oneangelwaiting Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 We are starting school on Monday and this will be our first year. I came up with a tentative schedule. I allowed more time for everything than I think it will take, but hopefully it is not too far off. My main concern is my 1 year old, he is really too little to participate in anything and he of course doesn't like to be still for a moment. My other kids do a great job of playing with him and entertaining him, they like to make up games and include him which is nice. DD3 likes to listen to books being read and color and whatnot so she can participate to some extent when she feels like it. So all that being said, does this look reasonable? 7:15 - wake kids up, they get dressed and beds made 7:30 - Bible during breakfast, then chores 8:30 - Math with DS6, other kids play with baby 9:00 - Math with DS 5, other kids play with baby or baby takes nap 9:30 - DS6 Grammar and Spelling, then recess/outside time 10:15 - Writing with both DS5&6 10:30 - History or science read aloud, narration, or project depending on the day, baby has a snack 11:30 - lunch 12:30-2:30 Nap/rest time (I clean up, prep for dinner, etc.) 2:30 - afternoon chores, read during baby snack time DS5&6 read to me daily either during rest time, after baby goes to sleep at night, or after history/science if there is time. I am hoping that we'd be done by 11:30 or 12 every day. Thoughts or suggestions are appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I think it looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Is that start time a time when you're normally up and around? Our whole lives start 2-3 hours later than that, so clearly I'm not a good judge. :lol: Btw, smartest thing I did when my ds was little was train him to sit in a high chair to a timer. We started off super short, like 3 minutes, and worked our way up. He stayed strapped down for several years, saving my sanity. So he spent part of his time strapped down, part of it working with me while dd did something within ear/eye shot, and part of it downstairs in front of worthwhile videos. Your "other kids play" thing is sort of nebulous, so you might want to work that out. Or maybe they do actually play? I would think the one being worked with would find that frustrating. Me, I'd put the baby down for a nap, put the 3 yo in front of a mandatory worthwhile video, and then get both kids' math and boring necessities done in that hour. Worthwhile videos? Amazon prime and netflix have a bunch. Signing Time, Mr. Rogers, that kind of thing. Peg & Cat has moved onto our list and now Popular Mechanics for Kids, but I guess a 3 yo won't watch those, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I think your schedule looks great. and I don't think you should have any trouble being finished by 12. I have found with my 6 year old son that a recess break makes it really difficult to get back on track, so we power through. But, I will have him do some jumping jacks (he loves them), or run an errand downstairs to get a little movement between subjects. That little bit of activity does help him stay focused. Last year was our first year homeschooling. I had a 5 yo, 3 yo, and newly 1 yo. Our schedule shifted 3 times through our year. We started schooling during morning nap until the youngest gave it up, then we schooled during afternoon nap. Then I realized that I really needed an afternoon break. So then I would do read aloud time first, including the 1 year old and starting with a book geared toward him. That little bit of attention and cuddling ahead of time seemed to curtail him being needy while I taught the oldest. I definitely had days where he just needed attention so school had to be postponed a bit, but he did get used to playing on his own while I did math with his brother. I think being flexible really helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I think scheduling things with specific, tight times can leave you frustrated or disappointed if you don't meet that mark. Since my kids were little, we have had a routine, doing the same subject in the same order every day with no specific times attached. My start "time" was "when I finish my second cup of coffee". Sometimes I drank that sucker really slowly. ;) And yes, you can absolutely finish before lunch with kids this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneangelwaiting Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Thanks all! Yes, my 1 yo really does play with the other kids. Is that weird? Our family hasn't grown normally so I'm not sure what is normal. They recently started a game where they pretend Ben (1yo) is an earthquake, he chases them around (not walking yet so he crawls) and they run away behind couches or wherever. I don't know where they come up with this stuff but they all think it's great, he thinks it's hilarious. He likes to play with them no matter what they are doing, whether it's playing with their play kitchen, duplo legos, whatever. Sometimes he just annoys them but really they are pretty good brothers and sisters. And yes that is our normal start time, pretty much everyone is up by 715 unless we had a late night the night before. 1yo may or may not take a morning nap depending on the day. I always try to get him to take one but after 20 minutes or so if he's not asleep I get him back up. I was hoping he'd continue those naps for at least a few more months. :( I like to have some time to rest in the afternoons being 6 months pregnant and all, and I work a part time job from home during that time as well so doing all of school during that time just can't happen. I didn't want to put times on there because I really am also just going for a routine, but I thought if we can schedule around nap and snack times for the baby that might make things easier. I scheduled more time for every thing than I think we'll need so it's not really a tight schedule. I'm anxious about getting everything done, not because I don't think there is enough time but just because I'm not sure how well we'll be able to stay on task because of all the littles. We also are scheduled only 4 days per week, with Friday as a field trip/catch up/library day (planning to school year round). So that will help too if things don't get done on the other days. And we can always do some stuff on Saturdays when DH is home if we need to. I'll keep flexibility in mind for sure, something will probably change even in just the first few days as I kind of figure out what works and what doesn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We're just finishing up our 2nd "official" year here, so take these with a grain of salt... Baby's schedule will probably change 5x throughout the school year. :-) So keep a list of activities the kids are able to complete independently while you are putting baby down for nap, changing diapers, etc. For my 7yo, this includes his math warm up problems, number writing sheets (we're still getting a few reversals, so he does a number handwriting page daily), copywork, and independent reading. For the 5yo, it is her number handwriting sheet, her regular handwriting sheet, and cuisinaire rod puzzles. The kids do these any time I am occupied with little sister or the kitchen or whatever. Other than that, our schedule is all meal-time centered, so everything is hooked to a meal time. This means I can take specific times off the schedule and just follow the routine. So it looks like this: 8:00ish Breakfast + morning chores Circle Time (memory work, content subject work, read-aloud) Morning Block (English LA) Break (usually outside physical activity) until... 12:00ish Lunch + lunch time chores Afternoon block (Math, French LA) (2yo goes for nap) Break or independent reading 3:00ish Snack Break (usually outside or with friends) Until... 5:00ish Dinner prep + dinner chores Audio book or documentary while mom cooks (I'm usually ready to have them QUIET by this time of day...) 6:00ish Dinner French reading with Daddy (2yo goes to bed) Individual read-alouds with Mommy Bed time Circle time is about 1hr, morning block is about 1hr for me (40 min w/7yo max, 20min w/5yo max), and afternoon block is about 1.5hrs for me (1hr w/7yo, 30min w/5yo) I just find it's easier to hook things to meal times and do school in "blocks" rather than giving each subject a scheduled length of time. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I think you've got it pretty together--I'm impressed! Positives I see-- Striving for a rhythm and open to changing/tweaking times Planning more time than you think it will take Providing for the littles by letting the bigs play with him while you work 1-on-one (very "Managers of Their Homes") Not too much curriculum Nice that your goal is half-day--very appropriate for the age Time for read aloud Break before writing time Good balance between subjects (hands won't get tired by having too much written work one subject after another) 4-day sched allowing catch-up day and co-op or field trip (co-op in future maybe? It'll be easier if you are used to having a 4 day sched) I would say that you may find history and science don't get done as often or with as much attentive behavior as you may like. So, I offer the suggestion to start with history or science once a week, just to be sure they get done. Are you using SOTW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneangelwaiting Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Are you using SOTW? Yes and I'm way excited about it. Pretty sure after the first two to three weeks my 6 and 5 yos will know more about ancient history than I ever learned in school, ever. Good idea on starting with history and science first sometimes. I was hoping by having them at the end it would be some extra motivation to get other things done, we will see how that goes! We're just finishing up our 2nd "official" year here, so take these with a grain of salt... Baby's schedule will probably change 5x throughout the school year. :-) So keep a list of activities the kids are able to complete independently while you are putting baby down for nap, changing diapers, etc. For my 7yo, this includes his math warm up problems, number writing sheets (we're still getting a few reversals, so he does a number handwriting page daily), copywork, and independent reading. For the 5yo, it is her number handwriting sheet, her regular handwriting sheet, and cuisinaire rod puzzles. The kids do these any time I am occupied with little sister or the kitchen or whatever. Other than that, our schedule is all meal-time centered, so everything is hooked to a meal time. This means I can take specific times off the schedule and just follow the routine. So it looks like this: 8:00ish Breakfast + morning chores Circle Time (memory work, content subject work, read-aloud) Morning Block (English LA) Break (usually outside physical activity) until... 12:00ish Lunch + lunch time chores Afternoon block (Math, French LA) (2yo goes for nap) Break or independent reading 3:00ish Snack Break (usually outside or with friends) Until... 5:00ish Dinner prep + dinner chores Audio book or documentary while mom cooks (I'm usually ready to have them QUIET by this time of day...) 6:00ish Dinner French reading with Daddy (2yo goes to bed) Individual read-alouds with Mommy Bed time Circle time is about 1hr, morning block is about 1hr for me (40 min w/7yo max, 20min w/5yo max), and afternoon block is about 1.5hrs for me (1hr w/7yo, 30min w/5yo) I just find it's easier to hook things to meal times and do school in "blocks" rather than giving each subject a scheduled length of time. HTH! What do you use for a number handwriting sheet? DS6 still gets 7 and 4 both reversed pretty regularly. The other numbers have gotten a lot better but he still struggles with those. DS5 is anti-handwriting, we are trying HWOT and hopefully it will be easy and quick enough for him to get through it without, well, tears! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I think it looks good oneangelwaiting. I don't think it's weird about your one year playing with the older siblings. Mine does too. All I can say is to remember to be flexible. If something doesn't get done, it'll later. Good luck and take care of your sixth baby! Don't work too hard. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 What do you use for a number handwriting sheet? DS6 still gets 7 and 4 both reversed pretty regularly. The other numbers have gotten a lot better but he still struggles with those. DS5 is anti-handwriting, we are trying HWOT and hopefully it will be easy and quick enough for him to get through it without, well, tears! :) It's a homemade sheet that I cut and pasted together then scanned, originals are from the back of a Right Start math guide. If you PM me with your email, I'll send you the file, but not sure how well it will print because it's sized to A4. It'll probably still print ok though... Anyway, I print it front and back, which makes 4 days worth of copywork on one sheet because each day is a half sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamima Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I had also used water play in the kitchen for my toddler. It worked great. I also let her be a student as she wanted a notebook and pencil as soon as she saw her siblings had them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbcooker Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 7:15 - wake kids up, they get dressed and beds made 7:30 - Bible during breakfast, then chores 8:30 - Math with DS6, other kids play with baby 9:00 - Math with DS 5, other kids play with baby or baby takes nap 9:30 - DS6 Grammar and Spelling, then recess/outside time 10:15 - Writing with both DS5&6 10:30 - History or science read aloud, narration, or project depending on the day, baby has a snack 11:30 - lunch 12:30-2:30 Nap/rest time (I clean up, prep for dinner, etc.) 2:30 - afternoon chores, read during baby snack time I think your schedule looks great! 15min to wake kids, dress and beds made - this might not be enough time, unless dressing and making beds is very simple. 1 hr to do make bkfst, eat, clean-up, and do chores - is bkfst very simple? are the 'chores' just bkfst clean-up? Cereal with 4 kids is 1 hr for us. But if I have all my kids home with oatmeal plus eggs, with dishes, table wiping and sweeping afterward, then bkfst takes a full 2 hrs, with no time for extra chores. Recess/outside time might be hard in such a short time if you have snow gear to get on little kids this winter and they're not self-sufficient. Will lunch be complicated, or simple? You have 1 hr to prep it, serve it, have them eat, clean-up, and also change diaps/transition into naptime. For me this is do-able, but tight, and would only work on with simple lunches (pbjs/leftovers). Will you want to rise earlier than the kids? I need time before kids wake to put away last night's dishes, empty garbages, start laundry, shower, stretch exercises, read my bible and journal, etc. Also, I suggest you make a list of what you need to accomplish the night before in order to make this schedule run smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Try having your eldest make his numbers in playdough or clay. Roll snakes, then form. Try bumpy numbers, sandpaper numbers, etc to get the form down tactily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Maybe your kids are faster movers or better listeners than mine....but there is no way my kids would be able to roll out of bed and get dressed and get their beds made in 15 minutes. Other than that, I think it looks good. I don't know what you are using for history/science---but if it is a program that can be done with an audiobook (like SOTW) I HIGHLY recommend that you use that in your 10:30 time slot. Especially given the ages of your kidos. Also, give yourself permission NOT to do the projects and experiments if your day doesn't allow for them. Projects and experiemnts can be very fun---BUT they are a lot of work when you have little ones. And sometimes the educational payoff isn't worth the amount of effort it takes on the parent part. You know? We are starting school on Monday and this will be our first year. I came up with a tentative schedule. I allowed more time for everything than I think it will take, but hopefully it is not too far off. My main concern is my 1 year old, he is really too little to participate in anything and he of course doesn't like to be still for a moment. My other kids do a great job of playing with him and entertaining him, they like to make up games and include him which is nice. DD3 likes to listen to books being read and color and whatnot so she can participate to some extent when she feels like it. So all that being said, does this look reasonable? 7:15 - wake kids up, they get dressed and beds made 7:30 - Bible during breakfast, then chores 8:30 - Math with DS6, other kids play with baby 9:00 - Math with DS 5, other kids play with baby or baby takes nap 9:30 - DS6 Grammar and Spelling, then recess/outside time 10:15 - Writing with both DS5&6 10:30 - History or science read aloud, narration, or project depending on the day, baby has a snack 11:30 - lunch 12:30-2:30 Nap/rest time (I clean up, prep for dinner, etc.) 2:30 - afternoon chores, read during baby snack time DS5&6 read to me daily either during rest time, after baby goes to sleep at night, or after history/science if there is time. I am hoping that we'd be done by 11:30 or 12 every day. Thoughts or suggestions are appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I think scheduling things with specific, tight times can leave you frustrated or disappointed if you don't meet that mark. Since my kids were little, we have had a routine, doing the same subject in the same order every day with no specific times attached. My start "time" was "when I finish my second cup of coffee". Sometimes I drank that sucker really slowly. ;) And yes, you can absolutely finish before lunch with kids this age. Pretty much us except I start my 2nd cup at the table when we start school, tehehe :) Totally agree if you start by 8:30 you should be finished by lunch and still have time for lunch. Having time restraints / too detailed of planning can get me pretty cranky if we don't met our goals, which sort of defeats the purpose of homeschooling....'ya know, to work at my kids pace, lol, so I just try to give predictably by having a general, predictable routine. We do Bible, Lang, Math, Read Alouds, Spanish, and elective that rotates based on day of the week. Mon- art & music Tues- science Weds- hist related projects Thur- narration on literature Fri- hands on crafts and baking :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I think a lot of this has to do with personality type. You see, I am someone who is helped by having some type of written schedule/plan. I *RARELY* follow my plan to the tee....BUT just having it down helps me to be so much more efficient with my time. I don't beat myself up if I can't do everything on my plan or if we run 'late' or over. (I think that is KEY!) I just go with the flow on most days. BUT, having the plan written out really is a help to me because I can actually see if it is even possible to DO everything that I want to do given our time restraints. (I have a tendency to be over zealous in what I want to accomplish in a day! So a written plan can help keep me in check.) It also helps me also to figure out the most efficient way I can use my time based on meal times, naps, etc. I can also visually see when older kids can do independent work, when I can give attention to the baby, and when I can squeeze in chores/housework, etc. I know plans don't work for everyone, but they do work for some people! My biggest piece of advice is this: Start with your rough draft plan and attempt to do it for a few days. BUT, at the same time, let your day unravel in its typical fashion. Compare reality with your schedule. Keep track of areas that feel too rushed or 'stressful'. (Does lunch take longer to prepare most days than you thought? Are the kids slow at getting dressed in the morning? Do you find you find that a particular subjects runs longer than you estimated? Do the little ones seem to need more attention in the afternoons vs. mornings? Do you feel too 'stretched' at any one time period? Do YOU need more time to wake up in the morning or make breakfast? etc. etc.) THEN, take all of that information and revisit your 'rough draft' schedule and make changes based on what you see. You can also keep tweaking your schedule throughout the year. (You know how it is with young children! You just get things figured out and then they change! ;) They nap less, need something different from you, can do somethings more independently, etc. etc. So you have to keep modifying your plan as they change developmentally.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Your schedule sounds great. I did wonder how you would get your 5 and 6 year old to dress in 15 minutes - my 3 and 6 year old take forever to do that and it usually involves some of my input (its winter now so the 3 year old really needs help). And I presume you are dressing the other 2 before that? Where will the 5, 3 and 1 year old play while you are busy with the 6 year old - I find having my two together they need constant supervision else the littler one will get hurt in some way just from general rougher play by the older one (despite training in this). I only have two and things can derail very fast - the 6 year old runs outside to play during Math while I have to help with potty training, the 3 year old whines for a story or she needs a snack (we have dietary issues right now and are having similar hypoglycaemia issues that I had with my eldest at the same age and everything needs to be dropped immediately to see to that) So my advise is: the schedule looks great, but allow life to intervene. Remember that while routine works wonderfully for young children its fine to change the routine whenever needed (even if that is every second day) The grow so fast. We school in the mornings usually, but I added an evening schedule at bedtime too as this is when it is easiest for me to get my children one on one with fewer interruptions. And I suspect that things will keep changing for a few years as the children grow up (unless my husband will one day agree to another baby and then things will keep changing some more) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I think it looks good, and you sound pretty flexible about it. I usually make a schedule with times, knowing that I will not follow the exact times. Having times listed just gives me an idea of what is possible. For example, if my schedule has us booked until 5 pm, I probably have too much planned! I tend to pad the schedule a little bit as well. So a subject that takes 15 minutes might be given 30 minutes in the schedule, to help take care of transitions, surprises, etc. So I don't see anything wrong with setting up a schedule with times. Just don't be a slave to those times. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kesmom Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 They recently started a game where they pretend Ben (1yo) is an earthquake, he chases them around (not walking yet so he crawls) and they run away behind couches or wherever. I don't know where they come up with this stuff but they all think it's great, he thinks it's hilarious. This is so sweet and reminds me of when my now 3 year old was younger. He was a "tornado" that swept through their train tracks, duplo villages etc... He was moving with the big kids as soon as he could - and really spoiled me lol. My current 1 year old is velcro-ed to Mommy and it's been quite an adjustment to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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