yellowperch Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I just read through quite a few pages of that mega thread on filing. Most of the posts were written a year ago, on the eve of the school year. A year has passed. What do you all think? People were thrilled on week 2 and 4, but what about week 25? 36? Finally, how long did you spend setting this up? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Hoping someone with more positive experience will jump in too. We didn't get as far as week 25. Maybe to about week 9 or 10. :001_huh: I spent a. long. time. setting this up. It fell apart as things needed to be adjusted. We had some challenges last Nov, Dec, and Jan. Then I changed curriculums. Some things moved ahead at a regular pace. Some stopped. Some moved slowly. It was just a mess. Theoretically, it is a wonderful idea. Perhaps it would even work better for us this year. I think last year would've been hard no matter what. Filing just made it more complicated for me mid year. And no, I'm not filing this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I've been wondering the same thing... How did it go? My dh would like me to take apart workbooks so he can see all the boys' weekly work without the pile being so high! So I've been thinking about this thread from last summer and am wondering if the families who did it are glad or if they wished they hadn't and, therefore, are not doing it this year. I'm curious, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 (edited) I made it through week 36. Loved it so much that I have 36 weeks for both K and 2nd grade all filed away. I think a big part of it is that I also made a chart for the fridge that the kids put a sticker on when they finish a week. Having those files ready to go makes it easy for the kids to know they are done, and easy for my DH to pick up and go if I'm out for a day. My history, science, spelling and Daily Language Review are all filed. Math is not. I pulled it this year to put in a binder and let the boy go at his own pace. I found that he was able to do a week's worth in a day, and then switching around weeks was a pain (and he thought it was cheating, of course, if I'd add more math). I'd rather have him looking at math every single day instead of crushing it all at the beginning (or end) of the week. It also helps me to see what supplies I need to buy. I'm generally 2 weeks ahead because I have to request library books and get chemistry experiment supplies and make sure they're here on Monday. Having those folders all made up has been a total lifesaver. :) ETA: It took me about a week to set up, both last year and this one. That's a few hours of work a day, but a lot of that is also deciding on all the library books since I do history and science via TWTM. I'm an INTJ, so once I've made a decision, I pretty much stick with it. :P I haven't changed much (if any) of my curriculum since last year. Edited August 24, 2011 by Food4Thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillysmom216 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I love it too. I have fine tuned it even more for this year. Plus, we switched math programs, so I'm trying to figure that out. It worked for my first year and I'm eternally grateful for the OP of that thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I'm on year 3 of filing. It works for me, and helps me to fit in the smaller things, like geography, health & safety, memorization. Having said that, I like to have a plan worked out ahead. I like to know how much I need to get done each week in order to end at a certain spot. The plan allows me flexibility in that I know I have "X" weeks of work to do, and I don't plan to fill the whole year, thus giving myself some wiggle room for life's surprises (and they happen, regularly). It helps ME to know if we are on the correct path for where I want to be at the end. Is there tweeking? Sure. Nothing is perfect. I'm OK with that. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I made it through week 36. Loved it so much that I have 36 weeks for both K and 2nd grade all filed away. I think a big part of it is that I also made a chart for the fridge that the kids put a sticker on when they finish a week. Having those files ready to go makes it easy for the kids to know they are done, and easy for my DH to pick up and go if I'm out for a day. My history, science, spelling and Daily Language Review are all filed. Math is not. I pulled it this year to put in a binder and let the boy go at his own pace. I found that he was able to do a week's worth in a day, and then switching around weeks was a pain (and he thought it was cheating, of course, if I'd add more math). I'd rather have him looking at math every single day instead of crushing it all at the beginning (or end) of the week. It also helps me to see what supplies I need to buy. I'm generally 2 weeks ahead because I have to request library books and get chemistry experiment supplies and make sure they're here on Monday. Having those folders all made up has been a total lifesaver. :) This is pretty much us (except for the fridge chart. Sounds like a cool idea!) I file History, Science, and Handwritting (we use Writting With Ease). Math is kept in seperate workbooks I made, with 1 chapter to each workbook. Reading, Spelling, Grammar, Scripture, and Art aren't filed, mainly because there's nothing *to* file (no worksheets). :lol: But I do have a spreadsheet printed out in my teacher's binder that shows which chapters/lessons/units I hope to get done each week. I also have another page in my binder where I have weekly supply lists and book lists for Art, Science, and History. I read two weeks ahead so I can make any required shopping trips and put books on hold at my library. Like the PP I quoted, this helps me a LOT to know what's coming up in a given week so I can be sure I have whatever supplies or library books I may need. It's also helpful for when I need a "substitute" (DH) to take over school when I'm sick. I *really* love this filing system, and plan to use it for the foreseeable future. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I started out filing by week but that fell apart fast. Spent a day reworking the system so everything was filed by subject instead. That worked beautifully for the rest of the year. It was my most organized year to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 ...and helps me to fit in the smaller things, like geography, health & safety, memorization. Having said that, I like to have a plan worked out ahead. I like to know how much I need to get done each week in order to end at a certain spot. The plan allows me flexibility in that I know I have "X" weeks of work to do, and I don't plan to fill the whole year, thus giving myself some wiggle room... :001_smile: Exactly...that's what I'm looking for. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aoife Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I now file in reverse :lol: We go at our own pace so prefiling was just not working as well if I needed to slow us down or speed us up. So I still have the same file setup but instead I put work in each week's folder as it is completed. Then every so often I plan to open up the folders, go through the papers and pick out the best work of the month to go into our portfolio for the year. I also have library pocket on our folders that I slip in custom 3x5 vertical lined index cards (cut in 5x8s into two 3x5s LOL ) with our reading lists and movie lists. I plan to put these into a index card binder also for portfolio review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I filed by week and it didn't work. We would get behind in one subject, so then I'd be pulling papers from different weeks to do where we were at and then it all got messed up. I should have filed by subject. I didn't even think about that until this thread. I wasn't even going to bother with it this year, but now I might try doing some of the subjects, if I find time for it. I love the idea of the files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captivated Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I've loved it. I don't take apart every book but it has really helped me to stay on track. I take what I filed and fill our work folders. This is my 12th year of homeschooling and last year was the best one we've had b/c of this system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calledtobehome Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 This may sound a little dense but can someone explain filing by subject? Do you take the subject like SOTW and just put the child's copies in a file alltogether? Is it by week or by year? I really need to find a system that's going to work for us. We are on week 3 of school and what I'm doing is not working! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 massive filing thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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