Back to basics :-(

[stm4him]

I'm a little bummed because I think the more I see how much time my baby is sucking up (literally) the more I think we will only be able to focus on the basics next year on CC weeks. This is what I'm contemplating for Wed-Sat. (Mon for cleaning and music lessons):

 

7:00 am- Work with oldest on Saxon 5/4 on my bed while I get ready and feed the baby, etc.; go upstairs to watch Teaching Tapes together and work lesson practice problems; littles get up and boys get little girls an easy breakfast (cereal, breakfast bar, yogurt, etc.)

 

8:00 am- Boys come upstairs to work with us on a math game (for drill), grammar, IEW, vocabulary (IEW words, prefixes/suffixes, derivatives), Latin and Greek (1 pg. of each per day and flashcards); little girls play downstairs with cardboard blocks, floor puzzles, ipad, etc. or on back porch (Dad works from home)

 

11:00 am- All of us come downstairs for a big brunch and clean up kitchen and get littles dressed, etc.; oldest two practice instruments; read aloud to littles?

 

1:00pm- Youngest two (not counting baby) go down for quiet time/nap; oldest stays downstairs to do mixed practice problems alone; middle three come upstairs for math lesson; oldest joins when done and we continue with phonics, spelling, oral reading practice, reading comprehension test, copywork, and literature (silent reading as time permits)

 

4:00pm- Outside lessons and free time/chores

 

6:30pm- Dinner and clean up

 

7:00pm- Bible stories, Singing and prayer, Bible reading while littles head to bed

 

8:00pm- Read aloud to olders followed by silent non-fiction reading?

 

9:00pm- Bed

 

Memory work in the car and playlists at mealtimes or clean up times. Logic on cleaning day once per week?

 

Other subjects on off weeks and summer :-(

[stm4him]

I'm thinking that maybe instead of them reading non-fiction silently we would just take that half hour or so (after we read a little poetry and a chapter from a fiction classic) to do one other subject such as character, doctrine, Bible, history, or science. Mostly those subjects involve reading a short chapter or card and discussing it while coloring or doing some other activity type page. I'm thinking we'll just not worry about how much we get done. I'll arrange them into 24 weeks (and some over more than one cycle possibly) and then just go through them at whatever pace we can and if it goes through the summer that is ok, too. On Mondays I think I'll have some assigned reading relating to our topics of the week (or at least a book bin) and I will have them write about science instead of their usual IEW assignment. And on our 6 week breaks we'll go over the fine arts topics since that involves more teaching.

 

That only leaves 4 things not covered that I can think of right now. One is map drawing. I'd really like to squeeze in the drawing (or coloring or tracing) of at least one map a day and at least 4 a week (one from each cycle for that week and one continent blob map. Two of them are memory work and recitations, but I think I'm going to make a week by week play list and just listen to it a lot so that it will include Westminster Shorter Catechism songs and the IEW poems. The only things that we recite that are not put to song I think are the CC Bible Memory facts (free on CC Connected) and First Catechism. I'll just have to squeeze those in during devotion I guess. The final one is their presentation for CC day but we'll likely put that together on Mondays as well. So Monday assignments would be:

 

Logic (thinking skills)

Presentation

Science lab reports or project report

Science paragraph on topic of the week

 

I'm questioning whether a math lesson would work here as originally planned....I'll have to put those on our "off weeks" too.....

[mama25angels]

just bumping for you!!

[scrapbabe]

Oh hon, I wanted to first give you a big hug and send prayers for your son. All I can say is kudos to you for continuing to do so much schooling. But honestly if my son had leukemia we'd be taking a more relaxed approach to schooling. Doing the basics to me would be just the three Rs. But you know you and your family best. Good luck to you and bless you all!!

[StephanieF]

At this time of life I personally would resort to audio books rather than myself reading aloud. I have all the SOTW on audio plus I get lots from the library or download classics from itunes fairly cheaply. I use them when ds is doing art, eating etc and it allows me to do things. He also listens to them in the car on his ipod nano.

Stephanie

[....]

:grouphug: I want to say something, but don't want to say the wrong thing... But, could you just do math with the older ones and be relaxed with everything else? It wouldn't have to be permanent - maybe for a year? Your oldest is 11 (?). You guys could go into relaxed schooling mode for awhile (a couple of years) and be ok. I would do math, tell them that they need to do some daily reading on their own and your family could continue with your Bible studies in the evening. I would do some weekly trips to the library, take them to the park, watch some documentaries together, strew art supplies, etc. When we go through periods of time like that, I have an independent study log that I give to the older kids. They record all their independent reading, projects and research that they do in their logs, so I have a record of what they've done.

 

Another option...we had massive crisis year once (our first year homeschooling). My two oldest kids used CLE and we called it a day. It's a little over $3 for a workbook and each workbook lasts about 3-4 weeks. Older kids could do this completely on their own. We were done with school in maybe 1-2 hours.

