What's worked for making kids more independent

[Amy Jo]

What's worked for you / your family - mainly for school assignments. I'm trying to streamline a bit, as I want to start doing some work from home soon. So I'd love your best methods. :)

 

My kids are (generally) willing, but if I'm not getting organized, nothing gets done. I need a way to get their work from my brain/plans to them.

[Arcadia]

It partially depends on the curriculum and how used they are to being independent. We school through the virtual academy so curriculum and schedule is done for us though we can still tweak, Every morning, I have my kids daily seat work put in a pile each for them. I would put a post it each on the pages they need to do. I get those cheap post-its from Target dollar bins. When they are done with any seat work, they would put it aside and I would check. I'm just sitting nearby reading the news/forum/books so they just call for help as needed. My older is pretty good with a checklist. He knows how to check his school's online checklist and see what lessons needs to be done. He has done that since kindergarten.

[Critterfixer]

I'm also working on setting my children up to be more independent in their learning.

Most of my work has been getting myself more organized and making sure they have what they need to succeed. It's a lot of work!

The second thing I've been doing is trying to find curriculum that provides lots and lots of examples and clear, consise direction.

The third thing I'm working on is setting a routine for subjects that are not always so clear or consise, and figuring out when some things should be reviewed.

I've also set up workboxes, one for each boy, with hanging file folder pockets labled by day, and individual folders labled by subject, which might be overkill, but at any rate, if I need them, I've got them. I'm also deciding how I want to arrange my notebooks so that the boys can consult their own work for review and for examples of how to do a problem.

 

Doesn't feel like much independence for Mom, but I hope they will be able to run with the idea and create their own systems that work for them. Mind, I just started this. I've got no idea whether any of this will work or not.

[Staceyshoe]

A few things that have made a difference for us:

-Gathering all materials at the beginning of the day

-Creating an interactive checklist (we use workbox tags as a checklist, but I don't actually use the workbox system). They love moving their little picture cards from one place to another as they complete items.

-Allowing breaks but making them an intentional decision by having the child set a timer for the length of time they decide. (There are consequences for playing without a timer running--writing sentences about setting a timer for breaks seems to work for us.)

 

These few simple changes made a big difference in the distractability factor around here.

[Wabi Sabi]

Ds has a spiral notebook just for his assignments. At the beginning of each day I flip to a new page, write the date and make a list of what I'd like him to do for the day. I gather all of his necessary books and papers and leave them in a stack on the table along with the assignment notebook. He likes to use a highlighter to cross each item off the list as he completes it. An added bonus is at the end of the year the notebook serves as a record of what work he did throughout the year.

 

When I take 10 minutes each morning to make his list he is very independent and productive in getting everything done. When I don't bother with a list we just kinda flounder around all day and never really seem to get much of anything done.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ds has a spiral notebook just for his assignments. At the beginning of each day I flip to a new page, write the date and make a list of what I'd like him to do for the day. I gather all of his necessary books and papers and leave them in a stack on the table along with the assignment notebook. He likes to use a highlighter to cross each item off the list as he completes it. An added bonus is at the end of the year the notebook serves as a record of what work he did throughout the year.

 

When I take 10 minutes each morning to make his list he is very independent and productive in getting everything done. When I don't bother with a list we just kinda flounder around all day and never really seem to get much of anything done.

 

Pretty much what she said. DD loves it when I give her a list for the day, and she works much better and more independently. I divide her list into "do independently" and "do with mom" sections, and let her know when I'm available to work together.

 

I'm going to be taking a stab at expanding this to a weekly to-do list for 6th grade. My plan (just a plan so far, don't know how it will work) is to assign her reading/writing assignments in history, lit, and science each day that she is responsible to do independently, and then have a daily Recitation section, an hour where we discuss, I check over her work, etc. We won't discuss each subject each day, I don't imagine, but it will be dedicated time for us to check in, me to check her understanding/comprehension, and to see that she's moving through her week getting everything done. I know if I left it for a weekly check-in, it would be overwhelming and I'd get behind on checking. So I think a weekly list but a daily discussion/check in might be the ticket.

