When your right your right. I have to give credit to you ladies, you were right that my schedule this year was just too much. Last night I broke down, it was 8 pm and we still were not done and homeschooling was really becoming a chore, something I dreaded, and I was so tired of doing it. Then it finally occured to me why not cut some of this down. So, I am stopping SOS Language arts completely. My son hates it and I dont like it either. I think the SF grammar will be good enough with everything else we are doing. I also decided to get rid of social skills. Most of it was to do with kids in a public school anyway so its no big loss. I also decided to alternate history and science to cut one more hour out of the day. Hopefully this new, cut back, schedule will work for us. I guess I did not realize how much time it was going to take using this new curriculum. Plus I have one more kid to hs this year so its taking ALOT more time. Heres my new schedule, hopefully its enough and it will work. I had wanted to add geography and poetry but I am not sure we can handle anything else this year. Maybe after we get back "in the grove," I just dont know yet. Monday Wednesday Friday Math Grammar History Latin Spelling Writing Art (or Art History on Fridays) Reading Tuesday Thursday Math Grammar Science Logic Vocab Writing Bible Reading Life skills (for one of my sons) Do you think this is enough? I had to force myself to cut back on history and science but something had to be done. It was just taking us all day and half the night to do everything. One of the reasons is our writing program, we watch the dvds and do the lessons and it takes a very long time. So what do you think? Did I do the right thing? Is this enough? I dont want to slack off but really I dont think I can do homeschooling till 8pm every day. Let me know what you think.
I'm not sure because I don't know what you're using and how much time you spend on each subject but I can give you our (new) schedule (I'm constantly playing with ours as well). This schedule came about because Catherine wanted to try focusing on a subject a day. There were some things I though should remain daily because they needed frequent reinforcement (French) or because they would be overwhelming on one day (writing, math) but I compromised and here's what we have: Four mornings a week: Penmanship (10 mins - Peterson Directed) Spelling & Vocab. (20 mins - Megawords) Writing (30 mins - progymnasmata) Math (1 hr - Singapore math) French (20 mins - L'Art de Lire) Violin practice (10 mins - she's just started!) Then after lunch it depends on the day. Monday is Science, Tuesday is Music, Wednesday is History, Friday is Art/Philosophy, Saturday is homemaking/home maintenaince skills. I have to fit Greek back in but it's a 10 minutes thing at the moment so it shouldn't be too hard. I'm loving the one subject afternoons so far because I'm a night-before planner and it's nice to have just one focus that I need to pull things together for. Catherine is ten and this amounts to usually about four hours a day. Harry (6) is pretty much unschooling right now so I don't have any schedule for him.
Your schedule sounds really good. I will tell you what programs we are using but I am not sure on how long they take because my YS is ADHD and getting him settled down to do anything takes a long time. We are using Saxon for YS math PCI grocery store money math for older son. The money math is not going to be enough so we are going to get MUS for him soon. I thought money math would be perfect for him but its not, so back to square one with his math. We will be doing Memorize in Minutes, the Times Tables with my YS (as soon as he get to the level of doing multiplication in Saxon math. Scott Foresman for grammar that I got free off the internet. Its actually pretty good for something free. We are using it with both kids and also Life Pac Language Arts with my special needs son. He needs all the practice he can get with Language Arts so we are doing both. History- we are using MOH and SOTW, not on the same day but we have a schedule to combine the two. This subject takes quite a while because there is a lot to it. Science- We are using Apologia Astronomy. It dont take that long except some of the projects. Yesterday we did the thing to view the sun and they took FOREVER to paint that box! I think thats why we took so long to finish yesterday. Latin- We are using Latin Primer. It dont take too long but I have him repeat the chants a few times each day we do it because I want him to memorize them. So we do the chants probably 3 or 4 times everytime we do Latin. Logic- We are using Building Thinking Skills, level 2. I usually have him do half an hour of this. Writing- We are using IEW and so far this is taking the longest. Its all of the watch, pause, watch, pause, watch. He has to write down stuff in his notebook so I have to keep stopping the DVD for him to write his stuff down. I think this is just going to be a long class no matter what. I moved it up to doing it everyday so I can break it down a bit more into daily chunks instead of doing so much at one time. Art- For this one we are using stuff from the Library and Art for Kids: Drawing. We are using Art in Story for art history on Fridays. Reading- For my special needs son we are using HOP. For my other son we are still working it out. We were going to use the history readers as read alouds (him reading to me) but that did not work out. So we are using them for independant reading now and for the time being using Houghton Mifflin text books. Later I plan on using what they recommend in the WTM and buying McGuffey readers. Right now money is tight so I cant buy them, but later I think I will. Bible- We are using that free stuff off the internet. I lost the link but I think I posted it on this website somewhere. Anyway we read the bible, do the coloring page, do the worksheet and puzzle. I do want to do more with this but have not gotten it all planned the way I want just yet. Life Skills- We are doing this for our special needs son, its a book called Life Skills Activities for Special Children. It dont take too long, we do one or two lessons when we do it. He gets some of his life skills from helping in the kitchen and doing chores. I am teaching him to cook right now, stuff like that. Sorry this turned into a book, I just wanted to answer your question about what we are using this year.