 

If you don't map out their time, will your kids read, play, do projects, make things, etc on their own? Or does chaos take over? :grouphug:

[stm4him]

Thank you ladies for your responses. Mostly I talk to myself on here sometimes so it is nice to have some feed back....and some grace :-). Though I have the pieces of our day mostly figured out I am constantly rearranging the pieces. I don't know if that is a personality thing or just the fact that with so many littles and cancer to deal with things are constantly changing around here. So my kids learn a "new" routine all the time, but they know what each piece looks like for the most part so it is usually not that difficult for them to rearrange the order. Maybe someday I'll have the order solidified as well, but maybe not because every year will look different, especially once my older ones go to Challenge.

 

Anyway, my daughter came into my room this morning at 7:15. We worked on correcting 4 mixed practices (she's doubling up and we missed a day). When she came to my room she'd already eaten a little something. Then my boys fed the others and got themselves dressed. By the time my oldest and I finished it was 8:26 and I was still in my pjs nursing :-( Then she left to get dressed because she went to the doctor to check her thyroid with my husband. Now I am finally dressed and have eaten and am about to do a load of laundry and a few other chores. I already pulled dinner out of the freezer for tonight (once a month cooking is working wonderfully for us). Somehow my 2 year old and 5 year old are dressed but my 3 year old is still in a pull up from last night (dry). My son is in his room taking a nap (he's on steroids and can't sleep well at night), my other 4 are going back and forth between watching Little Bear, playing learning games on the ipad, and playing with each other and the baby because it is yucky outside. The baby is in her swing. And so this isn't a normal day b/c of the doctor visit etc. but I can tell that we will not be upstairs by 8 on another subject and I will still be disappointed.

 

Before that schedule lay out came to me yesterday I was contemplating a loop schedule that didn't involve any times. It seemed to me that if everything were already laid out into 24 weeks (plus a few left over lessons in a few subjects to be done either over Christmas break or in April when CC is over), that I would at least be able to steadily work through the work with them and always know where we are and how much is left to do and if I could be satisfied with our level of effort and depth of learning rather than staying on schedule then I would be more calm. If I just knew that we were to start as early as possible in the morning (after getting some basics done) and work until lunch (usually 1:00) and then work until 4:00 then I could maybe leave it in the Lord's hands as to how many subjects we get through in the day. We'll have a planned Bible time in the evening as I said before. And beyond that when I am nursing and can't teach I just need to read to them. I'll just have to be purposeful about having a bag of books next to me when I start nursing so we can just benefit from that time without worrying that we aren't "doing school". Because read aloud is extremely educational.

 

The reason this made me nervous was that my oldest is joining Essentials this year and needs to have her writing assignments done. The grammar memory work I think we can still just work at our own pace and the Foundations memory work we will do by play list, probably keeping up with where we are in CC. So maybe the solution is that we start our day with her writing assignment and maybe the grammar if I end up feeling like we need to stay up with that and then the rest of the day we go through our notebooks with all our work laid out. For subjects that are in their own book we would just have a sticky note on a blank page that says what pages to do or what activity to keep the littles busy with. For example, in my older 3's books it would say for them to do Latin pg. 6 and in my K'ers book it would say to watch a Spanish immersion video or listen to the Greek alphabet reader cd. (In case this doesn't make sense I'm referring to having one disc-bound notebook for each kid with a week's worth of work at a time in it and a master binder or set of files with each week's work for the year already laid out.

 

I always feel like we didn't do enough if we didn't get through all the planned subjects even though we may have worked hard all day and that really isn't the way I should look at it. If we've studied hard and learned something about God's Word and God's world I need to just be happy about that. Trying to stay on a schedule by subject is robbing my joy....

 

Ok....one last thing. Should I put content subjects like science and history in with the 3 R's or have a separate loop for that?

[mama25angels]

 

I always feel like we didn't do enough if we didn't get through all the planned subjects even though we may have worked hard all day and that really isn't the way I should look at it. If we've studied hard and learned something about God's Word and God's world I need to just be happy about that. Trying to stay on a schedule by subject is robbing my joy....

 

Ok....one last thing. Should I put content subjects like science and history in with the 3 R's or have a separate loop for that?

 

 

 

:iagree: I love this statement!!!!! I think I would put science and history in the loop with the 3 R's.

[TraceyS/FL]

:grouphug:

 

 

Have you done a time chart and filled in your knows - and then visually see what blocks of time you have left? Does the baby nurse at about the same time each day? I'd start with that, then fill in the blocks from there. I'm only suggesting it because it was what I was working on yesterday! :D

 

There is only so much time to go around - and you are obviously better at it than me because I would not be doing CC right now.

