What are you doing to make homeschooling simpler next year?

[corbie]

This may sound more complicated, but I will be spending a lot of time planning this summer. I did the file system this year, and it was great. The only hassle I had was making the weekly assignment sheets for them. Next year I want to have more of these done in advance. I also plan on making Fridays light so that we can do fun crafts/art/science labs on that day.

 

So, I will be doing a lot of printing and filing this summer, but it is so worth it. My older two know exactly what needs to get done each week.

 

I'm also changing my TOG discussion day to Monday. It never gets done on Friday.

 

I've signed DD12 up for Apologia General through an outside source and am thinking of combining the other 3 for science. Any suggestions?:)

 

I am also considering signing dd12 up for a writing class on-line. That has been my biggest battle with her this year.

 

I also plan on being VERY selective on outside activities.

[Susan in TN]

I've signed DD12 up for Apologia General through an outside source and am thinking of combining the other 3 for science. Any suggestions?:)

 

 

 

Here's my science plan - I have 1st-5th on a 5-year rotation (K'ers can sit in if they want). Wherever we are in the science rotation when you get to 1st grade, well, that's what you start with. Looks basically like this...

 

1 - Christian Kids Explore Biology (primarily studies humans/animals)

2 - Earth and Space (we use a Childcraft book for the "earth" part called "Earth and Space", and Apologia Astronomy for the "space" part)

3 - Living Learning Books Chemistry

4 - Physics - I have no decent resource for this yet. Our previous year of physics was a disaster, but I have another year to look for something. :tongue_smilie:

5 - Botany (Apologia)

 

6th - Rainbow Science Y1

7th - Rainbow Science Y2

8th - Signs and Seasons (Classical Astronomy)

9th - Physical Science

10th - Biology

11th - Chemistry (Spectrum Chemistry)

12th - Physics

[Emagine]

I am in overload and trying to figure it out myself. I would love some tweaking!

 

We have Occupational Therapy on Tuesdays for both boys. The drive to the other side of town + 2 hours there pretty much kills the day!

 

I have two boys, 8 and 5. My 5 is very school driven and will do anything I ask. Now chores, that is another thing. My 8 year old can make that 5 minute writing lesson 4 hours long with lots of drama even if it was decorated with bouncing Sonics and smelled like cupcakes.

 

I am ditching Time4Learning. Just too many dislikes for the 3rd grade part not mixing with my kiddo. But I will keep TT3 because we began it late and right smack in the middle. He loves it. I am however just now supplimenting with MM only because I am learning T4L did not really teach him so much of the basics so we have put TT3 on hold for the summer for catch up.

 

Both will do REAL Science and SOTW together, but I have to decide what days to do these. I do not want over kill and every day.

 

The rest I need to find a schedule and balance on that works. Seems like when I do it bombs! I need to find a balance of the cores + the above because they love Science and anything History! I am in no rush to cram the two though.

 

Chore list, right now I am praying my ruby red slippers will appear on my feet and work in my favor for that one. I am the only one at the moment unless I raise a stink. Afraid everytime I try to fix this one I fail. In part also because DH does not follow through or help because he is in fact, my 3rd child!

 

You ladies are awesome!

[Lovedtodeath]

I am in overload and trying to figure it out myself. I would love some tweaking!

 

We have Occupational Therapy on Tuesdays for both boys. The drive to the other side of town + 2 hours there pretty much kills the day!

 

I have two boys, 8 and 5. My 5 is very school driven and will do anything I ask. Now chores, that is another thing. My 8 year old can make that 5 minute writing lesson 4 hours long with lots of drama even if it was decorated with bouncing Sonics and smelled like cupcakes.

:lol: My DD used to be that way with math, but she loves TT!

 

Chore list, right now I am praying my ruby red slippers will appear on my feet and work in my favor for that one. I am the only one at the moment unless I raise a stink. Afraid everytime I try to fix this one I fail.

Same here, but we have trouble with any kind of structure or routine and I think this is why.

[Aquinas Academy]

Simplifying? I'm headed in the opposite direction. ;) We're going to start homeschooling bilingually, I'll be creating our own science curriculum, I might need to find a new writing curriculum for my eldest, and I'm having a baby.

I love hearing about how everyone else is simplifying. It makes me feel more relaxed. :)

[TC5]

I THINK I'm going to relax our history schedule and not worry about how long it takes to finish SOTW 3 and 4. We finished our 6-week study of the founding of the U.S. before we took a break for our new baby, which brings us up to SOTW 3 ch. 24 when we resume schoolwork again next week. I was going to try to rush us through to finish SOTW 3 before we go to Costa Rica in July for 2-4 months for my husband's business trip. But there are so many good topics to cover still! So I am trying to tell myself that we can push SOTW 4 into the 2012-13 year. If I can make myself believe that, schoolwork will be simpler.

