Noreen Claire Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) Please be gentle! We are homeschooling for the first time this year. I will have a 2nd grader (7), preschooler (4), toddler (2), and I am due in October with a new baby. (Piano practice and fun reading are included ever day either before/after dinner and before screen time, which is usually 6:30-7:30pm.) Sept - Dec, 8:00-10:30am Due to the new baby coming in October, we will be doing minimal schooling. 8:00-8:30 DS7 does handwriting (Zaner-Bloser 2C) and spelling (Spelling Workout B) while I work with DS4 on a daily pre-k notebook and DS2 sits at school table doing 'work' 8:30-9:00 DS7 and I go over math lesson (Singapore Math 2A/B) and DS4 & DS2 play. 9:00-9:30 DS7 does math workbook while I hang with the littles and/or do household stuff 9:30-10:00 snack break 10:00 - 10:30 DS7 reads to DS2 while I work on phonics (OPGTR) with DS4. Jan - Jun, 8:00am - 2:00pm (MTRF - Wednesdays are for the library and/or field trips) Hopefully we will have settled in with the new baby, and we add in the remaining subjects for DS7. 8:00-8:30 DS7 does handwriting and spelling while I work with DS4 on a daily pre-k notebook and DS2 sits at school table doing 'work' 8:30-9:00 DS7 and I go over math lesson while DS4 & DS2 play. 9:00-9:30 DS7 does math workbook while I hang with the littles and/or do household stuff 9:30-10:00 I will read history (SOTW2) out loud during snack break and then DS7 will do activities/writing after he's finished eating. 10:00 - 10:30 DS7 will read from science spine/library books while I work on phonics (OPGTR) with DS4, then I will work with him on any activities/writing that go with his science reading. DS2 will play. 10:30-11:30 recess! 11:30-noon lunch noon-12:30 read alouds 12:30-2:00 DS7 will do structured reading and writing (Classical House of Learning Literature) and grammar (FLL2) with me while DS4 has quiet time and DS2 naps. Jul-Aug DS7 will continue history and science, and any other subjects that we may not have completed. I am a scheduler.... can you tell? :lol: I'm guessing we will ease up and things will get done, but I NEED a rigid schedule to start with or I will have a panic attack! Edited August 25, 2016 by Noreen Claire 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMary Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 This sounds lovely to me - just the right amount of time per subject for this age. I like how you have plans for the other two kids to stay busy while you're working individually with one. Do you plan to have DS7 do one-on-one reading practice with you in the fall or does that come during the evening reading time? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 This sounds lovely to me - just the right amount of time per subject for this age. I like how you have plans for the other two kids to stay busy while you're working individually with one. Do you plan to have DS7 do one-on-one reading practice with you in the fall or does that come during the evening reading time? Thanks for the feedback! He already reads at a 4th grade level, and he *insists* on reading pages to me whenever he is reading... schoolwork, fun reading, ingredient labels, whatever. So, that isn't scheduled but happening organically. He might end up reading some of the history out loud to us during snack time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Certainly do this if it works for you. A couple thoughts, when I try to think how this would look if I tried it with DD6, looking mostly at your spring schedule... - your DS7 is working/sitting for a 2.5 hour block in the morning and a 2 hour block in the afternoon. Does that work with his personality? DD would be highly unlikely to keep focus for that much time, and would definitely need substantial movement breaks. - does Singapore take an hour? That seems long to me, but I've only used pieces, not the full program. If I could, I would aim to shorten this to 30 minutes, maybe 45. - the long schedule has a total of two hours of LA. If I could, I would aim to shorten this. - maybe consider alternating days for science and history? I know everyone has differing amounts of time spent on schoolwork, so if the day works for you, go for it. Right now, 2.5 hours is usually around the max of truly focused work DD can do in a day (and we're both miserable if I spend my time trying to draw her focus back). I don't include independent reading in that time, because she does so much of it on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) I am also a newbie. I am exactly 2 weeks into REAL school vs the relaxed school we did over the summer. In the beginning, I put together a similar schedule for us, and we have a somewhat similar family structure. I have a 7yr old in second grade, a 5 yr old (going on 6) who has developmental delays, and then a 3 yr old (thankfully we are done...I have an older one in college but no new babies here.) Thanks for the feedback! We did 1st grade 'remediation' over the summer in a very laid-back way (way too laid-back for me), because my son's 1st grade teacher at the public school disappeared in January and he had a string of substitute teachers, so I wanted to make sure that he got everything he should have before we started true 2nd grade work. I found that, if we didn't schedule a time to do his work, it wouldn't get done. I also have a college-age kid in the house (he's nearly 21, working but not attending classes yet). A pregnancy at my ripe-old age is extremely tiring! Certainly do this if it works for you. A couple thoughts, when I try to think how this would look if I tried it with DD6, looking mostly at your spring schedule... - your DS7 is working/sitting for a 2.5 hour block in the morning and a 2 hour block in the afternoon. Does that work with his personality? DD would be highly unlikely to keep focus for that much time, and would definitely need substantial movement breaks. Yes, he can focus for that long (though probably not *sit* for that long - he likes to do his work standing sometimes). If he starts getting antsy, we'll have a break. - does Singapore take an hour? That seems long to me, but I've only used pieces, not the full program. If I could, I would aim to shorten this to 30 minutes, maybe 45. I've scheduled two 30-minute blocks, one for instruction/textbook and one for practice/workbook. I doubt it will take this long (especially in the beginning, maybe later on if we hit some harder/newer topics), but I want to make sure that we schedule enough time. He can go play/run outside if he finishes early. - the long schedule has a total of two hours of LA. If I could, I would aim to shorten this. The read alouds (noon-12:30) will be me reading books to them on the couch after lunch to get the littles ready for nap/quiet time, and is really not academic. The grammar is almost entirely oral, and from experience will probably only take 10-15 minutes. The reading/writing will probably not take the full hour that is scheduled, but I wanted to include enough time just in case. - maybe consider alternating days for science and history? Since we aren't starting either subject until January, and he really enjoys both of them, we will read in both every day but will alternate the days that he does narration and/or projects to keep the work down. I know everyone has differing amounts of time spent on schoolwork, so if the day works for you, go for it. Right now, 2.5 hours is usually around the max of truly focused work DD can do in a day (and we're both miserable if I spend my time trying to draw her focus back). I don't include independent reading in that time, because she does so much of it on her own. He's coming from a public school where the kids had a max 20 minute recess after lunch and only had gym twice a week. Four hours a day is already 2.5hrs less per day than he would have had if he went back this year! He really does enjoy school. Thanks for the feedback - it really helped me to go back over the schedule to see where the wiggle room might be. Edited August 25, 2016 by Noreen Claire 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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