KIN Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I have ideas whirling around in my head. Last night at our Ladies Prayer Group (which is totally awesome BTW) I discovered that I need to de-stress our life. I'm not even sure where to start. I'm not sure where to cut or what to do, but I think the idea is right on track. So, this morning I've been having ideas about how to de-stress our school day. It is SO long and SO time driven, we have to really work hard to get it done every day. Then, when something unexpected comes up it blows everything to smithereens. So, I'm thinking about timed sessions so we keep moving. If the lesson isn't done, we finish it the next day. I'd like to do be done by noon, except maybe piano practice in the afternoon. I think that would be less stressful. But, the way I figure it I would have to keep school more like year round. I want to do the stuff I love in school - reading aloud, music, history, singing, praying together, memorizing. Yet, I know I need to do the other stuff too - math, Latin, writing, grammar, etc. How do I balance it all? Anyway, are any of you thinking about this or have any thoughts for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 And that is one of the reasons....so our days aren't so long... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I think with the ages your kiddoes are that it could easily be done by noon. Make sure you're organized, get them up and fed, get er done. You can work on Latin without spending an hour on it. Have fun and don't stress. Took me years to figure that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 For your ages definitely. As they get older I haven't found that to be the case and we start at 7 or 8 a.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 you just have to plan it out well. You have to have a schedule and stick to it. Do together stuff first (like read alouds, memory work, etc...), then start "attacking" the other subjects. Math takes the longest, 45 minutes to an hour. The rest should take no more than 30 minutes each (Grammar, Reading, Latin, writing, etc...) You need to start by 8:00-8:30, but it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anewday Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Do together stuff first (like read alouds, memory work, etc...), then start "attacking" the other subjects. Together stuff first...this is good advice. I have been doing it last when my little guy is down for his nap. While it's been helpful in that respect (no distractions), because it's afternoon and we're all tired, it tends to get easily pushed aside. We need to start our days earlier too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 :iagree: For your ages definitely. As they get older I haven't found that to be the case and we start at 7 or 8 a.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in IN Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Same here. Together stuff first. If I save it for the afternoon, it doesn't get done. It's easier to have my kids finish up independent work in the afternoon then to sit and try to read history! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeblossom Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 You also don't have to do everything every day. We've always done grammar and math daily, and everything else every other day or once or twice a week....that way each day is different, more interesting, and not so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 My kids are similar in age to the OP (2,4,6,8) and it never occurred to me to do the together stuff first. I always start with math, then la, etc and leave together for afternoon. Which is partly why it doesn't always get done I guess! Thanks for the suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I don't think I could finish by noon even if we started early without sacrificing content. Right now "school" starts at 10 am, any earlier is not feasible because of waiting for moods/meds etc to get to the right place/level. we school until 5 pm, with a short break for lunch. EVen if the kids stay 100% on task it would take that long. So we school for 6.5 hours a day to fit everything in, my Ker schools for 2 hours so I can't see how it is possible to do everything in only 4 unless you only do the Core subjects and nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Youngs Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Your schedule is YOUR schedule, it can change daily, weekly, or for special field trips, etc. These forms really helped me this year. I agree with the other posters: when we do our 'together' subjects first, the day goes more smoothly. FYI~ we take June off, then school year round, 4 wks on, 1 wk off with an extra break as we want to take it. We are never behind, bc we are months ahead by the time school starts. The boys don't mind it, we have plenty of time to add in extra stuff. We are able to finish by 1pm most days! ;0) My idea of a perfect day~ Just experiment and find your groove..... Dawanna http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/eyguide/ http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/daily/ http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/weekly/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Definitely at your kids ages. Once they get into the upper grades the day stretches on forever. Joking, just joking... Sort of :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 On another forum board I am a member of we are getting