momma aimee Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 or preschool -- 1st. I am unsure how to fit in the stuff i want to fit. ve have plenty of time, but seem to hit rough spots transition from one subject or activity to the next. Thanks Aimee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 :lurk5: I just posted a similar question about phonics/writing. It's taking so much time, that's all we've been doing! DS asks for more, but I feel like kindy should not be so time intensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 6 yo K'er Math (30 min) break (30 min) English/Latin/Typing (2 hours) lunch break (2 hours) History/Geography (1 hour) Literature at bedtime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Last year for K, our core school time was: Math - 30 minutes German/handwriting - 30 minutes Break - 30 minutes (snack and part of a nature documentary) Memory work - 5 minutes Reading - 15-30 minutes (got longer as the year went on) Social Studies, writing, art, music, or science - 30 minutes She also read at bedtime, and we did a lot of things outside these hours that were educational in nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 For the last two years (K and 1st) we've had pretty much the same schedule: 7:30ish - start school 9:30ish - realize we have somewhere to be and rush off 10:00ish - arrive at co-op/science/other co-op/art class/field trip/whatever 3:00ish - get home 7:30ish - read lots of books Yep. That's it. About once a week, we would have a day at home and get lots of project things done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 (edited) I had a younger Kinder last year (5 yrs old, didn't turn 6 until May). We were VERY low key. We did about 20 minutes of her orally reading phonics to me, Click N Kid phonics on the computer (10-15 minutes) some sort of writing practice (pretty informal, make-a-book from Enchanted Learning), and math (started out maybe 10 minutes and was 30-45 by the end of the year). I purchased several generic Kidnergarten workbook type things and used them sporadically, but we completed them before the year's end. They made sure things were covered like community, map awareness, basic grammar jargon, etc. I'd say she spent 1-2 hours on school a day. That's it. And then would draw, play learning games on the Leapster, play with toys or puzzles, or I'd buy craft kits on clearance such as the sticker mosaics, etc. (I just had a no TV rule until a designated time in the afternoon.) She did attend a homeschool PE twice a week and a homeschool science class every other week. This year, 1st grade and 6 yrs old, it is a totally different story. She keeps the same schedule as her 3rd grade sister (8 or 9 am until 3 pm - or 2 pm, I guess, since 2-3 is free choice time), though my expectations for participation and retention and such modified to be age-appropriate. There are a few times during the day where I might dismiss her (for example, we are doing SotW together and there are some literature selections too advanced to retain her interest - so I may dismiss her to work in a Draw & Write book or free reading.) I think there's a big difference between age 5 and 6, and most kids at somewhere around age 6 or sometimes 7 have a big jump in maturity and attention span. Edited August 13, 2011 by zenjenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 (edited) It's a fine balance around here - don't move enough, and they quit paying attention. Move too much, and it's hard to keep them reined in. Our current system: During breakfast - - Religion (Leading Little Ones to God) - Memory work review After breakfast we move to the carpet in the family room - - Morning Meeting (pledge, Spanish vocab word, weather, calendar, counting) - kids do one exercise video (Wiggles, School House Hop, Tinkerbell dance, etc.) while I get anything else ready that I need to, as well as check my email - stretches & therapy exercises - phonics (OPGTR) on dry erase board propped up on fireplace Move back to kitchen table - kids play with playdoh to warm up hands during history (BF Early American) - Handwriting Without Tears (they tend to drag this out drawing in the margins and so on, so by the time they are done we have been at the table for half an hour or so) Move back to rug - math (RightStart) - science (currently random read-alouds - hopefully eventually Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding) Few minutes break - the Chef helps me prep a snack, the Laundry Supervisor is collecting laundry, the KP is emptying the dishwasher, and the Meteorologist is helping whoever wants help Back to kitchen table - snack and drawing This is where we seem to get stuck every day. I want to quit while they are still happy & engaged, and this seems like about the end of that stage. My plan shows the next item on the list to be "Rotations", where I work with one kid on the piano, one plays on the Starfall website on the computer, and one works on Miquon math. We've done that exactly once in the past 6 weeks. I am also hopeful that eventually we will be weaving Sonlight in during lunch, along with a related craft or experiment after lunch. I also have the Memoria Press K materials, HOD Little Hearts materials, Core Knowledge K stuff, etc. that in my fairytale world are going to get used... Edited August 13, 2011 by MeganW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 ds6 1st 8am- breakfast, chores 