Can someone post their schedule if they rotate days for subjects?

[delaney]

I feel like we are on a treadmill trying to go faster with no result. I am thinking maybe we need to try 4 subjects only per day. Please let me know if this looks okay for a 6th grader:

Math-90-120 minutes MWF

History-60 minutes MWF

Science-60 minutes T TH and 30 on Friday

Phonics Road-60 minutes MWF(pushing through PR 2 quickly)

Geography-45 minutes T/TH and a research activity on Fri

Grammar for Middle School/poetry study-60 minutes T/TH

Memory Work 20 minutes MWF

need to maybe work in Latin for Children for older DD since she will be late getting to Latin Road? T/TH 60 minutes

Vocabulary?

Reading 45 minutes daily

I feel like I am missing something. Logic will be added next year in a formal program.

[Hedgehog]

This year I'll have 7th, 5th and 1st graders. For my logic stage kids, we do half and half - some subjects get done daily, and others rotate; this is according to how often I think they need to do each subject in order to be successful (the balance of doing the subject frequently enough, with making sure you have enough time each time you do the subject to think about it properly). I tried doing what you are thinking about - limiting the subjects and doing them for longer when you do them - but I found that there were certain things that had to be done every day, even if it was just a nibble of it, otherwise they had trouble remembering the previous lesson.

 

One thing to bear in mind as you read this, is that a lot of their work is done independently. My logic stagers prefer to work alone and only come to me when they are stuck. This doesn't appear to have had any negative affects, rather the reverse. With my 1st grader, of course, I am sitting with him for everything.

 

So, the following subjects get done daily: Devotions, Math, Grammar, Latin, French, Logic/Critical Thinking, and instrument practice; and Penmanship for my 5th grader.

 

Then, we rotate these subjects, one per day Tuesday through Saturday (Monday is a half day; we do our weekly chores on Monday afternoon): Bible Study, Writing, History, Science, and Music Theory. I also try to listen to them read once or twice a week.

 

I also give them both approx. 2hrs independent work to do at some point over the week, which can include Spelling, remedial Phonics, Poetry and Bible memorisations, Latin and French vocabulary, and Assigned Reading from the book list.

 

We school 6 weeks on and 1-2 weeks off, year round. On our weeks off, we do a little bit of schoolwork because I find that they struggle with not having any structure, so we'll usually do one of these each day: Explode the Code, Art, Manners and Health, Poetry Study, or Composer Study.

 

HTH!

 

 

ETA: if you want to PM me your email address, I can send you my revised schedule. (It often gets revised.. ;) )

[regentrude]

We are also not doing every subject every day - my kids usually pick what they want to work on and I just make sure it averages out over the weeks.

 

However, I would NOT do it with math. I find 90-120 minutes of math too much for a 6th grader. My very mathy 7th grade son would definitely not have the concentration; he would begin making simple mistakes, and it would not be effective.

We found it more effective to do math daily, but with full concentration, for about 60 minutes. I can definitely tell from the quality of his work when he starts to lose focus - anything thereafter is pretty useless.

[sbgrace]

My inexperienced (I've only got 2nd graders) suggestion:

Pick the core subjects and do them daily. Rotate the others by subject.

 

Example: math, reading, and phonics road daily, memory work and grammar/poetry as you scheduled. Each day there is some "other" subject worked on until a stop point (maybe a unit, topic, or set of chapters)? Science, history, geography, etc. I think it will feel less treadmill like if some things about each day don't change and you aren't switching subjects as often?

 

So (again, young kids here so I know could be way off/misunderstanding the age) we do Phonics Road, reading, bible and math every day. We are doing science right now and we finished a history unit last week. Geography will likely be next.

Edited August 28, 2011 by sbgrace

[Jay3fer]

We're still on our (light) Summer Schedule (Grade One), slowwwwwly ramping up to a full schedule this week:

Core = math & reading only

Alternate Days: A) English: Handwriting; Phonics; FLL - OR - B) Hebrew: Language; Chumash (Bible)

Gradually adding in 2x/week history.

Then 2x/week science.

1x/week art - either one lesson from Draw Write Now or one lesson from Meet the Masters.

 

There are a few more things, but this is the core of it.

[delaney]

We are also not doing every subject every day - my kids usually pick what they want to work on and I just make sure it averages out over the weeks.

 

However, I would NOT do it with math. I find 90-120 minutes of math too much for a 6th grader. My very mathy 7th grade son would definitely not have the concentration; he would begin making simple mistakes, and it would not be effective.

We found it more effective to do math daily, but with full concentration, for about 60 minutes. I can definitely tell from the quality of his work when he starts to lose focus - anything thereafter is pretty useless.

Yes I thought this may be the case. I actually asked DD last night about it and she said she would rather do less days of math and do more at one time. I will try this week and see.

I am liking the 6 on and 1-2 off idea. I think that would make more time for field trips and fun unit studies like music and poetry in the off weeks.

[....]

Here's our rotating schedule for the 4th grader and 3rd grader:

 

Monday/Wednesday:

 

Math

Reading

Language Arts

Science

German

Religion

 

Tuesday/Thursday:

 

Math

Reading

Language Arts

History/Geography

Latin

Art

 

Friday:

 

Independent Project Day - I give the kids an assignment based on material we are covering. This is usually a hands-on project or something they have to research on their own.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Grammar school

Math - daily; drill (I often block teach for 2 days at a time)

 

 

1. Holey Cards Drill T, Th
   
2. MUS drill M, W, F
   

 

Science T, Th, F-Nature journal

 

History M, W, F and I'll throw in assigned reading if necessary

 

Language arts (spelling, grammar, literature) 3x each

 

 

• spelling M, W, F
  
• grammar T, W, F
  
• literature M, T, Th
  
• writing application on T, Th based on history or science
  

 

Art Tuesday only

 

Logic Friday only

 

Piano, M, W, Th

 

Middle Schoo l- Mostly daily except:

4 science; 1 nature journal: they choose the days

Art Tuesday

Logic 2x they choose

 

High School

Art Tuesday

Logic 2x they choose

 

Although this is when they do their work, I block teach many days, so I don't have to teach everything every day. I also expect a high level of independence from my high schoolers.

[SnegurochkaL]

Hi , we are still finishing up our summer schedule, which was pretty much math/logic/critical thinking, science and reading over the summer months. It was too hot to do more this summer.

 

I have not finalized our school schedule for my 4th grader this year, but last year our schedule looked like this:

 

Math - 4 times per week,

Science 2 times per week,

History- 2 times per week,

Logic/Critical thinking - 2 times per week,

LA - 5 times per week,

Art - 2 times per week

PhE - once or twice per week,

Foreign Languages: 2 times per week ( totally every day)

 

Being a 3rd grader my daughter did between 3-4 hours of math daily, my son being just 4 years old spent between 1-2 hours on math/logic daily.