How many hours per day? UPDATE Post 26

[EmilyGF]

How many hours per day does your child do school work?

 

I'm trying to figure out if what I'm requiring is reasonable. I'll post my specifics later, so as not to color responses. :-)

 

ETA: This is my 5th grader. But I have a 4th grader, too, and the two are about as different as can be...

 

ETA2: See post 26 for our hours.

 

Emily

Edited March 3, 2016 by EmilyGF

[freesia]

How many hours per day does your child do school work?

 

I'm trying to figure out if what I'm requiring is reasonable. I'll post my specifics later, so as not to color responses. :-)

 

Emily

What grade?

 

I would say my seventh grader works 5-6 hours a day,but she front loads her week bc she likes an easy Friday and has piano and an afternoon co-op on Thursday--so somedays are much longer and some are shorter.

 

My fifth grader has about 4 hours a day.

[Critterfixer]

My sixth graders work from 9 to 12, 1-3:30 Monday-Thursday, and 9-12, 1-2 on Sundays. We take a 2 15 min breaks in the morning, and 1 15 min break in the afternoon.

[madteaparty]

I see an increase in 6th grade now and it will be another dramatic increase next year because of what we are doing.

But, there's no competitive sports or instrument or anything else here. So schoolwork it is. I don't think we do that much, but when you add class time it seems like a long day. Then we drop everything and go skiing in the middle of the week for 3 days so I think it's all fine.

[EKS]

With my older son, I tried to keep it to 4-5 hours in the middle grades but wasn't always successful.

 

My younger son is 8th grade age, but he is working at a high school level across the board.  This year he has been spending about 6 hours per day.

[Arcadia]

5th grader does at most 3-4hrs but we school lite year round

6th grader does at most 6hrs but mostly 3hrs but he is a fast worker. He does whatever he can during hay fever season (Jan-Apr) so sometimes nothing on a bad day.

[Kristie in Florida]

My sixth grader works an average of 5 maybe 6 hours a day. But she takes lots of breaks.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My 3rd grader does about 3.5 hours.  To be honest, I don't think it's quite enough.  I want to work out way up to about 5 hours, but that wouldn't be all seat time.  

 

I am happy to have protected him from a long school day up until now, but it's time to start ramping up.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Monica_in_Switzerland

[Garga]

My kids are in 5th grade and 8th grade.

 

Here's the schedule.  Sometimes we work for the entire time alloted for a subject.  Sometimes we finish 10-20 minutes early on a particular subject.  No matter where we are in a lesson, we stop when the allotted time is up. 

 

Language Arts 55 minutes

Writing 45 minutes

Math 55 minutes (plus up to 30 minutes of homework for my 8th grader--which happens about 2-3 times a week)

Bible 20 minutes

 

The above are done every day.  After lunch, we have three more classes for the day that rotate among the following subjects. It bears repeating: we do not do all the below subjects every day: just three of them in the afternoon.

 

Science 45 minutes  (3x a week)

History 45 minutes (3x a week)

Reading 55 minutes  (3x a week)

Art 55 minutes (1x a week)

Computer 55 minutes (1x a week)

Music 55 minutes (1x a week)

Logic 55 minutes (1x a week)

 

 

In all, we're working about 5.5-6 hours a day if we fill the full time allotted for each class.  We take a 5 minute break here and there plus a lunch break.  We start at 8:00 and end between 2:15 and 3:30 depending on breaks/lunch/length of class.  On the days my son has Hap Ki Do, we may have to end an hour later than usual.  I try to have a lot of 45 minute classes vs. 55 minute classes on Hap Ki Do days.

 

Practicing the guitar and lines for theater class are done on their own time.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Garga

[Tsuga]

My kids are in PS from 9 to 3: 7 hours.

 

Based on their school schedules sent home:

 

• They spend about 1 hour on seat work, i.e. reading to themselves, doing worksheets, doing math or using manipulatives;
• 1 hour on conversation and lecture, I think in the immersion school, this is more language based and in the American school they seem to spend more time on self-expression and socio-emotional learning;
• 1.5 hours on activities and active learning such as artistic pursuits, music, PE, cooperation, science experiments;
• .75 hour on media-based learning like historical films, math online practice, spelling online practice;
• then another .75 in things like silent reading and the teacher reading aloud;
• Then 2 hours on things like transitions, lunch, recess, and listening to be told what they need to do. Lining up stuff, most of this is free time and just getting where you need to be. I'm guessing in public school about 45 minutes of that is getting place to place, in the homeschool I would assume you could reduce this but that whining between parent and child might increase. These are interspersed throughout the day.