[Berta]

We have been using the workbox system (modified) for the last three years and it has worked out well. This year I bought a Student Logbook for my rising 3rd grader. She will check off as she does the work and take breaks as she sees fit. She already works pretty much independently, the logbook is more for her to keep track of what she accomplishes.

[Alice]

We do a spiral notebook but with weekly assignments. On Sundays I go through and figure out what I want to get done that week. At the top of the page I write any special things we are doing, like a field trip or sports practices or a friend coming over. Then I just write down each subject and what needs to be done. I then go down the page and put a little red check by anything my son can do completely independently (or at least can start on his own). I put things in the notebook that he can’t do on his own but I’m more vague about the details (it might say “Do writing assignment†and he knows I need to go over the details with him or “Discuss book with Momâ€).

 

On Mondays the first thing we do is discuss the week. I point out what things need to be done and maybe explain anything that is unusual or confusing. I also remind him of whatever we are doing out of the house. Then for the most part he gets to choose the order he does things and how much he does on a given day. I say for the most part because he’s still young so I do a fair amount of guiding. If we are going to be out of the house all day for a field trip on Friday and I want him to do a little more work on the other days than usually I will tell him that on Monday. But then I remind him again on Tuesday and Wed. If I see he’s saving all the things he doesn’t like for Friday I might say “Do you really want to do 10 Practice Town sentences in one day?â€

 

He likes this system a lot because he does have control. It also works well for when I’m with the other kids. I can just say, go and choose something with a red check and he does it. I work outside the house and my husband is home but since I’m the primary teacher this also makes ds much more productive on days when I’m not here. We are also all list-checkers by nature so we all like having something visual to see our progress.

 

I do a notebook for my 6 year old also but he doesn’t really do anything independently. The notebook is just a way for him to see what he needs to do.

 

We also keep all our supplies pretty much in the same area so he knows where everything is and can easily get it and work on it.

[prairiewindmomma]

One thing that is going well this year is planning for baby to be entertained.....so, my 7 year old reads to her for one half hour (when I'm working with my K'er on phonics and math--when I need to concentrate). When I need to be able to work with my 7 year old, my 11 year old is with baby (spelling and math time for him). It seems like a little thing....but going to a timed schedule is working well for us. Baby seems to be napping at consistent times and that is leaving me more open.

Everybody has "their" schedule taped to their desk area, and a master copy is posted.

 

Everyone has their own crate of books and planner. Anyone that can read can get themselves started on a subject. Schoolwork is pre-planned a few months out, so they aren't dependent on me to get my act together. It was a LOT of nights gathering scheduling stuff out and getting supplies organized, but it's done.

 

Everyone also has one hour from me with mostly undivided attention. We can chat and discuss, and I can check content that way.

[Punks in Ontario]

I use modified workboxes as well. Mine are drawers. They work from top to bottom and check off an assignment sheet.

 

One thing I try to be careful to do is to make sure that when they've completed everything on their list, I do not add extras. Essentially, this encourages timely completion of work. Leisure time is the reward. They only return if there is something not done properly.

 

I had to work for several days last month for a while each morning. I was impressed with how well they got everything done. I made sure I checked their work promptly so that everything could be corrected the same day.

[Thia7278]

This is an interesting subject. Don't the children get held up by subjects/topics you need to teach? For example, I can't assign workbook pages on topics I haven't taught yet. So how are the children working ahead for a week at a time? Do they just do what they can then revisit it after lessons?

[Wheres Toto]

My son has a binder that contains all his work for a week. Most of his stuff is workbook/worksheet stuff but for the things that aren't, I put in a page that says something like "Do next page in handwriting book" or "Read from current reader". There are tabs for each day, then all the work he can do independently (I work with dd while he does that stuff) - which includes handwriting (although we just started cursive so not all of this is independent right now), a bunch of math riddles and puzzles, reading comprehension, spelling (except the end of week test) and vocabulary. The last thing is to read from his current book since that can go on as long as I need it to. Then there is a bright orange piece of cardstock and everything after is stuff we do together. Which is usually all his Math Mammoth, The Wand, Beast Academy, and some logic puzzles. We finish up with a game.

