"Complete" curriculum workbook organized per day

[OakParkOwlets]

I say "complete" in quotes because I know there is no such thing, but long story short I need something my 3rd grader can work on semi-independently.  The problem I have found is all of these workbooks are organized by subject rather than grouped into day or even weekly chunks.  Has anyone found anything different?

[HomeAgain]

I've seen them that way for summer workbooks, but not really for yearly.  You may want to just reorganize a 180 day one in a binder, putting the pages you want him to work on that week in the front section, or even picking 2-3 workbooks and reorganizing them.

Is this just something for him to do while you're working with something else?

[Clarita]

If that seems like too much work, I've had some luck putting together a checklist for my kids everyday with the pages they are suppose to do each day. The nice part is I can even put work in there that aren't worksheets. I just write the instructions as part of their checklist.

I have also put them in a daily folder for them. That was a bit too much work for me so I didn't stick with it. 

[OakParkOwlets]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

I've seen them that way for summer workbooks, but not really for yearly.  You may want to just reorganize a 180 day one in a binder, putting the pages you want him to work on that week in the front section, or even picking 2-3 workbooks and reorganizing them.

Is this just something for him to do while you're working with something else?

Basically it is an attempt to ramp up to something, or place hold while we figure out solutions.  My son is extremely hostile and defiant when it comes to schoolwork except when he feels in control of it, to the point of throwing tantrums that last longer than the work would and I am emotionally worn out.  He is very intelligent and when he actually sits down and does the work it doesn't take long and usually isn't a struggle.  I wanted to give him a small bit of stuff to do at his own pace at his desk during the day to claim that sense of empowerment, but still actually do something.  I know a giant stack of workbooks to do one page each in a day will visually overwhelm him so I may be at the rip one page out of everything and staple together stage if I can't find a better solution.   He needs to keep moving forward in some way while we work on whatever the underlying behavior/emotional issues.  His doctor and I both think some neurodivergence is at play but I am having a hard time getting anyone to take it seriously since he is homeschooled.

[Penderwink]

I’ve not seen any high quality all in one workbooks. But at third grade I think they would be able to manage to work from 3-4 different work books, if you stick post-its in the pages to be done,

[OakParkOwlets]

Just now, Penderwink said:

I’ve not seen any high quality all in one workbooks. But at third grade I think they would be able to manage to work from 3-4 different work books, if you stick post-its in the pages to be done,

Normally I would agree with you, but in his case no.  He would see it as a giant stack of books and immediately shut down.

[Penderwink]

Do you think it would work to prepare a stack of ripped out worksheets to get done for the week, and he can decide how to organize that over the week?

[OakParkOwlets]

2 minutes ago, Penderwink said:

Do you think it would work to prepare a stack of ripped out worksheets to get done for the week, and he can decide how to organize that over the week?

I think that's what I am going to try, I just was trying to avoid loose papers that were easy to disappear, but maybe if I put them in his superhero 3-ring binder or something it will be encouraging and keep them together.

[AnneGG]

Have you ever tried a Thinking Tree Journal? Some of their journals are organized by a “loop.” You could say “do 5 pages a day” and he would be doing a little of everything. That may also help with his feelings of being forced to do lessons because Fun School/Thinking Tree is more open ended. 
 

You could also try an Outschool class that “covers all subjects” or does something that interests him. My son was deep into pokemon for awhile and he took classes like pokemon grammar, pokemon science, pokemon math battle. 

[HomeAgain]

Honestly, given all the information I would focus on controlled choice. I'd give him a set of plastic drawers or a mail sorter or something that you can stock with different activities: worksheets, puzzles, social studies activities, whatever.  Even something as simple as red, yellow, green folders that you stock with a few pages in a single subject.

  I gave my son a set of cubbies when he was young that I stocked with rotating activities.  He had full choice of things I had already curated. Many were independent or open ended so if he didn't want me involved beyond instructions, I was okay with that.  My goal that year was establishing routine and work periods.  The work given touched on 2 or more skills at the same time so I had flexibility in finding things that would work for each skill without it feeling like the same thing.

[OakParkOwlets]

1 hour ago, AnneGG said:

Have you ever tried a Thinking Tree Journal? Some of their journals are organized by a “loop.” You could say “do 5 pages a day” and he would be doing a little of everything. That may also help with his feelings of being forced to do lessons because Fun School/Thinking Tree is more open ended. 
 

You could also try an Outschool class that “covers all subjects” or does something that interests him. My son was deep into pokemon for awhile and he took classes like pokemon grammar, pokemon science, pokemon math battle. 

I don't know if he would sit still for an Outschool class but he does LOVE Minecraft and Roblox so thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into that.

