Sahamamama Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 What order of subjects (or daily school routine) seems to work best for you? If you organize your days in more or less the same order, why? And why do you think that works best? I've been thinking of switching our routine around a bit, because some days, by the time we get to Read Alouds (which I consider most important), we fade out.... KWIM? I came across a few schedules which put the Read Alouds first, and that appeals to me. So, if you have a schedule, please post it here, and we'll all benefit from the wealth of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Mon-Thurs: 9-10 Math 10-10:30 Latin 10:30-11 Writing 11-12 Language Arts (right now, FLL & Grammarland for Grammar, and read aloud and literary discussion. We're doing the Wind in the Willows right now) 12-1 lunch break 1-2:30 History (2 x per week) or Science (2 x per week) This is basically how our days go Mon-Thurs when we are at home. We always start with math, and do history or science after lunch. I let DD choose the order of the other "morning" stuff. Fridays she does TT for math, a writing assignment, BTS logic, and reading. She also does free reading every day, in the morning, at lunch, and/or in the afternoon when "school" is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Daily: (Begin at 8 am) __ Assigned Reading __ Math __ Latin __ Xtramath.com __ Writing __ Memory Work __ Piano Finish by 11:30. Have lunch. 12:00 noon begin loop. If Monday or Friday, see below. Monday: Science Afternoon (3-4 hours) Friday: Weekly Quiz & History Afternoon (3-4 hours) Tue-Wed-Thurs Loop: __ Grammar __ Composer/Artist Studies __ Test Prep __ Spanish __ Yoga & Meditation __ Weekly Reader __ Daily Editing __ Geography __ Grammar with Diagramming __ Spanish __ Mythology __ Read Alouds __ Yoga & Meditation __ Spectrum Science (Luca) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 For February.... Monday - Thursday 7 -- Rise & shine 8 -- Bible 8:30 -- math 10 -- writing 11 -- piano/violin then read until lunch 12 -- lunch 1 -- Read 2 -- Latin 2:30 -- science reading or watch science video 3:30 -- Wii Fit or play outside After dinner, Scratch or Lego robotics with dad. Read in bed at night 1 hour. No formal grammar or history this month. We listen to SOTW almost daily during meals. Friday is a random day with outside classes and lots of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) I have been going through a difficult time and I am solo parenting. I am being more relaxed with the school subjects. They all need to read and do Math daily. Then at least one more subject. They have actually been doing more work:001_huh: Not sure if that is helpful. They each have their own planner which we go over at night. We talk about what they did and then write down what they want to do the following day. It is working well for us. wake up coffee start laundry & motivated moms list Little Ones diapers & clothes Breakfast & morning stuff (teeth, hair, beds) Rotate School Lessons & Other kids can help watch littles School with 8yo(exercise/movement then school) School with 12yo School with 15yo Diaper changes Clean up break (trash, laundry, kitchen, living room, toilets, windows) Lunch & Dinner prep Family Read Aloud & Bible 3:00 quiet time for everyone...no screen time Rotate again Dinner Clean up break (trash, laundry, kitchen, living room, toilets, windows) Go over school planners 8yo practice reading before bed Edited February 3, 2012 by Hausunterricht removed names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 And, yes I change diapers more than twice a day:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Here is the schedule we are currently following. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 And, yes I change diapers more than twice a day:tongue_smilie: :lol: That made me literally laugh out loud. You are wise to slow the pace down, though. :grouphug: and I wish you all the best in triumphing through your trials. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I have a very detailed, like down to the min. schedule. We don't always follow it (this week, we haven't followed it completely one day, actually..) but it gives us a good routine and we can get everything in that I want. 9:00 school starts: 5 min for prayer and a poem or saying aloud dd9 9:10 spelling 9:20 handwriting or copywork or memorywork (whatever we are working on) 9:40 writing 10:00 math w/mom 10:30 math on her own 11:00 assigned reading 11:30 Mon & Wed on her own: Latin, Tues: music w/sis 12:00 Lunch 12:30 I read aloud while they are finishing eating. I eat quicker than they do, so this works really well. 12:45 play outside 1:15 English (5 min for me to go over w/her, then on her own) 2:00 piano practice 2:15 rest/free reading time 3:00 Mon: art, Tues & Thurs: History, Wed: Science 4:00 outside time 6:00 dinner Any homework not finished has to be completed in the evening sometimes. dd7: 9:10 L.A. with me (phonics, spelling, dictation, writing as much English as we can get to) 10:00 work on workbooks on her own. 11:00 math with mom, then finish on her own 11:30 latin or music 12:00 lunch, read aloud, playtime schedule same as above 1:15 finish anything from the morning 1:45 piano practice The rest of the day is the same. She reads aloud to me in the evenings and I read aloud more at bedtime. This works very well for us. I have scheduled dd9 to do much of her independent work when I am working w/dd7. Then I work with dd9 once I have dd7 started on other things, then we do the afternoons together and the one time slot in the mornings together (music or latin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We do block scheduling so I don't have set start or end times, just amounts of time and the subjects that need to be covered in those times. This is how it breaks down: 1. 