 

:grouphug:

[crl]

Sorry to hear you are having to add cancer treatments into your daily mix. The year I had to do that, the kids did the basics only each day and then we had a history book and science book we worked from when I felt up to it (or Dad had extra time). I know it's tough to think about only doing the basics when there are so many great things to do or you see others doing so much. But honestly, cancer stuff takes up a lot of time and energy for the whole family. It also seems like your oldest is old enough to be working alone on some things, so that may be an option in order to still do some of those things you hope to do.

I can tell you from personal experience that my kids are glad they had time to be just be kids instead of having too much schooling because more was expected from them in their daily lives. In fact, my DH often left my daughter "in charge" of tending to her her brother for the day while he worked and she was only 8-9 at the time.

[abrightmom]

:grouphug: Shaina,

 

Praying for you today (and should remember to as often as I think of you and your crew .... ).

 

I think you are asking too much of yourself in this season. :sad:

 

Can you streamline? Are you willing to streamline and be O.K. with it? Anything you can do to remove yourself from a teaching situation is important. I'd say content is important for your 11yo and maybe the 8yo but not so much for the rest of the kids (beyond reading together).

 

Can you enroll your oldest in VP online history?

What about BJU science via DVD or online? Or providing an Apologia text, journal, and kit? That can be done independently by an 11yo.

Rod & Staff Spelling is solid and independent.

CLE Reading packs a lot of punch and covers a lot of skills. I am so impressed with it and love using it here.

SOTW, MOH, and Diana Waring audiobooks for history. Classical Academic Press has lovely audios for Bible time listening. Randy Alcorn's Heaven for Kids on audio is great. You could assign a study to the reading kids (CLP has some that look good) or just give them a Bible reading schedule (this works quite well around here and builds Bible fluency).

 

I think it's FAR more important that we can homeschool with JOY and with quiet hearts and all the way to the end (if that's what God is calling you to). I'd also be asking if my expectations of myself and my kids are realistic for right now. I know that I CANNOT do what Moms who only school two kids can do. There isn't enough of me. I can do more than a Mom schooling 6 or 8 for the same reasons. =)

 

You'll find your way and it may not be what you want ideally. It's often hard to live in reality isn't it?! God is walking with you Shaina and He loves you and your family so very much. He is faithful and may be calling you to trust Him more deeply as you let go of "ideal".

 

I vote for 2 loops. OR a different loop for the oldest. And my hat goes off to you for having high expectations and for your perseverance! :coolgleamA:

[trulycrabby]

First, I'm sending my prayers to you and your family.

 

I think I can see that a schedule might provide order, structure, and comfort, especially during a time when everything else might be fraught with uncertainty. However, please don't feel guilty or frustrated if you do not always complete everything on it, or even if you do absolutely nothing on it, because sometimes just getting through the day is enough.

[stm4him]

Thanks, again, ladies. I'm still thinking about one loop or two. But here are some answers to some of the other comments:

 

1) My son is past the hardest part of his treatment and what he is doing now he will be doing for 1 1/2 or 2 years, which is to go once a month for a check up and chemo and a spinal tap every 3 months. He gets chemo at home daily as well in the form of pills and liquid meds for side effects (or possible side effects). Since this is our life for the next 2 years (give or take some), I think we need to settle in. If we weren't so far behind already because of the main part of our year with cancer and a pregnancy I would consider letting more go.

 

2) In addition to that, my oldest has a learning disability so instead of being in 5th grade this past year she was doing what I would consider 3rd grade. Now, that doesn't mean she tested in 3rd grade.....she tested in 4th-7th for everything, but that still means she is at least a year behind in math and grammar. And I still want her to complete a certain level of material before going into Challenge so that she is set up for success and we can't fall any farther behind in that since she will already start at 13 or 14.

 

Because I flip-flopped so much in our early years and relaxed during babies and moves I now am playing catch up. For the most part I'm pretty on top of it with my third and fourth (though I wish my fourth was farther along in handwriting) and so I don't want to fall behind with them like I did with the older two. I hate that feeling. I know we are where we are for a reason and there are times when I know that my oldest two aren't ready for more than what they're doing in math (oldest b/c of understanding concepts and 2nd one b/c of lack of maturity to do that much work), but I still want to keep pressing on.

