What are your "must dos"?

[FairyMom]

If you are going on a field trip or to a co-op all day, do you require certain subjects to be done beforehand or after you get home? Are you strict about this? What subjects are your "must dos" no matter what the day looks like?

[Mrs. Lilac]

We just do a 4-day school week. We have co-op one day a week, and for us, getting our schooling done on top of that is too much. And if we didn't have a co-op, there's at least once a week where -something- would happen that we need that flexible day for. I've tried scheduling schoolwork for co-op days, and it just does.not.happen. I've found I'm much happier if I just accept the reality and go with it, rather than planning for what I "wish" would happen.

 

:)

[KristenR]

My kiddos are young so I am pretty flexible right now. However, if I have the time before or after I make sure we cover things like reading, writing, and math. Again though, my oldest is in Kindergarten so its nothing major here.

[FairyMom]

I was wondering about math and reading mostly. Hoping I wasn't an ogre to require math and reading every day. I just think those are "must dos," but I don't want to overwhelm my 2nd grader either....

 

Love hearing what all of you require, or not. :)

[ByGrace3]

I try to be realistic. We have had a few field trips this year so far that have taken a good chunk out of our day. If it is just a busy or "crazy" day we still try to get in math and Language arts. For a field trip I usually shift stuff around so we get the "week" done, just have a light or even nothing scheduled for that day. We usually try to do Bible, math, and phonics regardless, but I know at least one field trip this year, a dairy farm where we had to leave by 8 and got home late afternoon (in time for evening sports), we just allowed the field trip to be school that day.

[Mommy to monkeys]

WELL.. . .that depends.

I feel like English, Math, and Reading MUST be done 4 days a week. If they can do no schoolwork on a field trip day and still get the work in other days then GREAT.

 

If I know it's going to be a busy week with errands, appointments etc. ..I do the ogre thing too and make them get the work done first. (even if I have to wake them up early)

[Missouri Okie]

My son is 7. Our only must-do is violin. He's practiced every day since May 23, 2010. We (maybe it's really just me :o) don't want to give up on that streak.

 

I keep thinking I'll have him read to me everyday not matter what, but we have not been consistent with that.

[Aurelia]

Math, spelling and English, which can include either reading or writing or both.

On really busy days, math is a fact practice sheet, spelling is a word list and English is reading.

[Stuart]

Funny you asked that tonight. We have an all day field trip this week and I was just wondering what work we would do that day. Final decision math review problems in the car and reading before bed. I'm leaning toward starting a 4 day school week to give us a field trip/review day each week.

[FairyMom]

Thanks, guys.... math and English are what I was thinking also. The violin is attached to her hand, so that's always done, thank goodness. :)

[Bang!Zoom!]

My 2 must do's:

 

1 Hour of Documentary/Lecture in the morning (6-7)-5 days a week.

 

And somewhere in the day 2 hours of math, broken up or not, it gets done. <--and that one is 7 days a week.

[3monkeys]

I have a k5 and 2nd grader. I require 1 math worksheet (MUS), 1 page in their handwriting workbook and 1 or 2 pages in explode the code. I have it out on table for them to do when they wake up because its all something they can do without my assistance...most of the time. It truly only takes 30 mins max and we're out the door for co-op in time. As for as my kiddos, I can't get much out of them after co-op. They are just too tired and I like my boys to run and play in the afternoons.

[GoVanGogh]

If it is an afternoon field trip or activity, we do basics at home. (Latin, reading, spelling, math.)

 

If it is an all-day activity - and I consider it educational - I think that is "enough" to consider it a school day.

 

If it is a morning activity, but I know we won't go home and get in a good day of school, we just take the day off. (We are neither one good at going home and doing school after being out. :tongue_smilie: Some days we can, but some days we can't.)

 

If we are driving ourselves to activity (and not carpooling), I will plan audio work for car. (CDs: Shakespeare, Latin, memory work, poetry)

 

We school year-round and I always get in around 185-190 days, so it makes up for those times we don't do a full day of school at home. We also have a number of outside classes that occur even when we are on break and, while I record those classes, I don't count them toward our school days. Ex: Our last day of school this year is December 1. DS has 1.5-2 hour long classes outside the home the next three Fridays. We aren't doing school at home those days, so I don't count them as school days. But I figure they 'round out' any shorter-than-I-would-prefer days at home, if that makes sense. It all balances out in the end.

 

 

We are not in a co-op, but I would think it would be educational enough to be considered a day of school, right?

[rocketgirl]

I have one who gets carsick so I don't plan schoolwork in the car on the way to field trips, I'd rather double up the day before with any papers or reading. When we do take a long drive somewhere tho I usually select a dvd they can watch on the way which is usually either science or history. The things I feel we need to continue despite interruptions are Math & Spelling because we follow sequences. But I'm not a drill sergeant about them. Everything else like vocabulary, grammar, WWE, we can double up. We tend to get more done in those anyway - we'll finish those books before the year is up. With Math & Spelling concepts tho I want time for them to "sink in".

