for those of you curriculum planning

[happycc]

how and why do you do it if you are using a lot of the "do the next thing" curriculum?

 

What are you inputting on the book and/or computer program. I feel like I am doing something wrong as I am not really writing anything down...

 

these are what we are doing:

 

WWE-we do a whole weeks worth in one day for each child

FLL-we do a lesson a day for each child

Teaching and Review Grammar for 2nd and 3rd grade-one child is doing 3 days worth in one day

Right Start c-we just turn the page and if my kid needs more review we keep reviewing until she gets the concept and then we move on

Story of the World-I read a chap, they write the narrations and we file in binder, do the map work and coloring all at one time (any activities --i do on the fly we have the materials on hand, if not I make a photocopy of it for dad and when he wants to do them with the kids then it is done as a special me and dad project)

AAS-do the next step (a step a day for all the kids unless they need more review)

Study island-they do subjects (la, math, science, history)each day

dreambox-15 minutes each day

Key to series-do a page a day

Singapore-do two pages a day

Mep-do the next lesson

Handwriting With tears-again do the next page

Logic-a page a day or so

Getting Started with Latin and I speak Latin-again do the next lesson

Beast Academy and Hands On algebra-throw that in sometime during Christmas or whenever we are bored around the house

Memory Work time-10 minutes

Music-10 minutes of working on memorizing the words to choir songs

Awanas-10 minutes

Reading/Literature: they read to themselves every night and morning while everyone wakes up slowly usually a book of their choice-classics or a book from some kind of book list, I just asked them if they liked the book and who the characters are etc. Simple ...much of the time I become interested in their reading and want to read the books myself or they convince another sibling to read the book after them. No literature guides/questions at this point. Nothing connected to what we are studying.

 

Science-a whole nother game...have no idea what I plan to do with this

We will be adding Essentials in Writing-don't know what that is like yet

Also looking into MCT- not sure how that is set up either--hopefully do the next thing too.

 

If we miss a day...we miss a day but continue on the next day we can get to it. We try to do five days a week. Maybe I am doing all this homeschooling thing wrong....

Edited July 14, 2012 by happycc

[swellmomma]

for my do the next thing stuff I write it down only because a) out of sight out of mind for me and b) I want them to have the list each day to mark off. For curric like your I use shorthand to plan it. so I might write WWEx1wk; or SOTW readx1/narrate/map/colour I do not put specific dates on my schedules they are simply days 1-180, so if we have a fieldtrip or an illness we just don't school that day and pick it up the next day still on track, no rescheduling.

 

For most people with do the next thing stuff they don't write it out. FOr me I have to or it won't get done. I will simply forget about it until it is too late and the kids are off playing for the day.

[MomatHWTK]

On a spreadsheet-type grid, I have a list of subject areas to cover for each child. Under each subject area are the individual materials I know we use for that subject, plus a few lines for "Other." Day numbers are written across the top of the grid. If we complete a subject that day, I check it off- either using the specific resource (i.e. check next to Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra) or the "Other" line (i.e. check next to "Other Math").

 

So I would pretty much take the list you have written above, put it down a column and put the numbers 1-180 across the top and go with it.

 

This year, because I'm managing three at three different levels, I am writing out the basic Scope and Sequence for some of their main topic areas and keeping that on a separate spreadsheet just to reference and check myself from time to time.

 

I also have an expanding folder for each child with worksheets in it, sorted by days. If we don't actually do the worksheet on the assigned day, it just gets passed forward to the next. If I start getting a huge backlog, I'll know that I'm not keeping up or the program just isn't working for us.

[Amy Jo]

If it works, you are doing it right. If you feel the need to write something down, perhaps you can do a weekly journal noting the highlights of the week, scores on any quizzes, etc. Be sure to meet any state requirements.

 

I plan at least a weekly overview - to make sure our days are balanced. I like the file crate system myself - not so much writing down, but having the papers I need already printed/sorted and ready to go.