This is based on what the teachers send home and explain when we look at the weekly schedule.

 

In addition, the 6 yo has what is theoretically 15 minutes of homework review every night, but the reality as many of you know is that that takes forever to get to with all the whining, so we do it all on the weekend. The 9 yo (3rd) has much less homework, maybe 5 minutes of math a night (a worksheet) but I add language and challenge math to that. The 6 yo's school, because Chinese culture I guess, adds in the challenge math themselves as optional work so she does that.

 

They get two months off in the summer, spring break, mid-winter break, and two weeks for winter break. During those times, I provide supplementary math or camps like chess camp.

 

This doesn't include music lessons and daily practice.

 

I think it's a lot for 6 and they could do a lot more outdoor play which is what we'd do if we homeschooled. My older daughter is an early birthday and went to a German school, so she was 6 in K, where they do mostly play outdoors. So that has been unfair, although on a positive note the little one is much more of a seat work chit-chat girl anyway.

[Lori D.]

Well, that's going to radically vary from person to person, depending on:

- how many subjects and how much material you schedule to cover

- what materials you use (some are far more rigorous and time-consuming than others)

- whether or not the materials are a good match for the student

- whether or not the student is accelerated/has LDs, or likes/dislikes schooling (or specific subjects)

- how much you're outsourcing and/or are outside the home (online classes, live classes or co-ops, extracurriculars, etc.)

 

Since you're posting this on the logic/middle grades board, I'll answer for us for grades 6-8. :) Our "background" so you'll be able to make sense of why we scheduled the hours per day as we did:

- Two DSs, one with mild LDs.

- Neither DS has an innate, natural high level of "love to learn".

- Neither used rigorous or lengthy materials.

- We covered: Literature, Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, History, Geography, Science, Logic, Bible

- We were able to alternate some subjects to streamline (some subjects 3x/week, others 2x/week).

- We did not outsource any subjects, but did have one day a week for shortened school for extracurriculars.

- We did not do homework, but we did do family read-alouds several nights a week, and once every week or two watched a documentary or feature film that enriched our Science or History studies -- I did NOT count these hours in the list below.

 

6th grade

4.5 hours/day = 4 days/week

1 day a week = outside extracurriculars + approx. 1 hour of school

 

7th grade

5 hours/day = 4 days/week

1 day a week = outside extracurriculars + approx. 1 hour of school

 

8th grade

5 hours, sometimes 5.5 hours, per day = 4 days/week

1 day a week = outside extracurriculars + approx. 1-2 hours of school

 

BEST of luck in scheduling what works best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

ETA -- PS

I see you posted again while I was typing away ;), and that your students are in 4th and 5th, so:

 

For 4th/5th grades we covered: Reading, Writing, Handwriting, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, History, Geography, Science, Critical Thinking, Bible, very occasional Art. In 4th = Music (recorder). In 5th = Typing.

And, other than Reading, Writing, Spelling and Math (4x/week), we alternated subjects so that not everything was done every day (some things 3x/week, some 2x/week, some 1x/week)

 

4th

approx. 4 hours/day = 4 days/week

1 day a week = outside extracurriculars + 1 hour educational games/activities/supplements

 

5th

approx. 4.5 hours/day = 4 days/week

1 day a week = outside extracurriculars + 1 hour educational games/activities/supplements

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by Lori D.

[Critterfixer]

Our hours were not much different between fifth and sixth. The difference this year is that they do more work and I do less explaining.  :laugh: Our Sunday was perhaps a little shorter, two hours or so, I think.

[katilac]

This is so hard to quantify. My kids still had a very short "school" day at that age, but I could have added in stuff like: PE, silent reading, journaling, art, documentaries, educational games, and other non-required items that would have made the length of our day much more impressive! 

 

 

 

 

[Ethel Mertz]

Our 7th grader works for about 6 hours a day.

[texasmama]

I have no idea about my older two.  They work at odd times according to their sports and social schedule.  One works very slowly.  My 4th grader also works at odd times, though, choosing to do her independent reading and what we call "written work" (writing, handwriting, extra math practice) at night before bed.  She also reads quite a lot for pleasure, choosing from a pile of good literature.  She is currently reading Alice in Wonderland.  She has read most of the James Herriot books.  She works from about 9:30-1 or so Monday-Thursday and then attends a co-op for fun and enrichment on Fridays.  

 

I do not track hours at all, and my goal is not to have my students do a certain number of hours of schoolwork.  We have curricula to complete/outside classes with requirements, and my kids work at drastically different paces.  When they are finished, they are finished.  The older two have a solid work ethic, and I do not monitor them closely.  The little one is monitored more closely and does more work at elbow or with me reading aloud.

Edited February 28, 2016 by texasmama

[Momto6inIN]

My 6th grader goes from 9-11:30 and 2-about 4. So about 4.5 hours. That's 4 days a week. On Fridays she does a lesson of math and a lesson of art and we go to a PE class and that's it.

 

Next year in 7th I anticipate her load will go up a bit to about 5-5.5 hours 4/week, and Fridays will be similar to 6th grade.

 

[MinivanMom]

My kids spend 5-6 hrs per day on schoolwork, not including reading. 

 

They spent about 4 hrs per day when they were in 4th grade.

[Roadrunner]

About 5 to 6 hours including reading. We try to keep evenings open for instrument practice and other extracurriculars, so I fold the reading into our school day. 

[J&JMom]

We school for 7 hours each day. This includes 1/2 hour for lunch and all reading [shared read alouds, literature classes, novel studies, and independent]. Piano and time at the gym are extra. I alternate 'classes' with the boys about every half hour or so with about 2 hours a day joint activities. My current 5th grader has a couple of 'study hall' sessions where he basically chills out, but my 7th grader needs but doesn't always maximize every minute.

[RootAnn]

This varies greatly with each kid.

 

If you pull out the reading time, it runs 3 1/2-5 hrs/day when they are 5th graders, depending on the kid. The heavier schedule was my two-languages-at-that-age kid.

We usually have two lighter days (our PE day & Fridays).

 

Edited to clarify that this is for my kids when they are in "5th" grade.

Edited February 29, 2016 by RootAnn

[SilverMoon]

.

Edited August 31, 2023 by SilverMoon

[Baile]

My 6th grader does school work for 5-6 hours a day. He usually works from around 8am-1pm, without any breaks except to run to the washroom or grab a snack. Two days a week, he also takes a science class from 3-4pm. 

 

In 4th and 5th, we kept approximately the same morning schedule, but we've gradually reclassified things like art, music practice, and creative writing as hobbies rather than school subjects, so those 5 hours of school work are much more intense now than they were two years ago. 

[JudoMom]

I've found the 1 hour/grade level to be fairly accurate for elementary school. My youngest is a 4th grader and has 4-5 hours of work (he loves to read, so he has a ton of literature/history reading at his request).

 

Middle school runs 6 or so hours, and high school 7+ hours (I find it harder to tell because of outside classes and extracurriculars taking up time not only for the class/activity, but eating up time because of leaving and coming home during the school day). Also, most of my boys aren't exactly diligent students, so they waste a lot of time if I am not there making sure they are working.

[zarabellesmom]

5 hours/5 days a week.

[Lori D.]

How many hours per day does your child do school work?

 

I'm trying to figure out if what I'm requiring is reasonable. I'll post my specifics later, so as not to color responses. :-)

 

So, EmilyGF, now that you've gathered some responses to your informal poll question, curious minds want to know -- what are your specifics? We want to know if what you are "requiring is reasonable". ;)   :laugh:

 

(Just gently teasing here, but also truly am curious, esp. after getting to see the range of responses! I'm guessing a lot depends on how many subjects/extracurriculars, which curricula, and if there are any gifted or LD concerns…)

[EmilyGF]

Hi Lori,

 

Here it is... it is more work to figure out that I had thought!

 

45 min AOPS

15-20 min Singapore Math IP 6B

15 min Spelling (PZ-B)

5 min handwriting + 5-10 min copywork

30 min history reading + narration, discussion

30 min literature reading + narration, discussion

20 min science/nature reading + narration, discussion

10 min Bible + narration, discussion

20 min written narration

30 min German

15 min memory work (poetry and scripture, usually, plus review)

30 min science textbook (Novare) and discussion, assignment

15-30 min writing using IEW SWI-A

30 min economics (reading and discussing articles from WSJ, Economist, Khan lectures, etc) 

45 min piano practice 

15 min co-op prep

 

So it looks like we come in at about 5.75 hours per day plus piano, though we only do this M to Th each week, with the "skill" subjects on Friday (math, spelling, piano) in addition to a every other Friday co-op that covers Shakespeare, art, nature study, etc - the things I tend to let drop! The Fridays we have off of co-op tend to be used for field trips, though I'll skip a field trip to catch up if need be!