20-30 minutes: Circle Time (pledge, calendar, We Choose Virtues, read short devotional from book, hymn, American artist/folk song (alternate weeks), read from poetry book, prayer) 2. 1 hour: Teaching Block #1 with dd8 (Bible, history reading, math, Rotation Box in HOD (usually something hands-on), and Grammar) while dd4 plays with ds. 3. 45 minutes: Teaching Block with dd4 (all of her program, plus a few extras) while dd8 plays with ds. 4. 1 hour: Teaching Block #2 with dd8 (writing, storytime, read to mom, spelling, science) while dd4 plays with ds. 5. 30 minutes: Together Time with dd8 and dd 4 during ds' nap (art on Monday, Spanish on Tues/Thurs., HOD science experiment on Wed., and Miquon on Fri.) We do this over the course of the day. Whenever ds goes down for his nap, we immediately start Together Time even if it's not technically the next thing on the list. Just because we've got to fit those things in while ds is asleep or he will be all up in our business! :D Dd8 still has independent work to do once she finishes her time with me, but how long it takes her is up to her ;). For her independent work she does her math worksheet, CWP/IP, handwriting worksheet, poetry copywork, daily geography workbook, backside of grammar worksheet, and Timez Attack on the computer. This loose, but structured schedule works great for us. Good luck finding the right combo for your family :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 My current routine (subject to change on any given day, based on the needs of the baby) is this: -Make three piles of workboxes -- one for DD's work, one for DS1's work, and one for stuff we do together. (And one for DS2, age 3.) -Put DD's pile by her desk; DS1's pile and the group pile stay on my desk. -DD can work on her independent work (handwriting/grammar, French on some days, and reading) while I work with DS1. 3yo is usually happy to play for a while, and baby is generally napping or playing. -When DS1 is finished, I either work with DD on math, Latin, and memory work, or I do history, science, and the daily "special" subject (geography, picture study, music, religion, and hopefully soon, Shakespeare) with the whole group. Then I finish with DD, and she finishes her independent work. -Projects are for after lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We do all together things first, in this order, but do not do science or Geography every day, they usually alternate: Bible Read Alouds Science Geography (was history, this year Geography) Cursive (separate things but done at same time) Short break Then, done individually with me subjects: math, language arts for both, foreign languages added for my daughter, also she has other extras at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threedogfarm Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Our schedule: Chores, eat breakfast, etc. before 10 a.m. school starts at 10a.m. math spelling language arts history science (nature walk/project/reading) All done before lunch is served. We do math first (two children, each working separately) because it is the subject that each like the least. Then we do the rest together. Our day goes very quickly and both children work efficiently (most of the time) because then they have free time the rest of the day until we have an afternoon event scheduled (an art class or trip to library). Everyone is very motivated if we plan to ski in the afternoon. Music is rotated in too. 10 a.m. start time was suggested by my son this winter because he preferred to have some "downtime" (which really means play time) before school started. I was reluctant at first because I thought he was trying to avoid school. But for an 8 y.o. he stated his case very well by explaining he would be better prepared to work if he could slowly work his way into his day. And he was right--what a difference! It also gives me a little prep time if necessary first and some time to myself in the morning too (both children are very happily playing with each other). I do not schedule in "reading" time because my children always read on their own several times a day when they take a break from playing. Books on tape are usually played in the car. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We've tried everything from detailed schedules (with each child working on a different subject during each time slot) to the random pick-whatever-you-want-to-do-next routine. Dh and talked about our goals for the homeschool, and he helped me come up with a routine that works for us. So, here is what we are doing now: 8 a.m. Breakfast, then get dressed, make beds, brush teeth, etc. I get the kitchen cleaned up, get the baby dressed, and start laundry. 