joannqn Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I can't figure out how to get everything done. I tried doing school with the littles first with the goal of being done by lunch, but that doesn't leave enough time after lunch for what I need to do with the bigs. I figured out pretty quickly that certain subjects would never get done. So, I tried a loop schedule. After this week, it is apparent that we can accomplish about 1.25 days worth of work every three days of school. That's not going to cut it. How do you get 8th, 6th, kindy, and preschool all done in one day? Here's my plan for each set of kids: Littles (I pretty much do everything with them): Phonics Pathways Evan-Moor Literature Pockets MUS Primer until he knows how to write his numbers then Alpha Handwriting w/o Tears and Fine Motor Skills activities Social studies (library books and crafts re: holidays and community helpers) Evan-Moor Plants (plus observing or participating in experiments with bigs) Art (one project per week with everyone) Bigs (my part in parenthesis): Literature (We all read the same book and discuss.) Writing (occasional lessons from IEW, give and grade assignments) Math (one lesson a week plus grading with one, daily work with the other) World History (give assignments and grade) State History (give assignments and grade) Botany (give assignments and grade, do experiments with everyone) Spanish (with one kid) Art (one project per week with everyone) Ideally, I'd like to do school from 9am to 3pm. Sometimes we get a late start. Lunch usually takes an hour to cook/prepare lunch and eat it. Twice a week, I tutor a friend's child from 3-4pm. Then I wash lunch dishes and cook dinner from 4-5pm. We eat dinner, most nights about 5:30. Monday we leave for small group (church) immediately after dinner. Tuesdays and Thursdays, DS10 and DH leave immediately after dinner. Fridays, DS10 and DH leave earlier and we have dinner late. So, there really isn't anytime to do school after 3pm most days. How would you get this all done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I would definitely cut down on the time with the younger kids. I'd maybe put off everything for the 3 year old until your older kids are more independent. If I understand correctly, you are spending about 3 hours with the 5 year old and 3 year old. Maybe do 30 minutes with the littles and then move on to your bigger kids. Once you are done with them, work with your littles again if there is any time left. My 4 year old gets time when I have finished with my older two or when the older ones are working independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I can share what works here. I only have 3 boys. First, we hope for naptime. If we get it, we're golden. Assuming we are all awake, I set the youngest up with cheerios in his seat. Both boys start their math. Fury fares okay solo and interjects a question if he's stuck. I work with Dragon on his math. Dragon starts FLL before Fury finishes math. We do the lesson and then he is off to read. Then I work with Fury on his writing. In short, start your bigs on their most independent subjects while you work with your littles. Be available for the bigs and save their tough stuff for when your littles finish their work. Perhaps making Friday your art and science day would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Wwmmd? Combine lit, history and writing for the big kids, if you don't already do this. Take one hour every morning with the littles for phonics/writing/math (why are you trying to do alpha in addition to primer his K year?), give them another hour in the afternoon for fun crafts and stuff, then commit one afternoon per week to do the other stuff like science with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 In K, I do phonics/reading, handwriting, and math. It takes less than an hour. Beyond that, they sit in on science if they want, and they listen to SOTW and any read alouds I'm doing. There is no reason to spend 3 hours on K, especially if you're short on time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coast Mom Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I am doing 7th, 5th, pre-k, and a toddler. The only way I've been able to do it all is to start very early in the day (I won't tell you how early because you'll think I am crazy). I work with the older boys while the little ones are still sleeping. Hard as it is to drag out of bed early, we all love it because the tough subjects get covered with zero interruptions. I've never had a complaint from them and they actually seem to focus better and work more efficiently. It leaves plenty of time for the little kids and down time for the older ones before all their afternoon/evening activities. Even if you started at 7, you could get in a solid two hours of teaching time before the little ones get started. Can you adjust your schedule? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Combine lit, history and writing for the big kids, if you don't already do this. Take one hour every morning with the littles for phonics/writing/math (why are you trying to do alpha in addition to primer his K year?), give them another hour in the afternoon for fun crafts and stuff, then commit one afternoon per week to do the other stuff like science with them. Our lit is mostly chosen to fit in with history. Basically, we read lit suggestions from SOTW4, and they do the outlines and tests open book for history. The only thing I need to do for these is read the books, too, so I know what to discuss, lead discussions, and check answers on the outlines and tests. They can do their writing assignments almost independently with just some editing help. About once a month or so, I'd like to do a lesson from IEW, which is US History based themed lessons. The rest of the time, they get assignments based around history or science. For example, right now we are reading/discussing Oliver Twist, and they just finished a 5 paragraph essay on a candy maker of their choice (science). My 5 year can, for the most part, count and identify numbers to 100 and understands addition/subtraction concepts. But he can't write and doesn't know all of his shapes. So, he's doing some of the lessons out of primer while waiting for his fine motor skills to allow him to do alpha. Even if you started at 7, you could get in a solid two hours of teaching time before the little ones get started. Can you adjust your schedule? That would work for my DS10. He's up early. DD and I are not morning people. Most days, I'm running until 9pm and then doing my school work so I can keep up. By my school work, I mean doing the problems assigned to DS10 so I can understand them and reading the lit assignment so I can discuss it. I go to bed between10-11pm most nights. I fall asleep, if I'm lucky, by 2am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I agree with cutting back on the littles. My ds in 1st does WWE, SOTW cd's and books, MM1, OPTGR, reading practice, and handwriting. This takes about 2 hrs. Last year in Kndy about 1. I don't do preschool, either they go to preschool or pick it up as we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Consider... Get the bigs working on some assignments. Work with the K'er. Around here, I can do Phonics/Writing/Math in about an hour w/ K. You could have the prek sit in on that. Check in w/ the big kids. Let one continue to work independently while you work w/ another, then switch. Fit a few minutes in with the prek if still needed. At these ages, you could just let the littles listen in on the bigs history/science...maybe w/ some age appropriate coloring sheets. You could also get some picture books for them to look through that relate. How often do you do history and science? Do you do them both every day? Do they have to be done that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Another vote for cutting back on the littles. My Ker does "math" (which consists of learning which number is which and writing them at this point LOL), phonics, handwriting, AWANA, and Sonlight PreK. Now, I think all of that has gotten done one day so far this year, and that was a light day in the Sonlight dept. She has an hour scheduled with me. Period. No more (because there IS no more time). Whatever we get done in that time is great. If I don't get something done I move it to the next day. Phonics, handwriting, and math are my top priorities though. I only do the Sonlight PreK stuff when we have extra time or when I haven't gotten to it in several days. I'm schooling 6 this year, so I understand your struggle TOTALLY. I do school with SOMEONE from 8:30-roughly 4 every day. There is a break for about 1.25 hours around lunch so I can prepare, eat, and (in theory) do some lunch chores. Lunchtime never feels like enough time...drives me bonkers. Anyway...I would strongly suggest cutting back on the things you do with the Ker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 I'm working with some ideas you've given. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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