 

One thing I will say is that having a messy house constantly also steals my peace. I know there is not enough of me to go around and there probably won't be for quite some time until I have more kids over the age of 7 at least, but I have prioritized relationships and education over housework because I know that will always be there. In the past I would spend a lot of days working all the way up until dinner with them and other days when I spent the entire day doing laundry or cleaning or organizing b/c I'm such an all or nothing, one-track mind kinda girl. But I guess what I'm hoping for this coming year is that if we put boundaries on our school day (has to be over by 4 and can't start until certain basic chores are done) then I'm more likely to feel peace and have that sense of order. If my son were to need to go to the hospital for a stay I would be frantic if my house were total chaos. But then I would often get upset and concerned because we weren't getting enough school done and then I'd just go back to ignoring the house in order to complete school goals. I never knew how far along we were or how much we had left to do without recalculating it every time and for all the different subjects. So that gave me a panicky or uneasy feeling. So I think this idea of having the whole year in order to where I can easily figure out where we are in our year and know that we are at the same place across the board (or at least in the 3 R's) will help me to better know how much housework to let go of (to increase our pace) or let me know we are only a few weeks behind, which would not put me in panic mode inside. I am very good at looking calm on the outside but I can be totally overwhelmed and frustrated inside. And I love how Andrew Kern says we should teach from a place of peace (or something similar) and so I want to sit back and enjoy teaching with my kids because I really do love it when I'm not worried about the house or the schedule.

 

I am an expert scheduler.....on paper. But reality is totally different and with 9 people in this house there are just too many variables right now. As for teaching style, I am very comfortable with my method of teaching after floundering for so long and finally coming to this over the last two years. I love how we do school and I love the togetherness we have. That is so important right now. I need to feel connected to them and part of what we are learning. I love homeschooling because I love learning with them. Otherwise to me it would just be an exercise in administration and management, which is important too, but not as fulfilling for me. Homeschooling when I am learning with them is therapeutic for me and for us as a family I think. Its all the rest of the stuff that gets in the way, you know?

 

I'm hoping this loop idea will give me structure and order and balance and peace to our days. If I'm putting together 24 weeks that should give us plenty of margin since I like to pack so much in a week. Other people could probably stretch it out to much longer but I just want it to fit into 24 sections....even if a "week" is really not a week.

 

The beauty of a 2 loops is that if we are getting too far behind I can just drop one loop to focus on the other. Since the content loop can span more than one year if need be it is not imperative that I finish it. But the nice thing about keeping them together would be the excitement and fun of getting to those other subjects and forcing ourselves to break from the "must-dos". I'll think about it some more.....

[abrightmom]

Shaina,

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

Do you do your housekeeping and chores in a loop? That is how I clean. A schedule NEVER works for me (neither does a rigid meal plan). I clean in a loop fashion and just keeping moving forward "doing the next thing". It works for meal planning too .... I don't put anything down on a certain day. I just generally plan a certain number of dinners and basic stuff for breakfast/lunch so I have the stuff on hand. Then I don't get "off schedule" or over buy food. Loop scheduling is a flexible plan; the best of both worlds. It is forgiving but it is a place to return to when you get off track or need to know what to do next.

 

Keep hanging in there. :coolgleamA:

[scrapbabe]

I can so relate to how you're feeling. We started a business five years ago, a year in I got cancer. We fell behind in school much more than I'd have liked. I know that panicky feeling. We were finally getting back into a good routine when we discovered we were pregnant. Baby is now 4 months old and we just moved. So I get needing structure and schedule.

 

Could you do the 3 Rs and an "extra" in a loop? Then loop the other subjects in a second loop? That way you'll get to add a fun extra but not be bogged down by all the extras? Does that make sense?

 

So once thru the loop would be math, reading, writing and history. Next time you looped thru it would be math, reading, writing and science. Then art, music, Latin, etc. So there's only four things in the loop but the fourth one rotates.

 

Just a rambling thought, not even sure if its coherent. ;)

[stm4him]

Scrapbabe.....I am trying to think of what extra we would keep in there. We may keep things that are directly tied to our CC weeks for this cycle in there and leave others that don't specifically line up in the second loop. For example, we can leave blank lab reports in so we write those on the weeks we do them (or close to it), but leave other science out.

 

Katrina, I am starting to sort of do a loop for cleaning, at least for weekly chores like mopping. What happens here, though is I get through th emopping and hardly ever make it to the vacuuming before I feel like I really need to mop again. My loop looks like:

 

Mop hardwoods

Mop tile floors

Clean toilet bowls, showers, and tubs

Vacuum

Wipe down horizontal surfaces

Wipe down vertical surfaces

 

 

Daily I try to do a few loads of laundry, heat up dinner, wipe down the kitchen table and counter, and wipe down my sink and toilet. Decluttering should be daily but it ends up being when I can't stand an area anymore. I would LOVE for you to share your loop, Katrina.

 

I'm also rethinking stuff in general......what can I get rid of or rearrange? I thought for a little bit about giving up my schoolroom to be a playroom so I don't have to look at any toy mess on the 2nd floor, but I don't think I can do it......

[scrapbabe]

 

 

Katrina, I am starting to sort of do a loop for cleaning, at least for weekly chores like mopping. What happens here, though is I get through th emopping and hardly ever make it to the vacuuming before I feel like I really need to mop again.

