Do you use a schedule for Apologia?

[mothergooseof4]

Ds wanted the notebook, so we have the one in there. However, I was really wanting a 4-day per week plan.

 

If you used a schedule, which did you like and why? MFW, SL, the one in the notebook, or another?

[Photo Ninja]

I made a schedule so it would fit our needs.

 

There is no need to use a prepared schedule. How long do you want to spend on each module? Two weeks seems to be the norm. You want a 4-day week, so take each module and break it into 8 days of work. I would schedule one day for the test, one for the experiments and one or two for the study guide. That takes up the second week. The first four days are for reading, the next week is for experiment, study guide and test.

Now you have a basic schedule for 4 days each week and two weeks per module. Just repeat with each module and you are set. Sometimes you may need to change the day to do the experiments, based on what is being covered, but that can be adjusted easily. My dc had no problem doing all the experiments in one day during the second week of each module. They liked it that way instead of spreading them out, but you could schedule experiments in with reading.

 

The goal is to make the schedule work for you and meet your needs. You don't need to adjust to a schedule prepared without your needs in mind.

[Mallorie]

My son is using the plans from MFW, as he is also using their AHL program. We bought from them, and the plans came free. Ds seems to like them fine, we get by on a four day week, and all is well.

 

I have no experience with anything else to compare them to.

[BibleBeltCatholicMom]

I hope this isn't a hijack! If so lmk and I'll repost.

 

On the 4-day, 2-wk schedule thing . . . it seems that a lot of ppl plan to read text and do the OYO and Vocab for week one and Experiments/lab notes, study guide, and test week two.

 

I note, though, that the text completing the experiments when the student comes up to them in the reading and not to read further until the experiment is complete.

 

Well, we try to do that.

 

I also note, however, that sometimes that isn't possible b/c it is an experiment that takes several days or weeks to see through to the end (growing a plant, the pond thing, et c).

 

I would like to know how you address these things.

 

As far as our 4-day schedule goes . . . well, Last year we just divided the work into 8 days.

 

I'm not at all sure that we'll be able to do that this year, though, b/c we plan to complement with nature study and book studies so we may even need all 7 days!

 

http://www.hslaunch.com/mypage/profile/8288 (scroll down to movies + living books)

 

http://www.squidoo.com/apologiabiology (scroll down to the nature study part).

[In The Great White North]

We have made a four-day a week schedule, using the Illustrated Guide for experiments instead of the Apologia labs. Our labs were mixed in, as opposed to the week of book, week of labs plan mentioned earlier. It suits our schedule better, which is the most important part.

 

For labs that take more than one day (ie. crystal growing) we did the major part of the lab on the day it was scheduled and came back to the final product later. You could schedule a follow up lab time, if you like but I try to not schedule our time so tightly that we can't just fit it in. It depends on what works best for your family.

 

I have found that the dc do not like or appreciate labs if they are rushed through them.