Time Management

[My3girls]

I have an aquaintance through my girls cross country team that aso homeschools.  We talk superficially a couple of times a week, and homeschool stuff often comes up.  The last time we spoke she said that she was signing up for Time4learning because she just cannot get to Science and History.   I see nothing wrong with using Time4Learning, but her reason of not enough time struck me as odd. 

 

She works a couple of evenings a week outside of the home.  Her husband is home everynight, and often helps with extra curriculars such as soccer and cross country.  I work full time in the home, but I am on the phone 6-7 hours a day so I cannot school during those times.   My husband works out of town all week so I do all extra curriculars, and I am the Girl Scout leader so it's not just chauffering.  I find time for science and history. 

 

I guess I have an issue with the "can't find time" statement because it makes me wonder what they are doing in Language Arts, Reading, and Math that is taking so long.  Am I maybe not doing enough?  I don't feel like I am some stellar time manager, but maybe, that is what it boils down to?  I read on here how some are working in 3 or 4 different curricula for math and language arts and using intensive literary anaysis tools so maybe, I am not doing enough.

 

 

dd11:

Reading: She reads a classic, keeps a reading log where she summarizes each chapter in 2-3 sentences, we discuss weekly, and she does a book report at the end of the book.

LA: She does WWS1 4 days a week and Killgallon 1 day a week, one lesson a week in AG, 1 lesson a week in VfCR, and Sequential Spelling 5 days a week.

Math:  She has been working on Khan Academy with reinforcement in IXL 4 days a week and then doing a couple of chapters in LoF 1 day a week.  She is, also, reading Math Doesn't Suck when any above work does not take a full hour.  She will be starting MM6 next week as her review (and filling of holes from ps) is complete.

Science:  She reads about 30 min or so in Science a day, she does vocabulary and review questions once a week, and we take a nature walk and/or do a project/experiment once a week.

History:  She reads about 30 minutes or so in History a day, does vocabulary and review questions once a week, and writes in the subject about every other week.

Typing:   She does a lesson 4 days a week on Typingweb.com.

 

This averages out to about 6 hours a day 5 days a week even though we spilt a day in half for Friday and Sunday.

 

dd7 & 8:

Reading:  We read a classic in tandem every evening, are keeping a reading log where we summarize what we read in 1-2 sentences and illustrate if desired, and then do a very simple book report at the end of the book.  Also, we are crossing subjects with our leveled readers by reading science 2 times a week and history 2 times a week, once a week they get free choice.  These are individually read aloud to me.

LA:  We are using WWE2 teachers guide, and I am selecting passages from their readings that day.  We do 2 lessons a week in FLL2, and supplement 2 days a week with IXL LA to reinforce what we are learning in FLL. We do a lesson a week in ETC, and I do use the teachers manual for the extra discussions, exercises, and games.  We do a lesson a week in SpellWell.

Math:  They are both doing 30 minutes a day in MM2 4 days a week.  1 day a week they do a couple of chapters in LoF and play on IXL.

Science:  As mentioned above they do levelled readers twice a week on whatever subject we are on (currently plants), and they participate in the Nature Walk and science experiments that dd11 does.

History: As mentioned above, we do levelled readers on whatever we are studying 2 times week.  Twice a week, we read in our Usborne Encyclopedia of World History.  In a couple of weeks, we will be starting SoTW 1.

 

This averages out to about 4ish hours a day.

 

I sometimes will find a movie, craft, or field trip that goes along with what we are studying in one of our subjects to add in for fun.  Is this too light?  Am I missing something?  I feel like maybe we aren't struggling, enough.  Is that kind of warped on my part? lol

 

[MeghanL]

Comparison never ends well. Her family found a way that works for them to get the needed subjects of Science & History along with everything else. Your family has found a way that works for you for Science & History and everything else. All that means is everyone is doing what they need to do. There's no need to second guess yourself or your friend.

[Moxie]

Comparison never ends well. Her family found a way that works for them to get the needed subjects of Science & History along with everything else. Your family has found a way that works for you for Science & History and everything else. All that means is everyone is doing what they need to do. There's no need to second guess yourself or your friend.

Word.

[My3girls]

From the responses, I evidently came across not as intendeded.  This is our first year, and I AM comparing what we are doing to EVERYONE.  I know what I want the end result to be, and I have a decent idea of how I would like to get there, but as to the specific tools and such, I am still researching.  I have learned alot from what y'all are doing and from these aquaintances, I am meeting.  I am at a place, now, that I think it's coming together, but recently with several posts here and then her comment this week, I am wondering if I am not doing enough.  I want my girls to have a better education with hsing not an easier one, kwim?  I want them to be compettitive when college time rolls around and not have short changed them.  If you see areas in what I am doing that seem to need some beefing up, please, tell me.  If it seems ok, and I am just a super-gung-ho worry wart then tell me that, too.  Last night, the Dad was at the XC practice, and it was mentioned that we are on fall break this week where they took one last week.   I said yeah, all we're doing is free reading each night and sharing.  He laughed and said when they take a break they do NOTHING so maybe I am just too gung-ho?  I just think reading is fun, though, and hope to make my girls think so too. <shoulder shrug>

[Clear Creek]

Maybe one of her children is having difficulty in reading and she is having to spend a lot of one-on-one time with them, leaving less time for science and history to be done together as a group or one-on-one with all of her children.

 

Maybe one of her children is having difficulty in math and she is having to spend a lot of one-on-one time with them, leaving less time for science and history to be done together as a group or one-on-one with all of her children.

 

Maybe she is having behavioral issues with one of her children and it is taking more than twice as long for her to get the basics done every day as it takes you with your more compliant children, leaving less time for science and history to be done together as a group or one-on-one with all of her children.

 

If you have only discussed things superficially, you might not know of her struggles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MeghanL]

 If you see areas in what I am doing that seem to need some beefing up, please, tell me.  If it seems ok, and I am just a super-gung-ho worry wart then tell me that, too.  

 

 

Your curriculum looks fine. We all worry if we are doing "enough". However, there is not enough time in a lifetime to cover everything you could learn. I would suggest spending some time with your family and deciding together what "enough" is going to mean for you. If you compare to everyone, you will always come up short. By having a plan in mind of what success will look like for your family and what you are wanting to accomplish, you'll have a much more pleasant homeschool experience. If you are looking to others as a measuring stick, I would imagine it would be very difficult to ever feel successful because something is always left out, kwim?