This is why the loop schedule never worked for me in homeschool. Too many things in the loop that the important things didn't get done often enough.

[happypamama]

Can you pay or reward your oldest child (and the 8yo too, if he is up to it) to help with cleaning? I'm 32 weeks pregnant with #5 and starting to feel pretty achy and not sleeping that all well anymore, so it's really difficult to have a lot of energy and/or to pick up stuff off of the floor. My 11, 8, and 4yo's are pretty good about picking up their stuff, but I just can't really get up and down a lot to help the almost 2yo pick up his toys. So I will award extra screen time (which is a big thing in this house) to kids who are willing to do extra when I ask -- wash some dishes, vacuum (the 8yo likes doing those things; he and the 4yo will both jump if I ask if someone wants to vacuum), fold laundry, pick up toddler toys (yesterday, the 11yo earned herself some extra screen time by doing those two things for me). They do have normal household chores that they have to do, but the peace I get from having stuff picked up is well worth it to me to reward them for doing extra. :)

[stm4him]

They already do extra :-( I pay them according to their age and they are all given age appropriate chores to complete daily but in addition they always do what we ask them to to help out, whatever that might be.

 

I'm being crazy and thinking about 4 loops to address what you said......but I think I'll make that a separate post.....

[stm4him]

I mean what scrapbabe said...

[abrightmom]

This is why the loop schedule never worked for me in homeschool. Too many things in the loop that the important things didn't get done often enough.

 

Maybe there are too many things in the loop or two approaches are necessary. The "must dos" are block scheduled daily and the "non essentials but definitely important" items go in a loop. Schedules and plans always looks better on paper and kids/life have a way of completely shredding any and all beautiful plans don't they?!

 

With cleaning I don't follow a strict loop. I literally just keep moving forward and clean as I go .... There is NO schedule or even a strict list. I clean as I am able to and I think this school year I'll block out a little time each day to devote to cleaning and get done what I can. That's that! I have to fit it in the nooks and crannies sometimes. My children also MUST do more and we are working on that this summer ....

[TraceyS/FL]

Oh, on the cleaning aspect - I know you have "ways" (we all do! LOL!!), but is there anyway you can figure out how to do it in blocks during the week? Looking at something like the Motivated Moms type of rotating schedule, or the one from The Confident Mom. So you do a small piece daily, but over the course of the week everything you normally do gets done?

 

It was a thought I had..... reminding me of another aspect of planning that is happening here next week. I'm thinking my kids will wish I didn't finish school tomorrow by the time next week is over!!! :p

[Another Lynn]

I would not be upset at all about cutting down to some basics. Your CC isn't still in session, is it? I would not worry one iota about presentations until you start up again in August. I would not worry one bit about logic at this stage, especially if I was playing catch up in math. Your dc are getting a science experiment or science project 24 weeks at CC - I would call that good and not require additional lab write ups at home. I'm not certain I would worry about 1 paragraph of science summary right now either. If your oldest is doing Essentials in the fall, she'll get plenty of writing then. Between some of your past posts and your signature, it seems like you're using multiple resources in every subject and your subjects are multiplying. This is a time-sucker. Streamline. I would also consider cutting out languages. I'm not saying it's not a great goal to do them, I'm just saying in your shoes they would not be high on my list of goals right now. As far as content goes - put a selection of books on the shelf and require X (maybe an hour for the 11yo and 30 min for your 8 yo) minutes of reading per day. Use SOTW on CD. Get Jim Weiss CDs of myths, stories, classic books and let them listen. In crisis or semi-crisis homeschooling, there's no reason why CC Foundations + Essentials + solid math program + classic children's literature + some history and science books/cds can't be enough. It's summer; you have a newborn; do the basics: complete math without fail; assign free-reading parameters; relax and enjoy.

[stm4him]

Oh, this is all for the fall.....for summer right now we are doubling up on math and notebooking our history cards plus a devotion daily. That's it. After we finish the history cards in a few days we will do the presidents for awhile and then notebook some science or fine arts instead. We are on track to finish math with my three youngers before vacation on July 20th. The oldest will have to work all summer :-( After we come back from vacation I will decide what (if anything) needs to be done in August. But my top goal in August is to finish putting loop schedule notebooks and files together for at least half the year. I'm just planning what I'm going to do for next year......

 

I'm basing the amount of writing on Leigh's book and the Foundations guide. Logic is just something I've always done with them and doesn't take much time at all. And we don't do presentations at home....I'm speaking of next year. Latin and Greek are important to me.....but I just need to be relaxed about how much we get done......

[Hunter]

Stm4him, do I recognize you from some old posts I read at the SOW forum? Do you still have your SOW? I'm not saying to do SOW, but to look at it as a guideline of what is "enough". What you are trying to accomplish is NOT "back to basics". And it's a lot for ANYONE, never mind someone with a baby and a sick child.

