DragonFaerie Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I am already planning for next school year and I cannot decide how to set up our schedule. First off, our state requires 180 days, 4.5 hours per day. My children chose to have Fridays "off" from regular schoolwork so they currently do five days' worth of work in four days and we only have music and PE and field trips on Fridays. That's been really nice but it makes Mondays-Thursdays really, really long, as in, the kids start school around 8:30 and don't finish until dinnertime many days. I don't like that and they miss out on afternoon playtime and such. Right now I'm leaning toward just doing a traditional five-day week in order to shorten their days but I'd love to hear other ideas. I know we don't want to school year round but what other ways are there of getting all of our required days done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I am not sure how you have to account for your days and hours. Fortunately, I live in a state where I do not have to have written accounting for this. But what I would do is take 180days x 4.5 hours=810 total hours. Then decide how many weeks you want to school. Let's say you want to do 40 weeks (which gives you 12 weeks off a year). You would need to do (on average) 20.25 hours a week. Divided by 4 days a week, that is just a bit over 5 hours a day. Seems doable...depending on how you count hours. Can the field trips, music, and PE on Friday count towards that time? That would probably add another few hours a week, correct? Again, maybe I shouldn't chime in here, because I do not understand how you can easily account for "school" time when in a hs setting. Gosh, we are schooling 24 hours, it seems! Or at least 12 a day. I would be very laid back with my accounting in a case like that, especially since my kids are young. Not that I would lie, but even though my son usually completes only 2 hours of seatwork/schoolwork a day, there is so much of the day that we are learning informally. I would also count in extracurriculars. That is just me. I hope my post helps a bit. I think it is best to look at the big picture (the school year calendar that you follow) and then break it down from there. Choose your time off ahead of time, and try to stick with it. And when you can't, just adjust along the way. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Lets see, in public school I remember watching Disney movies (more than once too), taking a field trip that included a jewelry store, going on a biking trip, making biscuits, creating a menu, ... Or, you can just extend the number of weeks. You'd need about 45 weeks at 4 days/week right? If you don't want to go year round you could do 5 weeks for summer and 2 weeks for Christmas/New Years. We do 6 week chunks, but I only schedule 5 weeks of work. The 6th week (if we are caught up) we do any assessments (SWR has them) - which don't take long, and have what charlottemasonhelp calls "grace week". Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 We don't have to account for the hours but we do have to turn in attendance sheets monthly. The state just determines a "day" to equal 4.5 hours. To me, the school day is finished when they have completed the assignments for that day, whether it takes 4 hours or 8 hours (both my kids are capable of dilly-dallying around and not getting their work done). Basically, I determine what they need to get done for the school year and divide that out by 180 days (or 36 weeks) to determine what they need to accomplish in a day/week. In order to get to the four-day schedule, I assign extra work to make up for the fifth day (ie. five math/vocabulary/grammar lessons done in four days). That along with "after hours" music and P.E. allow me to "count" Fridays as school days in good conscience. But, that means that the other days are very long. I'm just trying to figure out some other options besides 5-days per week or year around school. I like the six weeks schedule. How do you do that over the summer? Or do you school year around with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessaMae Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 We have to do 180 days a year also. I feel that if we finish our curriculum for the year, then we've schooled for 180 days. Does that make sense? Basically as long as I know we aren't slacking and are getting our work done and learning, I don't necessarily keep close count of the number of days it takes us to do that. Like you said, somedays the kids get their work done in 4 hours and some days it takes 8! And some weeks we need to take Fridays off (or whatever day) and some weeks we don't. Also, public school children are required to do PE, music, art, and even field trips. If you are doing those things on Fridays, I don't see why you can't count that as school hours? Is the problem that you can't get through your schoolwork in 4 days? Or that you feel like to you have to fill up the 5th day with "something" in order to reach 180 days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Is the problem that you can't get through your schoolwork in 4 days? Or that you feel like to you have to fill up the 5th day with "something" in order to reach 180 days? The problem is that we can't get through our schoolwork in 4 days. My kids do enough P.E., music and schoolwork that I have no problem counting Fridays but we are having trouble finishing our schoolwork in the 4 days. I just asked the kids what they want to do and they are about ready to give up their Free Fridays in order to shorten the workload on the other days. I was just looking for some other option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) We *could* do school in 4 days, I imagine, but I can't imagine that we'd like it. If we did, it would mean that we couldn't have friends over, keep our activity schedule, and have days that are pleasantly full w/o being stuffed to stressfully over flowing. I recently posted about it on the other forum. This is how we do it. I'm sure it isn't for everyone but it suits our lifestyle. We get everything done in the week and still have time to play, visit, et c. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241070 and here is the original thread that sparked my spin-off .http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240423 Edited January 30, 2011 by MomOfOneFunOne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessaMae Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 The problem is that we can't get through our schoolwork in 4 days. My kids do enough P.E., music and schoolwork that I have no problem counting Fridays but we are having trouble finishing our schoolwork in the 4 days. I just asked the kids what they want to do and they are about ready to give up their Free Fridays in order to shorten the workload on the other days. I was just looking for some other option. Oh I see. I thought you were trying to do more to get the number of days. Sorry! I hope someone can help :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241070 and here is the original thread that sparked my spin-off .http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240423 Thanks for these links. I wonder what would happen if I set a maximum number of hours per day, still going for the four day week, and if the kids don't finish in that amount of time, then they have "homework" on Friday. For example, our state requires 4.5 hours per day, 5 days per week, that's 22.5 hours per week. We are allowed to count 1.5 hours of P.E. and my kids have 1 hour of music each week. That leaves 20 hours, or 5 hours per day, 4 days per week. So if I end their school day after 5 hours (just like public school days end at a certain time), any work that isn't finished becomes "homework" for Friday. They might be inspired to use their school time more diligently AND we wouldn't have to school into the evenings. Hmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 So if I end their school day after 5 hours (just like public school days end at a certain time), any work that isn't finished becomes "homework" for Friday. They might be inspired to use their school time more diligently AND we wouldn't have to school into the evenings. Hmmm.... That is a great idea. I think sometimes the kids need that little push to keep from dilly-dallying. :) If they think they have all of the time in the world, they will take all the time in the world, kwim? As long as they aren't having an issue with understanding things, and that isn't the problem, I'd say you have a good plan. Some Fridays they might really need that extra time, and then other Fridays you can have a bit of "free" time. :) I also thought you were trying to find MORE hours, not less, LOL! Now I see what you needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaHadley Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 how many kids do you have, and how old are they? My kids are still young, but that sounds like a lot of work to do if it takes that long to get it all done (though I know come high school we will be spending lots more hours. . .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 That is a great idea. I think sometimes the kids need that little push to keep from dilly-dallying. :) If they think they have all of the time in the world, they will take all the time in the world, kwim? As long as they aren't having an issue with understanding things, and that isn't the problem, I'd say you have a good plan. Some Fridays they might really need that extra time, and then other Fridays you can have a bit of "free" time. :) I also thought you were trying to find MORE hours, not less, LOL! Now I see what you needed. LOL.. I knew when I wrote it that I wasn't posing my question very well. I just couldn't figure out how to explain it properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 how many kids do you have, and how old are they? My kids are still young, but that sounds like a lot of work to do if it takes that long to get it all done (though I know come high school we will be spending lots more hours. . .) I homeschool two of my kids, DS8 in 2nd grade and DD9 in 3rd. But, we're also working around DD's competitive gymnastics training schedule (16 hours per week). DS is the one that usually pokes along and takes all day. DD is at the gym for four hours per day, M-Th so that's why her days are so long and truth be told, she usually does pretty well with getting all her work done. We're all just getting tired of such long days. If I knew how, I'd share a copy of their weekly schedule to see what ya'll think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Okay, did I do this right? Week 22.pdf Week 22.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessaMae Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 That is a great idea. :) I know my daughter can take a loooong time on math and the rest of us end up waiting for her to finish already! There have been days where I've said "Ok you have another 20 minutes...whatever you don't finish will be homework." It does seem to help :) Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 That is a great idea. :) I know my daughter can take a loooong time on math and the rest of us end up waiting for her to finish already! There have been days where I've said "Ok you have another 20 minutes...whatever you don't finish will be homework." It does seem to help :) Good luck with it! LOL.. that's why I do all of our "together" stuff first. DD HATES having to wait for her brother to finish things. She'd much rather do independent work so she could move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Dd 7, is much quicker at getting her work done then Ds, 9. Of course she is younger, loves school (except math) and isn't dyslexic. So what I do is if he's not done with in a few minutes of her, we all move on. When the day is over she goes off to play/do chores, and I sit with him to go over issues and get his work done. This one on one time takes maybe 1/2 hr extra. Well worth it IMO to make sure he "gets" it. As for your particular problem of trying to fit everything into 4 days, I understand, we also only really school 4 days, but go year round. We take two weeks off in the summer, two at Christmas, and 1 each Spring/Fall Break. The kids chose this. Of course I'm sneaky, we do Science labs, videos (history/science) crafts, and any other fun school things I can think of on Fridays. In the end (because I count Fridays) we school more then the req'd 180 days. Personally I don't give a flip what the state requires. We're done with the school year, (whether it be 150 days or 250 days) when I say we're done. After all I'm the Mom, 'nuff said. It used to take us 6 or more hours to get the days work completed. 