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Been reading other's school schedules. Very interesting. Either I am slack or I do it different cuz I've been doing it so long.
Anyway, here is our new schedule I laid out this morning. It is for the boys (10 and 13), the girls are responsible for their own high school work altho I am going to put roo and his watcher on a 2 hr rotation so they have time to work w/o interruption. Zee gets hers here and there - she loves school and I don't feel any pressure to be terribly structured with her. (5)
Here it is: M - 5 subjects - journal T - 5 subjects - TY day W - church Th - 5 subjects - storytime F - Co-op & handwriting
Broken out on another page which I will fill in for each boy individually:
M- Bible _______________ Reading 1 hour from reading list Writing journal - diary, prayer or use a prompt __________________ Math next lesson _________ Science next lesson in book Social Studies - sticker, encyc, and internet
T - Bible _______________ Reading - lighter fare, magazines, etc. Writing - Thank You note Math - next lesson ________ Science - next lesson Social Studies - work from papers Mom has assigned
W - Church - volunteer, PE, Rangers
Th - Bible ________________ Reading - read from papers Mom has printed out Writing - papers Mom assigned Social Studies - papers from Mom Art Appreciation - internet Music - Great Hymns
F - Co-op - class at co-op Handwriting with Gram ----------------------------------------------- That is it. Doesn't look as involved as others I see. For Bible, the twins are reading thru the New Testament, but one gets more into it than the other and is in 2nd Corinthians. The other goes steadily at a chapter each time and is in 1st Corinthians. I am back in John. I got behind. Joshua is doing Proverbs. He reads a chapter and chooses one verse to copy, discuss, use for handwriting, etc. It is very interesting to see what he chooses and why.
For reading Josh is supposed to be working on our assigned reading for graduation, but he keeps losing his books. Dad is going to take over that for this year with him. Dads make all the difference with sons after about 9/10!!! Try it! The twins aren't really ready for most of what is on the list, but they are into chapter books like Boxcar Children. My daughter Sarah recently went through our library and found a lot of books for them. They also read in reader's, like I used in school. I use ones from the 50's mostly and a few early 60's. Good wholesome stuff!
For writing I do my own. I teach them grammar as we go, and the steps to writing. They all have journals. I get a kids presidential prayer email each week and sometimes we work off of that for prayer. They can do pretty much anything they want in their journal. The twins journals contain some prompts in them. Younger kids I also let draw in their journals. Oh, the most precious things!! I will offer a prompt each week. Or they can do a diary type entry, eventually I help them move into more of a journal type entry recording their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. At first we use prompts, but they move on pretty quickly on their own. They also enjoy discussing it with mom. Note*I never read my children's journals unless I have their permission. I am not one of those "it is their space" types, I just do not want to discourage them or make them uncomfortable - if they are not comfortable with someone reading their writing I feel they would be hesitant to write freely. And the free writing and enjoyment of it is important to me. The way it has worked out is that all my children have asked me to read their journals eventually even if they first started off wanting it private. Once they get comfortable with what they are doing, they are eager to share. Tuesday we do Thank You notes - something God impressed on me this morning and why I started writing this schedule. The note can be to anyone. I have some pretty cards and they may choose their own and write what they wish, but we are going to say "thanks"! What a good month for it huh? I am also getting stamps so the notes get mailed! Thursday is storytime - meaning I want to encourage them to do their own writing. Stories, poems, etc. Some of them have made up songs, some have made up worlds. This is their time to work at getting those things onto paper for posterity. This is also where we will work on character development, settings, imagery, and other such writing basics. Monday is more for nonfiction, Thurs more towards fiction or fleshing out a thought.
Math is pretty self explanatory. We use BJU all the way through. It has worked well, the kids love it. We tried Saxon Algebra and my kids hated it! So I went back to BJU and John took off. Basically I hand them the book and say "see me if you have a question." We start 1st grade in K5 and do it for two years, then they go thru 6th grade and then move into Algebra I. Jr. Hi is all review and they don't need that. They take two years in their 4th grade also - at least everyone so far has except maybe Josh - learning the times tables. Josh learned his early and taught some to the twins too. He is our resident genius. He is ready for Algebra already. So is Hannah. In fact the way I got Hannah to move ahead in her Math book is by telling her Josh had 7 lessons and then he would need her book. She was appalled! LOL! Sarah is stuck in her Algebra, so what I am going to do is teach Algebra I to all 3 of them and maybe we will move ahead.
Science - each of them has an ABeka science book at current. We do lots of different things for science but this year I am concentrating more on social studies. They are always free to experiment and we learn a lot just by our lifestyle because I LOVE science and love to teach it. One of the twins is in a science class at co-op also.
For Social Studies all 3 are working on geography/social studies in a sticker book we have. They choose a sticker, look it up in the encyclopedia and sometimes online if there is not a lot in the encyc or if there is more i want them to know, then they get to put the sticker on. Makes it interesting for them. In addition to that, I am using several sites online and doing a monthly theme. Printing out papers and doing unit type studies on such subjects as The Constitution, 4th of July, Pilgrims/Indians, etc. Whatever I choose for the month.
For Art Appreciation I am doing what Angie does. I will try to post a link and explanation another time. For Music we are using our Greatest Hymns books and reading about the hymn, then I will sing it for them. I WISH i had piano music for all the hymns. sigh. I know an excellent pianist, I need to get with her and see if she will make me a tape to go along with each book. I know she has the knowledge and skill!! I just need to get on it!
I think that is everything. We set up for the dinner every Wed, so that is our volunteer time and work time. The boys usu play basketball or football or some other game after setting up. If it is raining they bring board games. Then they go to Royal Rangers (they have an online site - really neat), it is a lot like scouts. You earn badges, say pledges, go camping, etc. It is a real boy thing and they enjoy it for the most part. Those things plus all the getting ready for Wed service at home is enough for one day for me! You would not . .. ok, yes you would . .. believe what an ordeal that is! sheesh!
I am with Leann in that I need to be more organized and structured. All of my boys seem to do better with more structure and sameness. My girls seem better able to handle a flexible schedule. so - this is my time to be serious also and buckle down and get more accomplished around here.
In addition to school, I am going to spartanize the boys room, reorganize my laundry room and change the way we do it, declutter the girls room and my LR, rearrange both entries, and hopefully do some painting. and then of course there is the Christmas shopping. . . lists, trips, etc. Let's just say we will be very busy! We usually take off school from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I am not sure we will do that this year. Co-op is taking off all that time until the New Year but I believe we will keep up this structure until Christmas and then take off between Christmas and on into January for a break. Not too much of a break tho cuz my boys need that structure. We took a lot of time off to play outside in Sept, then in Oct it was still nice out (even now it is 70* during day - In NOVEMBER) so I had them doing school at night and out during the day. Life is too short to waste a perfect day indoors! Esp when you are a kid! We have a very unconventional schedule for many reasons, but I feel I have to be flexible to meet the needs of as many family members as I can. so we live an odd (to others) life. Works for us tho.
Well, is that clear as mud? LOL! That is our newest schedule and I will try to keep you updated as to how it is going. Oh, I also need to work on the daily time schedule and the two hour school/roo shifts. More, more, more.
Jo out and off to a hot bath or bed, whichever I get to first. LOL! PTL Roo is now going to sleep waaaay earlier!!! Before midnite for two weeks now! GOD IS SO GOOD!! I actually have time every night to empty my brain and think organized thoughts. I even got up before everyone this am, was wide awake, and wrote out schedules, talked to God, etc. WOW!! |
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