Gearing up to start next week! Care to share your new schedule?

[heartofjoy]

I am going to attempt to have school with all my kids together. I have no idea if this is going to work.

Here's my plan:

Math - 1 hour - get math out of the way first! My oldest 3 are doing MUS at 3 different levels.

Language Arts - 1 hour - get LA done 2nd! My oldest 2 will do Wordly Wise, Growing with Grammar, write one sentence in cursive, and pick 5 spelling words to study each day. They will hopefully be completely independent with this. My 7 year old will work with me doing handwriting, phonics, and reading. My 5 year old might also do a little reading and writing work.

Bible - 30 minutes - EVERYONE at the table, including the 5 and 3 year olds. I plan to have playdough or clay or watercolors or do-a-dots or patternblocks or something out for them to quietly work on while I read both a bible storybook and the bible. Then I'll play their scripture memory cds while they keep working. Hopefully they will be occupied enough for me to get in the kitchen and get lunch started.

History - After lunch we'll do our history reading. The 11 and 9 year olds are doing Sonlight's Core 3 and the 7 and 5 year old are doing Core K. I'll do the youngers first, and my older ones can listen in. Then the youngers can go play while I read the olders.

Science - We'll do our science all together, saving any harder Science 3 readings for the end and the youngers can wander off.

Literature - Save the best for last! It's never hard to gather the kids to read to them! But if we don't manage to do these in the afternoon, I will try to get them done at bedtime.

My oldest is working through the Institute for Excellence in Writing Level A and she will work on this in the afternoons that we don't have extracurricular stuff.



My plans are always derailed by my youngest. He's in the throes of being three.

[Iveyrock]

looks good! Although you forgot room for playdates

[Auroras mom]

So, are you basically doing a full day then on formal studying? Have you been doing that? How has it been going for you guys in the past?

[heartofjoy]

Originally Posted by Auroras mom

So, are you basically doing a full day then on formal studying? Have you been doing that? How has it been going for you guys in the past?

Sort of. Math and LA I have "scheduled" for 1 hour each in the morning, but the reality is that none of the individual children's math will take them that long. And hopefully I will mostly be helping and answering questions, so in between I'll be cleaning up the kitchen or making a snack or getting ready for the next thing. I am not sure if we will stick to the "schedule" or just use it to guide our day. We've not been terribly successful sticking to a schedule in the past, so I doubt it's going to work now. It'd like to have a strict schedule for my oldest's sake. She needs it very badly, but I have a hard time doing it especially with my younger ones.

History, Science, and Literature is mostly just reading. It's not "formal school" to them.

From Jan to May we did school 4 days per week with my oldest two using Sonlight's Core 3 and math and la. We got SO MUCH DONE. And it helped my oldest to have a routine, so that she wouldn't get as upset when a friend called for a playdate and I said we'd have to wait until 2-3 because we have to do school. Iveyrock - I will definitely be able to work in playdates in the afternoon!!

I actually didn't get started this week. We've had some sickness going on. So maybe next week. I'd still like to chat with anyone about their planning for next year. What are your goals for this year? My biggest goal is to not ignore my 2nd grader and kindergartener , hence the schedule where everyone is working together.

[phathui5]

It looks like a good schedule.

With the neighbor kids out of school for the summer, we've been doing most of our schoolwork early in the morning and after dinner so that the kids can have the daytime hours to play.

[Vipers_Princess]

We're starting this coming Monday. We're primarily Spectrum workbooks. After we get back into the swing of things, we'll be adding some hands-on activities. Dh wants to build a potato battery with the littles and a solar-energy reflector thing {It's a good thing I don't handle the upper level science, no?} with the 11 y/o, and he has a ton of other science-related activity kits and instruction books in his B & N "wishlists" and in a perpetual virtual cart on Hobby Lobby's website.

