Is a 7 our co-op day to much?

[classics4us]

I have a friend who is starting up a new co-op in our area. She is plannning on 6 one hour classes with a one hour lunch in the middle of them. Do you think this is to much? I think it is but would like the opinion of the hive. What say you?

:bigear:

[mrs.m]

It depends on the age. I think for a 6yo, yes. But for a logic level student, it is not too long.

[classics4us]

The co-op will be combining 1st thru 6th grades. Everyone taking the same classes. They are science, art, bible, writing, latin, drama.

[Rosy]

It sounds like too much for me, at least if it is partially or mostly an enrichment co-op. Who will be teaching the classes? If she is relying on parents, she will have a very hard time getting that many classes covered. Especially if they require any sort of preparation. I typically teach 3 at a time and it is a very full load. If she is hiring out the teaching, it would be a good idea to find out if the parents want that.

 

I know of a co-op that does 6 45-min classes. It is an academic co-op where they do all of the core subjects. Something like that might be ok, because the parent won't be teaching all week long.

[SonshineLearner]

It will be a long day for the littles, but a normal amount of time for a school day :)

[snickelfritz]

So.....9-4? Or 8-3?

 

Science, art, Bible, writing, Latin, drama. If done correctly, there's a pretty good mix of activity and seat work. If the one hour lunch includes playtime, that's not too bad.

 

I just can't see us doing long days like that. We wouldn't want to start until 9, but we wouldn't want to go until 4.

 

Now, if you made each segment, including lunch, 45 minutes... Start at 9:00 and over at 2:15....??? Or keep a 1 hr lunch (to keep a good playtime) and end at 2:30 (If I figured that right at 3:14 am). That's much more realistic for our family of young ones. My answer might be completely different if I had a 5th and 6th grader, instead of k/1st and 3rd.

Edited July 26, 2011 by snickelfritz

[elegantlion]

The co-op will be combining 1st thru 6th grades. Everyone taking the same classes. They are science, art, bible, writing, latin, drama.

 

That would be too long a day for us. I would also be concerned about the ability of the younger students to fully focus on one subject for an hour.

 

Even at the 6th grade level we didn't have that long of days.

 

My initial reaction would be that she is trying to recreate a school-like setting for the co-op. Obviously, that's knowing nothing else about it. However, one reason we homeschool is to get away from the traditional classroom setting, set up and time wise.

Edited July 26, 2011 by elegantlion

[8filltheheart]

I have a friend who is starting up a new co-op in our area. She is plannning on 6 one hour classes with a one hour lunch in the middle of them. Do you think this is to much? I think it is but would like the opinion of the hive. What say you?

:bigear:

 

It sounds like going to a public school to me.:tongue_smilie:

[raceNzanesmom]

It would be too much for me. Our co-op was 3 hours and that was plenty for me.

[MomToJediKnights]

It would be too much for me! I think 3 hrs is my max.

[Emilylou]

Our co-op has 2 one hour classes before a 1/2 hour lunch, and 2 one hour classes after lunch- plus an one hour gym class at the end.

 

This will be our 5th year and it is a LONG day! My kids are wiped when we get home, and I am exhausted. Mostly mentally- I teach 2 classes plus help in the gym class.

 

The 5 one-hour long classes are just enough- a couple years ago we had 3 classes before lunch it was WAY TOO much for the little kids.

[KarenC]

That would be too much for us.

 

Karen

[Rosy]

Another thought--we have found at our co-op that most parents aren't interested in having their kids do Bible at co-op, unless it's a little kids' class. It's one of those subjects that most parents don't want anyone else teaching their kids. That might be a way you can shorten your day--do an opening assembly with a devotion and assign a memory verse? You could also have one of the other subjects be optional--Latin might be one that you could offer optionally at the end of the day. That would be a way of shortening your day to 5 hours, which is much more doable.

[Harriet Vane]

The co-op will be combining 1st thru 6th grades. Everyone taking the same classes. They are science, art, bible, writing, latin, drama.

 

My kids were involved in an all-day co-op for years. They loved it.

 

That said, combining 1st graders with 6th graders will not work well. That's too big an age range. In an ideal world, I would split those kids into three age groups, or at the very least, two.

[littleWMN]

My daughter has done enrichment days (not co-ops). In all three she's done they've been 5 to 5.5 hours long. That's been perfect.

 

I think I'd suggest she group 1-3 grades and 4-6. One of my daughter's programs was like that and it worked out beautifully. The others are separated by grade.