9:30 a.m. (or earlier) Start school. (Generally, my oldest two have already started an independent subject before this time). From approx 9:30 till noon, it's the 3R's block. We decided it was important to do those first each day. I prefer for them to start with math since it takes the longest. I help the 1st grader while the 3rd and 4th graders work independently. I do help them as needed. My 5yo has recently started K math, so I spend a few minutes with him too. This block also includes phonics for the 5yo and 1st grader, and reading, English, and dictation for the 3rd and 4th graders. If they finish early, they can play. 12:00 Lunch 1:00 or so (whenever the baby goes down for an afternoon nap) History, science, Bible block. This year we are running more than one HOD guide, so the dc take turns hearing their read-alouds. My oldest two work on timeline, vocabulary, written narrations, science notebooks, etc. Next year we'll be doing the content subjects all together, but it will still be after lunch. Except I might move Bible to first thing after breakfast. 3:00 School's out; play outside! Anyone who isn't finished has to stay inside and finish. Sometime during the day when the baby is awake the oldest two also have to practice piano. They also have a few extra subjects that they work on together after everything else is finished for the day (Challenging Word Problems, Music Theory, Highlights Which Way USA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 This is our Tuesday-Friday schedule 8:30-9:30 - Circle Time 9:30-10:30 - Work with M-girl (others do piano, Latin, independent work) 10:30-11:30 - Work with N-boy (others do piano, Latin, independent work) 11:30-12:30 - Work with R-girl (others do piano, Latin, independent work) 12:30-1:00 - Lunch 1:00-1:30 - Bible 1:30-2:00 - History, Art, or Science 2:00 - Quiet Time! Mondays, we do "project day." Circle Time then some sort of Bible, Art, History, Science project(s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 This is our current schedule: 6:30 wake up breakfast, clean-up, brush teeth, get dressed, showers, start laundry Second Grade: math, writing, Prima Latina, AAS/FLL 1/2 (opposite days) fit in preschool work as able (math & handwriting MWF and AAR pre-1 T/Th) 9:30 morning snack read-alouds Kindergarten: handwriting, math, and reading/spelling 11: toddler ds goes to sleep/other kids go out to play in the back yard 1: lunch (toddler eats when he wakes up, which is sometimes a little later) 2: quiet time for 4yo and 5yo afternoon work for second grader: Spanish, Minimus, faith formation read-alouds, history/science (opposite days), cursive (when we get to it) 4: Quiet time is over. Clean up and afternoon snack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We have tried everything and have finally recently hit on one that works. 8:00 Morning Devotions 8:30 Piano practice 9:00-11:30 Writing, Spelling, Grammar, Math, History/Science (trade off) This is for both kids, with breaks in between. 11:30 Lunch 12:00 Preschool pick-ups, other errands, allergy shots 1:00 Chapter book read-aloud 1:30 Kids read-aloud to me 2:00 Quiet time 3:30 Outside to play with neighbors, or off to Tae Kwon Do (then I call them in for dinner when it gets dark or we arrive home to dinner in crockpot) Times are just estimations but the schedule works pretty well. If we are late in one block, we usually catch up in another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnomeyNewt Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We do kind of a loop schedule. We don't have a scheduled time when we start or end, but usually after morning chores and breakfast. We do them in any order we feel on that day. I do print out these list every week to check off as we complete each task (and add/remove things). In addition to our daily schedule, we also do Read Alouds throughout the day and at bedtime, along with any educational videos or youtube on Science and History. DAY 1 Daily Reader - RSO Chemistry (next lesson) All About Spelling (1 Lesson) Math Lapbook Practice Piano (15 minutes) Copywork (1 quote) Language Lessons (next lesson) Teaching Textbooks (next lesson) Math Practice (1 page) Xtra Math (10 minutes) Mapping Skills Workbook (2 pages) DAY 2 Daily Reader - American History: Drawing/Art American History: Lapbook All About Spelling (1 Lesson) Art: Little Annie's Art & Manners Book Practice Piano (15 minutes) Cursive Handwriting (1 line) Language Lessons (next lesson) Teaching Textbooks (next lesson) Math Practice (1 page) Xtra Math (10 minutes) DAY 3 Daily Reader - RSO Chemistry (next lesson) Health Workbook (1 page) All About Spelling (1 Lesson) Math Lapbook Practice Piano (15 minutes) Cursive Handwriting (1 line) Language Lessons (next lesson) Teaching Textbooks (next lesson) Math Practice (1 page) Xtra Math (10 minutes) DAY 4 Daily Reader - American History: Draw Your History or Timeline American History: Lapbook All About Spelling (1 Lesson) Art: Little Annie's Art & Manners Book Practice Piano (15 minutes) Cursive Handwriting (1 line) Language Lessons (next lesson) Teaching Textbooks (next lesson) Math Practice (1 page) Xtra Math (10 minutes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I've got a link in my signature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilsblessings Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I have all young kids (oldest is just turning 6) so you can take what will help from our schedule. Here is our daily schedule. This is pretty much how our weeks look but I have started adding HOD again instead of some of what is on there - always changing it up here... I was having a hard time fitting in picture books, poetry, ok any book :001_huh: so I had to figure out what would actually get done at our house. Hopefully this will give you some different ideas. Sorry about all the links but I didn't really want to rewrite it all.