Mommyfaithe Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Sometimes it takes me longer to prep my kids work and check it than it takes them to do it.....something is just WRONG about that. Lately, it has been taking me almost an hour a night....for 3 kids, and we just do the next thing...but if everything is not ready in the morning....we don't do it....SOOOOOOO.....I get it ready. Any tips to streamlining.....I am :bigear::bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkateLeft Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Hmm... What part of your prep is taking so much time? Are you writing out assignments, or is it gathering materials? Is it specific subjects, like science, that takes so much time? I pretty much ditch any curriculum that's prep intensive. Each kid has a shelf with their materials on them, so when we're done everything just goes back in its place. Since we just do the next thing there's really nothing to prep. On Sunday afternoon, I write out assignments in planners for the younger kids. The oldest manages her own stuff. When I do planners, I also print anything that needs to be printed out for the week. That's about it for prep though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 I am writing out lessons/ assignments...AND creating worksheets for many of our other books...such as the literature, science, history, biography books, etc.. I make narration pages ala WTM for my little guys... I really need to come up with generic templates or something...sigh....I wish I could find a program with what I need. Sonlight has NO workpages whatsoever for the core we are using! So friustrating!!! Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 You are obviously more experienced than I, but I would look into either some generic notebooking pages like you said, or maybe something from Notebookingpages.com or a similar site. I'm doing THE filing system with my dd next year. We have already started on a smaller version of it the past couple weeks (a trial run, if you will) and I'm LOVING it. In your case, you could file all the notebooking pages for each week. That way, you just need to pull out each week's folder on Sunday night. I like the idea of using summer planning excitement to do most of the work for the year and just riding on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Well, that is what making worksheets etc for 3 kids looks like. It takes hours and hours to create your own stuff. Can you stop? I do about 1 hour of prep over every weekend, at my convenience, to write down all our 'do the next thing' assignments. Each kid has an assignment book (bought at staples in August) and I just fill it in. Well, the elder boy fills it in himself, but we do it together. I do all the printing and copying etc at time. I like everything read to go for the week on Monday morning. For science and history, I do all my 'project prep' when I order my books etc for the coming year. I gather all my science and SOTW material during the summer and have it ready to go. When I do my weekly prep it is just a matter of getting it out of the box. Why do you need worksheets? Just write down the narrations in a history binder. Have them draw a picture and call it done. It would free up lots of time that you could spend with your kids or husband. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Here's a question for you. If it is "do the next thing" kind of things, why does that need to be written down. If dc finish lesson 12, you put a book mark in, can't they just understand to do lesson 13 the next day? I hope I don't sound snarky, I just don't understand. As to making up your own worksheets, eek. Is there anything on hslaunch? There should be something pre made available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Take a look at History Scribe and Science Scribe- they offer blanks and pre-printed journal style pages for a variety of topics. You can preview items at Currclick. Also, visit abcteach.com and look at the Member Tools preview. You would have to purchase a membership (HSBC offers a discount) but if the program would create the worksheets you wanted, it might be worth the $. Finally, are there any other websites that are fee based that would offer the types of worksheets you are wanting? Maybe take a look around and see what is being offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 Well, that is what making worksheets etc for 3 kids looks like. It takes hours and hours to create your own stuff. Can you stop? I do about 1 hour of prep over every weekend, at my convenience, to write down all our 'do the next thing' assignments. Each kid has an assignment book (bought at staples in August) and I just fill it in. Well, the elder boy fills it in himself, but we do it together. I do all the printing and copying etc at time. I like everything read to go for the week on Monday morning. For science and history, I do all my 'project prep' when I order my books etc for the coming year. I gather all my science and SOTW material during the summer and have it ready to go. When I do my weekly prep it is just a matter of getting it out of the box. Why do you need worksheets? Just write down the narrations in a history binder. Have them draw a picture and call it done. It would free up lots of time that you could spend with your kids or husband. welp...I need the worksheets, because I work from home...and my kids do go to my SIL to hoeschool twice a week. I don't like them sitting around waiting fo me to do narrations, and am trying to move them into some independent work . We school together for about 1 1/2 hour in the AM, doing our read alouds, Bible, History...then they have about an 1 1/2 hour of independent work. Obviously, my 8th grader has more.... I wish I could find a program that used living books, had nice notebooking pages...AND was written out for the student to follow. I have not had any such luck!! I am going to try to get this all done for the week on Sunday....maybe that will streamline the time....sigh.....Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 Here's a question for you. If it is "do the next thing" kind of things, why does that need to be written down. If dc finish lesson 12, you put a book mark in, can't they just understand to do lesson 13 the next day? I hope I don't sound snarky, I just don't understand. As to making up your own worksheets, eek. Is there anything on hslaunch? There should be something pre made available. I find my kids need accountablility...and also an actual assignment in order to get anything into their little noggins:D If I don't have them do SOMETHING with what they read, they just say they did....when they didn't! YUP!!! They would just tell me they did read it....no idea what they read....as soon as I started giving them some kind of assignment for each book....all of a sudden, their comprehension has increased exponentially. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Well, for the actual notebooking pages themselves, I'm no help. But, for writing out assignments, I do that over the weekend in an excel spreadsheet. I have one page for each child - subjects down the side and days across the top. Each week I copy the prior week into a new sheet and then adjust page numbers, etc. as needed. They each have a clip board for their weekly sheet - they are without excuse for what they ought to be working on without me if they are waiting on me. I would not work well if I had to think through that everynight. By the way, if something needs to be moved or delayed, I just write in the change on their sheet (and mine - I keep a copy for myself). It's easier to cross out assignments than to add them after they've already seen their sheets. (Funny how they don't mind if I cross things off, but they object vehemently to my adding something in, LOL!) Don't know if that would be helpful to you or not.... Then you would just be making the notebooking pages the night before. maybe. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I wish I could find a program that used living books, had nice notebooking pages...AND was written out for the student to follow. I have not had any such luck!! Heart of Dakota is like this, but mainly in CTC and up. Have you looked at Donna Young's site for templates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Heart of Dakota is like this, but mainly in CTC and up. Have you looked at Donna Young's site for templates? Thanks for the suggestions. I forgot about Donna Young!!!! I will taken another look at HOD. ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Well, for the actual notebooking pages themselves, I'm no help. But, for writing out assignments, I do that over the weekend in an excel spreadsheet. I have one page for each child - subjects down the side and days across the top. Each week I copy the prior week into a new sheet and then adjust page numbers, etc. as needed. They each have a clip board for their weekly sheet - they are without excuse for what they ought to be working on without me if they are waiting on me. I would not work well if I had to think through that everynight. By the way, if something needs to be moved or delayed, I just write in the change on their sheet (and mine - I keep a copy for myself). It's easier to cross out assignments than to add them after they've already seen their sheets. (Funny how they don't mind if I cross things off, but they object vehemently to my adding something in, LOL!) Don't know if that would be helpful to you or not.... Then you would just be making the notebooking pages the night before. maybe. :D Is there a "spreadsheet for dummies" app.....or at least..." Spreadsheets for old ladies"???? Lol.....I can't figure out how to make one.....lol...now I feel stupid. I think I am going to try to make a week or 2 up tonight.....then see how it goes. If it works, I may make 9 weeks at a go.....hmmmmmm.... It was easier with my older kids.....I didn't have to work an outside job, we could do things orally and I knew they knew them...they tended to be interested in learning.....they were not just "let's get this over with" kids. We could school at odd times etc. This bunch is so different from that first bunch... Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I would be glad to send you a copy of a sample week. Fwiw, I probably wouldn't do 9 weeks at once - at least for us it's very unlikely we're still on schedule 9 weeks out. Each week I copy and paste so I don't have to re-create and reformat the sheet every time - that can be the time consuming part so I try to minimize it. I'll pm you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.