It can be helpful to have charts to guide you in your homeschooling. I have always been a list-maker. We are more “routine” people as a whole, rather than having an actual schedule with start and end times. I know that other families need time-frames to help them stay on track. Time-frames usually make me feel like a failure, since by the 5th or 6th item on the list, I’m 15– 20 minutes later than I expected. Condemnation no one needs! (See my column on Guilt!)

My first step is to list the things needing to be done and put them generally in the order in which I’d like them to be done. Prioritizing your jobs/chores helps so that you get the most important things accomplished in your day. Sometimes, however, I will put a couple of less critical items before the most important job, so that I can wake up (I’m not a morning person either!) or have a gentle beginning. It can also help to do something relatively mindless after doing a big thinking project (balance the checkbook, wash dishes, help son with Algebra, scrub floors, etc.) When done with the first, I move on to the next thing, and so on. Moving along the list and checking things off provide me with a visual key that I’m actually moving forward successfully. For some, checking off a list doesn’t help and just seems another thing to do for them. You do what works for you.

Once I have my list, I go to the computer. I prefer Microsoft Publisher as it’s very user-friendly, but any word processing program will do the same thing. I usually start with a list, then create a chart or table that will show what my list indicates.

Here is an example of the current list for my son and doing his high school work. Click on the image to see the PDF.

As you can see, I have a general routine listed at the top left-hand side. No times are listed. I do recommend my son to try and have at least 3 classes finished (as well as chores) before he has lunch, but it’s up to him if he has to do school into the evening.

Then at the bottom, notice that I do require myself to check his work to see if it's been done before he moves on to the next class. (Never expect what you do not inspect!) He's been known to "think" he's done with everything and so this helps him to be accountable.

I gave my son the choice for the font and color of the title, "Check List of Daily Duties," thus giving him some ownership. He also has a couple of classes that are hard to some extent for him. I require these to be his first two classes since he is more likely to put them at the end of the day where he has no energy to put towards them, no mental strength, or we have things to do out of the house. Having him complete at least these two before lunch (first and second class of his routine) helps him to complete these classes. He regularly "forgets" chores, so I have a reminder that chores are to come first. My son also knows that if I ask about chores at any point in the day and he did not do them, then he has to get up and interrupt class time. It just makes his day longer so I hope it helps him to be deligent in following the routine set down.

Now for a checklist or guide for his actual schoolwork, I have made a chart that covers each week. His notebook has a column for each class, and there are rows for each day of that week with the specifics for what should be accomplished for each day. The weekly checklist is helpful to keep an eye on the "big picture." Here is the chart for the rest of his school year, including time spent with his grandfather. Again, you can click it to see it closer.

His classes are as follows:

Bible covers Christian World-view. He was using Cornerstone Curriculum's Starting Points and completed that earlier in the year. Now, I have him reading Francis Scheaeffer's books and watching his DVD course of "How Should We Then Live.

Science has him finishing Apologia's The Human Body and using the Anatomy Coloring Book.

For Texas History he will be using Discover Texas' CD curriculum.

In Math, he is doing Algebra: A Complete Course from Video Text Interactive.

Language Art classes include:  reading Writers Inc.'s Handbook and doing the workbook; writing according to the book Writing Expositions from Writing Strands; reading Writing Strands' book Essays; going thru Spelling Power; and using Talking Typing Tutor on the computer.

I hope this has helped you to incorporate charts in your own homeschool, with your children's schedule, for your own schedule with your own duties.

Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completes his homeschooling this year. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One five years ago, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at  http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC

copyright © 2008 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.