May I See Your Schedule?

[nova mama]

Especially if you have two or more. We will use a combination of teacher-intensive (like WWE) and more independent (like Math Mammoth) curricula. How are you scheduling it all?

 

TIA

[zenjenn]

9 am: DD#1 does WWE/AAS/HWT with me, DD#2 does TT and XtraMath

10 am: reverse of above

11 am: History, Literature, or Science

12 pm: lunch, or, on Tues/Thurs, earlier lunch and Homeschool PE at 12:15

1/2 pm: History, Literature, Science, or Hebrew

2/3 pm: Extras. Extracurriculars (ballet, gymnastics, etc) or work at home (art, music, etc)

 

That's it in a nutshell, although aside from the writing/spelling/math morning routine, we're clearly very flexible. But we work on 2 of the 4 other academics (literature, history, science, or Hebrew) every day. We do those together, but I alter the expectations of work and/or attentiveness for my 2 kids depending on age.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Especially if you have two or more. We will use a combination of teacher-intensive (like WWE) and more independent (like Math Mammoth) curricula. How are you scheduling it all?

 

TIA

 

I have radically rearranged my schedule this year to enable me to work independently with each child without interruption.

 

We do our combined subjects in the morning. Depending on how much time everything takes, things might occasionally move to the afternoon but they are regularly scheduled for the morning.

 

Circle Time: can include yoga, walking dog, memory work/recitations, calendar/seasonal, weather, skip counting, etc.

 

LOF

 

Science

 

MCTLA (everyone wants in on this, despite it being officially for ds8)

 

History

 

Art

 

Nature Study (time/day changes dependent on weather)

 

BW Lifestyle stuff (frequently moved to the afternoon and/or evening)

 

Then each afternoon, I spend one hour with each child doing individual subjects. It makes my day longer but so much easier. Individually, they do AAS, WWE, Singapore/Miquon, and Spanish.

Edited August 30, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy

[laughing lioness]

Here is mine. I don't have times for subjects becasue mornings are odd around here. I will post a list of all of the classes each kid is doing/weekly homework assingments (stuff due for Tutoring Center) so that we don't "lose" stuff.

[Rikki06]

I give the 7 year olds independent work in the morning and work with the 4 year old. When my little guy naps, I give the 4 year old simple activities to do (which aren't mandatory) and work with the 7 year olds. It's been working so far!

[thessa516]

I don't have times scheduled, we do the next thing whenever we can.

 

- 7 yo and 6 yo (the olders) do spelling on their own; 3 yo and baby (the youngers) play and eat breakfast.

 

- I teach a MUS lesson when needed to the olders (they are in different levels so I rarely have to teach two math lessons a day). Most days they work on a MUS worksheet and I oversee while holding baby and 3 yo plays. The olders also do a page or two of Math Mammoth.

 

- Whenever the baby goes down for morning nap, we work on WWE, FLL and R&S. Again, the olders are in different levels, so I get one started and then start in with the next. Back and forth between the two until we get it finished. The 3 yo plays (building blocks, library books, coloring sheets, etc.)

 

- Read aloud is done during or after lunch. The baby is normally on my lap.

 

- We work on history, music and Bible in the afternoon. Generally I have the baby on my lap and the 3 yo follows along (yep - he does map work with us -scribbling over the map of Egypt - he thinks he's one of the olders. :lol: )

 

- Afternoon nap time is when we do reading and phonics instruction. However, it's not unusual to feed the baby while one of the olders reads to me and we work through OPGTR.

 

- DH does Science 1-2x week in the evening, so I don't have to schedule that one during the day. I am having a difficult time scheduling in piano and sewing lessons. We still haven't started on those for the year. It might get relegated to one evening/week when DH can take over toddler and baby duty.

 

HTH!

 

ETA: We take lots of breaks throughout the day. I don't want to give anyone the idea that we school all day long. :)

Edited August 30, 2011 by thessa516
ETA: Added more

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Here is our schedule.

Basically I divide everything into one-on-one, combination of teaching & independent, and independent and jot down estimated times. Then I plug in the slots and make the schedule. We try to do core subjects in the early morning for the most part. HTH

[jengjohnson]

I'm loving my schedule this year!

