Everyone is asking me about homeschooling these days. What cirriculum, what is your schedule, how do you school all three at different levels? I must say, this year is off to the best start. We are apart of a co op on Fridays that the boys just love. We also joined Classical Conversation. We meet with them on Tuesday for instruction for our weekly memory work. Let me just say, CC is amazing . Just in one week of school I am amazed at what all 3 boys learned. Not just learned but memorized. I love that your week is planned for you. You know exactly what to teach and what kids should know at the end of the week. All of the memory work is put to music on CD. We listen in the car and at home. We are honestly learning all the time. The kids just don't know it. Even if you dont' join the group, I would strongly suggest looking into CC. I am just so impressed so far.
My schedule. This may change but for now it is working flawlessly. YEAH.
9:00 We go over our calendar, look at our week, mark days off, etc. We pray to get our morning started. Such a sweet time. After prayer, I set our timer for 30 min. We all start Math. Before any instruction, they begin to work. If they need help, they are allowed to say "need help" once. But they must go to the next problem they can work to avoid wasting time. I float, helping each one as they need help. Jack still needs help with directions being read, so I am finding I stay close to him. But I am available to them all. What they don't finish in 30 min becomes afternoon work or homework. This has really helped #1 motivate them to work quickly #2 allivated much frustration with Hamilton working on Math for an hour #3 ended the waisting time waiting on mommy to help. When they finsih they move to their copy work below.
9:30 - 9:45 When the boys finish their Math they immediately get their copy work spiral notebook and begin writing their copy work for the week. It is written on a lamiated large poster that has notebook lines on it. Hamilton has more copy work for the week than the younger two. This has been excellent to teach spacing, punctuation, etc to the little ones. It also helps that they are writing what they are memorizing.
9:45 - 10:00 They are ready to get up and move at this point. So we go to our states and capitals. I laminated us maps and they have a large one also . They color with wipe markers their states we are leaning for the week. They also write states name and capitals. They also have a matching game I made they play at this time to help them learn this. They get 5 states and capitals a week to learn. When we are through learning states and capital they go to presidents.
10:00 - 10:30 Break for Mommy Boy are working they just don't know it. They have 30 to finish matching game or to play anything in the school room that is not an eletronic. While they play they listen to their memory work cd. I love this time because I do laundry, start lunch, etc. They usually play well because they are ready for a break and some down time. They play with train tracks, models, work puzzles, etc. Something quiet so they can listen to their memory work.
10:30 - 11:00 English/Reading Back to the table with the timer set for 30 min. Hamilton usually needs some basic instruction on his work so this younger ones state their work as best they can. Sam is reading and has been a big help helping Jack with his instruction during this time. Once I get hamilton started, I help the little ones. As they finish this work, they read. Hamilton goes to his room for silient reading. The little ones take turns reading bob books to me out loud.
11:00 - 11:30 Boy go to computer to watch and listen to their memeory work that has been put on youtube. Awesome. It adds that visual to the mix. They don't necessarily love this but they know it is better than sitting at the table working. While they work I do lunch.
At 11:30 We are pretty much done with our core. In the afternoons we read science and history books that go along with our memory work. Today they watch a movie from library on the northwest which is all the states we have learned. They loved it. Again learning and not realizing it. So fun.
Kris reads their bible/history cards in evening.
So far so good. I love it and the boys love it.
1 comment:
that is a great schedule. i think CC does a good job of helping you use a timer. ours does not do that but my friend does CC and mentioned it. i need a written out schedule to go by. i think it would help us all around here. glad it is going so well!
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