done one for this school year, but last year I did a post on my blog that walks through a day of Kindergarten.

 

http://winecupchristianacademy.blogspot.com/search/label/Kindergarten

[Karen in CO]

My day starts at 6am. I get up, have coffee with dh and read my email.

dd6 gets up at 7 and gets an educational show and breakfast.

dd10 gets up at 7:30, reads the paper and has breaksfast.

I read to them and have recitation around 8 then head down to my office around 9. They generally spend the rest of the day avoiding me so that I won't make them work. :)

 

At 10am, I do phonics with dd6 and read to her in my office. Then she does art or disappears to play. Dd10 comes to my office to do math. I go over it with her and get her started then go back to work. When she's done, she reads until lunch (history or science).

 

Hubby typcially catches them for another reading at lunch while I run.

 

After lunch they either work on Rosetta Stone or dd10 works on computer programming.

 

They stay busy and either play, read, do art or work on a science project until 5 when I start dinner with their help.

 

When the weather is warmer, they spend a good part of the day outside.

 

One day a week, each goes to a ps enrichment school.

 

We do about an hour of read alouds every night at bedtime. Dd10 typcially reads in bed for about an hour.

[3MonkeysMama]

Today...my kids are still playing, making a huge mess, chasing eachother and screaming loudly...and it is almost 11 am! Normally we start school by 9. We do the "tough" stuff first like math and language arts. We take a snack break (which I have him bring with him to the school room because once he leaves the table he is hard to get back!) then we do spelling, history/geography, science and reading. I try to wrap it up by lunch but often history and science are after lunch while the baby naps. I would love to do art stuff in the afternoon but I am just not "artsy" at all. They usually end up outside playing until daddy is home and we eat dinner. A couple nights a week we run errands or go to classes. I tried to be super scheduled and it just didn't work for us. Now I keep a loose schedule or flow chart and that is more us.