Tree House Academy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We are doing Calvert, (which I really like and so does he) BUT it is taking him a good 4-5 hours a day to complete the work. We tweeked out schedule and today, we were able to do it in exactly 4 hours which is fine with me. However, I am a member of another homeschool board and when I mentioned something about my son doing 4-5 hours a day, I got some responses about how that was just a really long time and a lot of "WOW's" for the amount of time we spent working. Here is my son's schedule: He works from around 9am until just after 1pm on a good day. His schedule is broken into the following increments: 50 minutes (math) 20 minutes (Calvert Spelling/ book and CD) 30 minutes (varies by day: Mon - Science and word review, Tues - Lang Usage, Wed - Phonics, Thurs - Language Usage, and Fri - Science) 20 minute BREAK 40 minutes (varies by day: M/W/F - History, Tues/Thurs - Geography, Thurs - add Science). 40 minutes (M/W/Th/F - Reading, Tues - Science) 40 minutes (M/Th/F - Composition, Tues - Reading, Friday - Art) 15 minutes (Picture study, we do spelling power and handwriting in this time, finish any unfinished work, etc.) So am I crazy you all? Is this just too much?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I replied on the general board, and I thought I'd carry my response over. My 4th grader works for about 5 hours each day. We don't schedule by the hour, but a typical day includes these subjects: Math Latin English Spanish History Science Art Reading He spends a full hour on reading, and close to that on math and art. The other subjects take between 20 and 30 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I have a 4th grader and a 1st grader this year (with a 3 year old running around) We've been starting around 10:30 and finishing anywhere between 1 and 2:30. We also don't schedule by the hour but this is what we cover each day. We do daily Grammar Writing Spelling Phonics (he's almost done with this,we had to put it away due to frustration in the past so now it's more like a fun treat) Math Penmanship Geography Science 2-3 times a week we do History. Latin, art and music are done when we feel like it, they are our "icing on the cake subjects" so if we don't get to them no big deal. Kel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deana FL Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 My 4th grader (dd) takes about that long. Our estimated break-down... math - 45-50 min (saxon 6/5) lang arts - reading, writing, copywork, grammar, literature - 60 min science - 40 min geog/history - 40 min spanish - 20 min some days more..some less..but, I think 4 hours is about average. I also think it depends on the child. That's the beauty of home schooling. Why bother schooling for 4 hours, if your child shut down after the 3rd hour? And why stop schooling if he/she is still soaking it all in...for that matter, I guess we could say we are learning from the time we wake up til we close our eyes. We don't have to keep track of "hours", but, if I did...I'd be counting the time spent on chores, as well as the time spent in free-play. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy in ME Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We start at 8:00 and finish at 2:30 with a 1/2 lunch break. This includes 3 reading periods of 1/2 hour each followed by 15 minutes of narration time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutmeg Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 My 4th grader last year spent approximately 4-5 hours on her studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We just started our 4th grade year. So far it has only taken about 2.5 hours a day. But we don't have our grammar or Latin curriculum yet. It looks like this: Math - daily drills (flash cards and timed tests) 10 minutes Math - workbook 15 minutes Spelling - 15 minutes WWE - 15 minutes (we are working our way through year 1 by doing a week's worth of material in one day - 2 copywork sentences and 2 readings) Library Skills workbook - 10 minutes Reading - 20 minutes Handwriting - 10 minutes History on W & Th - 35 minutes Science on M & Tu - 35 minutes Once a week for about 15 minutes we have health and safety Once a week for about 15 minutes we have art appreciation Once a week for about 15 minutes we have music appreciation When I finally add Grammar and Latin I think another 45 minutes to an hour will be added. I also think as the year moves on some things will take longer than they currently are now. A lot of what we are doing is review and refreshing. But I don't want school to last any more than 2 two hour session. One session before lunch and one after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We did 4th grade here last year. It's really hard for me to quantify the hours because we do so much outside of "school time" - so at first I think I'm not doing that many hours, but then I add it all up... About 1/2 hr a day of music practice, if that counts. Then from about 10-12 or 1 or 2 if we're home that long, there's math, writing, spelling, penmanship - not necessarily all on the same day. About 1/2 hr to an hour in the evening of mostly history (sometimes math or science) reading I do aloud. Then they have lots of assigned books over the month for history, science and book club, as well as pleasure reading. Lots of hours, don't know how many. Writing class 2hr/week (+homework done in mornings) 3 hours/week German class time, 1-2 hrs/week homework. 