[Jess4879]

We use mostly "do the next thing" curriculum. I like to sit down before the year starts and go through the books and get an idea what I will be teaching (this can be a 5 minute glance through, or an indepth reading, depending on the book and the subject). Then I like to figure out the curriculum for the number of teaching days I have planned, not to make a rigid schedule, but to give me an idea of how many pages to do each day, etc. THEN...I like to make book lists or supplement lists to go along with our subjects. For science, we plan to add a lot of books in, so I will break it down on a piece of paper into chapters and which books I will need and when. I like to stay on top of book lists because I order most in from our libarary, so I have to plan it right or we don't have the books when we need them. I don't sit down and write a Mon-Fri schedule for what we will do each day. I have thought about it, because that's my nature :lol:, but I know it would only stress me out. We inevitably get behind at one point or another in one subject or another...and I don't want to be playing "catch up" with my schedule. So it's better not to do one, right?? :lol:

[laughing lioness]

I fill out a page per kid for the year with this header:

Goals, Subject, Curriculum.

I try to hit: Physical, mental, spiritual, social

 

I over plan now and flow when fall hits. If we get ahead, bonus- there is always stuff to pick up. If we fall behind, we re-assess at Xmas and the spring when TC breaks.

 

We use a lot of open and go. I don't plan the week. In fact- we have MP's Core 6 adn they have a weekly schedule. I kind of felt puzzled for about 10 min looking at it, like, WOW, this is weird:lol:

[Closeacademy]

I am using skedtrack and basically, for lessons that I input, I just sort of figure out what looks like a good amount for each day that we will do that subject. We do not do every subject every day as that would take forever.

 

For example, my youngest (5th grade) is taking:

 

math with Rod & Staff--I just put in the lesson number and which sections I want her to do problems from we do this every day Monday through Friday.

 

history with Oak Meadow--I put in the lesson number and the subject, we do this Monday and sometimes on Wednesday if it is a two part lesson.

 

science with Exploring Creation with Zoology part 2--this is a co-op class and I think we will have 2 days worth of outside work each week as they are doing each lesson over two weeks. So it is scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

grammar--another co-op class with 2 worksheets assigned each week. 1 she will do at co-op and the other will be on Thursdays.

 

composition--Writing Strands 2 will be on Mondays and Wednesdays.

 

art--only at co-op on Tuesdays.

 

spelling--Spell to Write and Read, only on Mondays and Wednesdays and we will do 1 list each day.

 

Reading--test lessons on Monday, independent reading the rest of the week.

 

Egyptian Hieroglyphics--she sets the pace for this as it is her book that she picked out and she is driving the study. I only help her interpret how to pronounce words from the guide. But I entered in 1-2 pages each day.

 

 

Hope this helps you envision how I set things up and helps in your own planning.:001_smile:

[Love2teach0307]

I use notebook paper since Excel and online planners were a flop for me. I first schedule how I want our week to work and what subjects should be done on which days. Then I take a piece of paper per subject and write at the top how many weeks and how many days per week to teach it to get how many lessons I need to complete a year's study of that subject.

 

Then, I go down numbering my weeks deciding which weeks out of the month we will do school (mainly for fall since in January I'll nail down which weeks we'll school). On those weeks, I'll list the lesson numbers or concepts we'll cover so I can see if I'm spacing it out correctly.

 

I only print out a month's worth of work since I've found I need to revisit our curriculum monthly to keep on track. If it's already printed out for the year I tend to space out and lose track of where we want to go. It's a fine balance of over planning and under planning. Most years I over plan then really want to give up in February since we're so off the plan.

[ChicoryChick]

I was using an open and go curriculum that was planned out for me, but this year I am branching back out on my own. I am also introducing a Kindergartener to my other 4 (one who is a late reader in 4th). I need my oldest 3 to be more independent so do the next thing may not be as obvious to them as it is to me.