IT is definately enough! And I can see why you stopped the english, lang arts, sos you already have the components for Lang ARts listed there so you were doing the class twice in asence! WOW! Hope this new one works for you! I listed my ds6th grade's lessons for him no times this year, Just an order of operation so to speak.. It is different from my usual thing, but so far I think it works. Do you have a check off list when you complete work? Someone suggested that and I am following it, I have the full list of his classes then as he finishes he checks it then as I check the book I do too. If he gets it all done for a month he gets a gift card. He is eager to get it done for the most part, and ready for the gift card haha!
TeacherMom, Wow a checklist! Good idea! I think I will make one up today so it will maybe encourage him to want to work faster. I told him that this year if he does his work at the end of the quarter he gets a video game or whatever. Maybe I need to move that up to once a month.. I am glad you think its enough. I just could not hang with that other schedule anymore. I would like to be done with school by the time my dh gets home except for maybe reading because he helps me with that (we have two boys) so he helps one with reading and I help the other one.
That is good, my dh used to help with reading too he took the kids in one room while they took turns reading the narnia series. that was years back of course but it was great to have him working with them, they remember that and remember the stories like they had read them yesterday!
Your schedules look good. I am still trying our new one out. It pretty much rotates days like yours does. But our LA is alternated too, mon-weekly reader, tue-spelling, wed-thur-grammar, friday-spelling "test" (just to be sure they've remembered all words). Hopefully next week will be calmer and we can see if it works out for us! But it sounds like you're getting everything in and hopefully it'll work for you. I was stressing about going past lunch (I don't mind going to 1pm but beyond that messes up the rest of my schedule for MY school work/ my writing/ my housework). I can't imagine running to 8pm! Best of luck with it and let us know how it works for you!!!
Help! New to homeschooling I've just started homeschooling a 9yo son and a 5yo son. I had done a ton of reading/research. Thought I knew what I was doing. Unit studies appealed to me. End of week 2 (First full week!) and I am depressed. I haven't gotten to a lot on my schedule, I'm not as good at unit studies as I thought, I have no idea about writing still and on and on. I'm overwhelmed and freaking out. Feel like I can't talk to anyone and keep going into the bathroom to cry. I don't have an overpacked schedule as I knew to ease into it. I'm not even fun anymore! Someone please help me. I want to do this and I know they need this. Got no more hours left in the day to pray. Sorry so heavy for a first time post!
Hello newbie and welcome! Now first of all, Take a breath and relax! one of the joys of home schooling is that you can work at whatever pace you choose, to a certain extent! what is your schedule like? Maybe we can all put in a few ideas to help you work it out? Also what type of Unit Study are you doing? Are you using Lap books or NOteBooking? (notebooking.com is my new fav!)