 

-I do Latin with dd11 and dd9, dd6 does ETC

 

-olders do CLE math and logic puzzles, I do Saxon math with little

 

-Spanish all together

 

-olders do CLE grammar & spelling, I do FLL & WWE with little

 

-olders rotate weekly between CLE reading and WTM style reading, I teach AAS to little

 

-olders do Star Spangled States while little one reads to me

 

-oldest types while I do WWE with middle, the little one is on a break

 

-middle types while I do IEW writing with older and I grade at this time too since she doesn't need much help, but I need to stay available

 

-lunch for all

 

-M/W/F history and T/Th Science, I teach these to middle and youngest while oldest uses different curricula and is almost independent

 

We're on our sixth week and we're getting everything done on most days. Oldest goes from 8-3, but is usually done a bit early, the youngers are almost always done by 2. Monday through Thursday we're off to clubs and practices after school.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I was inspired by this thread to make a more formal schedule so I put what we're doing into an Excel spreadsheet. I love it! I tried to put it in picture form to see if I can paste it here. We'll see...

 

ETA: OK, apparently not. It shows up but them when I submit, it goes away. Oh well... At any rate, I enjoyed making it! :D

Edited August 30, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy

[nova mama]

We have been doing "the next thing." Sometimes, though, by 3:00, we hadn't gotten to too many "things." This year I'm going to try a more formal, timed (:svengo:) schedule. There's so much we NEED to accomplish! My hope is that I can motivate DCs to dilly-dally less by requiring them to stay on the schedule. When time's up, you have to move on. If you're not done, it's homework (delaying screen time). I hope to also have them work more independently. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES!!!! Thank you for all the responses so far!

[twoforjoy]

My DS is 7, and he's the only one doing school right now.

 

I have his work divided into mostly-independent stuff (math, handwriting, reading, art) and mostly-directed stuff (Latin, grammar, writing, history), and then science is it's own category. On Monday and Wednesday, when I'm teaching in the morning, he does independent stuff in the morning while DH is home, and the directed stuff with me before lunch. On Tuesday and Thursday, when I'm home all day, we do the directed stuff first, take a short break, and then do the independent stuff. Basically he'll do an hour of independent work and 90 minutes of directed stuff each day before lunch.

 

Then, after lunch, we do some science reading together, and then he has some quiet reading time.

 

On Fridays, we hit the library in the morning, and he does science with dad after dinner (although sometimes that happens over the weekend).

[Annie Laurie]

We have a routine, but not a schedule with times.

 

We don't start school until around 10. We do LA and math first. My kids (10, 9, 7) can do CLE LA independently, but we check it together and discuss it. They do math fairly independently but I still like to introduce the topic and we go over any corrections together. They read their readers and narrate them to me. I rotate through doing WWE with each one while the others work on their other stuff. I rotate through AAS with them as well. If anyone has nothing to do they can play math games on the computer, I have a folder with Math Mammoth links on the desktop, or do Read, Write, and Type.

 

By the time we're done with that it's around 12:00 or 1:00 and Baby needs a nap. The kids get their own lunch and go have quiet times in their rooms. Around 3:00 we resume school. We do history, science, read alouds, and crafts during that time. I need to figure out where to add Latin back in too.

[calledtobehome]

I have 2 boys who are only 16 months apart. Last year I was going back and forth between them and it drove me crazy! This year I decided to spend one on one time with both on the 3 R's and so far so good!

 

Breakfast/Bible

 

DS8 with mom- Math, FLL3, AAS, HOP, read mom a book

DS 7-alone-ZB Handwriting, ETC, Kistler on line drawing, Typing

Switch

Snack

Read alouds

Together-WWE 1, history(Mon&Wed), Science(Tues&Thur), SSL

 

Someone here posted a filing thread about using portfolio 8 pocket folders. I label them and put my kids independent work in their folders. I also use note cards with their educational websites and place them in the pocket for that day. If they get done before I'm done with their sibling than they can use the notecard and play a few education games until it's their turn with me.

[go_go_gadget]

 

Here's ours. The times at which we homeschool vary daily because other activities, so there are no times listed.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I have an 11yo, an 8yo, and a 5yo. We are using WWE & MM this year too! Here's our plan.

 

We are schooling at the public library, which opens at noon and closes at five.

 

[*Lulu*]

Breakfast

Breakfast Basket- includes Bible, all read alouds, memory work, etc.