 

This year I went out and bought a bunch of those 3-ring folders (the poly vinyl ones are now .50 @ Walmart) in different colors (I color code my kids for school). In one of the folders (of each color) I put in a schedule for each subject that I made using MS Word tables. I labeled them week r M-Thur (we do other things on Fri) . I then made a checklist of what subjects had to be accomplished each day., this way they could see what needs to be done then go to the subject scedules for their assignments for that day. I have stickers for them to put on the box when they are done that days subject to help keep track of what's been done. This way if we get behind in a subject we don' mess up the rest of the weeks schedule. It also helps us to keep on track with our goals for what we want to accomplish each year and tells me if we are behind or not. I am very excited about this system.

 

Oh yes, I use the rest of the 3-ring folders for each subject that I have to print or copy the worksheets and makes it into a workbook. I like this because it is cheaper than buying 3-ring binders and takes up a lot less room.

 

ETA: I do this during the summer because if I wait to do it weekly or monthly - it doesn't happen.

Edited July 14, 2012 by kayinpa

[Verity]

After much experimentation and curriculum hopping (SL, ToG, etc) I finally realized that I'm an open and go girl. Last year, with three kids in different grades, each weekend I update a table on Microsoft Word that just lists the students name, date on the top line, then M-F across the top and each subject down the side.

 

I would list the next thing (doesn't take very long with open and go, I just look up the page numbers or chapter # and assignment)...for our Math program there are 6 review pages per week plus a quiz so I would chose which 4 pages to for each student to do M-Th, we do quizzes on Friday.

 

I take about 30 min per student once per week to fill out my table, print out any pdf maps, coloring pages, etc... and place them in the kids three ring binders. I move each week from the smaller binder to my larger annual binder about once a month. The annual binder fulfills my states requirement to maintain records to show that we are doing something. :D

 

Like another poster mentioned I like having each kid mark off each box as they go through the day, that way we each know what was done (or not).

[Ellie]

How can you do all those things and still think...you're not doing anything?:confused:

[happycc]

I guess I am going through an element of doubt of my ability to do a good job teaching all these kids.

 

Maybe I am on burn out.

Maybe I am pregnant.

Maybe I am expecting too much.

 

Maybe I hear about all these people planning, writing curriculums, plan their own studies and all of their hands on activities and I feel I am doing something wrong. I do see them learning but I am afraid they may not be enjoying the process. I see that they are working a lot but are they meaningful work? Is it work that will stick with them and make an impact?

 

Last year was their first official homeschool year out of ps and I felt that I was just reviewing and filling holes and figuring out where they were and what they needed to work on. I think it nearly took me the first semester to finally settle down into a routine of something. By end of the 2nd semester I finally felt we were covering things they had not seen before. This summer, I just continued on what we started minus Latin and Logic and did Sentence Family. They see Sentence Family as ART. Plus I added another child doing AAS as she just wasn;t getting much from spelling power. So now I have three doing AAS. It is all the basics. So where are the fun research projects?!

 

Anyways, all my older kids seem to want to do is play Roblox, Minecraft and Sims. Unless I simply say absolutely no screen time and make it rule for awhile.

[Mrs Twain]

I don't write much down for any of my open and go programs.

 

Before the school year, I count how many chapters/lessons there are in each program. I calculate how many times per week or pages per day we need to do in order to get it done by the end of the school year. Then I write out a weekly schedule. As long as I am consistently following the schedule and don't skip things, we will get everything finished by the end of the school year. There is no need for weekly lesson plans or anything like that. I have bookmarks in each book, and every day we pick up where we left off.

 

Once per quarter I evaluate where we are in each subject to make sure we are on track to finish by the end of the year.

 

There are a couple of subjects that I plan myself. This is where the writing and planning mostly need to be done.

 

There can be a big problem with this method for people who are not consistent. If someone just does the next thing but is in the habit of skipping things periodically for whatever reason, then nothing may get finished by the end of the school year. That can lead to problems and gaps in academics.

[Ellie]

I guess I am going through an element of doubt of my ability to do a good job teaching all these kids.

 

Maybe I am on burn out.

Maybe I am pregnant.