Inhale, exhale Hi, thanks for replying. Basically the schedule I made was: Devotion time 30 min. MUS with 5yo 30 min. MUS/math facts with 9yo 1hr. snack/dinner prep/laundry Subject of the day 1-1 1/2 hrs. (writing, reading, spelling, etc. toward subject) Clean up 30 min. lunch/reading 30 min. rest 30 min. Italian 30 min. Rest of day is Art, gym, life lessons, whatever. I'm not actually sure what I'm doing everyday but I feel unproductive and alone. I thought I could do a unit study on my own. I got books with projects in them and I just can't fit it in or find the time? My 9yo picked Colonial Times, Medieval Times, Engines. 5yo wants to learn how to whistle. Should I have bought a unit study on Colonial Times? I have biographies that we aren't getting read and projects that aren't getting done. Should I have a textbook? My enthusiasm is wavering.
Please know that unit studies may not be your thing. Personally, I don't like them and I KNOW I'm not alone on that! Not liking an approach ISN'T a failure. It's progress...You know what may not be a good fit. The most important thing newbies need to know is that those of us who've been at it longer didn't arrive at our way of doing things in a week. Most of us took years. Most of us have tried several different approaches and most of us will change our methods time and time again to fit growing kids, changing interests, etc. Just don't let it get you down. Chalk it up to experience and try something else. Observe your kids and follow their lead. Keep reading homeschooling forums and blogs. You'll find your way. Homeschooling for me has been more about blundering through missteps then finding some perfect method. If you're making mistakes, you're doing okay.
I personally found I need a book to follow. I know some here can wing it and make wonderful unit studies up, I have to have what they call a spine book something that gives me a starting place. For History we got Story of the World, thinking we would start here, and so far we are getting as far as one lesson a week, well its one day of reading, one day of questions either written or asked one day of crafts, and second day to finish up on the whole thing and review last day or something like that, I alternate science and History so some weeks we do more on one day than the other. When we started out It ried to do it all, its not easy to try to do it all! I went with a boxed curriculuim so I had a teacher guide by 1st grade I need the spine. There are places online where you can get lesson plans already done up for free, just Google your unit topic, like you wrote there - Medieval times, there are tons of lessons out there for free, with craft ideas too! that is what we are working on with STOW is Medival times, I am glad I have the book for the questions are being answered and I know my ds is learning. http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/medievaltimes.php see this is an example...
Thanks Thanks for the advice. I'm going to have to look at other avenues. I looked at the Amanda Bennet Pioneer Unit Study. Story of the World would be volume 3 and that seems inconsistent to not start at the beginning. I consider myself a very organized person and I'm really struggling with this. Maybe it's too many choices. Maybe it's not having anyone to talk to about it. I really appreciate the feedback. My friends from ps keep asking how it's going. I can't reach out to them. Thank you for listening.
Ugh! Good morning, I looked at websites late into the evening and still this morning. When I woke up this morning I have a knot in the pit of my stomach. My husband said something this morning and I replied with my first genuine smile all week. I cannot believe I have only done one week. Is it possible I was wrong and it is not for me? I can't figure out why I'm feeling this way and more importantly, how to get back to good. Where are all of the reasons I had for homeschooling? They've been replaced with panic and regret. I guess I'm not having a good morning!
OH the Story of the world I am starting at book 2, I think it works fine this way starting partway through history because it does not refer to the other book at all. So far it has been great becasue it tells you what page to turn to in the Student pages and my ds is loving it, after one week of lessons he is crying to do more! ( strange because usually it is pulling an arm or leg to get him to do lesson work in History) I think thier activity books help so much! They give you ideas that you can use or not use, all at the turn of a page and it tells you which mapwork to do etc. I have the Amanda Bennet Pioneers unit study, dh bought them or something cause I didn't know I had them on my shelf for years! I may pull it and look at it but I think it is geared up for younger years than my dd. By the time I remembered the Computer one she has dd knew more than the lesson so I knew I missed that oportunity. I do have to say they are great looking, I just have not used them yet. As far as that knot in your stomach... I understand, I stress out over things like teaching these two, and sending the other one out. I worry that I should have kept him home, and I see kids at his school who (he is a Senior this year) are going through things that I don't want my kids to have to go through, Id rather just keep them where I can teach them what to do when life throws them a curve. But he goes out and I have to trust the teachers with him. He will be out in the world in a nother year anyway. With your children you have a lifetime of teaching, you can do it! I understand feeling overwhelmed in the begining but try setting things up organized like, having it set ahead of time helps, and in the mean time visit your library and get books on the things you want to teach them about. Get set up with an "institution card" if you can at your library because they will let you check out up to 100 books for 6 weeks with one! And you dont pay late charges! videos are still normal days but no charge. There are things you can do to get started while you regroup and reset your plans. I repeat it is easy to get overhwelmed with all the work and everything, but you have the heart to start so give it a good organised start.