 

I think what is hard for me is that the hardest subjects to cover with my son (writing, discussion-based economics, and textbook science) are hard to get done during the day with the other kids' work. In the evenings, my husband generally wants to play board games with my kids, something I believe is really good for them in so many ways. But if I've pushed off something till the night, it takes a long time because we're tired and we don't do it until dinner and chores are done, and then there is no chance for strategy games after we're done.

 

Well, at least this looks about normal! I'm not a meanie and I can stand my ground. He's such a hard worker, though, that I feel bad when he seems burnt out. Maybe we need to work on expectations. My hubby backs me up, though, and says it is good for a kid to learn to work hard.

 

Emily

[Arcadia]

He's such a hard worker, though, that I feel bad when he seems burnt out. Maybe we need to work on expectations. My hubby backs me up, though, and says it is good for a kid to learn to work hard.

 

Emily

 

Each person burns out at a different threshold. Go with your gut feel on whether your child is near burnt out.

[Lori D.]

45 min AOPS

15-20 min Singapore Math IP 6B

15 min Spelling (PZ-B)

5 min handwriting + 5-10 min copywork

30 min history reading + narration, discussion

30 min literature reading + narration, discussion

20 min science/nature reading + narration, discussion

10 min Bible + narration, discussion

20 min written narration

30 min German

15 min memory work (poetry and scripture, usually, plus review)

30 min science textbook (Novare) and discussion, assignment

15-30 min writing using IEW SWI-A

30 min economics (reading and discussing articles from WSJ, Economist, Khan lectures, etc) 

45 min piano practice 

15 min co-op prep

 

… 5.75 hours per day … M to Th each week, with the "skill" subjects on Friday (math, spelling, piano) in addition to a every other Friday co-op that covers Shakespeare, art, nature study, etc - the things I tend to let drop! The Fridays we have off of co-op tend to be used for field trips...

 

...He's such a hard worker, though, that I feel bad when he seems burnt out...

 

Agreeing with Arcadia; if it works well for your student, then it's not a problem. :)

 

However, that does seem like a LOT to me for a 4th/5th grader, esp. when you mention "I feel bad when he seems burnt out". No student should be hitting burn out (other than the rare occasional day that we all get) -- esp. if the student is already a hard worker! -- and certainly not in the elementary/middle school grades! He has a lot of years of education ahead of him yet, and to burn out on school and academics in late elementary in going to make caring about middle school and high school difficult -- and that's just the point when the workload really does increase and you need the student to have the energy to be able to step into that.

 

Certainly it's good to learn to work hard. But it's also very important to learn how to create balance in your life, too, and to schedule time for personal interests, hobbies, and time for just running around, fiddling with things, day dreaming and just being a boy. :) Many of the big STEM break-throughs come to the people who have worked long-term on a particular problem, not while actively working on the problem, but while doing some completely unrelated activity. The brain can do some amazing things when we put problems "on the back burner" while we participate in activities of high interest and enjoyableness. :)

 

 The Fridays we have off of co-op tend to be used for field trips, though I'll skip a field trip to catch up if need be! ...

… He's such a hard worker, though, that I feel bad when he seems burnt out. Maybe we need to work on expectations.

 

Totally JMO:

I would NOT do homework at this age, if you're already putting in such a long day and DS is working hard. And I certainly would NOT skip field trips in favor of more formal academics!  :eek: EVERYONE needs those breaks in routine and the fresh input that getting out of the house and experiencing things first-hand brings! Seriously, drop a lesson or an assignment here or there to "catch up", or, if you really feel you MUST dot every "i" and cross every "t" if all of your programs, extend your school year by 2-3 weeks and finish off whatever didn't get completed. Even rigorous private schools do NOT always complete every textbook and every assignment, but make adjustments during the year (usually dropping a few things or adapting/streamlining some of the work or the assignments).