[Malam]

Check out Critical thinking co, specifically Mathematical Reasoning and the Language Smarts series

[Clarita]

My kids can get defiant too (I think just strong willed as opposed to ODD). I tend to include him in selection of curriculum and if he opposes a work I chat with him about it (after the tantrum) and try and work with him to find a solution. I got a lot of insight into how to do this chat from Explosive Child. 

Actually the checklist idea my kids have been using is their idea that I fleshed out a bit. For a bit last year I used a rotary cutter (I guess it suppose to be for fabric quilting/sewing) to but out workbook pages that weren't perforated. My son ended up being OK with using workbooks when we do the checklist so I stopped. Sometimes if a workbook page has an overwhelming number of problems I break those down and write them out in the checklist. 

[OakParkOwlets]

On 8/29/2024 at 11:34 AM, Clarita said:

My kids can get defiant too (I think just strong willed as opposed to ODD). I tend to include him in selection of curriculum and if he opposes a work I chat with him about it (after the tantrum) and try and work with him to find a solution. I got a lot of insight into how to do this chat from Explosive Child. 

Actually the checklist idea my kids have been using is their idea that I fleshed out a bit. For a bit last year I used a rotary cutter (I guess it suppose to be for fabric quilting/sewing) to but out workbook pages that weren't perforated. My son ended up being OK with using workbooks when we do the checklist so I stopped. Sometimes if a workbook page has an overwhelming number of problems I break those down and write them out in the checklist. 

Thanks for The Explosive Child book recommendation.  I actually had that in my "to read" pile and read it over the long weekend. I see now why its so highly reviewed, got some good advice on how to go forward with a variety of different difficulties with both my kids. ☺️

[Clemsondana]

When my kids were younger I wrote out 'tickets' for each subject based on how many days they needed to do a section.  So, perhaps 4-5 tickets that said 'math', 2 tickets that say 'spelling', 2 tickets that say 'reading workbook', 1 ticket that says 'vocabulary', 3 tickets that say 'history', etc.  Then I told my kids to pick at least a certain number of tickets each day and I didn't care how they did it. Sometimes they'd do all of their spelling in one day, sometimes they'd space it out.  And, when all of the tickets were gone, they were done.  One of mine would front-load the week so that Fridays were easy (the other procrastinated and Fridays had all of the hard stuff).  I don't know what you are doing schedule-wise, but we also found it easier to do either history or science but not both because changing gears was hard at that age.  So, we'd do a unit of science and then a unit of history, each 2-6 weeks, with minimal output and lots of reading or cool illustrated books or documentaries.  Good luck.  I have one who has fought a lot about school, and I know it's wearying.  

[Antares]

There are publishers that make all-year workbooks, such as the 180 Days books.  Those consist of 36 weeks of 5 days each (day 5 usually takes the longest). I'd just limit the amount of work per day, keep sessions brief, or break it up into two sessions.

Critical Thinking Co, which has been suggested, is good and colorful.

I know from experience how exhausting it can be.  I sincerely hope you and your son's physician are able to identify the problem and develop a plan of care.

[historically accurate]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:16 PM, OakParkOwlets said:

I don't know if he would sit still for an Outschool class but he does LOVE Minecraft and Roblox so thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into that.

You'd probably have to cut these pages out, but there was a movement years ago where moms cut the workbooks up and filed the pages in 36 folders - 1 for every week. Then they had a plan for the whole year. You could do something similar.

Note I haven't seen these, but they may work for what you are wanting.

Minecraft All in One workbooks:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Biggest-Workbook-Minecrafters-Grades/dp/1510744975/ref=asc_df_1510744975/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693324227737&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11057731078213264037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021827&hvtargid=pla-772939679703&psc=1&mcid=2ae6a3df49343333986370d375010ce5

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Fun-Colossal-Workbook-Minecrafters/dp/151076304X/ref=asc_df_151076304X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693674918136&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11057731078213264037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021827&hvtargid=pla-1210347309022&psc=1&mcid=c68896cea1ca31c0bd1ede7d4f3a309d

[Green Bean]

Christian Light Education Light Units

https://christianlight.org/shop-curriculum

Alpha Omega LifePacs or Monarch online

https://aop.com/

Calvert Homeschool paper based {secular}

https://www.calverthomeschool.com/?creative=709344779001&keyword=calvert homeschool program&matchtype=p&network=g&device=c&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=calvert homeschool program&utm_content=169621935761&utm_campaign=21586649005&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI87-Z25G0iAMVmzrUAR2Z7QmWEAAYASAAEgI0qPD_BwE

[Lovinglife234]

What about minimizing his school work to just math & LA?  For LA I would suggest the good and the beautiful (colorful and all in one). For math- math with confidence ?

Other options:

math & unit study (gather round or campfire curriculum)

math & online spelling (type to read and spell?)

math & online night zookeeper or nessy etc?

power homeschool (I know multiple families who have gone this route and their children are doing fine.  It frees parents up to do other things with their children.)