 

I could see him getting to the point where more of it is done independently since he evidently had insomnia last night, got up in the middle of the night and did all his work for today.

[Alice]

This is an interesting subject. Don't the children get held up by subjects/topics you need to teach? For example, I can't assign workbook pages on topics I haven't taught yet. So how are the children working ahead for a week at a time? Do they just do what they can then revisit it after lessons?

 

For us, my son doesn’t do everything independently. The things he can do on his own are things like Practice Town sentences for MCT (grammar) or reviewing his Latin vocabulary flashcards or a page in his Logic book. We also do MCT and Latin and History and Science together each day.

 

For something like Math generally I teach on Monday and then assign him problems to do the rest of the week. He’s pretty mathy though so he’s able to work fairly independently the rest of the week without going over the concept more than once with me. Then each day I check his work and that tells me what things we need to go over more in depth, either that day or the next. On a typical day he’d spend 45-60 minutes working on his own on Math and then we’d spend another 15 minutes going over problems he missed and if necessary discussing a concept more.

 

The other thing is that I’m always around. So when I say he’s working independently it really means that he has some subjects/work that he can start on by himself. But I’m nearby and he can come and ask for help if he’s having trouble with something. So it’s not like he’s doing it all alone. It’s sort of a balance between having him do work on his own and learn time management and between being a very involved teacher. I’d say I try to do both.

[LibraryLover]

How much independence do you mean? Your kids are 10 and under. I am sure there are some things they can do on their own, but little children enjoy company as they work/play. Try not set them (or yourself) up for frustration.

 

PS. 3 year olds are often busy little bees. ;)

[Amy Jo]

I do have issues with things I need to teach first (MEP Math, Latin). I want to have the other stuff ready though, so they can figure out what they need and can work on something else. I'm trying to move to an early 1-on-1 meeting with each of the older boys, and go over math, Latin & maybe spelling (if we had time). So not total independence, but enough that they know what they can do alone. Right now I've been using a highlighter on things they can do alone, but I'm printing one page a child per day. I have a cheap printer, and they tend to draw on the backs, but it still seems a bit much. This week I'm trying a weekly printout, but I'm not sure if that will give them more independence, since the font is fairly small. (And if I try to custom design a form on the computer, I will tweak forever and still not like it. Ha! Maybe I'll go low-tech with a notebook, as a few of you do.)

 

Going back to workboxes or something similar might work. My most organized year was the one I filed, but I'm not sure I want to file by week again. I could file by subject though, and pull papers by week... I'm not sure if I want to stay physical (a stack of books or using workboxes) vs. making some kind of list for them on paper.

 

And yes, I'll probably have to make something for the 3yo just like the boys have, even if it's tracing & coloring pages!

[birchbark]

I just finished reading Joanne Calderwood's book, The Self-Propelled Advantage, and I highly recommend it for those who desire more independence and engagement in their children. She also has a website.

 

One of the things she recommends is the use of student planners. Here are a few:

 

http://mystudentlogbook.blogspot.com/

 

http://urthemom.com/...ners__K-8_.html

 

http://www.christian...aylor/pd/827002

 

You might be able to find a freebie version on Donna Young's site.

[DawnM]

I have been reading her blog and listening to her 4 hours' worth of freebie CDs. I have gotten some good ideas out of it, but two have stood out to me.

 

1. Having the kids keep their own records and do their work more independently (with a planner.)

2. Mastery education (if the child gets anything lower than an A having the student fix what he missed until he has mastered it with an A.

 

I think I prefer a different planner than she has as I want to keep records of all chores, volunteer work, scouting, and a few things she doesn't have in there, but the premise is what I am looking for.