 

Also, as I was reminded by posts in this thread, I really needed to get some sort of chore system here to get some help. I had an idea Sunday afternoon, and although it's been implemented for only two days, and we haven't done school these two days (except some assigned reading), it is working wonders!

 

This is the basic idea:

My children are supposed to do four Daily tasks each day (morning routine, dishes, tidy bedroom, bedtime routine). They must also do 1 regular chore and 2 small chores each day and 1 major chore each week. I made a simple sign with suggested chores for each category, and my boys get to choose whatever they want. My husband and I have been reminding them to please do what would most bless the family, but so far they are free to choose any chore they want.

 

I was shocked when my 10yo chose to clean a bathroom yesterday for his regular chore. My 8yo and 5yo washed windows and mirrors throughout the house. That was supposed to be a small chore -- just a couple of windows, but they had so much fun they kept going. They all wanted to do yardwork for their major chore, but it's been raining, so they haven't done that one yet. Today, my 5yo cleaned up the family room and vacuumed it, and my 8yo cleaned and vacuumed the rest of the downstairs (regular chores). They folded and put away laundry for small chores. Even the 3yo had fun handwashing pots and pans.

 

My 10yo gets his chores done first thing in the morning. Our house is much improved already, and I am seeing that I will need to list additional chores on the sign to be sure they don't run out of things to do (although, I don't mind having the family room cleaned and vacuumed every day)!

 

This is definitely simplifying my life and reducing my stress as I spend most of my time nursing and otherwise caring for a newborn.

 

Thank you for this thread. I'm finding lots of good ideas.

[Hedgehogs4]

Breastfeeding a new baby. I figure that even if things go absolutely crazy in the house I'll always have those hormones to bliss me out. :)

 

where's the "like" button when you need it...in this case it would be the "love" button.

[Lovedtodeath]

This is so simple but a big difference for us.

 

Use student pages and workbook pages. Don't make copies, don't try writing on separate paper. The next kid will get a new book bought for them.

 

I am already breathing easier after implementing this for a few days. I even use the WWE pages by writing the copywork myself first and then she writes it. (The font and lines don't match up and make it extremely difficult and sloppy otherwise.)

[*Jessica*]

We're expecting a baby this summer, so simplifying is absolutely necessary for us this year! My 5-year-old will also be starting kindergarten, so I'll be facing my first year of homeschooling more than one child. I'm doing quite a few things mentioned by previous posters.

 

~ Decluttering: The less stuff we have to clean up, the less time it will take us to make sure everything is back in its proper place.

 

~ Comb binding: Instead of detailed planning we're taking a "do the next thing" approach. I think comb binding will work nicely with this approach.

 

~ Audio books: At least half of our read-alouds for the year are audio book format, so we can listen together while I nurse the baby.

 

~ Extrememly relaxed approach to science and history: I have one son who is enamored with history, and another who is a budding scientist. At this age, formal studies seem overkill for my particular children. I'll have the SOTW audios on hand and we'll watch plenty of science documentaries. I have formal science programs and the SOTW activity guide around for days where we do want to do more, but I'm not planning for them and I won't feel bad if we get none of it done all year.

 

~ Music/Art/Poetry: Instead of formal composer study with notebooking pages and everything we've done this year, we're simply going to listen to Classics for Kids podcasts, Classical Kids recordings, Wee Sing, and A Child's Celebration of Folk Music for pleasure.......all while enjoying a cup of tea or hot cocoa together and looking at the pictures I've chosen and had printed for picture study. When we're done with the music and art, we'll read poetry to each other. I'm not even planning on doing this at the dining room table together, but having the iPod next to my rocker/recliner loaded with all of our music selections, a comb-bound book of our artist prints, a basket of poetry books nearby, and letting the kids enjoy their tea/cocoa at the coffee table. Frankly, I'm really looking forward to this! Also, the kids recently received art kits so they have plenty of supplies to freely create with.

 

~ Life skills: I hope to find the time to teach the boys a lot of life skills this year. We're going to work on learning to cook and prepare foods above and beyond the pour-yourself-a-bowl-of-cereal skills that they currently have! lol I'm working a list of other skills that a 6 & 8 year old should/could do, too, and we'll work on those if we find the time.

 

~ Relaxing my screen time limits: We've limited screen time for most of their lives and I think it is time to give them more. There are so many documentaries that I would love to watch with them, and so many amazing computer learning activities that they would love. I also don't think it would hurt for them to play some math games to give them practice with math facts without more worksheets.

 

So basically, I'm planning less and expecting to spend a lot of time snuggled up reading, listening to audio books, watching documentaries, and just enjoying the ability to be together as a family!

[AngelBee]

Life is short. I need to remember that. I need to live it and not spend all my time preparing for a future that I might never have. I need to seize the moments more often and laugh and love and live more. Sometimes we take ourselves a lot more seriously than we should.

Thank you for this reminder. It brought tears to my eyes and ws very needed. :grouphug:

[rafiki]

.