 

Have you written a family mission statement recently? You know the story of the rocks, pebbles and sand, right?

 

:grouphug: Please take care of YOU. If you do too much and crumble, where is that going to leave your crew? First take care of you for YOU, but even if you don't do that, you are doing your crew NO favors by overdoing it.

[abrightmom]

I would not be upset at all about cutting down to some basics. Your CC isn't still in session, is it? I would not worry one iota about presentations until you start up again in August. I would not worry one bit about logic at this stage, especially if I was playing catch up in math. Your dc are getting a science experiment or science project 24 weeks at CC - I would call that good and not require additional lab write ups at home. I'm not certain I would worry about 1 paragraph of science summary right now either. If your oldest is doing Essentials in the fall, she'll get plenty of writing then. Between some of your past posts and your signature, it seems like you're using multiple resources in every subject and your subjects are multiplying. This is a time-sucker. Streamline. I would also consider cutting out languages. I'm not saying it's not a great goal to do them, I'm just saying in your shoes they would not be high on my list of goals right now. As far as content goes - put a selection of books on the shelf and require X (maybe an hour for the 11yo and 30 min for your 8 yo) minutes of reading per day. Use SOTW on CD. Get Jim Weiss CDs of myths, stories, classic books and let them listen. In crisis or semi-crisis homeschooling, there's no reason why CC Foundations + Essentials + solid math program + classic children's literature + some history and science books/cds can't be enough. It's summer; you have a newborn; do the basics: complete math without fail; assign free-reading parameters; relax and enjoy.

This is a great post!! :coolgleamA:

[stm4him]

Yes, Hunter, that is me :-) I never actually used SOW, though I planned it out for 2 months. Then I ordered Years 2-6 and when I saw how they did history I didn't think I could do it the way they did and be satisfied. Plus all the errors in it bother me to the point where it makes me want to rewrite it every time I look at it. Many times I've thought about how someone should redo it a little bit better and it would be more popular. I love many of the concepts of how she put it together and I actually won't sell it because I do refer to it many times. But I find a lot of overlap in its ideals and the ideals of CC, though that is hard to explain. I don't think it is any less complicated than what I'm doing though.

 

I originally started this post because I was thinking that there was no way I'd get to anything besides the 3 R's and languages (no content subjects above CC) and that still may be true, but I think putting it on loops will make me feel less stressed if we don't get everything done every day because we can just pick up where we left off the next day. I like that I can always know where we are if it is all laid out in weeks. If I'm in 4 different places in the loops that is still better than all the subjects multiplied by 4 kids. The thing is, I want the same education for my kids that they would have if they weren't in a large family. And the large family is part of the education, I know that......but I don't want to say, "Well, I didn't have time to teach you Latin because I had so many babies." I just want to find a way to keep pressing on with it.

 

The loop method in the way I'm using it is a way to keep priorities straight.....loop 1 is first priority. Loop 2 is second priority, etc. Does that make sense?

[stm4him]

One of the other things that I find nice about the loop schedule thing is that I think putting together a whole year (or at least half) in notebooks with a "do the next thing" set up will make it easy to just keep going until lunch or keep going until 4:00.....to keep going in November and February when people often feel like changing what they are doing. I am finally pretty consistent about what materials we are using and what methods we are using, but I struggle with the order of subjects and how often to do what, etc. Loops that run by priority each day will help me to be consistent I think, but using a disc-bound system I can easily redo the order of things if I really want to because the pages come out easily.

 

The other thing about having notebooks for the loops is that it keeps things contained for me. Grab a loop notebook and go. We do the subjects all together for the most part so we'll all be on the same subject unless it is a subject the younger ones don't do and then I'll have something planned already in their notebook for them to do instead. When we can't move forward all together for some reason it will become reading time or break time......and then we pick up again asap where we left off.....

[Hunter]

Stm4him,

 

I'm talking about the AMOUNT of work in each subject, as a guide to what is appropriate for large families. As I said, I didn't mean to USE SOW.

 

Forgive me if I'm overstepping. I do this hesitantly. But I think in GENERAL at least, that it is totally unrealistically for a large family with a seriously sick child to give the same education that SOME small families choose to give their children. In GENERAL I think it's a really good idea for a mom in your SITUATION to say, "I didn't teach you Latin because we were a big family and your brother was sick. But because we were a big family and your brother was sick, you learned other things that God must have wanted you to learn."

 

I did the Latin, Greek and Calculus thing when I shouldn't have. It did NOT pay off. I guess maybe I thought if I got that done, I was a good mom, and things were normal, and I don't know what else. It taught my boys some messed up priorities. I wasn't modeling good priority setting. And I didn't model proper self-care. And I didn't model biblical principals of Martha vs Mary.

