Embassy Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Do you have a unique schedule that works for your family? I've been trying to puzzle together our schedule for this next year for the past 2 days and it is not working. There is not enough of my time to go around to all 3 of my kids. I'm hoping that a unique perspective may help me figure out this puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I am not sure this is unique, but I try and figure out what the kids can do on their own. I try and combine whatever subjects I can so I am not teaching science a with one child and science b. I use the same curriculum but gear it to multiple ages instead. I do this with grammar, science, history and geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Have you tried a loop schedule? If your kids have 8 subjects and you get through 1-6 on day 1, then on day 2 you start with 7-8, and then start back with 1 again. Each day you go through the loop as far as you can, and the next day you pick up wherever you left off. You might also consider whether they need to do every subject daily--there may be some they only need to do 2-3 times per week instead. Or some subjects might be done in units for a quarter or trimester--you touch on all of the subjects over the course of the year, but not all of them at one time necessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Thanks! I combine where I can and have them do work independently often. I can't combine too much because my two older kids are opposites when it comes to learning styles. For kids who do much of their day independently do you meet daily to discuss and go over the work? I've used a loop schedule. A regular loop schedule didn't work for us, but I do use mini-loops (i.e. our language arts areas are in a loop). Maybe there is something I can juggle there still though. My children's schedule works fine as to how often they do something. I just don't have enough hours in the day. My youngest isn't independent at all, but her time doesn't add up to all that much though. Hopefully I'll solve this tonight. I thought I did last night and I "tried it out" today and discovered trying to have everyone do math at the same time with me bouncing around was a disaster:tongue_smilie: Right now math has to be one-on-one for at least part of their math time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I check their work before they move on. A math life saver for me was to use Teaching textbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Well, I would say ours is unique but apparently not very popular.:tongue_smilie: Many yrs ago I started getting up with my oldest student at 5 so that we could have 1-on-1 while the house is still quiet. It didn't take long to realize the full benefit of the approach b/c we were able to accomplish 3x more in about 1/2 the time when we didn't have constant interruptions. It is an approach I have continued. It frees me up to work w/the youngest schoolager immediately after breakfast. She finishes early and then she plays w/the toddler (ok.....this last part is a work in progress. They are not a happy duo! ;) ) After I finish w/the youngest, I go back and forth w/my middle ones and whatever I might still need to do w/my oldest. It works. But.....not appealing to a lot of people. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Well, I would say ours is unique but apparently not very popular.:tongue_smilie: Many yrs ago I started getting up with my oldest student at 5 so that we could have 1-on-1 while the house is still quiet. It didn't take long to realize the full benefit of the approach b/c we were able to accomplish 3x more in about 1/2 the time when we didn't have constant interruptions. It is an approach I have continued. It frees me up to work w/the youngest schoolager immediately after breakfast. She finishes early and then she plays w/the toddler (ok.....this last part is a work in progress. They are not a happy duo! ;) ) After I finish w/the youngest, I go back and forth w/my middle ones and whatever I might still need to do w/my oldest. It works. But.....not appealing to a lot of people. :D :lol: Yeah, I can see how that wouldn't be too popular. I work late at night so that won't work for me, but I might be able to do something with my oldest after the others have gone to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 I check their work before they move on. A math life saver for me was to use Teaching textbooks. Right now I'm using a math approach that takes up a lot of time. I don't think TT would be the best fit for us although I would love to save that amount of time in my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Throw in some weekend schooling? Also, though we don't get up at 5, I pull my oldest aside for some one on one time at 8AM and don't have the younger 2 start until 9. The oldest doesn't have to be totally ready for the day at 8. It just creates a simple way to alternate kids right off the bat each day. Since the oldest goes later into the day too, he gets me then. He also gets me while the other 2 are reading in their rooms for 30minutes mid-schoolday. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 For kids who do much of their day independently do you meet daily to discuss and go over the work? We do. I meet for 15-30 minutes to discuss all of their subjects that need discussing (return corrected work from the previous day, go over mistakes etc...). Once a week I meet with my high schooler for half an hour to discuss history, and once or twice a week we'll discuss what he's reading over a meal or snack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Our situation is unique overall so not sure if it can apply. We have just one DD, but DH and I both work full time. I work as a full-time telecommuter, and he has a flexible job, but we both work 40-50 hours per week. This schedule reflects both what we currently do and what we are adding in fall: Mon-Fri, daily: I wake up at 5am and go right to work. I usually shower at night. I work from 5am-7am. This is critical to our success! Mon, Tues, Fri: DD and I work together from 7am-10am. Sometimes we don't use the whole time. I give her independent assignments to do when we are done, and I go back to work. She can do free stuff, which is usually drawing, crafting, sewing, bike riding, scootering, playing outside (I often work on our screen porch so I'm available while she's playing outside). She often plays with a school friend after school. She goes to aerial dance class Fri evening. 2x monthly on Mon or Tues she will be at the barn for 2 hours..haven't decided which day or time yet. She sometimes does rock climbing on Monday evenings. Wed: DD and I sometimes do work from 7:00-8:30. We have to leave by then to get to activity so we are usually getting ready at last minute instead. She is an outdoor program from 9-12. 12:30-3:30 she has playdate with best friend (alternating houses) Has circus arts class at 4pm. Thursday: DD and I sometimes do work from 7:00-8:30. She and DH have to leave by then to get to activity. She is in arts immersion program from 9-12. DH has her at his office from 12-3:30. I am going to give her a lot of independent work to do then and crafts and free reading. She has aerial dance at 4pm. Saturday & Sunday: We will be starting science and history projects as a family. I will also catch up on any other stuff from the week. DD also has flamenco dance on Saturdays and we hope to continue swimming as a family. Might do parkour on Sundays. Somewhere in here we sleep, run errands, clean the house, and see friends on weekends, and go on little road trips together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Thank you all! It all just came together. The puzzle fits. It isn't perfect, but it works:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 My kids wake up at different times, so I have started doing lessons with each one as they rise. Sometimes this means that our group classes are done late at night, right before bedtime. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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