Edited November 14, 2011 by rocketgirl

[Farrar]

I don't have daily must-dos. I feel like if we want to be able to be flexible and get out, then it's too hard. I make sure we do *something* before we go out, but it could be anything. I do have weekly must-dos.

[FairyMom]

I don't have daily must-dos. I feel like if we want to be able to be flexible and get out, then it's too hard. I make sure we do *something* before we go out, but it could be anything. I do have weekly must-dos.

 

What are your weekly must dos?

[ecj98]

DS goes to a classical school one day a week where he does humanities (Bible, phonics, spelling, literature, writing, history, etc.), and that is all he does on that day. I might require him to do math in the morning before going if he wasn't doing so well in math.

[Element]

No matter what, math gets done. I think I will be able to ease up on him once he's fully caught up to where I think he should be in math, but he's not there yet so math is our #1 priority.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Element

[FairyMom]

No matter what, math gets done.

 

:iagree:

[Heidi]

My must-do's are by week rather than by day, so we have room to be flexible when things come up that aren't in "the plan". Math four times a week is my major must-do. On normal school days, the 3Rs must be done before they can go play. History and science are not must-do's at all, but I do try to make up days we miss to keep on schedule.

[redsquirrel]

Well, only math and piano must get done 5 days a week. For my youngest it is math, piano and reading.

 

We do other subjects and most are done 3-4 times a week. We do school 5 days a week. That gives me some flexibility. I plan out what will happen when on the weekend. I don't do it with any great precision, just like... Grammar has to happen three times this week. Let's see, we have a dentist appt on friday so I had better do grammar on M, T, TH.

 

I need to do that ahead of time or I will forget to do something.

[Kuovonne]

Our daily "must do"s are Anki memory work and piano practice.

 

If there is a bit more time, I usually squeeze in spelling for Glitter, and math for Sparkle.

 

If I am short on time, the first things to get the ax are usually reading and math for Glitter, and English for Sparkle.

[FairyMom]

I love reading everyone's priorities. Keep them coming! :)

[Hottater]

Usually I try to get my 3 r's done even if we have a field trip, but, I Try to cut my field trips so that I leave where ever I am at 1:30 to get home by 2:00. 2:30-4:00 is what I aim for to get the 3 r's done. Always eating in the car, always dvd'ing the history or sign language (signing time) if possible in the car. If I could carschool :auto: the whole day, it would be great, they would totally be locked in (seatbelts ON!) with their eyes at attention, and not goofin around.:lol:

[JennyD]

Math and cello practice.

[sassenach]

Minimum day= Phonics Road (spelling, grammar, writing) and Math

 

Normal day= My Father's World (bible, science, geography, note booking), extra math work (games, second curriculum), read alouds.

 

If we're doing a full day field trip, I don't worry about getting any work done, but I do pay attention to not get too far behind in our minimum day subjects. Everything else can be adjusted to fit.

[5 Hikers]

I have found that if I stay on track I can get school done on co-op days. We leave for co-op at 12:45. If we have a fieldtrip early I cannot get work done, and I used to not worry about it. This year I have written out my weekly plan. If the boys do not finish during the week I do make them finish on Sunday after church. School kids have homework on weekends, so I don't feel like it is too much to ask.

[Gentlemommy]

My dd is 6.5 and we do school six days a week normally. On coop day, we still get most of our things done, because school only takes us about an hour most days. If I know we won't get to everything, my absolute must do's are the three R's. Math, handwriting (copy work), and phonics. I also read aloud to them every single day.

[Tigger]

Wednesday is DS's crazy day - an art class (1 hour), piano lesson (30 min) and swim team (1.25 hour)...so we still do school, but a lighter schedule - math and reading/LA - we don't do science, history or other stuff on Wednesdays!

[2squared]

I don't require anything on field trip/homeschool group days.

 

I suppose I could have my kids do small assignments on some of these days, but I do have to get ready for the outing and take care of stuff other than homeschooling so it would just be something more I'd have to juggle (and I'd rather not).

 

:iagree: I schedule field trip days into our school year because I can't imagine being able to do any work on field trips days. I'm usually running around before we leave preparing snacks, dressing the littles, and getting the morning chores done. Then when we get back, I have missed/delayed naps to deal with (as in crabby littles), more snacks, dinner to prepare, the van to unload, etc. If my 4th grader has some reading or independent work, I maybe could have her do some of it. My 2nd grader, though, I think the field trip is enough for one day.

 

We don't go on many field trips, so the ones I select are truly educational and are worth "missing" a day of school, although it's not really missing a day since it's built into the schedule.

[TheApprentice]

We have co-op once a week, and on those days, I require my boys to do math and language/grammar. Those are my "must do's".

[kewb]

Depending on what time we have to be out the door for a field trip my must do's are math and grammar.

[Ellie]

If we do a field trip, the field trip is all we do. Whatever we're learning is as important as anything else.

 

If we did co-op, then that would be all we'd do that day.

 

If doing a co-op made me feel as if I wasn't accomplishing all I had wanted to do, if felt as if I had to cram in other stuff before or after, then I'd drop the co-op in a heartbeat...but I'd keep the field trips, lol.