 

This is the planner I am probably ordering:

 

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=411508&event=BB&bookbag=1&item_code=WW

 

Dawn

 

 

I just finished reading Joanne Calderwood's book, The Self-Propelled Advantage, and I highly recommend it for those who desire more independence and engagement in their children. She also has a website.

 

One of the things she recommends is the use of student planners. Here are a few:

 

http://mystudentlogbook.blogspot.com/

 

http://urthemom.com/...ners__K-8_.html

 

http://www.christian...aylor/pd/827002

 

You might be able to find a freebie version on Donna Young's site.

[Maela]

I have been reading her blog and listening to her 4 hours' worth of freebie CDs. I have gotten some good ideas out of it, but two have stood out to me.

 

1. Having the kids keep their own records and do their work more independently (with a planner.)

2. Mastery education (if the child gets anything lower than an A having the student fix what he missed until he has mastered it with an A.

 

I think I prefer a different planner than she has as I want to keep records of all chores, volunteer work, scouting, and a few things she doesn't have in there, but the premise is what I am looking for.

 

This is the planner I am probably ordering:

 

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=411508&event=BB&bookbag=1&item_code=WW

 

Dawn

 

oh yay!  I didn't know about the freebies!  Thanks for posting that.  I have the book, but I like to have something I can just listen to while I'm cleaning.  And I like to hear things over and over...

[smfmommy]

Everyone except my 5 and 3 year olds have their own check list for each day.  Most of our work does not require me to schedule out pages.  We either work for a specific amount of time or the lessons are already split into daily amounts.

 

My oldest (16) is pretty much on her own.  She just comes and tells me about her reading, work throughout the day.

Next one (13) does a lot on her own but I get her started in math each day and she checks in regularly.  She is trying to show herself worthy (responsible) for a specific goal and is making large leaps at not needing to be reminded to get on task every 5 minutes.

My next two I work with much more (9 and 7).  I remind them to get their lists done and work with them, read to them, for a time each morning.  They also have things they can do on their own on the computer so I can toggle back and forth the things that are not done with both.

The five year old has focused time with me when I am done with the girls (or before depending on how the morning rolls).

 

My oldest two have also been given the task of reading to the younger ones for a set time each day which allows me to get things done without interruption.  I think the key is choosing material that doesn't have to be micromanaged (at least by you) and setting up a system that the child can clearly see what needs to be done and you can clearly see what has been accomplished.  Time and personality helps too.

 

[pollo_la]

I think it definitely matters what curriculum/method you use for schooling. My 9 year old has been independent since she was 6. Once a child is reading fluently, then they are fully capable of being independent, but it does depend of the curriculum or method used. We use RC. So, for reading she reads, for math she uses Saxon 5/4 (and until she was ready for that, she did Sterling Math facts on the computer - independently), and for writing she does copywork, or simply writes. My next two are not reading fluently yet, and are not quite ready for math fact practice yet either. They do Math Seeds though for math (independently), and I work with each of them for about a half hour each day from Dancing Bears and Apples and Pears (which has reading and writing covered).

[LazyDazy]

We use planners for each of the boys. I fill it out at the beginning of the week for them. (We are working toward them doing it on their own.) Each day has a list of the assignments that need to be complete before any electronic devices are to be used or outside play with neighbors can begin. We meet at the start of the day to do our group work then from there each boy is responsible for completing his daily assignments. He is responsible for seeking help when/if he gets stuck.

 

The planners also have any outside or family activities listed just as my planner does. I want them to see their week in advance and learn to be ready for what is coming up. They also use the planner to record chores completed. We only pay them for certain chores but, they must be recorded in the planner to be compensated. It's a great way to teach accountability because we only care that the chores are done, the boys are the only ones who are concerned with getting paid so they are completely responsible for making sure that happens.

 

At the end of the week I check the planner to make sure all assignments have been complete. (They must turn in all paperwork as it is completed so I already know that the work has been done.) At this point I am only checking to see that they were keeping track.

 

It is definitely a work in progress. This is a habit that will follow them to college and beyond, well worth the effort.