Maybe I am expecting too much.

 

Maybe I hear about all these people planning, writing curriculums, plan their own studies and all of their hands on activities and I feel I am doing something wrong. I do see them learning but I am afraid they may not be enjoying the process. I see that they are working a lot but are they meaningful work? Is it work that will stick with them and make an impact?

 

Last year was their first official homeschool year out of ps and I felt that I was just reviewing and filling holes and figuring out where they were and what they needed to work on. I think it nearly took me the first semester to finally settle down into a routine of something. By end of the 2nd semester I finally felt we were covering things they had not seen before. This summer, I just continued on what we started minus Latin and Logic and did Sentence Family. They see Sentence Family as ART. Plus I added another child doing AAS as she just wasn;t getting much from spelling power. So now I have three doing AAS. It is all the basics. So where are the fun research projects?!

 

Anyways, all my older kids seem to want to do is play Roblox, Minecraft and Sims. Unless I simply say absolutely no screen time and make it rule for awhile.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I promise you that not all homeschoolers do "fun" research projects. :-)

 

I promise you that it can take longer than one school year for your children to find their normal selves after being in school for almost any length of time. You're still in the process of doing that.

 

I promise you that it can take longer than a year for all of you to learn to be together all day long, and to learn to love each other. :)

 

You're in California. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You can take the time to figure things out. And since you have littles, and are expecting another one, I'd encourage you to do that.

 

I'm also going to tell you to put away the screens for awhile, at least until after Christmas. Really. Just put them away. They're not always bad, but I think your adjustment to homeschooling as a lifestyle will go more smoothly and happenly more quickly without the screens.

 

And I know you have many children, but really, the Bay Area has some wonderful field trip opportunities. I'd encourage you to take a couple of days a week to just go goof off for the day. :)

[Kaleidoscope]

I have several do the next thing programs but I plan it out because I like knowing the map for the year. I want to know in December what we are doing in may just in case I see something that would link in.

 

I also want ownership of the material I'm teaching. The more I process it ahead of time the more relaxed and natural our teaching time turns out. I wake up knowing what we will be covering and that boosts my mood and enthusiasm. I can connect our subjects to each other, create smoother transitions which saves time and keeps the kids on task, and I can tie it all into real life.

 

Several times I've ended up doing a lesson in the car or a doctors office simply because the time was available. Since I knew what was coming up I was prepared to cover the topic.

 

It doesn't hurt that my kids think I'm pretty smart since I'm familiar with the content right away. Of course they see me planning and prepping so they know why I know the stuff. They still seem impressed though for now. I think I'm also modeling good study skills.

 

I wish I didn't have to prep so much but it really does make a difference fo me.

[happycc]

Thank you for giving me permission to get rid of screens till Christmas although we will still have to do screens for Study Island and such! We are with a charter school.

 

It is so hard because they still have friends who go to school and apparently that is how they all communicate with each other. I hate it.

 

I am going to visit this issue in the FALL and tell them no screen time unless for schoolwork till Christmas. Now what happens if dad turns on screen time?

 

By the way I homeschooled with no car all last year. For health reasons I had no drivers license. I had my dmv paper sent to kaiser recently and going in to DMV end of this month and see if I am medically cleared. My husband worked from 4am to sometimes 10pm. Just me and kids all day at home but worst of all there are no kids on our block even though we live right across the street from a public school...sheesh!!

 

I am hoping this year will be better but alas we have a newborn and my newborns never seemed to like car rides. SIGH!

Edited July 15, 2012 by happycc

[Mom2OandE]

I've been filling it into a planner because I need the visual reminder and tend to be forgetful especially if I am caught off guard by something else. Also it shows me where there may be opportunities to add in something fun or deviate from our path. For instance I filled in everything we have so far and if all goes well most of our schooling will be done by April. I'm planning on doing the Harry Potter School and a research paper then when we can truly focus on it. Also, for now I have just the lesson written in pencil. As I plan additional activities and books I will write them in and that will serve as my record for the school district if need be.