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I keep a fiarly strict schedule. First, there are places we need to be at certain times on various afternoons, so we need to be finished with school before we leave. Second, we get much more done on the schedule. It takes some time for the kids to build up stamina at first, but once they are used to the schedule, the day goes very smoothly. We do our history reading (our spine) during "history" at 1:00, but most of our other fun read alouds (history biographies, historical fiction, other fun books) we read before bedtime or during other free time. My husband has taken over the job of reading most of the fun read aloud books to the kids. I know when I have picked a good one because I find them all piled together on the couch reading it on Saturday morning. 8:00 Opening Ceremonies (Pledge of Allegiance, sing patriotic song) 8:05-9:15 Math, teach English lesson 9:15-9:45 Break 9:45-10:45 Do English written exercises, Spelling, Writing 10:45-11:30 Lunch, Break 11:30-12:30 Rotation (one child reads aloud to me for 15 minutes, the other kids sit at table and do independent workbooks which may include handwriting, vocabulary, reading comprehension, logic, and/or finish morning work) 12:30-1:00 Break 1:00-2:30 Memory work (5-10 minutes), A Beka Oral Language Exercises (1 minute), History reading, plus *EXTRA *EXTRA--varies by day of the week: Monday--Music + lapbook exercise Tuesday--Civics/Government/State history + lapbook exercise Wednesday--Geography + lapbook exercise Thursday--Science Friday--Art + lapbook exercise ETA: I do our core subjects first thing in the day because the kids are fresh, and I consier these subjects the most important to do well. Reading, writing, and math are my priorities for teaching during elementary years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 I've got a link in my signature. Yup. It was the schedule on your blog that inspired me to rethink our routine! :D Of course, I'm not working with FIVE boys. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Here are a what our days look like. For a month I wrote everything we did throughout the day during school hours. Day 89 Day 87 Day 85 Day 83 I basically use a block schedule. It looks something like this: Latin~with Josh, Caleb, Annette, Brent Math or Grammar~with Josh. I rotate with him, one week math one week grammar. He does both daily, I just rotate the teaching. Preparing School~with Caleb and Brent (HOD) AAR~with Lance Beyond School~with Ethan and Lance AAS/R&S English~with Ethan Math~with Lance Lunch AAS/Shurley English with Caleb and Brent For the most part I keep it as is above but there are days when I need to squeeze someone else in. If there is no room to squeeze another lesson in, then I'll skip a grammar or AAS lesson with one of the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 7:00ish Morning routine 8:30 Math (when our minds are fresh so no meltdowns) 9:30 Grammar and Writing 10:30 Spelling and Latin 11:30 Memory Work (we do a lot of this together) 12:30 Lunch and break 1:30 Reading/Phonics/Lit (nice to be able to sit and read after lunch and while littles take naps) 2:30 Science, History, Bible, or Geography 4:30 Exercise and Music practice and Preschool (including read aloud) 5:30 Chores, dinner, family time, free time 8:00 Family Devotional, littles go to bed halfway through 9:00 Read aloud to older kids 9:30 kids in bed, Mom time to finish chores, read, computer, etc. The one hour blocks work well for us b/c they aren't too short or too long. We have a longer block in the afternoon so we can dive into the topic. The little kids get their time with me while the older ones are being productive with music practice or getting a little exercise. And we fit in read aloud before bed when it is natural to wind down with a good book. When I did read aloud in the morning it caused us all to feel sleepy or lazy and we didn't feel like then sitting with bookwork to do. If we get the bookwork done by 11:30 it consistently gets done. During Memory work time we change positions a lot and play games and such so it is more fun which is good since they start getting restless after all those other subjects. Then after lunch most of what we do involves reading or projects. I highly recommend this order! It works very well for us after trying many other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 This is what we are currently doing. I've found that for us doing math early in the day works much better. There are also subjects such as Latin that go more smoothly after a long break. Times are a guide. We may skip spelling if math takes longer one day and so on. 8:45--Test Prep 9:00--Math 10:15--Spelling (Philosophy one day a week) 10:30--Spanish (Philosophy one day a week) 11:00--Elevenses, outside time, chores etc 12:00--Latin and/or Logic 1:00--Language Arts-loop of sorts-grammar, writing, poetry, vocab, etc 2:00--Science 3:00--Tea, poetry, piano, nature study, or leave for activity 4:00--History (on days we have no activity) 5 or 6 finish formal studies for the day (on days we have no activity) We do most read alouds at bedtime now. It was different when dd was younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Yup. It was the schedule on your blog that inspired me to rethink our routine! :D Of course, I'm not working with FIVE boys. :) You read it :blush:. Thanks :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 And, yes I change diapers more than twice a day:tongue_smilie: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I have two different groups of students, my oldest who can do some work independently