 

Again, just me, but it seems like the expectations that need to be adjusted are how much is realistic and reasonable for DS at this age, and whether or not absolutely every single problem, assignment, and book must be completed… YOU run the schedule and the programs -- don't let the schedule and the programs run you! :)  (I really do mean this in all kindness and gentleness -- and please disregard if this is not the case and I am misunderstanding. :) )

 

In case you do feel the almost-6-hour/day schedule is a bit long for this age, here are a few ideas to help streamline:

- do just 1 math program, not 2

- or, limit math to a maximum of 40-45 min total, and "loop" whatever of the lesson didn't get done to the next day

- double-dip: let written narrations also be the copy work, and drop the formal handwriting/copywork

- limit narration to just 2 per week

- also, cycle through the subjects for doing narration: one week Bible & History; next week Science & Lit

- reduce Economics (an "elective" subject) to just 1-2x/week, rather than daily

- or, let Economics be a personal interest subject, or, schedule as a 1-2x/week family evening activity

- I don't see Grammar in your schedule, but often, just 3x/week is plenty to advance in Grammar

- same with memory work: often just 3x/week is fine for memorizing/review

 

BEST of luck in finding that "sweet spot" in your schooling and scheduling! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Lori D.

[Another Lynn]

I openly confess I'm probably a slacker by forum standards - but I think it looks like a lot.  For one thing, it looks like too many small pieces.  Maybe he's ready to transition into fewer assignments and bigger working blocks?  Also, I wouldn't require narration in every subject AND do a writing program on top of that.  Also, I would never do all those subjects every day.  I would stagger more - science 2x/week, econ 2x/week, history 3x/week, etc.  Alternate spelling with copywork rather than doing both every day.  etc. 

[katilac]

 

45 min AOPS

15-20 min Singapore Math IP 6B

15 min Spelling (PZ-B)

5 min handwriting + 5-10 min copywork

30 min history reading + narration, discussion

30 min literature reading + narration, discussion

20 min science/nature reading + narration, discussion

10 min Bible + narration, discussion

20 min written narration

30 min German

15 min memory work (poetry and scripture, usually, plus review)

30 min science textbook (Novare) and discussion, assignment

15-30 min writing using IEW SWI-A

30 min economics (reading and discussing articles from WSJ, Economist, Khan lectures, etc) 

45 min piano practice 

15 min co-op prep

 

 

imo, it is rather a long time for a 5th-grader, but also too scattered and too tedious for a bright student who is working hard and feeling occasional burnout. 

 

AoPS and Singapore IP are both intense. I would alternate, or do one every day and both just once a week, kind of depends on which AoPS. Throw some fun days in there, too, with games, puzzles, challenges, whatever he is interested in. That is just as valuable to a strong math foundation as daily work in challenging books. 

 

Does he still need spelling? What program is he using? If he is a decent speller, I would consider dropping it or going to 2x a week. Most spelling programs have a fair amount of repetition, which some kids need but others don't. 

 

What is the difference between handwriting and copy work? Most kids don't need handwriting 'instruction' by this point; I'd go to short and sweet copy work.

 

I would drop memory work to 2-3 times a week. 

 

You have quite a lot of narration listed - is it 'formal' narration, as in, he does the narration and then you move on to discussion? My kids found that very tedious (as did I, lol). Can you move to straight discussion, which will also tell you if he comprehended? If you think the narration is valuable on its own, maybe do one a day, varying subjects. 

 

What is the 20-minute written narration? 

 

This is personal preference, but I consider IEW writing to be tedious in the extreme. Does he like it? Does he need such explicit instruction? If it's not an enjoyable part of the day, I'd think about switching, or moving through it more slowly (so cutting down to 3x a week or so). 

 

Is he interested in the economics? I would really consider scaling that down, even if he does like it, to 2-3 times a week. 

 

Remember that homeschooled students are "on" all the time in a way that classroom students are not. They are answering all the questions in all the subjects, participating in all of the discussion, and so on. 

 

I think it's easy for us to overestimate the abilities of bright, motivated kids. The academic ability might be there in full force, but the developmental readiness hasn't caught up. 

[EmilyGF]

 

 

AoPS and Singapore IP are both intense. I would alternate, or do one every day and both just once a week, kind of depends on which AoPS. Throw some fun days in there, too, with games, puzzles, challenges, whatever he is interested in. That is just as valuable to a strong math foundation as daily work in challenging books. 

