Sep. 4, 2008 - HM #3: Our Homeschool Routine
This week please post what your planned homeschool routine is.
I almost didn't want to post on this one since we cannot follow a schedule - at least not a specific time slot schedule. We've tried it before and the children didn't like it, couldn't understand why they had to stop in the middle of something and move on to the next thing, and it all reminded me a bit too much like the conditioning ring of the school bell. I visited a few other HM members, though, and saw that they didn't have schedules either. So, okay, maybe I can do this.
Our Homeschooling Routine is as follows: (Very Loosely!)
- I try to get up an hour or two before the children do so that I can have my quiet time in the morning
- Between 7 and 8 a.m. I wake up the children. They usually have 30-45 minutes to wake up, shower/dress, and have breakfast before I call them to the table to get started on their work.
- During the course of the day they work on Math, Handwriting, Science, Reading, & Bible.
- At some point during the morning, we'll all sit on the couch together and do our Bible reading, memorization, & singing followed by our History read-alouds.
- Break for lunch and chores
- In the afternoon, continue with their schooling
- Sometimes we'll have more reading in the afternoons, but not too often because I tend to fall asleep if I sit on the couch after lunch!!
- One day a week I'll do spelling with each child (2s+1d), and an English lesson with my sons
- When they've done work in each area of their assignment sheet for the day, then they are free to do what they like, get started on afternoon pick-up (before Dad gets home), or work on something extra.
This is all how it has been. Starting next week everything will be different and I'm not sure what we're going to do about it.
Can I take a moment to whine? Just a little? I'll do it softly, I promise. See, here's how it all works out:
- For the summer, friends and I started gathering for a P.E. day for our older sons. Since we were meeting anyway, we decided to go ahead and do a Bible study together. I thought it was only going to be for the summer, but now it isn't and so that is one afternoon of my week not at home. Tuesday.
- Older son is taking a Biology class this year and for some reason it is meeting twice a week for an hour and half. Can't it meet once a week for three hours?? Two afternoons of my week not at home. Monday/Wednesday.
- Because of Biology, we had to chage the day of our piano lessons. I guess I was not clear with the teacher and when she was making up her fall schedule, she scheduled us for Thursday. Now a fourth afternoon that I am not at home.
- I've been wanting to do something with daughter for some time now, even trying over a year ago to get a small needleworking group together for mothers and daughters. Well, guess what? Another mom is getting one together, and it looks like it is actually going to happen. It IS only an hour, and it IS fairly close to home, but it IS on Friday - the last day of the week that I had free.
So, if this is what our year is actually going to look like, then we will be doing schoolwork only in the morning hours. (just had a dramatic demonstration of this on the chalkboard - Monday after 12:00 - GONE. Tuesday after 12:00 - GONE. Wednesday after 12:00 - GONE. Thursday after 12:00 - GONE. Friday after 12:00 GONE.)
If anyone wants to offer some advice, hints, tips, suggestions, sanity savers, etc. please DO!!
Otherwise it looks like we'll all be starting our day EARLY!
Comments
Sep. 4, 2008 - suggestions
Posted by Anonymous
And I so liked that first routine you had up there! LOL.
I'd teach needlpoint (or whatever) to the daughter during the boys PE or Biology. - free up the Friday.
Do you have to be at Biology that 1.5 hrs twice a week? Can you bring school stuff for the other kids to work on. Can you have a mom meet you there to do needlepoint with your daughter?
tell them due to school commitments you just can't do the Bible Study during the school year maybe?
when we allow too many GOOD things we miss out on the BEST things.
http://kabersblog.blogspot.com
Sep. 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Victoria@http://7rewards.blogspot.com
Wow! Looks like next week - everything's going to hit the fan!
I was thinking along the lines of the above comment - if you thought the P.E./Bible study was only for summer, let the other families know that. That is what you commited to. Also, how old is your daughter? Any way the needlepoint can wait another year - or until winter? That way, you'll have this year under your belt. Too many days away from home results in a lot of chaos. What does your husband think?
Sep. 5, 2008 - Thank You
Posted by MissBee
very much for the suggestions. I'm praying about it and feel like we may really need to drop out of the PE day - or use it as an incentive, i.e. if the children want to go they will need to make sure they get their work done before lunchtime that day, it may also be a drop off thing since we are close to the park where we meet. They can run around and get their energy out and I can go home and get some chores done/dinner started/etc.
I will definitely be able to do some school in the car with the other two while we're waiting for older son in Biology, OR take that time to do handcrafts with daughter while other son catches up on his reading.
Prayer and wisdom - and you are very right, Kaber, I don't want to be doing something, no matter how good it is, if it interferes with the Best that we could/should be doing.
Sep. 5, 2008 - My thoughts
Posted by Anonymous
I agree you need to be careful to not overload. Though I would be concerned about giving up bible study-but just my opinion. God bless, Pat
Sep. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Thank you for posting your routine and commitment issues. I am a new homeschooler and am trying to figure out how to put everything in together. I want to do something with my daughter as well. I'd like my husband to do something with our son, too, but he would have to do it after work on some night or during the weekend. http://lampuntomyfeetandalightuntomypath.blogspot.com/2008/09/homeschool-memoirs-our-schedule.html