[ChristusG]

In my opinion, it's too long. My 7 year old would not want to sit in one class, doing one subject, for an hour. Not to mention, that's a huge range of skill levels for those ages.

 

DD attends a homeschool group with classes. But mixed into those class times are also group game times, outside recess, lunch time, and gym time. So there's a mixture of sitting down and being active. Her homeschool group lasts for 4 hours (that's including lunch).

[FO4UR]

My kids would hate it, and I'd mourn the loss of an entire day.

 

Less is more. Simplify.

[Jennay]

It would be too long for us. Especially for my 1.5 and 3.5 year olds.

Our co-op has 3 50 minute periods with a 10 minute break after 1st period and followed by lunch and playtime. That's enough IMO. Sometimes I have scheduled a PE class after co-op but that worked in that it wasn't an academic class. Plus it gave the baby time to nap in the car while I drove to the next location!

[zenjenn]

Every time I think of a co-op, I just can't convince myself to get on board. I really like the idea in theory, from a social perspective, but academically it just seems intrusive and disruptive to whatever it is we are doing academically at home.

 

My solution has been to enroll my kids in a twice-weekly homeschool PE class, and twice-monthly homeschool science labs. They see a lot of the same kids and get the group experience, but I don't have to have all our academic time disrupted.

[classics4us]

Thanks for your replies ladies. I'm a tad embarrassed that I typed our instead of hour doh! :blushing:

 

Anywhoo, I guess the consensus is that a 7 hour co-op would be an extremely long day especially for my boys who are in 3rd and 2nd grade. I am gonna talk to the director and see if I can opt out of the second half. I don't think she'll let me though because the bible class is mandatory. Another sticky point with me. Ugg what to do what to do. lol

[SilverMoon]

That would be too much for this family. I have a hard enough time wanting to give a group one of our afternoons a week. :tongue_smilie:

[5LittleMonkeys]

Making the Bible class mandatory would be the deal clincher for me right off the bat. I am a Christian and do teach the Bible to my dc but .... by gum don't you dare tell me I have to in order to participate in other subjects. Yah, that's probably why I don't do co-ops.:tongue_smilie:

 

Oopps: I meant deal breaker...it would clinch my NOT wanting to participate...you all knew what I meant though.

Edited July 26, 2011 by 5LittleMonkeys

[Pink]

:iagree:

 

We did 4 classes + lunch hour once. It was way too much for us. (My fault.)

[CatMomof3]

I am starting a co-op this year and we are covering Latin, Science, History, and Art (3rd - 6th) - Read-alouds, Music, Art, and fun Math (Pre K-2nd).

I can't imagine anymore than that.

[elegantlion]

Thanks for your replies ladies. I'm a tad embarrassed that I typed our instead of hour doh! :blushing:

 

Anywhoo, I guess the consensus is that a 7 hour co-op would be an extremely long day especially for my boys who are in 3rd and 2nd grade. I am gonna talk to the director and see if I can opt out of the second half. I don't think she'll let me though because the bible class is mandatory. Another sticky point with me. Ugg what to do what to do. lol

 

Agree with the other poster that said a mandatory class would be a deal breaker. The great part of homeschooling is the flexibility to choose which subjects you teach. Taking that authority away from the parent seems a tad, um, controlling. Not an environment in which I would be comfortable.

[classics4us]

So.....9-4? Or 8-3?

 

Science, art, Bible, writing, Latin, drama. If done correctly, there's a pretty good mix of activity and seat work. If the one hour lunch includes playtime, that's not too bad.

 

I just can't see us doing long days like that. We wouldn't want to start until 9, but we wouldn't want to go until 4.

 

Now, if you made each segment, including lunch, 45 minutes... Start at 9:00 and over at 2:15....??? Or keep a 1 hr lunch (to keep a good playtime) and end at 2:30 (If I figured that right at 3:14 am). That's much more realistic for our family of young ones. My answer might be completely different if I had a 5th and 6th grader, instead of k/1st and 3rd.

9-4

[classics4us]

Making the Bible class mandatory would be the deal clincher for me right off the bat. I am a Christian and do teach the Bible to my dc but .... by gum don't you dare tell me I have to in order to participate in other subjects. Yah, that's probably why I don't do co-ops.:tongue_smilie:

I'm right there with ya, I am having a really hard time with this.

[Mommy22alyns]

Ours is 9-3 and they do mix in gym class/playground time and lunch. It is like one day of school. The girls then come home and go to gymnastics for an hour that day. I like it.

[Soror]

I wouldn't want to do that and certainly not with mandatory Bible.