and my two younger ones who need me more...It is easier for me right now to divide our schedule into time slots the boys work with me, rather than subject times... Here is our basic schedule... Tuesday - Friday 9:00 Independent Work (5th grader - he usually reads during this time) / 1st Grader and K works with me 10:00 5th Grader works with me/ Break for younger two or finish any independent work that they can do 11:00 Independent Work for 5th grader/ 1st Grader (and K if necessary) works with me 12:00 Lunch for all / Break for all (1st grader and K finished for the day) 1:00 5th Grader works with me, usually until 2 but we can go until 3 if we need to...I usually end up "hovering" at this point... We are usually done at 2, but we will not go past 3...We are going to start a "Tea Time" at 3, when we usually have our afternoon snack...I am planning to read aloud to all three boys while we drink tea and have a snack...After that, the boys are done for the day...My 5th grader will usually work on reading again before bedtime, from like 8:00-8:30...Lights out at 8:30 (or 9 if he begs to finish a chapter :tongue_smilie:) Mondays we go to enrichment classes from 9-12...We have lunch still at 12 and then commute the half hour back home...I work with my 5th grader from 2-3, then we are planning "Tea Time" at 3...So the younger two are off from our regular school day on Mondays and my oldest does our routine for an hour and also reads on his own in the evening... I hope this makes sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I start at 8 with my oldest. We do 30 minutes of math, 30 minutes of Latin and and hour (altogther) of writing, grammar, spelling, and "special" subject (either literature or Greek history, depending on the day. When Ds is finished I switch to dd and do about one hour (altogether) of phonics (20 min), math (20 min), writing (10 min.) and grammar(10 min.) Times are approximate but pretty consistent. Then I bring all the kids together and we do 1-1 1/2 hours of together work: Monday is geography Tuesday is science Wednesday and Thursday are history Friday is art. We do the above 4 days a week and on Fridays we do more interest led work. Ds must chose a history book and a science book, read them and write 5-8 sentences on the topic. He spends lots of time drawing pictures and diagrams. He has to do spelling and Latin tests, violin practice and 2 30 minute stints on the computer doing math and geography drills. While he does that I read to the girls and dd does narrations and pictures (also science and history based) Each girl also has some computer time (Starfall mainly). We all finish up doing art together (errmm. Sometimes that is...) We have lunch about 1pm, which is when I do read alouds, and ds has 30 min. assigned reading afterwards. The youngers go up for quiet time. Ds joins them when he finishes. Everyone is up at three and ds does violin practice and we are done for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We do phonics and handwriting workbooks first together. 8:30 Girl 2 goes for a 30-minute break. Girl 1: Math, grammar MonWedFri, spelling. Girl 2: After 30 minute break, math. This goes on while I'm working with Girl 1. Together: Writing. Girl 1 finished with 3 R's (10-10:30a) Girl 2: Grammar MonWedFri, spelling. After lunch, we read for 30-45 minutes, either history or science, whichever fits best for the day. An hour before bed, we read another hour. SPrinkled throughout is Girl 3 in short spurts with Math, HWT, and AAR. :001_huh: NOt sure if this makes sense! Our mornings go from 8:30 to 11, but the girl who goes first gets done at about 10 to 10:30 with basics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) 6:30 I get up, kids wake anywhere from 7-8:00 these days 8:00 chores (all four of us) 8:30 breakfast and together time, group subjects begin -----conversational Spanish -----science and/or nature study -----history -----art -----LoF -----MCTLA (DS5 wanders away at this point) -----music appreciation (while I make lunch) 12:00 lunch and literature (I read while they eat.) 12:30 one-on-one with DS8 1:30 one-on-one with DD 2:30 one-on-one with DS5 3:30 tea and poetry 4:00 play time (They also get play time during the two hours of one-on-one time that they are not working with me.) 5:30 quick clean up before Dad gets home 6:00 dinner This year I changed our schedule so that we are doing group subjects in the morning and individual subjects in the afternoon. I realized that I need physical energy for the fun stuff and to handle them (patiently!) as a group, but I primarily need mental energy for the skill subjects, making them perfect for the afternoon, when I just want to sit still and rest. I want quiet at that point, and I'm out of physical energy. Sitting and doing work one-on-one with each child is actually quite serene. By treating content subjects as group work, I can teach broadly, as skill level does not matter as much for these subjects. Everyone takes what they can and produces according to their own age and ability. This is the fun, happy, exciting stuff. No one wants a break from science experiments, history activities, art projects, etc. Then, because each child gets my full attention during their individual time in the afternoon, there is no lull in the pace of their work, no fidgeting while waiting after being told to hold on while I explain something to another child. In my limited experience, that is when you lose them. Simultaneously teaching the same subject to multiple kids on different