Chores

Group Work- Science, History, Art, Art/Music Appreciation, Nature Study, Geography (I try to do each 2x/week) *

Break- everyone outside for 15min. of movement

Seat Work- These are the personalized subjects/areas- English, Math, Latin, Piano, Logic, Fine Motor (for the pre/k),

Lunch

Quiet Reading- everyone spends and hour in their bed. Readers read, non readers look at books or sleep, and Mom gets a glorious hour to herself.

Wrap-up- if there is any unfinished work this is when we finish it. (This hardly ever happens.)

 

During Seat Work I use a modified Workbox system to help with independence and to stagger the Mom intensive assignments. I also have a "waiting" area where I rotate baskets of logic puzzles, manipulatives, sensory tubs, and other interesting items. This is where the kids are to go if they need help but I am working with another child. I know if I look up and see them in the waiting area that they need me. It has cut down on a lot of the chaos during school time.

 

*I also do character development/study with the olders once a week during the littles library story hour.

[Kristiana]

Here's our basic schedule so far:

 

Our new thing is for Daddy to get the boys up around 6:30 for "boot camp" PT and then the 8 and 10yo trade piano practicing time before breakfast.

 

9:00ish (if we're lucky) Scriptures (personal and together), memory work, German and Latin vocab with flashcards

 

10-12ish 10yo does Latin, MCT, math, and WWS

8yo does Latin, MCT, math, WWE, cursive

6 yo does math, OPG, handwriting, FLL, and WWE

 

I don't have a timed schedule other than that, but I do put suggested amounts of time for each subject on their checklists to keep them on track. They work in whatever order they desire (or as I suggest) and I try to keep tabs on the toddler and help them as needed. If they all want my help at the same time, well then, that's a good time to practice patience. 10yo works for most of that time, the other two are done quicker. Snacks are usually consumed in there somewhere.

 

12-1 lunch and in an effort to speed up lunch and eliminate dawdling, they can play outside until their brother goes down for a nap.

 

1:00 Naptime and then we work hard on history, science, art, literature discussions, and/or geography (usually two per day) until the little one wakes up around 3:00.

 

Afternoons are free after that once they've practiced, or we run errands and then make dinner. They usually do their free reading after they're in bed.

[veggiegal]

Monday / Wednesday:

 

Language Arts warm-up (fun activities like Dr Dooriddles, crosswords, analogy puzzles, etc.)

All About Spelling

CTC Language Smarts

younger reads aloud to me / older does Growing with Grammar solo

Gym and snack break

Math Warm-up (various puzzle / riddle stuff, logic puzzles, codes, etc)

CTC Mathematical Reasoning

Life of Fred

 

Tuesday / Thursday:

 

Math Warm-Up

Math U See

Math Fun (games, living math readers, problem of the week, math art, math explorations, etc.)

Gym and snack break

Language Arts warm-up

older does Evan-Moor Paragraph Writing with me; younger Evan-Moor Word Family or Story Sequencing solo

younger reads to me / older does Reading Detective or Grammar and Punctuation solo

 

I also have a collection of other things to keep one child occupied if I need to work with the other: educational iPad apps; puzzle books; library books and books on tape; The Happy Scientist website with videos and experiments; Mark Kistler's online drawing lessons; BBC Dance Mat Typing, Draw Write now books, etc.

 

Our afternoons and Fridays are more free-form, following our interests and working in field trips and such. We variously do science, history, geography, vocabulary (Greek and Latin roots), art, music, second languages (French and Spanish), and a drama class once per week. My boys also are taking karate one evening.

 

It took a fair amount of thinking, but so far so good, with a balance between being able to do things together (though often at different levels), and apart, with one child needing more of my attention as they are taking on a new subject. We've been at it a week and a half and both kids and I are happy. We are also trying more of a year round school schedule this year, adapted from the British school system which spreads their breaks and holidays more evenly, rather than our North American summers off, Christmas off...and not much else. See details here.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

Still working on our schedule. We start next week. I figure we'll make changes as necessary.

