Which subjects do you feel okay about making less teacher intensive?

[FiveOaksAcademy]

I'm brainstorming for next year. Which subjects do you feel are okay to just hand your students the work and have them do it and which ones do you think need more involvement for you? In a perfect world, with someone with maybe 1 or 2 children, it is probably great to do each and every subject together. I'm trying to streamline and discover which subjects I actually need to spend plenty of time with each child on and which ones I could do in workbook form. My thoughts right now are:

 

Teacher intensive:

Math, History, Science, Latin, Art, literature discussions, Bible, read-alouds

 

Workbook:

Spelling (CLE?), Grammar (CLE?), Spanish via Rosetta Stone, history reading, music, art appreciation, and literature reading

 

What do you think?

[MelanieM]

I think maybe it depends a lot on the child, the family dynamic, and even what the homeschooling parent is passionate about.

 

For example, my daughter does math independently for the most part, and we only work on a lesson together when she doesn't understand the instructions. I do check in and review everything, but it's not a teacher intensive program for us by any stretch. Same goes for some of our LA programs (grammar worksheets, spelling). She can also do an awful lot of science, history, and other content subjects without any involvement from me as she reads books and writes her own narrations. (Though we also like doing history and science together as a family.)

 

By contrast, I find art appreciation something that requires more discussion, so it's more of a family endeavour rather than an independent one. I also really like doing foreign language together, as it's something I need to learn as well.

 

Ok, not sure that's a very helpful response! Maybe consider what your kids are capable of, areas where you enjoy learning along side them, and where you can combine teaching efforts.

Edited May 15, 2011 by MelanieM

[Mommy to monkeys]

I'm going to say it depends on the child and how many other factors you have going on.

 

I like the idea of relatively independent math and English. This works for my oldest son in math, but he struggles with writing, so he needs more hand holding in this area.

 

If you get bogged down, I would make sure the kids have their needs met on the 3r's subjects. If they DON'T need a teacher intensive program for those, I would spend more TIME on History and Science. . .if there's still time. . .Art and Music together. . .Foreign Language, poetry etc.:D

[peacefully]

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[tinkgumby]

What I've discovered is that we stay on track with the things my boys can pick up and do on my own, and tend to bog down and get behind with ones that require my involvement (what a sad statement THAT is!). So they do the following on their own unless explanation is needed:

 

- scripture

- journal writing

- math

- geography

- history (with the exception of a few read-alouds I do)

- handwriting

- spelling (I do the spelling test, they do the rest in the workbook)

- art lessons (Mark Kistler online!)

 

Together, we do:

- read-alouds

- science

- grammar/writing

- music

- art appreciation

 

It works for us - at least at the moment!

[Joyofsixreboot]

As everyone else said it depends on the child and family. My kids do CLE math and LA pretty independently. My 1st grader more so than the 4th grader. That personality thing. She would prefer everything to be independently. I like to discuss and narrate history, science and literature to help them internalize the info. That may change as they get older, I don't know.

[kolamum]

You have to do what's best for YOU. I'm only clarifying this because I think each family is unique and different.. When I tried to come away from a big name curriculum company there were people, those dedicated to that curriculum, who were appalled and tried to tell me I was wrong. It can cause self doubt.

 

That said, I did what was right for my family. What was needed. I felt slightly guilty, at first, for using some of the products I chose. I felt silly that I wasn't "needed" as much in certain subject areas. I find myself still hovering a bit due to "not being needed" and need to learn to step back and busy myself with other things.

 

For a variety of reasons I felt the need to find certain areas of our little homeschool where the children could become much more independent. ;) That said I chose:

 

Math

Spelling

Typing

Copywork/handwriting

SOME LA

 

We still do our main core together {history} This involves a lot of crafting, cooking, reading, and more. I still require my children to read aloud to me each day.. mostly because I adore having them read to me and I'm still not always convinced they aren't just flipping through books looking at pictures. :lol: We also still do read alouds {me to them} and art projects.

 

At the same time I enjoy some of the new found freedom. ;)

[Heidi]

I think that the 3Rs should be teacher intensive in the beginning to make sure they understand and have a very good foundation to grow on.

 

History, science, art, etc. are much less important in the early years.

 

Then hopefully, when they are older, we can explore literature, history, art, and science in depth because they'll have the foundational Rs in place. Hopefully. My goal is to get understanding solid the first time so that we don't have to remediate later. I don't think that a with a workbook I'd be able to tell if understanding is solid or not. That's my approach now anyway.

 

However, I have my eye on my favorite independent workbooks should the day ever come that I just can't juggle it all anymore.

[8filltheheart]

I am very hands on in math and all areas of language arts. I am more willing to be hands off in science and certain aspects of history (we typically have a core we do together and they have reading they do independently).

[cin]

My kids are both really good at math, and we have MUS, so that is about as teacher-LESS intensive as it can get :D

 

I'm hoping that CLE will be a bit teacher LESS intensive, cuz we're doing MFW ECC, and MFW is teacher intensive. Lots of me reading and explaining stuff. I love my girls, but Mama needs breaks too!

[woolybear]

I would keep art appreciation teacher intensive. If you only do it occasionally, say once a month, I think they will get more out of it than weekly on their own. It really helps to have you discuss it, point things out, and ask questions.

[FiveOaksAcademy]

I am very hands on in math and all areas of language arts. I am more willing to be hands off in science and certain aspects of history (we typically have a core we do together and they have reading they do independently).

 

 

I'm hands-on in math and have been in LA. I was staring to consider maybe a once-a-week discussion of the topics they are learning in Grammar with some board work, then choosing a spelling curriculum that was workbook form with a once-a-week test, then having my hands fully on writing with them. I think I'm really brainstorming how to be more efficient next year while still doing a good job. Things aren't working that great right now, so I'm trying to work on things.

[FiveOaksAcademy]

I would keep art appreciation teacher intensive. If you only do it occasionally, say once a month, I think they will get more out of it than weekly on their own. It really helps to have you discuss it, point things out, and ask questions.

 

True!! I always have had it teacher intensive but was considering it to be a possibility to hand over. You're right...it probably wouldn't be a good one to drop.

[Mommyfaithe]

I think it depends on the ages and stages of the children. In the early years, math, reading and all la are very mom intensive and science, history, art and music less so. Once the 3 r's have a solid foundation, I find a shift to history, literature, science art and music taking more of my time with math, reading and la somewhat combined in there...especially writing within content area rather than mechanics or copy work/ dictation.

[angela in ohio]

I would caution that just because some subjects are easier to find or complete independently, or in workbooks, that doesn't mean that those are the ones to make independent. It is better to prioritize skills by importance and choose that way.

 

Also, there isn't really a firm line between independent and teacher/mom-intensive. For example, math can be taugth by mom, but then the lesson practice can be completed independently.

 

In general, though, from my experience, for the K-6 crowd:

 

Independent: history, science

 

Not independent: math, grammar, spelling, writing, reading comprehension, handwriting

[Jean in CA]

I also choose *skills* to focus on, rather than specific subjects. For instance, now that my oldest dd is 13, I realize the skills in elementary we needed to focus on most to get her to logic stage work were:

 

narration, dication, summarizing, finding the main idea, and a lot of talking about literature.

 

These skills can be taught *during* reading, grammar, writing, history, or science. The content is secondary, but the training of the mind is what is important.

 

If a child cannot summarize, write sentences with relatively accurate grammar and spelling by 5th grade, he will have to catch up to effectively move on the logic stage (which is writing/reading intensive.)