levels is a breeding ground for distraction here. You can actually watch it snowball into complete mutiny. :lol: When I am sitting right there with them, one-on-one, they are much less distracted. My constant presence keeps them on task, although I do not necessarily have to be interacting the entire time. I will teach a bit and then they work on something. But I stay there, sipping tea and reading or cruising the boards or making a grocery list. The important thing is that I am there and at the ready. This switch has also cut down on interruptions of one-on-one work. By the afternoon, all three have had their fill of my attention/involvement. Because they have been learning all morning and now have freedom to play, they are happy for a break and wander off, not needing me. Seems like before, if I tried to do one-on-one in the mornings, they wanted me, needed me, were bored or whiny. I don't know. This is just working so much better for us! Edited February 3, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Anna Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We start school betwen 9 and 9:30 T through F: Dd8: Math, Handwriting/Copying memory work, Latin, Grammar Dd5: Math, Phonics, Handwriting Break around 10:30 or 11:00: Snack. Then: Dd8: Dictation, Memory Work, Book Report/Discussion (Friday only), Spelling Lunch: 12 - 1 Afternoon School happens M-F: Dd8: Piano practice, Math review, History/Science/Art or Music Appreciation and Art Dd5: History, Character Development/Science, Piano practice, tagging along with Dd8's fun stuff. School ends at 2pm. Theoretically. Dd8 often takes a narration or experiment page off to Rest Time to finish. Rest Time is over at 3:30, and other stuff happens from then on. Audio books are common, Dd8 does her reading then, etc. Things are feeling pretty tight right now. I know we'll need to change things next year to accomodate Dd8's longer workload. HTH! Mama Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 What order of subjects (or daily school routine) seems to work best for you? If you organize your days in more or less the same order, why? And why do you think that works best? I've been thinking of switching our routine around a bit, because some days, by the time we get to Read Alouds (which I consider most important), we fade out.... KWIM? I came across a few schedules which put the Read Alouds first, and that appeals to me. So, if you have a schedule, please post it here, and we'll all benefit from the wealth of ideas. I have both a general and a more specific answer to that question. I do not have a time-bound schedule a-la 9am-10am do this, 10am--11am do that. When we first started out, I had to give my kids guidance in the form of prioritizing their lists-- ie, Okay, DS1, please do self-reading first, then do math; follow with vocabulary, then Latin. Then we'll take a break to play or run outside. Next plan on listening to music or having art project time, then we'll work on history, then have lunch, then more play, then we'll do our read aloud, followed by Latin and German . . . etc. Now they're both (DS11 and DS8) experienced enough that I can just leave a list on the kitchen table. They look it over, eat breakfast, grab a book, and get to work. If somebody needs a break, we agree to play, head outdoors, or listen to music or read out loud together. **I do still provide guidance to my 8YO. He has some executive function issues on top of being, well, 8 years old, and I would not really expect an 8YO to be entirely self-directed :D. Even the 11YO checks in with me regularly, but he's doing really well. I do check their work throughout the day, and sometimes we re-work something, and of course I do sit down and cover some lessons one-on-one with each of them. It works well for us. I let them know first thing in the morning if we have extras in the day ("We have to leave for gym class by 11:15am, but we can bring small workbooks with us to work on at the gym if you want a change of scenery . . ." "Doc appointment today; be in the car by 2pm, save your Latin, Vocabulary, and self-reading to do in the waiting room."). The more general answer is here: I just wrote about more general scheduling in this week's blog (our two-week rotation between science/math and history/language foci). http://hillandalefarmschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/schedule-scramble-listening-to-kids.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 We do our literature read alouds at night. We started that 4 or 5 years ago and it works really well. The ones too young to listen can go to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) We have a basic daily routine 7 days a week that I follow. We school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for our "core" subjects. I also babysit two kiddos M-F and they have adjusted well: 5:30am: My girls are up or getting up and I shower (The babysitting kids arrive about 6:45am, M-F) 8am: breakfast with the Bible read aloud and lesson (just a devotional reading on the weekends) 9am: crafts (if we are doing any that day) 10am: snack/story time (7x a week - the combine read aloud time with all kids, usually library picture books) 11:30am: lunch noon: quiet time/naps afternoons: nothing planned, the babysitting kids leave about 3:30 5pm: supper 8pm: Small girl to bed then I work on the core subjects with my big girl: math/reading/English and/or science (again M, T, Th and Fri) 9pm: Big girl to bed with a chapter book read aloud I'm usually in bed at 10pm-ish *** This is my "planned" schedule. It doesn't include the "unschooling" time my big girl does on her own. All of the kids participate in the morning activities and I leave the one-on-one stuff for the night. Works very well for us and my big girl is very focused at night. We have three read aloud times but there are times when I'm too tired for the chapter book read aloud at night. Edited February 4, 2012 by MissKNG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Our schedule seems to be in constant flux responding to my 1yo's changes in nap schedule. We are currently migrating to a morning only schedule, and I LOVE it! I use the times as guidelines. 