 

Monday-Thursday

 

6:30 up, eat, clean-up, get dressed, showers, start laundry

 

Circle Time (songs, poems, rhymes, ds's religion and read-alouds, academic games)

 

9ish: snack

 

9:30 outside time

 

10:15ish put toddler ds down for his nap

 

10:30: Kindergarten DS's schoolwork: HWT, reading, and MEP math

 

possibly some fun crafts, games, etc. for preschool dd to work on math, pre-reading, and pre-writing

 

12ish: Lunch

 

12:30: (ds will probably wake up about now and eat his lunch)

DD's science and history (alternating days)

 

Spanish

 

crafts for all

 

2: Quiet time for 3yo and 5yo/one-on-one school time for oldest dd

 

We'll do the Classical Writing Primers, All About Spelling, New American Cursive, Singapore Math, Prima Latina, and her religion readings.

 

4: Quiet time is over. Clean up and have afternoon snack. Play time until dinner at about 5:30.

 

Friday

 

We have a co-op from 12:30 until 3:30. In the morning we'll do nature study and art. Hoping we'll have time to fit in some math and possibly language arts for dd and ds, but not sure if that will work.

[Chelli]

We do a basic block schedule. I have a 2nd grader, preK, and toddler, and we do school in the kitchen/dining room at the table.

 

Circle Time (everyone): about 15 minutes

 

Teaching Block with 2nd grader (preK plays with toddler): 1 hour

 

Teaching Block with preK (2nd grader plays with toddler): 30 minutes

 

Snack Time (everyone): about 15 minutes

 

Independent Work Block for 2nd grader (everyone else hangs out with mom doing chores, game, etc.): 45 minutes

 

Neighborhood Walk (everyone--gives us a chance to get out of the house and get a little exercise): 30 minutes

 

Lunch (everyone): 30 minutes

 

Teaching Block with 2nd grader (toddler naps, preK watches educational videos/TV shows): 1 hour or less (until any work that's left is finished)

 

Quiet Time (2nd grader, prek, and mom): 1 hour

 

Then the toddler usually wakes up, I finish up some chores until it's time to start supper.

 

We've been using this schedule for about three weeks now and it's working very well, surprisingly well actually. I've taught both my dd's that when I am having a teaching block with one of them, they are NOT to interrupt unless it is an emergency (had to define what this is ;)).

 

HTH.

[frankcassiesmom]

I'm doing a 6th grader, 4th grader, 2nd grader, and PreK (well and 2yo to wrangle!) My children either have workboxes or a schedule of sorts that allows me to alternate when they have "mom time". It works like this:

 

- First we do "table time" which does Bible/devotions, bible memorization, hymn work, any other memorization, map tracing, etc. all together as a family.

 

- Next I work with my 4yo and 2yo with their PreK work (map, songs, letters, etc.) while the olders do their subjects and my 2nd grader works through his workboxes.

 

- My 4yo then moves to doing his workboxes for 1 1/2 - 2 hours by himself.

 

- My 4th grader then has mom time where we do WWE, Sequential Spelling, correct math pages, etc. At the end of her time we do Latin which she does with her 2nd grade brother so we do that together.

 

- After Latin my 4th grader goes back to her schedule. I then do mom time with my 2nd grader where we do FLL, etc.

 

- Next is lunch

 

- After lunch while my 4yo and 2yo nap, and my 2nd grader has quiet reading time I do mom time with my 6th grader where we correct Math and English, check his assignments in general, do First Form Latin, go over his long memory work, talk about his writing assignment, etc.

 

- Olders finish up work, my 2nd grader finishes any workboxes he hasn't finished, they all do their more fun work like task cards, typing, Rosetta Stone, etc.

 

- And we're done. And yet it's a LOOOONG day. It looks so short like that LOL.

[nova mama]

- My 4yo then moves to doing his workboxes for 1 1/2 - 2 hours by himself.

 

 

Really??? By himself????? Surely he comes to you every 5 minutes with a question??????

 

I guess my next question is: what is IN the workboxes? I'm intrigued.

[woolybear]

I want to read everyone else's answers, but for now here's mine. We've switched things up this year, so it may change as we go.

 

8:15ish-9:15 --I work with younger ds. He also does independent work during this time and I am available to help.

 

9:15- 9:30 Morning Basket--On some days this is skipped. Sometimes it is just reading a picture book together, sometimes it involves a short nature study or other project. It is very flexible, but I need to keep it short.

 

9:30-10:30 Older ds has work with me and independent work.

 

10:30 snack and work together time two days a week. The other three days this slot is alotted for task card time.

 

12:00- 1:30 lunch and break

 

Afternoons- rabbit trails, independent fun stuff, lots of read alouds, projects, etc. that connect to the morning work.

