Thursday, January 10, 2008

Since you asked.

On the comments below, Freakmom asked for a clarification of our schedule. It doesn't always go as planned, but I'll share the plan with you.

Monday mornings I print and give out lists. I do these in MS Word using a table and everyone has their own personalized list. Most of us hang them somewhere in the house on the wall and use a marker to mark off what they've done. Each person has a morning section and an afternoon section.

Here's the morning list for Monday for my oldest:
Breakfast
Brush teeth
Pickup in your room.
Exercise 1/2 hour.
Unload dishwasher.
Pickup in living room.

These chores rotate during the weekdays and aren't always the same. If I don't put breakfast on there, they'll go until time to start the afternoon list and then complain they haven't had breakfast. I get up earlier than the kids and do my housecleaning, exercise and some of my transcription, eat my own breakfast and shower. (not in that order!)

At 12:30 we have lunch and start the American history unit study which we all do together. This takes about 45 minutes to an hour. After the unit study, oldest son goes to his room to finish his other classes, which right now are intro to computers, algebra 1, guitar and reading. I've been back and forth all year on what to do with him. I really want to get him an accredited diploma but my husband doesn't, so right now, I'm planning get him a plain homeschool diploma but also to have him take some CLEP exams so that he has some college done before he turns 18. Right now we are preparing for the American History test. I hope to get him to take it this spring. I actually think he'll be better off this way and learn more, but it's hard to let go of that accredidation mindset. It's not necessary legally or to get admitted to college, so I don't know why I struggle with it.

After he goes to his room, the youngest 2 and I do math together. It's easier to keep them on the same level for math. I don't think I could do 2 sessions of math a day. Then youngest goes to play while I do spelling with my daughter. Then she goes off to do reading and handwriting/copywork, while he and I do his reading and phonics together. We finish around 4:00 usually.

From 4 p.m. to about 8 p.m. is our 'running' time; that's when we might go to the grocery, the library, skating or game night, etc. After that, I usually do the rest of my transcription.

I'm not totally thrilled with this schedule but it works okay for us. I will probably be adding more language arts/grammar to the day for my oldest 2. It's sadly lacking right now because we've had so much trouble finding a curriculum, but I'm working on it.

We also have read-alouds the last 1/2 hour before bed. Usually we read something goofy and fun like Hank the Cowdog but every now and then we read something educational.

4 comments:

  1. I like the idea of working on chores in the morning and doing school in the afternoon. It wont work for us this year because of my tutoring students but Im keeping it in the back of my mine for next year. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thanks for posting your schedule, Afternoon school time is an interesting idea : )

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  3. We try to get most of the routine chores out of the way first too.
    We usually get started on schoolwork around 10 a.m., take an hour for lunch from 12-1, then finish up around 3 or 4 p.m. depending on what we need to get done.

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  4. Thanks for posting that. I think I need to get it out of my head that school should be done first and get it over with. Violet says she prefers school in the afternoon because she's more awake. So if she does independent reading and playing in the morning, in theory I could get work, cleaning, and cooking done then.

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