9am- phonics, spelling break 930ish- writing, grammar break 1000ish- math, science/history (alternating sci/his...state requirement to teach) done by 1030/1100 The rest is life (playing, moving, bug-hunting, rock-collecting, visiting the museum, grocery shopping). bcn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 (edited) Kindy last year with a young 5yo: 7:00 b'fast, morning chores 8:30 Bible story and catechism 8:45 Math for 20-30 minutes. break - play outside if possible 9:30 phonics/reading 9:45 handwriting play til lunch 11:30 lunch, RA and Scripture memory (CSM box) afternoon - play games, art, music etc. Rest Time! 2 hrs. (quiet play in their own rooms, napping encouraged) Dinner 5:30 or 6 Bed 7:30 This year with a young 1st grade DD and 4 yo DS tagging along: 7:00 breakfast and morning chores 8:30 Bible and catechism 8:50 Math 9:15-11:15 handwriting, spelling, phonics and reading, grammar - not always in the same order. some time just with DS doing his "school" 11:30 lunch, Scripture memory and RA After lunch: history, science, art, geography, composer/picture studies - the first two twice a week, the others once a week. Rest Time! 2 hrs. Dinner 5:30 or 6 bedtime 7:30 These are our basic schedules 4x a week. Modified for library day, urgent errands, sports/music lessons. No formal academics on field trip days. I go to a ladies Bible study one morning a week so we don't do much besides RA that day. So far this year we have done several projects (art, science, history) on Saturdays so DH could participate. Our mornings don't appear to have a break in them, but there always is one as I do laundry, prep meals etc. We only do grammar 2x and handwriting 3x a week. We take walks, play outside, ride bikes etc. every day weather permitting. hth:) Edited August 13, 2011 by ScoutTN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lizette Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Spending the majority of your time on phonics/language is the best thing you could be doing!! Reading is the key. I started with Phonics Pathways with my daughter at age 3 1/2. At age four switched to "The Reading Lesson." This took less time and really worked--she was reading at a 2nd grade level when we began Kindergarten. The only thing we did for Kindergarten was Reading, MCP spelling workout A, Singapore Math K and art. The rest was play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nov05mama Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 We don't have a 'set' schedule as far as when we start school...it actually varies from day to day depending on what all we have going on, moods, etc. There are some days that we don't even START until 5 or 6 pm (we are a later family...DH works nights, so it's normal for us to not get up until 9ish and go to bed around 10/11ish). We usually go in this order: Calendar/Morning Board - ~5 minutes Math/Logic - 30+ minutes Reading/Writing - 30+ minutes (specifically ETC, WWW) Literature - 15 minutes or less (Ambleside read-alouds) Times above are all daily. Times below are only once or twice a week and come once the above are completed... Science - 15+ minutes Arabic/Islamic Studies - 15-20 minutes Fine Art - 10+ minutes (depends on if lesson includes art project that day) I never pay attention to our time to be honest, so the times are just estimates...we just start when we start and we finish when we finish. I have an outline for what I want to accomplish each day (pages, etc) and we just work through them. Some days it may take him 5 minutes to complete his ETC workbook pages, other days he may take longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Ours is similar to nov05mama (we are also a later scheduled family, it's 8:40am here and everyone else is still asleep). We have no set times but after breakfast is "clean up time" then music practice and circle and a short Waldorfy story if we have time. If we are hurrying out the door, only music practice. DD(5) will read something to me usually late morning and if we are home all day we will do science (involving copywork) or some copywork in the early afternoon. She often uses Reading Eggs, Mathletics and Skwirk in the later afternoon. Maths (a page os Miquon or 2 of SM) happens every day but at varying times. Sometimes in the morning staright after music, sometimes after lunch, sometimes she finds it relaxing to chill out with a maths workbook late at night (who am I to criticize?). We also play math games either from family math, Miquon or SM hig and they usually happen at the dining table after lunch on a day we are home all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Ours seems to follow the pattern of others: 8:00 Music/ Bible/ Memory 8:30 Calendar/ Math 9:00 Snack/ Break 9:30 Grammar/ Spelling/ Handwriting 9:50 Break 10:00 Alternate History/ Science Sometime later: art or music, and lots of read alouds (which we can't get enough of). This is for an older K who is doing mostly 1st grade level work and has finished phonics through OPGTR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I have lots of kids that I'm juggling, but I stick with my K'er for the first part of the day. Here's what we do - lessons are roughly 10 to 15 minutes: piano math handwriting (fun workbook from grandma while she waits for older brother) Phonics Pathways First Language Lessons (only because she wants to do it with 1st gr. big brother) Snack (9:30ish) Playtime with 2yo sister