 

:DThis is the plan, anyway. So far, the mornings are way better than they used to be. Separating them for that time is working so far.

[mytwomonkeys]

we school normally from 9 to 2ish. i work with my daughter first on things she needs assistance with - usually language arts and some additional history read-alouds for her.

 

then i switch to my son and work with him (while my daughter works independently). then they come together for history/geography/science.

 

our day's done:)

 

we do eat throughout the day as well, and switch what area we are "schooling" in depending on the assignment or activity. we do bible and more reading aloud at night.

[Emagine]

We have a strange semi schedule but it works for us. We begin school at nine am. My kids are semi early risers but they take a bit to get moving and to get focused and to eat. By 8:45 ish they are settled and ready to move into the school room.

 

9 am we begin. All their daily work is written on their own small white boards at their own desk. I have them hanging on the 3m strips. Love 3m! How they do their work and in what order I do not care. Math first or last, I do not care as long as it is done and they get it.

 

The only thing I request is ETC online is done very last because of the FUN button to the games. I know I can make it go away but they look forward to it and hey, they need a silly break too. They look for it. If they do it first the morning is done because all they giggle about is the games.

 

We break for lunch at 12:30 regardless of how the morning has done. If they are done they are done, if not no big deal. They have learned it is cool no matter what. We did not jump into our routine with every subject after our break. I also do my cores daily and save my others for different days. Meaning I do not do Geo, History and Science every single day of the week. I split them up depending on interest of study and where we are in a lesson. Example in Expedition Earth next week we are in China and will spend a week on it. After that is South Korea, that will not take a week so we will pick and choose how to do other days.

 

But my kids like it all in black and white and to choose. They know they have to get it done but they like having a choice how to accomplish it. I play the goal maker, they play the student. It works for us.

[sbgrace]

Our days typically go like this (I do all academics one on one and none of it is independent yet):

 

Breakfast

Math (RightStart and some Math Mammoth) with Boy A

Math (Math in Focus) with Boy B

Phonics Road Boy A

Spelling/Phonics Work Boy B

Break/eat

WWE--A and then B

Reading to me--A and then B

Break/eat

Afternoon is all of our "together" subjects, read aloud, bible, and one of either science, history, art or music.

[MrsMe]

Schedule? What schedule? Am I supposed to have a schedule?:svengo:

 

 

:lol::lol:

[RootAnn]

I have three "students," but the younger one is only in (second semester of) K and the first two combine for a lot of things.

 

At 8:30, while everyone finishes their chores, dd#3 & I do her phonics and handwriting. When finished, she is be released to go have some fun on her own (which she does responsibly).

 

At 9, DD#1 & DD#2 join me for their math. I'm right there to help with instructions (mostly for #2) or questions (#1 & #2). As long as they work steadily through for 45 minutes, they don't have homework no matter how much they didn't get done. If they goof off, they have the rest of their lesson to complete on their own time.

 

They transition to working on their individual grammar workbooks for about 15 minutes and then work through Latin together for 30 minutes.

 

The smaller kids play with different toys in the "school area" during this time. The youngest goes down for a nap around 10:30. We have a break then and the four olders get a snack while I start on lunch.

 

After snacks, the two older kids work together for 30 minutes on their religion schoolwork.

 

DD#2 is then released for the morning and DD#1 begins her writing. Once she is on the right track, DD#3 joins me for some math for about 15 minutes. Then, I finish getting lunch ready.

 

After lunch & cleanup, DD#1 works for 30 minutes independently on Spanish while I listen to DD#2 read aloud.

 

At around 1:30, the older two do between 1-4 sentences of dictation for a maximum of 15 minutes. Then, we start our History or Science studies depending on the day. Both consist of some reading aloud, doing hands-on activities, writing, map work, drawing, coloring, and listening to music.

 

After the formal "school" stuff is over, dd#3 and I spend some time on a fun activity of her choosing - cooking, sewing, dress-up, crafts, me reading aloud, poetry, or drama (puppet show?).

 

My older DS has a lot of puzzles, Legos, blocks, Play-Doh, and "tools" to play with during this time. He also has "fun" workbooks that he can do anytime he likes. The younger one spends some of this time in my lap or sitting on a chair scribbling nearby. He can also play with the blocks, trucks, and tools.

[MicheleinMN]

:lurk5: