Please help me with a schedule. Sharing needed!

[k3bzr18]

Hello ladies,

 

I am mom to 3 DD's, ages 8.5, 6.5 and 5.  We have been homeschooling for 3 years, but just started this curriculum group this year and are very happy with it;  SOTW, FLL1, WWE1, Saxon Math 3 (1), abeka handwriting, Spelling Workout and OPGTR.  My middle does not read and fights me about it.  She is very strong-willed and very smart so I know she knows more than she is letting on.  

I am really having a hard time getting it together throughout the day.  My oldest is not very independent and also lacks focus so it takes us a quite some time to get things done.  I need a schedule, combining what I can but I am just struggling to get it done and was wondering if anyone could share how they schedule....how far out...etc

 

Thank you...

:confused:

Lynn

 

[Tawlas]

Our kids are similar ages (plus we have a toddler kicking around) and similar curriculum. My two eldest are both reading at a grade 2 level so are not quite independent readers. It can be tricky!

 

I used to do a 1/2 hour early morning sessions with my older son, then breakfast and chores, then a 1/2 hour session with my younger son, then an hour to play outside (we call it coffee break lol), then group work, then a 1 hour session with my daughter, then another 1/2 hour (ish) with my older son. History, geography and extras on Saturdays (like science or history activities). I was finding that by the time the group work was done (which included doing FLL, WWE, calendar and Elem. Science daily) , I was short on patience and enthusiasm. corralling my exhuberant kids, engaging in discussions about parts of speech is actually pretty exhausting lol! Recently I switched it so that after the hour of outdoor play, I began with my daughter, then moved on to group work, then finished with my older son. Once group work was done, it wasn't so overwhelming to think of just finishing up reading, spelling and printing with one child.

 

So think of who is the most challening child to teach, or the most challenging subject. Who works best early, who is perhaps fresher later in the day. Don't forget snacks, movement and snuggles (for mom and kids!) It's a humungous balancing act!

 

Here's how a typical day works for us now, with what the other children are doing while I'm working one one one with a child. I'm leaving out the toddler, she's mostly just making trouble wherever she goes and trying her best to join in ;)

 

600: math with DS7. Other children play quietly downstairs (we're early risers lol)

630: breakfast, then chores for everyone

730: K with DS5, older two are in the iPads using reflexmath and raz kids (I have a timer for 15 minutes each)

800: Coffee break. Outside play for the kids.

900: math, spelling, reading and cursive with DSD8. DS7 has "fun iPad", then piano practice and French. Using a timer again. younger finishes his chores - he's a slow poke - then moves on to RAZ kids, then "fun iPad"

1000: snack for everyone, followed by free reading. I snuggle the toddler and set up and show her a few little activities to do

1030: group work. Memory work, calendar pages, Elem Science, FLL, WWE. DS5 usually wanders off at some point in this line up but generally stays through science, often longer. I deliberately set the order up this way so his attention span lasts through what I'd like him to participate in.

1130: Spelling, reading and printing with DS7. DSD8 does piano and French, then chooses either fun iPad or playing with the toddler. DS5 sometimes gets forgotten on the other iPad at this point or plays with the toddler.

1200 (or whenever we're done, often it's 1215): Lunch time then the kids head outside again for at least an hour. If it's cold I'll let them come in and play in the playroom for a while. When it's warm, they'll be outside for a few hours.

 

In the afternoons, the kids come in for a snack, then quiet time starts around 300. 430 is family tidy time, then at 500 they are allowed an hour or so of screens while I make dinner. They go directly to tubs and bed after dinner. Usually they're asleep by 730.

 

"fun iPad" are just apps group by day. Each day of the week has a folder full of apps. Monday it's logic game apps, Tuesday it's phonics, Wednesdays math, Thursdays French, etc They also each have a folder on the ipad with their own names on them with apps I've chosen specifically to help strengthen areas of weakness for them. If they don't like them or don't use them I delete them and try something else. RAZkids and reflex math, however, are not optional.

 

Saturday we start with a quick Canadian geography lesson. That is also when we listen to STOW and do narrations. We used to do it in the car but it wasn't working well. After that, a science or history activity, a documentary or some extra stories around history or science while the kids draw or colour. Done before noon.

 

Also, two days a week we go to town in the afternoons and need to be out of the hosue by 12. On those days, I overlap the older two by leaving DSD's handwriting and phonics pages (with which she's mostly independent) and starting sooner with DS's printing and phonics pages (same). That saves a bit of time and they drop "fun ipad".

 

Mostly it works pretty well. It's exhausting some days, but by starting early, they have lots of time to play and create and do their own thing in the afternoons which is important in our family.

 

HTH