Newbie Welcome to the spot. I think it might be the unit studies. I know I would not feel comfortable doing only unit studies. That seems like a really hard way to do homeschooling especially for someone new to homeschooling. Myself, I like to have a "spine" or a curriculum that has some sort of plan to it. You know, read the material one day, activities the next, and so on and so forth. I have been hsing for my 4th year now with my YS and I dont think I could pull it off doing only unit studies. Actually we are new to the curriculum that we are using this year so its been an adjustment for us to get everything worked out. Thats why I had to adjust our schedule, I did not take into account how long the new curriculum was going to take. I think I have it straightened out now. Maybe look into getting a curriculum, something that helps guide you through the year. I think once you have a plan you will probably have a better time homeschooling and you will feel better about it.
Newbie! Hey there, I wanted to welcome you to our site and to homeschooling. I believe that the other ladies have given you some wonderful advice! I just thought I'd add my two cents as well I think it might just be the unit study thing. I PERSONALLY loved the idea of unit studies when we were first starting out, but wasn't confident or experienced enough to want to give it a go. So I put that idea away and we've used different types of curriculum instead (it's typical to go through a few till you find what works for you and your family). If you like unit studies, a planned out one might work better. We've homeschooled for 1 1/2 years now and I JUST NOW feel like I could put together something on our own. I tried it the first year and had major failure. Maybe it was just where I was new and didn't really know what worked for us yet. But I wanted to give encouragement and tell you that it's perfectly normal!!! I wanted to tell you that things will get better and to take a deep breath and a step back. Best of luck and keep us posted! Also, please post any questions you have here! The women here are so very helpful!!!!
Hi Newbie, I know that unit studies are not for everyone, but just a few words in their defence.... A unit study can cover a lot of different things in a short time. They can be high interest for reluctant learner. You can cover the stuff they're interested in, when they're interested in it. Over the years we have done units on the middle ages, weather, rainforsets, australian history, communication, beijing olympics...just to name a few. Some of the units have resulted in lapbooks, projects, models, stories, reports.....not everything has lots of written work involved. And in those units I have sometimes felt like we didn't do anything. But then I remind myself that just because we didn't write about it doesn't mean that they didn't learn anything. Sometimes they learn the most when we produce the least. One thing I did find helpful was to plan out what we would do each day of our unit study - so it might look like this: monday - read chapter 1. write a summary. tuesday - read pages 14-16. set up experiment. choose project for next day. wed - start project. complete experiment. do online interactive activity. thurs - continue project. watch DVD. friday - write story. complete project. I did learn as we wnet along not to try to do it all on one day. It's OK to spend many days on one topic - when we did middle ages we spent a couple of weeks on castles alone. And some units are bigger than others. Some take just a couple of weeks, others take all term (when we did space, it took 16 weeks!) Our shedule for primary grades was english, maths, music practice, unit study every day. Sport & art in the afternoons 2-3 days per week. The unit studies covered history, geography, science, government/civics, some art, music, extra reading & writing, sometimes extra maths.... I guess I like them becuase you don't need to do so many subjects each day. I would give yourself a chance. Take some time. If your kids have been at school, it will take a while to learn how to be together again. Maybe start off slow, just do maths & english and when you're comfortable, build it up from there.
Thank you. I appreciate so much all of the information. I have been going to soccer, back home, out to a birthday party, back home. Every time I walk in the door I am so encouraged to find a note. Please keep sending me your advice. It is priceless. When you get a unit study, do you do it online form? And do you print it all out or get on the computer every day? My 9yo son has trouble remember math facts and not interested in flash cards. Does anyone have any other ideas? Also, how much do you record of your daily activities? I looked at the notebooking. I'm a scrapbooker but don't think I want to take that on right now...
