Yesterday was the 1st day of school in our area, but not at our home. We actually started our school schedule back on August 20. I thought it a good idea since we tend to vacation more in the late fall and winter than most. Starting early allowed for easing into the school routine. I wrote out a daily schedule and decided to start off with the first two subjects of the day for the first week. Week two we upped it to 4 subjects and then yesterday we started in with the full day. Just for an example, here is our Monday schedule.
Grace
8:30 a.m. - Listen to read aloud
9:00 a.m. - Saxon Math 5/4
10:00 a.m. - Catholic Heritage Curricula Spelling and snack
10:30 a.m. - Copywork (alternate weeks with keyboarding and cursive writing)
11:00 a.m. - Map Skills
11:30 a.m. - chores
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:30 p.m. - free time
1:00 p.m. - Silent Reading
1:30 p.m. - History; Story of the World: Ancient History
2:00 p.m. - free time for personal interests
Lee
8:30 a.m. - Listen to read aloud
9:00 a.m. - Catholic Heritage Curricula Spelling and snack
9:30 a.m. - Primary Language Lessons
10:00 a.m. - Saxon Math 5/4
11:00 a.m. - Map Skills
11:30 a.m. - chores
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:30 p.m. - free time
1:00 p.m. - Silent Reading
1:30 p.m. - History; Story of the World: Ancient History
2:00 p.m. - free time for personal interests
Lou
8:30 a.m. - Listen to read aloud
9:00 a.m. - Copywork
9:30 a.m. - Bob Books
10:00 a.m. - Chores and snack
10:30 a.m. - Puzzles/Games/Playtime
11:00 a.m. - Math for your 1st and 2nd grader
11:30 a.m. - Playtime w/Ray (swing or sandpile or play with Diamond)
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:30 p.m. - free time
1:00 p.m. - Look at picture books or early readers
1:30 p.m. - Listen to history
2:00 p.m. - Practice piano
2:30 p.m. - free time for personal interests
Ray and Mom
8:30 a.m. - Read aloud to all
9:00 a.m. - Planning (lessons, menus, grocery lists, activities, calendar)
9:30 a.m. - Reading with Lou
10:00 a.m. - Kitchen work and chores
10:30 a.m. - Set puzzles with Ray or read nursery rhymes or set him up with audiobooks
11:00 a.m. - Math with Lou
11:30 a.m. - Prepare lunch
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:30 p.m. - free time/clean up
1:00 p.m. - put Ray down for nap and silent reading for me
1:30 p.m. - History with all
2:00 p.m. - Piano with Lou
2:30 p.m. - free time - walk/sew/cook/garden/clean/fill bird feeders/etc
Each day is a little different, but you get the idea of the flow of the day. I've found that trying to do math with everyone together or spelling with everyone together doesn't work for my family. Each person needs something just a little bit different and they end up bickering over silly little things like the table shaking because one person writes harder than the other or one person gets done first and that's not fair because they're older and their work should take longer. You get the picture. Having them cross paths is perfect. They get to interact, but have enough space to not bother one another. Often times one child will be at the dining table, one will be back on the futon, one will be playing on the living room floor and yet another doing their work in the porch. With lots of different learning areas everyone can find a place comfortable for them. We do History and Science together always and read alouds in the morning, too. I keep our Monday through Friday schedules on a clipboard and place it on the kitchen table, that way it can be referred to by all to know what's next. One more bit about our schedule. I schedule in 1/2 hour increments. Let's say Lee is doing his spelling and it only takes him 15 minutes, he is free to move on to the next subject or play for 15 minutes. This gives them some incentive to work diligently and control over how their day will go. I've found they will always opt for moving right along, rather than take a timeout to play. However, if I am telling them what's next, all they do is beg for play time. I'd much rather put the time into compiling a well working schedule than listening to the whining and complaining that comes along with unplanned days.