I am counting the days until IP is done - it should be done in just over a month. Sigh. But I do think the problems are different enough than AOPS that they aren't redundant. He plays logic/strategy games with Dad most days of the week, so I'm not worried about getting that part of education done during the day. He also plays logic/strategy games with his friends who hate video games as much as he does. :-)

 

Does he still need spelling? What program is he using? If he is a decent speller, I would consider dropping it or going to 2x a week. Most spelling programs have a fair amount of repetition, which some kids need but others don't. 

He's using Phonetic Zoo and is able to move on after acing each list twice (usually takes 3 days - 3 or so mistakes on day 1, learns it by day 2, cements on day 3). He usually does this on his own before breakfast, so it doesn't seem like a burden.

 

What is the difference between handwriting and copy work? Most kids don't need handwriting 'instruction' by this point; I'd go to short and sweet copy work.

The copywork is focused on the actual words, the handwriting is because when I stopped using a handwriting program, his handwriting got really really sloppy really fast (though it had been great beforehand). I also made the switch to Getty-Dubay from cursive because his cursive, as it got sloppy, got illegible, and I figured GD, when done fast, is still legible. So we'll probably finish up the one book, which he's halfway through now, and then call it quits, unless it gets illegible again.

 

I would drop memory work to 2-3 times a week. 

I'll try this and see how it works.

 

You have quite a lot of narration listed - is it 'formal' narration, as in, he does the narration and then you move on to discussion? My kids found that very tedious (as did I, lol). Can you move to straight discussion, which will also tell you if he comprehended? If you think the narration is valuable on its own, maybe do one a day, varying subjects. 

Narration is non-negotiable for me. It is how my kids process and remember, not so much for comprehension. We discuss at the end. I was sold on narration by various things, not least of which was when we read a passage on April 1, narrated, and then I accidentally reread it mid-October. The kids stopped me, retold the passage (despite no discussion since April 1), and convinced me they remembered it. So narration is a given in our household. Sometimes the kids write outlines or summaries in place of narration which the big picture, not the details, are the important thing.

 

What is the 20-minute written narration? 

Takes the place of an oral narration. This is a detail-oriented kid - he types it up on the computer and usually does it for our easiest reading of the day. He puts in every.single.detail, but written narration was really really really hard for him when we started last fall (as in crying after staring at a paper for 30 minutes and writing nothing), and I don't want to put any constraints on it until he's been doing written narration successfully for a year. I'm quite happy with the gains he's made, but feel that it would still be hard for him to have to self-edit as he writes. 

 

This is personal preference, but I consider IEW writing to be tedious in the extreme. Does he like it? Does he need such explicit instruction? If it's not an enjoyable part of the day, I'd think about switching, or moving through it more slowly (so cutting down to 3x a week or so). 

He's not a natural writer AT ALL. He didn't talk until 4, was incomprehensible until 5.5 or so, still switches words occasionally (for example, grape and blueberry). I don't require the dress ups, but the key-word-outlines and ways to break down ideas before writing have been super helpful. We may skip the rest of the fiction part, though, because that isn't him...

 

Is he interested in the economics? I would really consider scaling that down, even if he does like it, to 2-3 times a week. 

Yes. Talking about his interests (birding and economics), "I wonder if I should be an ornithologist or economist. I expect the demand is higher for economists so the pay would be better." He thinks about the world like an economist, talks like an economist, and muses about things like supply curves. 

 

Emily

[MamaSprout]

We don't do history/ literature/ science in full every day. Dd might read most days in each area, but we only discuss each one in depth once or twice a week, spending closer to an hour. Fewer transitions are better for my deep thinker.

[Meriwether]

Gobs. We spend gobs of hours. At 4th and 5 grades, Dd12 worked for 4 or 5 hours. Several of those were reading. She was a fast worker. Ds11 spent 2-4 hours on math alone. Those were rough years. Ds9 is technically a 3rd grader, but is doing mostly 4th grade for me (September birthday). He spends 6+ hours doing actual school work. He isn't as slow as Ds11 was, but he isn't nearly as efficient as Dd12 was. One or more hours of that is spent reading. And some is listening to read alouds, piano, etc. And he would get it done faster if he wasn't playing with the baby. Wednesday is a light day. He spends about 2 hours working and one hour reading on Wednesday. This allows us to spend two longer days on M and T and two longer days on Th and F without getting bogged down in a never ending work load.