 

I didn't even understand the Martha vs Mary story back then. I knew people quoted it to me and thought I was being "bad" but I didn't know why I was being "bad". The prodigal son story went over my head even worse. Lots of the stories went over my head back then.

 

I'm not going to say you are "wrong". How would I know that? You and your story are much larger than what you share here. The snapshot I think I see is not necessarily reflective of the whole story. And who am I to judge. But...just be careful. I'm worried.

 

I've learned the hard way that :banghead: does not work if I was going down the wrong road. Sickness and other trials are often meant to shove us off the path we are on, and the harder we cling to that path that the higher power does not want us on, the harder he shoves us off. Please...just...be careful.

[scrapbabe]

 

 

I'm being crazy and thinking about 4 loops to address what you said......but I think I'll make that a separate post.....

. Four loops!!?! You're making my head spin! ;).

[scrapbabe]

I know you came here for advice on scheduling so I'm trying to help you with that. But out of love and concern I do hope you'll be kind to you and not be hard on yourself if you don't have the "perfect" homeschool. It might be as Hunter said, that all of this is God's way of saying: stop and smell the roses. But I do understand, having done the cancer thing, that there's a point when you need to make order amidst the chaos. So I say as long as you're all happy doing your plan, then go for it! And I'll look for your post on making four loops. :)

[abrightmom]

Forgive me if I'm overstepping. I do this hesitantly. But I think in GENERAL at least, that it is totally unrealistically for a large family with a seriously sick child to give the same education that SOME small families choose to give their children. In GENERAL I think it's a really good idea for a mom in your SITUATION to say, "I didn't teach you Latin because we were a big family and your brother was sick. But because we were a big family and your brother was sick, you learned other things that God must have wanted you to learn."

 

 

This. Wise words ....

 

It is so very important that we learn to prune what is good in order to produce the fruit that is the BEST. Life demands that we make choices and we HAVE to say no to good things all.the.time.

 

Shaina,

 

I want to encourage you to consider what Lynn has shared. You do have a lot going on in every subject area and her counsel is spot on. Somehow you have to get things distilled down to ONE thing in each subject with less "clutter". You are packing LOTS of curriculum into every nook and cranny of your life and leaving no room to breathe or just "be".

 

Don't do 4 loops. That is too many. Start with one. PERFECT it and maintain a quiet, joyful home. When time falls off the routine/schedule and you are in balance then add Loop 2.

 

Now I'm preparing to heed my own counsel. :thumbup1:

[stm4him]

Here is where I get frustrated. Though please understand that I am very appreciative of all of your loving thoughts and kind words. I read classical education books and I try to follow their suggestions about what my kids should be doing. And I don't mean all the curriculum they suggest, but the methods. And I love these methods because they work! I don't necessarily think my curriculum list is that long:

 

Saxon Math (with drill flashcards and charts and games as supplements)

Building Thinking Skills

Latin's Not So Tough

Hey Andrew (Greek)

Spelling Plus w/ Dictation Resource Book and Homophones Book

Essentials of the English Language

PreScripts (copywork)

IEW Theme-based books

CC Acts and Facts cards

McGuffey readers

Bob Books

McCall books (reading comp)

Character First

Catechisms

IEW Poetry

Booklists

 

extras I want to fit in some day: VP Bible and History and SOTW

 

What is overlapping?

 

And I say frustrated b/c I don't want to remain in cancer world, you know? I want us to live a "normal" life. At Practicum this year they talked about how being rooted in your homeschooling methods keeps you strong when the storms come. And when the storms hit this year I was so thankful that I wasn't floundering when it came to school (at least not compared to other years). We took time off as needed, but we kept going when we could and we had a very rich year of learning. Halfway through we simplified language arts by diving deeper together with fewer curricula. We are working a normal set of school hours and I think the loop is a way to learn to rest in what we accomplish daily while still having those things that are important to me waiting and ready for when we have time.

 

4 loops represents levels of urgency and priority. That way the extras are easily dropped temporarily but easily picked back up, too. CC only lasts 24 weeks with 6 week breaks and a long break from Thanksgiving to the 2nd week in January. If we've stayed on task the other weeks with the main subjects then we will have time for the extras on those off weeks. And if not, that's ok too......

 

I really hope I don't sound like a desperate mom. I'm really just trying to refine and streamline what we already love doing and rest in the joy of learning rather than being concerned about what we didn't get to. Schedules are so fun to make and look so nice on paper but they always leave me frustrated when really I shouldn't be using that as a measure of success at all. That's probably something I learned from cancer this year...

[stm4him]

Let me rephrase that.....