8:00 Breakfast & morning chores 8:30 One-on-one with 4th grader 10:45 One-on-one with 2nd grader, indep work for 4th grader 12:00 Lunch 1:00 Read picture books with 3yo & 5yo (about 2-3 days/week) 1:30 math & phonics for 5yo (about 2-3 days/week) 8:30 read aloud if 1yo cooperates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thyme4tea Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) are most of you home 5 days a week? I really want a schedule but it seems like we never had a typical week. I dream of cutting everything out and just doing school all the time but I also LOVE the field trips, plays, scouts, co-ops, music, martial arts, swimming lessons, art lessons... We try to keep the activities to afternoons but that means the school day ends at noon often. Any insight from others struggling with schedule and outside activities? Edited February 4, 2012 by thyme4tea iPad autocorrect is frustrating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) are most of you home 5 days a week? I really want a schedule but it seems like we never had a typical well. I dream of cutting everything out and just doing school all the time but I also LOVE the field trips, plays, scouts, co-ops, music, martial arts, swimming lessons, art lessons... We try to keep the activities to afternoons but that means the school day ends at noon often. Any insight from others struggling with schedule and outside activities? Yes, we stay home five days a week. Staying home keeps us on track. When we leave home (for doctor appt. or dentist) it really throws us off and we don't usually finish school that day. Edited February 4, 2012 by Homeschooling6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) I just redid our schedule because like the OP I found myself fading out just at the times we were to do the fun things like reading together or Science. I'm super structured (have to be or things would be chaotic!) so our day is down to the minute. This is our schedule for my 11yo, 9yo and 7yo: 7:00 Rise and Shine! Beds made, help a "younger" get dressed 7:15 Help with breakfast 7:30 Breakfast, clean up 8:15 Bible 8:30 Pathways/Handwriting - independent;Mom time w/"littles" 9:00 Spelling/Grammar ("littles" watch 30-minute movie) 9:30 Snack 9:45 Horizons - independent; Mom reads w/5yo; "littles" on computer/nap 10:00 History (moved from afternoon when I was often too tired to do it) 11:00 Lunch prep (11yo); with "littles" (9yo); Math w/Mom (7yo/5yo) 11:30 Lunch 12:15 Science (again, moved earlier so I would have energy to do it) 1:00 Writing (often coincides with Science or History lesson) 2:00 Snack 2:15 Math 3:00 Literature (a nice finish to our day, usually a read aloud coinciding with History - currently reading The Golden Goblet) "Littles" means my 1yo and 3yo. The twins are, well, the "twins" and are with me or an older sibling. Yes, we stay home five days a week. Staying home keeps us on track. When we leave home (for doctor appt. or dentist) it really thows us off and we don't usually finish school that day. We are only out of the house with rare exception. When I had only "littles" we were often out and about (field trips, park days, etc.). Once the older dc hit about 4th grade things began to change and by the time they were in 6th grade we were definitely "home bound" most of the time. The result was worth it: calmer days/weeks, finished school, calmer mommy :), better focus. Edited February 4, 2012 by LuvnMySvn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 are most of you home 5 days a week? We are home during school hours (until 3-6pm) 5 days a week. We do make rare exceptions for single day events. Otherwise, activities take place in the evenings or on weekends. We are only out of the house with rare exception....... The result was worth it: calmer days/weeks, finished school, calmer mommy :), better focus. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) I get up whenever, but I need to be ready to get the kids up by 7. So, if I want a morning shower, time to read or stretch, etc., I should get up earlier. 