1 hr/week Spanish Then they have "homework" folders that they do in the evenings or on weekends - mostly full of CTP and Mindware books - have to be done by the end of the week, so that takes up afternoon/evening and weekend time, depending on when they do them. Again, don't count hours. Science coop averages to 45 min a week plus whatever homework they get. So on the one hand sometimes I think "oh, we just do 2-3 hours in the morning", but then I realize that's just math and LA - and not even all of that. It's just spread around and hiding in the corners. :tongue_smilie: I would go nuts having a "schedule" with built-in breaks (though I know it's just what floats other people's boats), but I do need a "routine" where we do about the same things at about the same time at least over the course of a week. I'm adding some more things for 5th grade, but I'm hoping the morning hours don't have to be extended by much, as we're out most afternoons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalynnrmc Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I wondered this, too, until I got a schedule from another WTMer that had a 4th grader doing 4-5 hours of work. We're scheduled for 4.5 hours, plus individual reading time of 45min to an hour, working 4 days/wk. We haven't actually started this schedule yet, so it's the "ideal" schedule setup, but it seems that, for some reason, classical ed people are taking an extra hour and a half longer than everyone else at this stage. Who cares. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 It looks like a full busy schedule but not overwhelming. How does your ds feel/react to this schedule? That's really the important issue. Is he capable and cheerful (relatively); or is he over-tired and cranky by the end of the day? Whatever advice/comments others have, use your own common sense and observations. Measure your day/schedule by behavior, both his and yours. HTH, Stacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 He actually does just fine with this being our schedule. The only issue he has with it is that it takes until just before the ps kids are out of school to finish and he "thought" he'd be finished a lot earlier. I just have to remind him that his ps friends get up at 7 am (he gets up at 8:30), start school at 8am (he starts between 9 and 9:30), go at least an hour longer than him...but most of the time 2 hours longer, and they have homework at night that we do not have. That seems to pacify him in that respect. I am also tweeking a bit and setting a timer to make sure we don't run WAY over in one subject, but I am not a slave to the timer. If we finish early, we finish early. If we run a bit over but need to finish, then that is fine too. It just gives me an audible reminder of how much time has elapsed. My ds looks forward to his "scheduled" break. LOL We have a class schedule posted in the room and he looks at it often to see which subject we are doing next and when his break is coming up. :) I think the difference between the ladies there and the ladies here is the philosophy behind homeschooling. I prefer the WTM way and following the Calvert schedule whereas most of them have an ecclectic method and some often unschool. Maybe that is causing the difference in opinions in amount of time spent on school??? I dont' know. I am glad to hear that others have a similar timeframe. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 My 4th graders schedule will be 5 hours when we add in all of the subjects not counting piano or art. math (60) dictation (15) memory work, math drill, and literature discussion (15) grammar (30) history or science(45) spelling or critical thinking (15) CW or Reading Detective (30) Latin and typing (30) Assigned independent reading (30) Family read alouds (30) It won't necessarily take her the whole time every day, but that's how much time we are scheduling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We are averaging 4-5 hours per day, but two days are split up a bit because I also work part time. With one child at home now, it is good to keep her busy, so we'll be adding soccer and music lessons to the school year before too long as well. I'd say you are doing really well with your current schedule! Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 No, 4-5 hours doesn't seem like too much to me at all. This year, my kids will be lucky to finish by 3 o'clock, and that requires that we start at 8am every day. (Of course, there'll be a couple of breaks in there, lunch, and their assigned reading time.) It really does take *time* to get all of our work done. I comfort myself that my kids have no homework -- when we're done, they're done. Many of their peers in school are there from 8-3 and then come home with assignments to do after school as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 He actually does just fine with this being our schedule. My ds looks forward to his "scheduled" break. LOL We have a class schedule posted in the room and he looks at it often to see which subject we are doing next and when his break is coming up. :) I think the difference between the ladies there and the ladies here is the philosophy behind homeschooling. I prefer the WTM way and following the Calvert schedule whereas most of them have an ecclectic method and some often unschool. Maybe that is causing the difference in opinions in amount of time spent on school??? I dont' know. I am glad to hear that others have a similar timeframe. :) Yep. As long as he's doing fine, then I think you have your answer. While I have alot of respect for many of the unschoolers I know, I think they would also think that *we* (my family) spends to much time on school. To each their own.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elm in NJ Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 My 4th grader will be working from around 8am till 3pm with a 15 minute break in the morning and 1 hr for lunch. But, he does French , Spanish and Latin and that makes for a pretty full schedule. Elmeryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Academy of Jedi Arts Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Dd does 5-6 hours, with a lighter day on Friday. Latin, History, Spelling- 5 days per week Math, Grammar, Science, Literature- 4 days per week Chess, Logic, Writing- 2 days per week Art- once a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leila Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 We also average about 4-5 hrs. We just started our school this year. We have a different schedule though. We start at 9am, my kids wake up early but I let them play first, then we eat breakfast around 9am. I read a book and a bible story to them while they are eating. We do school until 12pm then break until 3pm. We resume around 3 and end around 4 or 5pm. I do this to be able to do chores around the house and for him to have a break and have time to go outside and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 We did 4 hours in 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 We are doing Calvert, (which I really like and so does he) BUT it is taking him a good 4-5 hours a day to complete the work. We tweeked out schedule and today, we were able to do it in exactly 4 hours which is fine with me. However, I am a member of another homeschool board and when I mentioned something about my son doing 4-5 hours a day, I got some responses about how that was just a really long time and a lot of "WOW's" for the amount of time we spent working. Here is my son's schedule: He works from around 9am until just after 1pm on a good day. His schedule is broken into the following increments: 50 minutes (math) 20 minutes (Calvert Spelling/ book and CD) 30 minutes (varies by day: Mon - Science and word review, Tues - Lang Usage, Wed - Phonics, Thurs - Language Usage, and Fri - Science) 20 minute BREAK 40 minutes (varies by day: M/W/F - History, Tues/Thurs - Geography, Thurs - add Science). 40 minutes (M/W/Th/F - Reading, Tues - Science) 40 minutes (M/Th/F - Composition, Tues - Reading, Friday - Art) 15 minutes (Picture study, we do spelling power and handwriting in this time, finish any unfinished work, etc.) So am I crazy you all? Is this just too much?? Sounds about right to me;) When we used Calvert it took us about 3hrs. for their 2nd grade program. 1hr for Calvert 1st, but we dropped everything but LA's & Math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 I definitely think it is the WTM difference - there are just so many ways to homeschool. I love those ladies, but I feel, curriculum wise, maybe I "fit in" here. I see the stuff that even the ecclectic homeschooling moms here are using and still think - "yep...I like that." Just differences in ideas, I suppose. Sounds like we are fine with 4-5 hours. I appreciate all of your responses. :) This is my 1st year with my oldest and I was kind of starting to doubt my plan...but now I feel much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Sounds about right to me;) When we used Calvert it took us about 3hrs. for their 2nd grade program. 1hr for Calvert 1st, but we dropped everything but LA's & Math Yep - my youngest ds is doing Calvert Kindergarten and he takes anywhere from 1-2 hours to get through the lesson and that all depends on how much time we take doing art. He LOVES art and really likes to take his time on that. We also add in Explode the Code, Bible, and Reading beyond what Calvert recommends, so that takes more time as well. I have to say, I may grow weary with Calvert at some point, but, right now, I am really enjoying it and so are my ds'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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