We'll do Math first here as well, then Language arts, and depending on the day either Social Studies, Math or Geography. We have several 'mini projects' for them to do that tie each to the other that we've come up with ourselves as a sort of 'life-skills" teaching. ie teaching them to both read maps and do basic math at the same time {Miles round trip from a one-way set of directions, MPG for same, then fuel cost, total trip time, miles & expense, etc} The older girls will continue their studies in the afternoon with reading books & websites related to the topics we're covering in social studies and geography and giving verbal reports on what they read. The will-be-5 in August will hopefully be going to Head Start in September and will be gone in the afternoons, and if that happens we'll do more cooking and jewelry making while she's gone.

I like how you are 'swallowing your frog' early in the day. I like starting with reading, but I do like the idea of ending your day with the fun stuff. hmm, something for me to think about.

I have an almost 8yo, 6yo, 3.5yo, and one year old. I haven't figured our school plan out exactly yet. I know we're doing Math U See and Ambleside online. I just haven't worked out the specifics of how our routine will be set up yet. Thanks for sharing your schedule. It gives me some ideas.

[abh5e8]

homestylemom...i'd love to know what your days look like. are you doing AO years 1 and 3?

[littlemama]

Here is ours. I have blocks of time scheduled in the morning but it doesn't dictate how things go but for the most part, it works well for us. It's just a guideline for me to make sure I stay on top of what lessons need to be done. For the most part I know how long each subject is going to take so I've guesstimated the blocks from that. If we finish earlier, we move on. If one subject needs extra time that day, we keep going. If we do keep going and don't have time for the next subject (i.e. if History spills over, I'll find time later in the week to catch up with Poetry). It also helps that we do 4-day weeks so we have Friday to use as a make-up day if we need to.

Some of these subjects have larger blocks than some might need. But keep in mind that I have four and a couple of these subjects I am teaching one subject but different levels. So for example, where Latin would take 15 minutes if they were all doing the same book, I guesstimate that it's going to take 30 so that I have two 15 minute blocks.

9:00-9:15 Bible Study
9:15-9:45 Latin
9:45-10:30 History
10:30-10:45 Poetry (T, W, Th)
10:45-11:30 Science
11:30-12:00 Quiet Reading
12:00-1:00 Lunch/Walk/Play Outside
1:00-3:30 Individual Work (i.e. Math, LA, Reading Comp., etc.)
3:30-4:30 Chores/Play
4:30-4:45 Clean Up

I am not sure if we will stick to the "schedule" or just use it to guide our day. We've not been terribly successful sticking to a schedule in the past, so I doubt it's going to work now. It'd like to have a strict schedule for my oldest's sake. She needs it very badly, but I have a hard time doing it especially with my younger ones.

We are starting our seventh year. I have only been able to do blocks of time like this in the last two years. And even then, it was a bit sketchy with many interruptions. This year my youngest is almost 5 so he will be participating a lot more with us which will help the flow of our days. We started the schedule so that in the afternoon when the older ones are doing assigned work, the youngest was having quiet time.

[illinoismommy]

Here is my rough draft of our home days. We are going to be Charlotte Mason Classical Unschoolers this year:

8:00am breakfast
8:30am handwriting/copywork, Bible, and craft (while still at the kitchen table after breakfast)

9:15am Math U See with David .... the others running amok?

10:00am Phonics with Maya (maybe, I am still determining readiness but I'm sure she'd love to do something to feel like a big kid)
10:15am David read to me for practice
10:30am Read Aloud 1 (me reading)

11:30am Lunch
12:15pm Housework with kids
1:00pm Nap/Quiet time

3:00pm Snack and Read Aloud 2

5:30pm Dinner
6:00pm Toy clean up
7:00pm Read Aloud 3 followed by bedtime (probably one Pre-k level book for Maya/Elijah and one bigger kid book for David)


This does not include art/music, nature study, etc. etc. ... my thinking is to fit reading, writing, and math in there first and the gaps are where other things will fit. History and science and literature will mostly be read alouds. I can't plan it to the minute with this many little so some things will be 'at whim' or if its a nice day turn it into a park day. We are also doing a classical co-op on Monday...

