growing and learning

our school schedule

10:13 AM, Friday, January 9, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

I have meant to post this for some time, but Rachael at Barefootcountrygirl has asked for curriculum advice and is thinking of homeschooling, so I thought now would be a good time to post this. it is another chart, and I cannot just import my spreadsheet charts like I want to, so I have to make one here. please bear (or is it bare?) with me.

DS7	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Piano (5)
language arts (3)
Math (3) Beta book
Latin (3) PrimaLatina
History (2) Story of the World vol. 1
Copybook (2) Book #2
Science (2)

so this is my basic chart. I have the name of the child in the top left corner, and the days of the week across the top. Subjects are in the left column.
There is a number in (paranthesis) is how many times a week the child must do that subject. See, I used to do everything everyday, but that caused a LOT of fighting and refusals to do school. This way I can say, "Okay, you have to do FOUR subjects today. One of those is piano," (I am paying good money for lessons, and they need to practice... not to mention, they love piano!) "but what else would YOU like to do today?" That way, if they are in the mood to skip math, they can twice a week. And they feel in control of their school schedule. And they are learning consequences of choices - neither likes copybook, so they always put it off until Thurs/Fri, and then they have to do it 2 days in a row. Ds7 has started spacing it out for that reason, but it is HIS choice, and HIS consequences. We still finish a unit a week, but there is less fighting about it. I try to make sure a whole unit/lesson number of a subject (latin, math, language arts, etc.) is done in a one-week period.
Also in the subject box, is the title of the book he is currently using in that subject, if there is ONE book. His language arts, he has a choice of 4 small specialized books (vocab, spelling, reading comp, grammar) so I do not put the title there, but will address that later.
Then on Monday morning, I print out a chart for each child, punch 3 homes, and stick it in the front of my "Records" binder (which also has a zipper pouch for pencils, a dry erase marker, erasers, and glue stick). In this binder I have all of this year's charts (I have only been using this method since Aug), and a laminated list of the piano songs they have learned or will learn in Book One. In front of the charts, I have this week's piano homework sheets so they are in one place too.

Okay, so now, you have my chart. Then on Monday morning when we sit down for school, I take a pencil and jot notes into the squares of my chart under Monday.

DS1	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Piano (5)	review songs played; what new stuff he worked on	review songs played; what new stuff he worked on	review songs played; what new stuff he worked on	review songs played; what new stuff he worked on	review songs played; what new stuff he worked on
language arts (3)	g	WF 1-2: pp. 5-9 -ick words	g	WF 1-2: spelling test -ick words	SB: read comp book, pp. 8-9
Math (3) Beta book	Lesson 16 video; 16 A&B	lesson 16 C&D	g	lesson 16 E&F	g
Latin (3) PrimaLatina	Lesson 7 video	g	vocab cards; p. 36	g	p. 37
History (2) Story of the World vol. 1	Chap 3 read-aloud; colored "carving Hieroglyphs"	g	g	Chap 3: Map - color and discuss; wrote names in hieroglyphs and cuiniform	g
Copybook (2) Book #2	g	g	p. 41	g	p. 43
Science (2)	g	electric kit	electric kit	g	g

So, on each day, I record what EXACTLY he did for school. For piano, for example, he has to play two versions of Twinkle Little Star to warm up his fingers, then 3 review songs to make sure he has not forgotten them (if he plays one wrong, he has to repeat it until he has it right) - he has to do each song at least once a week, but can choose in that perameter. Then we work on his new stuff. I write down which songs he played so we make sure we get them all during the week. For Latin, I record if we watched the DVD, and when he did the exercise pages.
On the Language Arts where he has a choice of which book to use, I write an abbreviated title of the book he used (Skill Builders Reading Comprehension: Grade 4 or Word Families: Grades 1-2) and the pages he did in that book.
I love this chart. just love it. It gives me a schedule - I know what needs to be done; it gives me structure without being rigid. One week for example, we were only able to get piano and copybook done on Wed morning before we had to leave, so on Thurs and Fri, he had to do FIVE subjects instead of FOUR.
It also gives him a measure of control over his schooling. My kids are independent and like to make their own choices, so this allows that within a framework. If I let them make some choices, like which subject to do that day, they do not fight so much against HAVING to do school.
Anyway, that is what works for us right now. I do not know what will happen next year. We will see.
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:)

12:17 PM, Friday, January 9, 2009 .. Posted by Barefootcountrygirl
OOooooooh thank you!! I am getting so many great ideas with how everyone does their homeschooling and this was a wonderful write up! Thank you so much for this, I am definetely going to do the chart!

Blessings,
Rachael

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