together a Yahoo Group to implement Joyce Swann's 3hr day school schedule. She suggests that you school from 8:30-11:30 everyday except weekends year round, taking breaks for holidays. What "seat" work the kids don't get done in that time is done as "homework" in the afternoons in place of them getting free time to explore hobbies, service-projects, and extras. I believe this can be a very effective way to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Schooling year-round helps a lot, we also do a 4-day scheduled week. We do our together stuff first and we do Math and LA every day. Science is done 2 days a week and history (altogether) is done 2 days. Friday is for projects, individual reading projects in subjects like History, catch up on something that didn't get done during the week, science projects, or things like that. It works well for us. As my dc get older though, we are doing a little longer school day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I do a "split" schedule. We do the "tough" stuff first, from 8-10. Then we take a nice long lunch hour, cleaning, doing chores, relaxing, and have a read-aloud. The "fun stuff" (projects, etc) wait till our afternoon session, something like 2-4. I love your idea of having "time segments" for each subject. I will likely try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nakitty Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I am wondering what your schedule looks like....it seems odd to me that school takes all day at your childrens ages. But, we do a year round school year so maybe that is why my kids are easily able to finish their workload by noon....and notice I said they are "able to" because....sometimes.....they slack and it does take ALL day to finish. :glare::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I think that schooling year-round helps keep our daily time lower. We also start early (7 or 7:30 am). We also do the 'together' stuff first. We keep a yearly and weekly schedule that helps to schedule curriculum in a staggered manner-you don't do 'everything all at once'-again-year-round homeschooling makes staggering different curriculums even easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIN Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 I am wondering what your schedule looks like....it seems odd to me that school takes all day at your childrens ages. I'm wondering the same thing, LOL! :) Actually, we school from 8-11:30 or so doing RightStart Math, Spell to Write and Read, piano for the 2 older boys (we do Suzuki piano I assist as needed w/ practice), memory - Bible verses, poems & Latin, Bible reading of some kind and singing together. I do a bit of pre-school with the 3yo (4 tomorrow!) We break for a nice, long lunch, free time and come back for History or Science from 2-3. My curricula is time consuming - SWR, RightStart math. My boys are young - so the K'er needs help with most everything. I want to do it ALL too. I want read alouds and memory and Latin and Bible together and singing and piano.... that's part of it too. I'm thinking right now about setting time limits on our subjects and moving on, picking up the next day where we left off. I might need to schedule 200 days into our school year instead of 180 or something like that... I don't know! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIN Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 On another forum board I am a member of we are getting together a Yahoo Group to implement Joyce Swann's 3hr day school schedule. She suggests that you school from 8:30-11:30 everyday except weekends year round, taking breaks for holidays. What "seat" work the kids don't get done in that time is done as "homework" in the afternoons in place of them getting free time to explore hobbies, service-projects, and extras. Can you tell me more about this? How does she do it? Set times for each subject? Does anyone who does this use more teacher intensive curricula? Any other info? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I'm wondering the same thing, LOL! :) Actually, we school from 8-11:30 or so doing RightStart Math, Spell to Write and Read, piano for the 2 older boys (we do Suzuki piano I assist as needed w/ practice), memory - Bible verses, poems & Latin, Bible reading of some kind and singing together. I do a bit of pre-school with the 3yo (4 tomorrow!) We break for a nice, long lunch, free time and come back for History or Science from 2-3. My curricula is time consuming - SWR, RightStart math. My boys are young - so the K'er needs help with most everything. I want to do it ALL too. I want read alouds and memory and Latin and Bible together and singing and piano.... that's part of it too. I'm thinking right now about setting time limits on our subjects and moving on, picking up the next day where we left off. I might need to schedule 200 days into our school year instead of 180 or something like that... I don't know! :) I think the key to being done by noon is being willing to do more days. For me, having school to do in the afternoon is drudgery, and constantly blowing off school in the afternoon because it's such drudgery is a mega guilt producer. I would much rather go year round and be done at noon every day than suffer through afternoon school. (Please don't tell my boys I used the words drudgery and suffer in reference to school. They'd never let me live it down.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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