[EmilyGF]

Gobs. We spend gobs of hours. At 4th and 5 grades, Dd12 worked for 4 or 5 hours. Several of those were reading. She was a fast worker. Ds11 spent 2-4 hours on math alone. Those were rough years. Ds9 is technically a 3rd grader, but is doing mostly 4th grade for me (September birthday). He spends 6+ hours doing actual school work. He isn't as slow as Ds11 was, but he isn't nearly as efficient as Dd12 was. One or more hours of that is spent reading. And some is listening to read alouds, piano, etc. And he would get it done faster if he wasn't playing with the baby. Wednesday is a light day. He spends about 2 hours working and one hour reading on Wednesday. This allows us to spend two longer days on M and T and two longer days on Th and F without getting bogged down in a never ending work load.

I think we'd be doing better if our coop were mid-week, but it isn't.

 

Emily

[Bluegoat]

It looks like a lot to me - we sometimes spend that much time, but it is because dd11 can really make her math take ages and I've yet to solve that problem.  It looks to me like you have too many little things, and it could be much more if you could join some things together.

 

It sounds like you feel a lot of pressure to finish up things or make them formal - finish up spelling programs, to do two kinds of math programs.  I guess I would ask - why?  If the spelling isn't really serving your primary goals any more, why not drop it?  Those two math programs are different but both are intended to really be complete - why do you feel the need to do two?  Not everything needs to be done now.  As well, if the economics is mainly a personal interest, even if it is something he might want to pursue seriously later - it does not need to be a school subject now, and there may even be downsides to making it one.  Most people take in subjects that are personal interests like that in quite a different way than things that are just work, even interesting work.  It can be a good thing to leave kids some areas that are really their own to explore and become expert on.  Or maybe it will lead him somewhere else.

 

I do think if he is feeling or seeming burnt out, that is a serious danger sign.  Kids that get burnt out on academics will often just lose interest.  There isn't a particular amount of filling up that needs to happen for him to be finished with being educated.

 

I would probably drop spelling if he spells well.  I would combine handwriting practice with some other written product, perhaps alternate his written narration between typed and handwritten, or another short narration.  Perhaps in one of his subjects he might choose a copywork passage he thinks is important or beautiful instead of narrating to you.  I would be wary of substituting a different handwriting style with a sloppy writer, it might be one of those cases where it is better to carry on with what you started with.

 

I suspect just getting down to one math program and a little combining would make a big difference, but if not I would look at staggering some subjects, possibly lit and history, or history and science.  And make economics a personal project, or a once a week discussion about what he's been reading.  It might be a good way to have him practice setting some of his own goals and working through material without an outsider at every step.  The goal after all, is to internalize things like narration.

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2016 by Bluegoat

[Ms Brooks]

I stopped trying to manage my DD by prescribing a specific amount of time be spent on a certain chapter, etc. Instead, I assign lessons. The time it takes to complete her lessons depends on her and the quality of work she turns in for the day. I try to review her work and give daily feedback. There are days when I require her to redo incomplete or sloppy work. I also encourage reading during "school hours" for my reluctant reader. I am looking for quality over quantity; time management over micro-management. 

 

PS: I use two math programs. One supplements the other rather than doing two separate programs side-by-side.

[hollyfell]

I don't really keep track of time spent but instead go by lessons.  For my 5th grader, she works on

 

Math Mammoth - 4 or 5 lessons depending on how long they are or if she struggles with them which takes about 2-3 hours a week

Daily independent reading - minimum 1 hour but she usually does more

Family Read Aloud - 30 mins or so each morning plus more at bedtime - mix of classic and contemporary kids lit, history, and science books

History Odyssey - she works at her own pace - usually a few hours a week to do 2-4 lessons plus extra time for fun projects

BFSU II - 1-2 times per month its usually about an hour discussion/demonstration/lab and then a writing/research assignment that takes her a few hours.

Wrting with Skill level 1 - she was working on this about 45 mins per day 4 days/week but we are taking a break so she can focus on creative writing 

Lots of her own independent projects - last week she voluntarily wrote a book about all the greek gods with a picture, summary, and story about each one

Weekly Poetry Tea - 30 minutes reading and listening to poetry - just started this and LOVE it

Skating lessons

Friday Coop for 4 hours

Lots of chores including helping with our sheep and taking care of her flock of chickens, cleaning, & selling eggs

Walks outside including some nature walks/journaling 

Lots of time to play

Very little screen time