thundersweet Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 If so, what grades? I am seriously thinking of just homeschooling 4 days a week. My older kids are rising 2nd and 6th graders. We start in October. Dh is off on Mondays, and it's just plain hard to get anything done (other than dd's online writing class). If you do this, how does this work for you? I am thinking if we do this, both of the older kids, 8 and 11, will at least do math. Oh, and writing class for dd. I do think around here, math needs to be done daily. I would drop everything else. Anyone do this? Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I have always schooled 4 days a week. But I just did the math over the weekend and - to still get in all our days - that adds an extra 9 weeks to our school year. :001_huh: It was great for K-3rd grade. I still felt like we got our school work done. But around 4th grade, I just didn't have enough time in those four days to accomplish what I want to. I still plan doing 4 days a week this fall, but will try to get in a 5th day whenever possible. (I already had our schedule made at the point I ran through the math...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I schedule four days a week for the most part. Life happens, there is always a field trip going on, and people sometimes want to get together to do activities. I do plan math on the 5th day and if we don't get to school that day they need to double up a previous day or do Sat. Otherwise we get too far behind in math. I used to do 5 day schedules but found we can get it done in 4 days, so now I schedule it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edeemarie Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We find it very hard to get work done on Daddy's days off too and to make it more complicated my husband has rotating days off. We do school year round mostly and I feel that way we have more flexibility with our schedule. Here is the routine I have found works in our house. We are using MFW ECC this year if that makes a difference. Every day of the week (or at least 4 days) we do our morning together time, Bible, reading, writing, latin, and math. Then we alternate the other subjects. On Monday we do Geography. Tuesday is a light day with just the basics because they also have piano in the morning which always seems to throw the rest of the day off schedule. Wednesday we do Science. Thursday we do art, music, and vocabulary. Friday is another light day since that is our library/shopping/field trip day. If we don't get anything but reading and math done on our light days I am OK with that since we make up for it at other points in the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We find it very hard to get work done on Daddy's days off too and to make it more complicated my husband has rotating days off. Yes! We have the same issue. I have put my foot down and the kids finish school then spend time with Daddy. I get him to watch the toddler then too :) I only do four days in Kindergarten - this fall starting with dd5. In first, we start the whole five days, but shorter lessons. Homeschooling using the Charlotte Mason method allows for free afternoons, especially during the younger years. With ds9 we're doing five days a week, from 8 AM-12 PM noon. We can then have lunch and get ready to go to our activities. Both kids have activities in the afternoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We essentially do 4 days. I try to get something done on Thursdays but we are usually too busy. I haven't had any trouble with it through 2nd grade. I don't anticipate it being a problem this year, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Anna Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We've done 4.5 days for years. It worked pretty well to do the 3Rs in the mornings 4x/wk and then do Hist/Sc/Hist/Sc/Music or Art Appreciation in the afternoons. Now that dd9 is in 4th grade I'm moving up to 5 days a week. (And trimming two weeks off the end of the year.) I think I'll need the extra time for Latin, vocabulary, and working between the two girls. We'll see how it works! Mama Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We always did four days a week (only two of which were actually at home, though; the other two days were at the library and a field trip). On Fridays we cleaned house. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We pretty much do 4 days a week, although we're moving up to 4.5. And we have an "odd" schedule for it, due to my job, a standing park day, etc. Here is what I am thinking... Sunday: Fine arts Geography Timeline work Literature Monday-Thursday: Math Language Arts Literature History Science Hoping this will work out well. I tried to put fun stuff on Sunday that we wouldn't otherwise get to, so that it doesn't seem too school-y for a "weekend". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlcc Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We school 42 weeks a year using a 4-day school week. Works well for us so far, but we may end up adding Math on Fridays for older kids if needed. Right now the plan is to do Math and LA daily, history twice, science once and art once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvaleri Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 In the early years, I did school four days a week. As the kids came to high school level work, it was difficult to finish in just 4 days; especially if they worked. Anyone with teens will tell you they get a second wind around 10pm and want to talk and talk and stay up late. Still, the kids enjoyed having a day off so, they worked very hard four days a week until we joined a Tapestry of Grace co-op. Then we had to school even on the weekends just to keep up! This year, I have scheduled four days, using Fridays as catch-up and discussion. We'll see how that works..... Plugging along, Teresa Schooling two wonderful boys, 15 & 13 DD, almost 18 in college DS, 22-married to wonderful girl DD, 24-in the belly of the whale.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I've scheduled school for 4 days/week this year with Friday as our co-op day...so not sure if that counts as 4 days or not since we are still doing school work on Friday mornings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jengjohnson Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We get most of our work done in 4 days. We do math daily and Friday is a catch-up day for projects. Dh works from home so we're used to working with him home, but he's working too, often with the office door locked. LOL Almost all the curricula we use is easily scheduled into a 4-day week and still completed within 36 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundersweet Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thank ladies! I am going to try it! Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We only do 4 days a week and have been very successful with it. My oldest (a junior next year) does Math 5 days, but everything else 4 days. It does mean that some of her subjects may take a little longer, but we like the flexibility of 4 days. With my youngest, if there is a subject that doesn't get done within our "school year" we continue a do some in the summer. Usually that is only math and I like to keep math going through the summer anyway so he doesn't lose it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We could get away with it when the kids were younger, but now that they're 3rd & 7th, we're planning on 6 days, with Saturday being a lighter, finish up or project day. TBH, even when they were younger, it was difficult losing Friday to co-op; some things just need almost daily repetition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb44 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We are basically 4 days a week here. Outings w/ friends one day a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 With co-op coming up we will have a four day week, but that means it makes our year almost year round. This year we may end up watching documentaries relevant to what we are doing that week on that day as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I'm a graduated homeschooler and, growing up, 4 day weeks were the norm among the families we knew. We took our light day on wednesday and did grocery shopping and stuff. It worked wonderfully until highschool, at which point kids usually planned to do their independent high school reading on the familys light day, either first thing in the morning or in the evening. A lot of curriculums have built in catch up days, allowing for a 4 day week. I think it's great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We have co-op one day a week out of the house which is mostly enrichment. So we have done 4 day weeks for 3 yrs now, since we joined. My children still read that day and they get some of their "specials" there like P.E. and art. They each have one academic class there (latin) and one will have a science enrichment class. Because of this we have 4 homeschool days at home. I do schedule us to work a month before co-op starts and a month after co-op so that we have those 2 months to work mostly 5 day weeks. Then we don't take as long of breaks as schools do. Doing this we are able to fully cover most of our text books a year. (Towards the end of the year I scan the math book, and may skip the last review chapter or only pick and choose from the last couple of chapter things that I know I need to get in before our summer break.) We also take a shorter summer break, only 6-8 weeks as opposed to a 10-12 week like some schools. And we always have a little homework on the weekend and keep up something a little bit in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We always did four days a week (only two of which were actually at home, though; the other two days were at the library and a field trip). On Fridays we cleaned house. ;-) Ellie, did you find it hard to fit everything in? I am considering this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We really school 3 days a week! We do have a longer year, I plan about 42 weeks of school, and we do Science, History, vocab (really liking Caesar's English), and reading on the two off days, so we do do some school 5 days a week, but it is pretty minimal. We do a lot of volunteering and Tue and Thurs we spend at the food bank/pregnancy center. It is important to our family and I really think we can complete as much work in 3 long days (7 hours) and 2 short days (3 hours) as the school does in 5 days. The little kids only school MWF (for an hour or so each day). I have always tried to get the things in "everyone" says need to be done everyday (things like math or foriegn language or typing) even with all of our volunteering. But at the end of last year, and starting this year I have tried a 3 day week and it works so well for us! I wish I had felt more comfortable with it years ago. I love just doing History and Science on the off days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Ellie, did you find it hard to fit everything in? I am considering this. Well, no. We just kept working until we finished something...or got tired of something and moved on, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebluexf Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We do four days, with the fifth being coop day. We love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I only teach 4 days a week, because I work on Fridays (dh is off). Last year, I assigned her some work - maybe about 2 hours worth - that she could do independently on Fridays. Basically Math, a writing assignment, and reading. The understanding was that it could be blown off if Dad got a wild hair to take her fishing or crabbing or hiking or something - their time together came first. This year we are trying something new - Autodidact Fridays! She'll be working independently using The Creative Writer, LOF Fractions, and WP's Equine Science. These are all things she's interested in and wants to study, and can do independently. So our agreement is that I won't be assigning any other work on Fridays, but she will be responsible for working through these things on her own (of course she can get help from me on other days, or dh, as needed). This plan is designed in part to make room/time in the schedule for things she's interested in pursuing (horses and creative writing) and in part to have her start taking responsibility and developing the habit of lifelong learning, self-teaching, or whatever you want to call it. (just life, maybe? ;)) They still get to blow Friday work off for fishing, though. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captivated Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 We have for 12 (going on 13 ) years. Every grade from Kinder to 12th. It is very doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I do 4 days of our "regular" lessons and one day for our extras. On Fridays we do our extra maths: LOF, CWP, BA Art Philosophy Mythology Longer read alouds Poetry practice phonics and Lit Oh, and piano lesson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 We are schooling 4 days a week but we school more days than the PS. On our Fridays we will be going to co-op for P.E., Spanish and art classes so I guess that means we are really schooling 4.5 days a week but we have to get everything we do at home finished from Monday through Thursday. My two guys are in the second half of 1st grade this semester so I am sure it is easier to get everything done in four days at this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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