clean-up and lunch chores poetry & story time (12:30) rest time (1:30) afternoon play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferLynn Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 My DD5 has been doing the k curriculum the past 6 months. We started out with two 10-15 minute lessons at a time, 3x/day. So after breakfast 15 minutes of reading then 15 minutes of math. After lunch spelling and math. etc. Now that she is 5 she can go for 25-30 minutes on a subject but we still break it up throughout the day. She is always fresher after meals, even at the end of the day after dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 It's a fine balance around here - don't move enough, and they quit paying attention. Move too much, and it's hard to keep them reined in. Our current system: During breakfast - - Religion (Leading Little Ones to God) - Memory work review After breakfast we move to the carpet in the family room - - Morning Meeting (pledge, Spanish vocab word, weather, calendar, counting) - kids do one exercise video (Wiggles, School House Hop, Tinkerbell dance, etc.) while I get anything else ready that I need to, as well as check my email - stretches & therapy exercises - phonics (OPGTR) on dry erase board propped up on fireplace Move back to kitchen table - kids play with playdoh to warm up hands during history (BF Early American) - Handwriting Without Tears (they tend to drag this out drawing in the margins and so on, so by the time they are done we have been at the table for half an hour or so) Move back to rug - math (RightStart) - science (currently random read-alouds - hopefully eventually Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding) Few minutes break - the Chef helps me prep a snack, the Laundry Supervisor is collecting laundry, the KP is emptying the dishwasher, and the Meteorologist is helping whoever wants help Back to kitchen table - snack and drawing This is where we seem to get stuck every day. I want to quit while they are still happy & engaged, and this seems like about the end of that stage. My plan shows the next item on the list to be "Rotations", where I work with one kid on the piano, one plays on the Starfall website on the computer, and one works on Miquon math. We've done that exactly once in the past 6 weeks. I am also hopeful that eventually we will be weaving Sonlight in during lunch, along with a related craft or experiment after lunch. I also have the Memoria Press K materials, HOD Little Hearts materials, Core Knowledge K stuff, etc. that in my fairytale world are going to get used... TOTALLY. Also it if is too "paper and pencil" he gets burnt out -- but if is it too "game and fun" he gets silly I find it almost impossible to find a balance :confused::confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) We have a schedule that worked really well for us in K and I will continue for 1st grade: 5:30 -6am - they wake up! 8am - breakfast with Bible reading (both girls) 9am - Bible activity (based on reading) and/or craft (both girls) 10am - snack/story time (both girls) 11:30/noonish - lunch 12:30 - quiet time (big girl)/nap (small girl) about 45 minutes later - science while small girl naps afternoon -whatever - depends on the season 8pm - small girl goes to bed and I work with big girl on math or history with reading/LA and read alouds afterwards 9pm - bedtime for big girl The girls play "in between" the scheduled hours (ie. breakfast doesn't take an hour! They eat and go play until 9am). This doesn't include the "unschooling" time that my big girl does on her own, just the stuff I have scheduled. The girls "flow" very well with a schedule and activities - a routine! Edited August 14, 2011 by MissKNG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susankenny Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) In kindergarten, we didn't have a time-slot schedule, but rather a routine. Although we did start and finish roughly the same time each day - I just didn't assign minutes per subject. Once we got into the flow of things, it worked out that our ending time was about the same each day (around lunchtime we were done). We did Phonics/Handwriting/Math daily. Nature Walk was 2x week. Music was 3x week. Art 2x week. History/Geography 3x week. Science 2x week. Susan Edited August 14, 2011 by susankenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 DD4- kindergarten 6:30am wake up(she's usually up by then if not she can sleep longer) 7am seat work math/handwriting 8am read alouds/science/Bible 8:30 break 9am crafts if we feel like it OR whatever activity we have scheduled for that day. If it's a non activity day DS naps. 1pm crafts if we didn't do them earlier 6pm OPGTR and more read alouds before bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 DD6 - first grade this year ETC-- 20 mins on own Winning with Writing & handwriting-- 30 mins with me AAS-- 20-30 with me break---30 minutes independent reading-- 30 mins singapore math-- 30 mins with me lunch break-- 30-60 mins reading & some FLL with me--30 mins with me science (t/wed) history (th/fr) with me & DS8-- 45 mins The break and independent time for her allow me to work with DS8 Instruction time for DD10 is first thing in the am and discussion in the afternoon. We'll fit read-alouds in at lunch or late afternoon depending on the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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