What Works Best For YOU? (Unschooling, mega-structured, etc)

[Kiara.I]

I had rosy visions of being an unschooler, mostly, but doing math. Because I couldn't let go of math.

I'm...er...not an unschooler. At all. I'm actually drifting quite a bit toward classical at the moment. Oh well. Plans change. But for all that I'm doing quite structured schooling, it doesn't take very long at these ages. Except that when the kids aren't co-operating of course it can take a whole lot longer.

So right now our curriculum and what I demand is quite structured, but we aren't scheduling at all. I think I'll need to though, as some stuff is just not getting done. Math and language are happening, but science, art and history are...sporadic. VERY sporadic...

[Barefoot Bookworm]

Yep, structured and classical with a little Charlotte Mason thrown in.

[mamahammer]

I have a clipboard for each kid that hangs on the wall. Every Sunday, I put a new weekly plan on each clipboard that has everything they need to get done that week, divided up into daily chunks. They can do it daily, or they can do all of it on like Monday and Tuesday. They can't save it all until the end of the week because that just hasn't worked out for us in the past. I also hang a new daily chore list every Sunday. The only requirement is that they do at least that day's assignments and chore before they go play with friends after public school lets out.

We're super eclectic. I change things up in any subject at any given time for any given kid if it's just not working for any reason. Some workbooks, some computer, some dvd, some living books.

[chelsea]

Thanks all! I am getting some great ideas here! And Mamahammer, I am SOOOO going to try that clipboard idea, LOVE it!!!

[milkmommy]

Our orginal intentions were to school fully through this week then take off a long winter Break till the end of January.. However Cecilia started complaining that all her friends were out at the end of last week.. (the 12th) since we were alread a head in most things and well on tract with the rest I made an agreement...
She had to complete her daily grammar page and a math page and she had to finish the book she was reading and not let her instruments jsut go completely but other that that we'd go ahead and break "now" were taking she maybe had 30 of written work a day this week... No writing no history science religion geography etc...
Yet this week I feel soo frustrated. It is too much freedom she stalls and squawks and complains.. When she does the work its rushed and sloppy.. I feel like when we have structured "full" days then we end up not only getting much more done but we have more fun and have time for fun things or exploring other areas or expanding in areas we like or need to dig deeper into.

---------- Post added at 05:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

Originally Posted by mamahammer

I have a clipboard for each kid that hangs on the wall. Every Sunday, I put a new weekly plan on each clipboard that has everything they need to get done that week, divided up into daily chunks. They can do it daily, or they can do all of it on like Monday and Tuesday. They can't save it all until the end of the week because that just hasn't worked out for us in the past. I also hang a new daily chore list every Sunday. The only requirement is that they do at least that day's assignments and chore before they go play with friends after public school lets out.

We're super eclectic. I change things up in any subject at any given time for any given kid if it's just not working for any reason. Some workbooks, some computer, some dvd, some living books.

I do somewhat similar as your clip board. I keep a "lesson plan" that is always at least complete for the week which she can always look at and follow if she wants to work ahead or just see what is comming.
Each day I put the days expected assignments on a dry erase. We do blocks
An independent block
A "structured" block *where I'm sitting and actively teaching"
A light structured block
evening independent block

I limit each block to no more than 3-4 tasks and try to keep each block total work time at around an hour with the exception of our structured block with comes closer to 90 minutes but that is because of the teaching part. We take 30 minute breaks between blocks 1/2 and 3/4 and an hours lunch between 2/3.. I require outside time for at LEAST 1 full break and another 30 of her free time for at least an hour of outside tiem a day.. block but encourage much more. Depending on the time of year they JUST get in the 60 other dasy they are outside 8 hours...
In addition we do one daily chore "block" and clean as a family..
SO for us while on "paper" its looks like she schools from 8:30am-3pm with another 1.5-2 hours of "homework" each night much like her "PS" peers in reality its more like..
4-4.5 hours of school work total including "HW time"
2 hours of scheduled school breaks during a set aside structured school time
1 hour for chores and other for meal times
pretty much free range freedom for the rest including plenty of time to explore area of interest.

[ValiantJoy07]

I lean Charlotte mason in philosophy, I like some waldorf concepts but ...we use a lot of tv

because that is what works best for my oldest. She eats up Wild Kratts, and Magic School Bus, and Reading Rainbow and asks to go to the library to get more books on the subject or to find more videos.

Right now I would say we are unstructured...maybe a little too unstructured. But it is what it is this semester, we had a lot of adjustments and transitions and I am trying to embrace grace for seasons like that because they will probably swing around every now and then. That said, my kids have learned this past few months, progress is progress.

I do think I am probably going to have to have a completely different approach for each child. My oldest and youngest would do fine with Unschooling, the 2 (almost 3) year old is beginning to read and my oldest is starting to snowball in reading skills. and I haven't done much at all with them...when I have tried with my oldest she has been extremely resistant, letting her do her thing she is starting to take off. And the baby is just wired for words, she started asking what words "say" right after her second birthday.
My middle dd is only 5, but I think she is going to need a very clear "this is school, this is what we are doing, when and where and every day" kind of deal. She seems to do best with the Charlotte mason approach, short snippets in a structured flow to her day, and lots of outdoor time. We certainly don't get 6 hours! (I wish!!) But probably at least 3 if it is over 45 degrees and at least 1 if it is above freezing.

[ReadingMommy]

For those of you who say your kids get lots of outdoor time...what does that look like for you? Do they just stay in the back yard for that long, or do you actively take them to walk somewhere or something? If it's just in the backyard, what are they doing that whole time? Just curious because I want to get my kids outside more. Right now they can last about an hour in the backyard playing with random stuff/digging in the dirt. We don't have much else out there.

[ValiantJoy07]

We don't get as much outside time as i would like. But if I want us out for more than 30 minutes we go for long walks/bike rides- we live near some awesome parks. Usually I take them on a walk and then end at the playground for the most outdoor time. They play out back a bit, we have a lot of dirt and a sand box and we set up a teepee and they play in that-but the back yard really only happens in 50degrees+

[Beth1231]

I chose eclectic curriculum with A's input and we try to get most of the subjects done four times a week. That leaves some leeway. And then sometimes we just do the extra books and activities that I have instead of the curriculum work for the day.
It's relaxed with an eye on getting to a certain academic point by the end of the summer

[mamahammer]

Originally Posted by ReadingMommy

For those of you who say your kids get lots of outdoor time...what does that look like for you? Do they just stay in the back yard for that long, or do you actively take them to walk somewhere or something? If it's just in the backyard, what are they doing that whole time? Just curious because I want to get my kids outside more. Right now they can last about an hour in the backyard playing with random stuff/digging in the dirt. We don't have much else out there.

Mine are old enough that I'm comfortable with them being or and about in our neighborhood. And our back fence borders the city soccer and baseball fields, so they spend a decent amount of time there. We don't go to playground parks much anymore because my oldest is easily too big/old for the structures to be much fun. But we do go to lakes and dog parks and such.