 

I AM desperate.....for Jesus...daily. I'm pretty sure He has given me way more than I can handle so that I HAVE to lean on Him daily to get through. However much I talk about being "behind", my cup overfloweth with what we've learned over the last 7 years together. There are only 2 areas where I'm a bit concerned about what I wish we would have accomplished by now, and those are math and grammar. Grammar will get better this year with Essentials and math is just a slow and steady thing....I know we'll get there eventually. It's a boulder up the hill thing (which I learned at practicum). You can't let the boulder go or you have start back at the bottom of the hill again. At least that is how it is with a child who struggles to learn and retain.

 

We all want life to fit into a neat little box and be so orderly and simple. It will always be something I strive for b/c God is a God of order and I want to reflect Him in that way. I HATE feeling that I am a bad witness to others by having a disorderly home because I know they're thinking that if only I had fewer children or had them in school things wouldn't be so hard. But I was called to have these children and called to home educate them and now I feel called to do it classically and I feel comfortable and confident in what the pieces of that look like for us, its just a matter of finding ways to put the pieces together efficiently and resting in the process rather than getting flustered when things don't happen on my time table. And part of why I've pushed a time table is so that we can rest for part of the year when we feel like just being and just doing what we'd like to do....making memories outside of the walls of our home. We're going to Disney in November, Lord willing, and I'm so looking forward to that. We're going to Myrtle Beach the last week in July with my parents and sisters and that will also be cherished time. We go to the beach at least once a week and do nothing but be together and enjoy nature there. And hopefully with things in order on the front end the rails will be laid and we will just be able to pick up and go daily so that we're not trying to put school together while also juggling the realities of daily living with little people and chemo, etc. I know at times I am unrealistic. That's ok. I just keep pushing the goals or rearranging the goals to work better for our family as I see the Lord has other plans or a different time table.....but the goals are still there in one form or another and I know the ones He wants accomplished are the only ones that will get done and the ones that I do accomplish are only because He allowed it to be so......

 

So when I come on here and give my crazy plans which may be a little far fetched but have some element of greatness to them I don't want to be told my goals are off....because those goals are my dreams for my kids....or at least part of them. We are on the verge of having notebooked over 200 science and history cards this year. That would sound crazy it I put it up here that we were going to do it, but we did! And it was wonderful. Sometimes my crazy ideas work despite our crazy life :-) So just humor me......

[scrapbabe]

Well spoken! Bless you in your journey.

[Another Lynn]

Stm4him,

I'm sorry I misunderstood your post as being for summer rather than during the school year. And perhaps it was your April to August supplements (from past curriculum posts) that struck me as overlap. In your shoes, there are things *I* would drop or save for a later grade and I would streamline my resources for Bible/devotion/catechism. There are other things *I* would choose to drop just to cut the number of resources because I've found that fewer resources are more comfortable for us. I suppose going through the logic stage with my oldest has changed my perspective on my own priorities. But you didn't come asking for ways to lighten your load, so my advice was misplaced. You are accomplishing amazing things.

 

Again, I apologize for not reading more closely.

 

Blessings,

Lynn

[TraceyS/FL]

Well, then we just have to help you figure out a workable loop/plan/schedule right?????

 

:grouphug:

 

I think the only part that keeps striking me consistently is that the only family day and day "off" is Sunday. I'm assuming that is enough to "recharge" you as a whole group, but is it enough downtime for the kids to be kids? What if you decide to do something as a family that isn't church related? Does your DH work on Saturday's? or Monday's?

 

These are the things that run thru my head when I ponder it - granted, I am totally applying it thru the filter that is *my* life.

[stm4him]

Another Lynn,

 

Your responses were just fine. When I asked for where there is overlap I was asking because I genuinely don't see any but you might see something I don't. I agree that I have a lot of resources for devotion and catechism. I decided to keep character in b/c we do one a month and put catechism on a much more infrequent basis (at least for part of the year).

 

Tracey, my husband is a realtor so he works every day in some sense, but he also has freedom with his schedule so we see him every day and he can manipulate his schedule as he wishes for the most part. So we don't really have a day of the week to do nothing except church on Sunday, but I guess I go by "six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work" as a measure. And Monday is different in that it will hopefully be for music lessons and cleaning but much less schoolwork. I'm thinking I'll put my other subjects back into the loop and only expect them to read and prepare their presentations on Monday. So even though we will still be working and active it won't be the same as the other days.

 

I worked it out by number of hours and 24 weeks times 4 days is 96 days of work, though we add in the 24 days we're at CC and the 96 days are really about 2 days worth of work when you count up the hours so it really works out to be 192 days of school plus CC days.....but I think out of 365 that's not so bad even if it is more than what most people do if they do nothing all summer.

 

Ladies, I really do appreciate you and if I sounded at all snappy last night please forgive me. Because I have been so isolated this year to avoid germs for my son this forum has been a significant part of my social life. I don't want to offend anyone and am thankful that you take the time to listen to me and comment....You are a blessing to me.....