15-20 minute breaks after every other subject. Now we're down to 3-4 hrs. We don't start until after Lunch and do not take a break (except bathroom, of course) until we're done. If I allow snacks (serious whining required) we eat while we work. I know "Mean Mommy" but the kids have straight out said(at least once)that they like it better this way. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 All are good points. DS gets considerable one on one time when DD is at gymnastics (he gets about 3 hours, two mornings per week) which goes a long way toward getting his work finished. However, he is also the one to dawdle the most. DD really has to work until dinnertime because on M and W, she doesn't even really get started until almost 2 o'clock. Of course, we do literature during breakfast and she does her independent reading in the car so she's already put about an hour in before she even gets to the gym at 8:30 am! I think I'm leaning toward the idea of keeping the four days but putting a cap on how late we go. Leftover work will just become "homework" for Fridays. I'm also thinking about adding a few weeks to our school year and doing 40 weeks instead of 36. That way I don't have to double up on so many assignments. We'll end up doing more than the required 180 but as you said, I'm the mom. I'll do what I want! So there! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaHadley Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 i think the schedule looks doable. I think making Friday be for whatever doesn't get done by a certain time sounds like a good plan. . . I do know I have to sit at the table with my dd to keep her on task. She just needs my body there. I can do whatever - I usually do school or menu plans while I'm sitting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Do not get mad at me... but I will have my kids do a little work on Sunday evenings. They have now gotten used to getting a little ahead for Monday as I tell them. It just makes our transition so nice. Spending an hour on school work on Sunday after dinner just makes for a nice Monday and nice Monday makes for a nice Tuesday etc.... I tell my kids over and over and over again that I am not adding more work to their load when they finish the week's work the time belongs to them. My middle dd has been known to do all of her history in one night for the whole week (she attends a class for history) just so that she can work on her movies. Your kids are still young to get this concept, but you can help them figure it out. I also do a little work over the summer; I tell them we can "bank" the hours and enjoy a little time off later. It is so nice to be a little ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Do not get mad at me... but I will have my kids do a little work on Sunday evenings. They have now gotten used to getting a little ahead for Monday as I tell them. It just makes our transition so nice. Spending an hour on school work on Sunday after dinner just makes for a nice Monday and nice Monday makes for a nice Tuesday etc.... I tell my kids over and over and over again that I am not adding more work to their load when they finish the week's work the time belongs to them. My middle dd has been known to do all of her history in one night for the whole week (she attends a class for history) just so that she can work on her movies. Your kids are still young to get this concept, but you can help them figure it out. I also do a little work over the summer; I tell them we can "bank" the hours and enjoy a little time off later. It is so nice to be a little ahead. My kids have done that, too. They know that when the work is done, be it for the day or for the week, then their time is theirs. We also do 30 minutes of reading before bed at night and they can choose whether to do their school reading in order to get ahead, or just read for fun. There have been days where they'll work ahead if things are going well. They really like the feeling of finishing early. They're just getting older and we're adding work for next year (they're both going to start logic and world geography and DD will also add Latin) so I know the schedule is only going to get harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EppieJ Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I haven't read all the responses so I may be "beating a dead horse" but here goes. We are also required to school 180 days at 25 hours per week (at ds' grade level). We are part of a parent-partnership program so this is who we report to. We also school 4 days per week because dh's day off is Monday. We try to hold on to that as a family day. I guess I say this to let you know I can commiserate with you. It is tough to get everything done that I have planned. However, it is not tough to get the required hours. In our state, field trips are counted toward the hours as are many other things. A trip to the grocery store counts if you're learning about the food groups, economics, product labels, etc. To help keep us on track, I make a schedule for my "box-checker" ds. We start at a certain time, take lunch at a certain time, end at a certain time (well, more or less). It has been helpful for us to do that. Before I started scheduling us, we would start whenever we got up (not a regular time) and work till the list was done. This was really hard because, inevitably we would work up till dinner time with neither one of us getting a break. Not fun. I encourage your plan to get on a schedule. It hasn't been perfect for us - still have a hard time getting to everything (I also tend to try doing too much) - but it has greatly improved things for both of us...and dh comes home to a happier household! Good luck & God bless! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brasilmom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Okay, did I do this right? [ATTACH]4384[/ATTACH] I just took a look at your schedule and I like it. Do you use a tracker software or you created this one yourself? Thanks for sharing. Be well Miriam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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