Do you let dc finish each subject or watch the clock and move on?

[creekmom]

I've always "done school" by going over the lesson and then letting them complete the lesson before moving on to the next subject. The problem is that some subjects take forever to finish. I try to take advantage of this time by throwing in a load of laundry, cleaning, etc, but most days, we only accomplish math, spelling, and grammar before lunch. Around 2:30, we're all ready to quit, but we really haven't accomplished all that much.

 

So, before Christmas break, I tried an experiment. I went over their math and told them they had 30 minutes to complete it -what they didn't finish was homework to be completed "after school". They raced the clock and completed their math in half the time it usually takes them. The same thing happened with the next subject, and so on. I'm wondering why it never occurred to me to do it this way 10 years ago! The only problem with this is that it takes a tremendous amount of discipline on my part to watch the clock and move on instead of getting some other chore accomplished.

 

Has this type of schedule worked for you? Any other suggestions for getting through the day?

[Walking-Iris]

I don't usually schedule by time. I schedule by weekly routine. It helps to plan the day to begin with to get the basics done. If the basics are done each day, I call it good. I also don't try to do content subjects every day. Science and history have their designated afternoons (other than a daily read aloud with my oldest). Math is the thing that takes my oldest the longest. I sit with him to get some started and then leave him to do the rest. He knows that he needs to just get it done or that's longer he has to sit there doing math...and he doesn't want to do that. 

 

I think math is a common issue with homeschoolers. It just takes patience and any trick you find that works to teach the child to buckle down and do it. Also if I notice my ds daydreaming or slowing up I sit down and start doing the math with him. That speeds things up. In my experience when my ds is taking too long on math he's been asked to work independently, he's usually struggling to understand something, and usually he'll ask for help, but sometimes not. Sitting down and working with him helps get him going again. 

 

I also don't schedule a lot of language arts each day. I spread things around in the weekly plan. 

 

Looking at you age span I would be inclined to ask the older ones to do something independently and work with the youngest children first. My oldest ds usually reads or does his math in the morning while I work on my 1st graders lang arts and math. Also see if your oldest can help teach the youngest. I've let my oldest ds teach a math lesson a few times after he was interested in my 1st grader's math book. It's adorable to hear him say "Well done" to his little brother. He also takes on reading aloud to my dd at times while I work with my 6 year old. 

 

I also let all three of them work on projects for science and history (and art etc) together---regardless of "grade". I can usually find something that even my 3 year old can do. I hope to continue keeping those subjects somewhat together. I don't like the idea of juggling too many different books or time periods. 

[FriedClams]

My kids are middle school age. For us, it depends on the day. Steady work - finish and move on. Dawdle and daydream - homework time!!

[dbmamaz]

There are some areas I assign a lesson, and some areas I say "work on this for 20, 30 minutes".  The kids use their own timers.  They can get back on electronics when they are done.  I do push to do the lessons that need me to participate, first, so I can be free to do other things while they finish up.

[Farrar]

I go by time, but flexibly.  I mean, it would be silly to stop a kid on the dot with just a few math problems left in the page or lesson.  And if a large chunk of the time was procrastination or bathroom trips or something, then I'm obviously going to extend it.  It's a loose time frame.  I think it's not fair to ask a child to work faster than they can - mastery is more important.  And working too long is just tedious.  No more learning can happen after a time.  But I don't make a schedule or anything.  We just have a routine.

[Loowit]

The only thing I actually time is my youngest's reading program.  He does it for 10 minutes once a day.  I use the alarm on my phone.  I tried to do timed subjects but with my children it just didn't work for us.  They wouldn't get stuff done when they were supposed to, and then they would have a pile up of work after school time.  Right now I have a cut off for when I will help them.  Anything before 3 pm and they can get my help.  After that time they are on their own.  We do all of our combined subjects in the morning -- history, science, etc, except read alouds are right after lunch.  After that my oldest has her daily assignments and works pretty much on her own, and I sit down with the boys and work with them.  My youngest still needs a lot of one on one direction or he won't do anything.

 

There are times that I will do a time auction type thing.  I will say something like "I think you can get that math sheet done in 20 minutes".  He will tell me he thinks it will take longer, so I ask him how long and we "negotiate" a time we can both agree on and set the timer on my phone or in the kitchen.  He is usually done much sooner than he thinks he can be and it gives him a boost of confidence.  The trick for me is to make sure the time is realistic or he really gets discouraged.

[ThisIsTheDay]

I do what I believe is a reasonable amount of work for each lesson in one day.  That varied widely through elementary school.  In high school, I go more with the idea that a course needs to be completed, or close to completed if a decent effort was made, to be counted as a year's worth of work.  For the more flexible, student-led electives, I am more comfortable counting a credit if the time they have invested is WELL over what is usually considered a credit.  Throughout 12 years of hsing, I've never followed a hard and fast rule for every subject.

[Berta]

I use a workbox system for my daughter. She can choose what subject she wants to do and when, with the exception of math, which I require gets done first. That is the only subject that she struggles with at times and needs extra time and help.

 

She is in training for competition so we are at the karate school every day. If she doesn't complete her work, no karate. So far, this has worked well with her getting her work done. We don't usually start school until after 11am and there have been days I wake up and find her sitting at her desk doing her work early. We don't follow a M-F schedule. Our weekends are usually free so we will do school work on Saturday and then not on Monday, which is when we hit up the museum or zoo.

 

I have to say that since I am down to homeschooling only one child, time isn't usually an issue. When I had to divide the time between my kids it was easier to tell one that they have from 11-1pm for my attention and from 1-3 with the other, etc.

[Alohamom]

Both of my dc attend a VA, but dd11 has way more flexibility with her schedule and with how much work she completes in a day.

 

I have tried both setting time limits and just working until dd11 is finished. When there were no limits set, it felt like she spent way too long on subjects. She is a perfectionist and some things were just taking way longer than they should have. We got through more material when I set a schedule with time limits, but dd said she felt way more stressed with the plotted out schedule and trying to make sure she was done by the end of the time scheduled.

 

So, now we are using a list of things to get done by 2:30. She has sports three afternoons a week and then she likes to go play (we live in a neighborhood full of kids, and she likes to play when they get home from PS or when she is home from practice.) This is a huge motivator. She is responsible for getting assigned work done and managing her time. So far this is working. Whatever doesn't get done on the list becomes homework.

 

However, I do block out an hour every evening for "homework." If everything is done for the day, then I use homework time for enrichment or study time (vocabulary flash cards, science vocabulary, etc.) or just extra pleasure reading time, logic puzzles or other quiet activity- her choice.

 

Dd15 has set due dates for assignments and work, so she has to get it done no matter what. This has been great for her learning to prioritize and manage her time.