7-8am - breakfast, getting ready for the day, waking up (I have groggy morning dawdlers at the moment) 8:30-9 Bible lesson, practice Catechism The rest is only a checklist I have in a simple page-a-day 8x11 daytimer. Each day of the week has it's own list of subjects as follows, and I just check them off as they get done, in no particular order: MONDAY: Bible Phonics/Spelling Math Typing Grammar WWE/WWS Penmanship Literature (this includes discussion, oral reading practice, WTM lit.) Writing (WTM topical writing on history, science, or literature - rotates between those subjects) History PE - usually consists of playing outside; trekking through woods in knee-deep snow & breaking a sweat is exercise, after all. They also go to the gym a couple times a week w/ dh. Logic Latin TUESDAY: Same as Mon. except EftRU is added to Latin and Geography is added to History WEDNESDAY: Same as Mon. except a reading comprehension/speed test is added to Literature and we do Art Appreciation THURSDAY: Same as Mon. except we do Science instead of History, EftRU is added to Latin, and we do an Art Skill lesson FRIDAY: Same as Mon. except Typing is optional (dep. on how dc are doing w/ it), penmanship is opt. (or it can be copywork or neatly writing a final draft for another subject), Lit. is opt. unless a dc needs to finish reading a book or writing/discussing, Latin is a short review, Science instead of History, and we add Nature Study Dc's personal to-do lists; outside of "official school time" (but can be done while waiting for me if I'm working w/ other dc): exercise, WTM Free Reading, practice musical instrument, study for Awana "Extra-curriculars" for the 2 I'm homeschooling: 1x/wk - music lessons for ea. dc after 3pm 1x/wk - meet from 2-4pm w/ a group of other hs-ers and a local ornithologist for hands-on experiential science/nature study; sometimes scientists from other fields visit our group For the next couple months only, 1-3x/wk - meet w/ a group to learn in-person (as much as possible) about local, state, & federal gov't. Times are erratic as we are working with the times elected officials have available. This is temporary. (and Awana, of course) Edited February 4, 2012 by Annabel Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 are most of you home 5 days a week? I really want a schedule but it seems like we never had a typical well. I dream of cutting everything out and just doing school all the time but I also LOVE the field trips, plays, scouts, co-ops, music, martial arts, swimming lessons, art lessons... We try to keep the activities to afternoons but that means the school day ends at noon often. Any insight from others struggling with schedule and outside activities? We are home 4 and a half days out of the week...The boys have three enrichment classes on Monday mornings that are from 9-12...We miss a morning doing school at home, but they are taking academic and PE enrichment classes, so missing the morning is worth it to us...If we had something to do everyday, we would never get school work done... I also use to love to be out, but had to deny that part of myself for the sake of the boys education...When my oldest was younger, we were out all of the time...As he got older and started to have siblings, I found we all needed to be home more...The educational demands increase for us as the boys get older, so we need more time at home...Field trips and such are great, but only if they apply to what the boys are learning that year...We usually do field trips as a family and not as part of a group...I plan where we are going and when, usually when my husband is off and can join us... You just have to strike a balance...I can't go out all of the time and have the time and energy to teach, clean the house, cook, and pursue things I enjoy like knitting or a good movie...So I pick and choose where to spend my time...Did I also add that I tend to be lazy and not the most motivated, so I need even more time at home than a person who is a go getter :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 are most of you home 5 days a week? I really want a schedule but it seems like we never had a typical well. I dream of cutting everything out and just doing school all the time but I also LOVE the field trips, plays, scouts, co-ops, music, martial arts, swimming lessons, art lessons... We try to keep the activities to afternoons but that means the school day ends at noon often. Any insight from others struggling with schedule and outside activities? Yes, we stay home 5 days a week during the day. My kids take speech and PE at the public school, but those activities don't take me out of the house. We went through the season of going out & about with lots of activities. While that season of life was fun, we weren't able to be consistent with schooling, and we didn't get down time at home. Now our activities are all after school, just like PS kids. We are only out of the house with rare exception. When I had only "littles" we were often out and about (field trips, park days, etc.). Once the older dc hit about 4th grade things began to change and by the time they were in 6th grade we were definitely "home bound" most of the time. The result was worth it: calmer days/weeks, finished school, calmer mommy :), better focus. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Did I also add that I tend to be lazy and not the most motivated, so I need even more time at home than a person who is a go getter :tongue_smilie: :lol: This describes me too! I need a lot of white space in my mind and time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 For 7th grade: Monday - Thursday 8:30-8:40 Journal Writing 8:40-8:50 Critical Thinking Skills Practice (Short activity involving sequencing, cause & efffect, drawing conclusions, making inferences, interpreting word problems, etc.) 8:50-9:15 Grammar 9:15-10:15 Math 10:15-10:30 Break & Snack 10:30-11:00 P.E. 11:00-11:30 Free Reading 11:30-12:15 Geography and/or Science (We don't do both on the same day.) 12:15-12:45 Lunch 12:45-1:30 Reading/Literature 1:30-2:00 Bible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 :lol: This describes me too! I need a lot of white space in my mind and time. :lol: Exactly.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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