[Katydid]

Bumping!

We started on July 13. We've been doing 4 days a week and so far it's been going really well!

Here's our schedule (DS1 is 6 1/2, DD is 4 1/2 and DS2 is 11 mos.):

We usually get started around 10am and try to be done before lunch (usually 12:30ish).

~We start with Bible (a section from A Child's Story Bible - loving this!)
~Then we do Math (a lesson from MEP followed by a game or activity - math time gets cheers here.... let's hope we can keep that up! I try to let dd answer the questions she can answer, but ds1 does the worksheet)
~We then break for a snack and I read a poem (AO selection)
~Next we do copywork/handwriting practice (HWOT K & 1st for dd and ds, respectively)
~Then we read a Literature selection (AO)
~DS1 then reads a story for us to practice his reading
~Next we rotate days doing History (AO), Science (BFSU, AO) and Geography (AO)
~Finally, we rotate the next block of time with Art, Picture Study, Handicrafts, Spanish, or Nature Study

I also try to play music (AO again) during lunch, but I still need to collect some more resources on that, so I've been slacking on that so far.

We also work on our memory verses sometime during the morning.

So far it's been great.

[Aerynne]

i've nly recently decided what to get. Still working on a schedule.

[ShangriLewis]

I'm going to a MOTH schedule. We have so much to do this upcoming year. I don't want to forget to feed someone or do the laundry.

I haven't typed it up yet. It is all on a laminate wall chart currently. We are going to introduce our basic schedule next week. As our new school stuff comes in we will add that in. By September we will be back into our YMCA classes and will add those in. The laminated schedule is all movable, so we can adjust when needed.

I'm going to having a schedule hour with each child. Another child is scheduled to play with Poppy or she will be taking a nap if she is tired. That way I can work with them, check on their work etc.

[swimming with sharks]

we've been working hard to get on a full schedule...
this is what it looks like now
up with daddy
exercise/read/hang out
wake up momma
shower/momma makes breakfast
eat breakfast
dressed/brush teeth/hair
start chores (laundry/dishwasher)
writing - handwriting copywork - I clean up kitchen
Bible story - I read out of Ergermeier's and they hang out/color corresponding picture
Math
Grammar
snack
read to ds1
read to dd
rest time
lunch
science
history
free play
make dinner

I'm still having a problem with errands. They need to be done in the morning (why? ) hmmm fresher kids? I need to think on that one a bit.

[Aerynne]

Originally Posted by illinoismommy

Here is my rough draft of our home days. We are going to be Charlotte Mason Classical Unschoolers this year:

8:00am breakfast
8:30am handwriting/copywork, Bible, and craft (while still at the kitchen table after breakfast)

9:15am Math U See with David .... the others running amok?

10:00am Phonics with Maya (maybe, I am still determining readiness but I'm sure she'd love to do something to feel like a big kid)
10:15am David read to me for practice
10:30am Read Aloud 1 (me reading)

11:30am Lunch
12:15pm Housework with kids
1:00pm Nap/Quiet time

3:00pm Snack and Read Aloud 2

5:30pm Dinner
6:00pm Toy clean up
7:00pm Read Aloud 3 followed by bedtime (probably one Pre-k level book for Maya/Elijah and one bigger kid book for David)


This does not include art/music, nature study, etc. etc. ... my thinking is to fit reading, writing, and math in there first and the gaps are where other things will fit. History and science and literature will mostly be read alouds. I can't plan it to the minute with this many little so some things will be 'at whim' or if its a nice day turn it into a park day. We are also doing a classical co-op on Monday...

Janet, I like your schedule but I am just totally, totally curious- wondering how this can qualify as unschooling (?) Hope you don't mind my asking this.