How do you approach subject order for your day? What do you start with, and why? I'm just wondering, as I know that certain times of day my son isn't as focused, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what subject to start with! The mornings are best for his learning, but my 18 month old doesn't take a nap until afternoon, so I feel like I want to tackle the harder subjects in the morning, but it's hard with my little one running around!
I would usually start with what my kids do together. Once that meant I would read history first thing each morning. Last year, I would start with vocabulary, because I had two doing it together. Now, there's no set order yet. We'll fall into it after a while.
We always start with Bible. Then we don't have a set subject order. Maybe let the 18 month old have special toys that only come out during school time (so he doesn't lose interest). Like these http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/2008/06/toddler-activity-bags.html Google Toddler Activity Bags (or boxes) for ideas. Make up a few, keep them out of sight and reach. Rotate them out during morning school time.
We don't have an "order" just yet. Most of the time (most years) I let the kids pick from the "workboard" which assignments they want to do when, with little direction from me unless there's something we do together. Like this year, the 8th grader and her brother are doing English together (R&S 5). When my order comes in, we'll do music together (all 4), we'll do Developing Better Reading together (the 3 big kids), and they two will still do English together. We may also start doing math flashcard drills (all 4 together!), + - x /.
We don't have an order, either. There are things we do together (3 of us), things we do one-on-one (2 of us), and things done alone (kids school, me working from home). Our errand/activity and my work schedule dictate when the kids have access to me, so that dictates which subjects we do at the time. Otherwise, it's fair game. Whatever THEY want to work on comes first.
I give them their assignments... they complete them in whatever order they desire. Except this year we're all doing history together. We'll probably do that while the toddler naps.
Thanks! I have a daughter as well who will be 4 in a few months. I've already decided she'll do spelling right along with us, but like I mentioned, I'm not sure when. I need scheduling to make sure all is accounted for. I sort of want to knock out the core subjects in the morning, so that if we do have a lazy day along the way (which I know we will) at least we've hit the main subjects. At the same time, I really like the board idea. I may just print out all the subjects, and have him choose, but I don't want to leave it up for discussion, if he is attempting to avoid a certain subject, kwim? If he doesn't feel like doing math, I envision he would put it off as long as he could in hopes of not having to do it at all, then by the afternoon I'd be pulling my hair out trying to get him to do it. In the morning however, he's normally asking to do math...
That's kind of how we are, too. Though Philllip has decided he'd rather do math after his dad gets home.... Drives me CRAZY, because he finishes early, and thinks that means he can play on the computer. AND we've discussed that, if he wants to do it when Dad gets home, he must do it RIGHT AWAY after Dad gets home. NOT put it off until bedtime, lol! (Hey, kids are kids !)
One thing I did when my kids were younger was to have a block list for me. It had the days in colums, and the subjects in rows. I would write the subject, and next to it how many days a week I wanted to teach that subject. So it would be MATH 4-5, HISTORY 3-4, READING 4-5, JOURNAL 3-4, etc. Then each day I would just mark off what was taught and what wasn't. That way, at the end of the week, I could see that I did history five days this week, but science only twice. So next week, I'd make a concious effort to stress the science. Or maybe they only wrote in their journals once, so again that would be something I'd stress the next week. I also kept a folder of extra-curricular activities. I would put the month at the top of the page, and each day I would record whatever we did that I felt was school related, and which child took part. I'd put down soccer practice, piano lessons, dance/piano recitals (noting which children took part, and which ones observed...same with soccer games), any field trips, AWANA, etc.
Here is my order mostly for my youngest: Math, Language arts, Science, Bible, Reading, History. With my oldest she can do what ever subject she wants first as long as Math gets done before Lunch.
These are great ideas!! I think maybe I'll set it up so that there are subjects that have to be completed before lunch as well, that sounds like a great idea. We'll probably start school around 9am, and snack time is promptly at 10am. SOMETIMES my little guy will nap around 11am, other times it's after lunch, but if I can get a good fully belly in him at snack time, he'll nap and eat when he wakes up. So that may be of benefit for us, leaving our afternoons open for other things, like reading history while they draw quietly at the table... I'm a bit of a procrastinator and a push over, so if I dedicate myself to making sure this, or that is complete, everything else will be easier. He's in 1st grade this year, so last year, we completed A LOT for kindergarten, but it was more laid back. We decided not to do a year round schedule, because that way, it gives me incentive and determination to complete things, and if it doesn't get done, we have the summer to "finish up" which we did this year and it worked out well... so technically we schooled year round.
I check off on MY list as it ends up on my desk for checking, and I check up on them through the day. If I find they've neglected the same subject for a couple days in a row, I make sure they do that first the next day.
I have used 2 different lists this year. I have one that has daily check list for all 5 day then a weekly checklist for things done weekly. (you can download them here if you like or if you want to change the subjects and order PM me and I think I still have the Word file I can email you so you can make changes)
My kids work very independently and have their own schedules, my oldest tries to get all her independent stuff done before we get to the stuff we all do together. They all sort of do that....each has their own favorite to start with. My oldest goes easiest to most difficult. My middle does the hardest to easiest, most days. My youngest usually sticks to the order in her schedule book. LOL!!!
Ems starts with whatever subject she picks. Sometimes, if she has to complete a lesson from the previous day, she has to start with that specific subject.
Dd is 9 and she starts out the day doing her math. She reads over the lesson and if she has any questions she lets me know. Usually I am getting my breakfast at the time since she starts this anywhere between 7 and 8am. After that we do our Bible reading, prayers, her reading out loud to me (usually a few pages to a chapter), history, spelling, Latin video (Monday only), my read aloud to her, science and then she does all her on your own stuff (usually this is at around 10:30-11:00). Next week we will be starting our writing program but I am not sure when we will be doing that.
We start with writing and then generally move into spelling and grammar, from there we either do our country study or Math. Depends on what time it is at that point - if my daughter is up for her nap by then we do math then country study, if she's not we do it the other way around. My son is using Math U See and he needs quiet to concentrate on the video. If it's a day we're just doing a page of review from the previous day's lesson then we do math first too. Generally I squeeze in his calendar notebook and journal page wherever in the schedule I remember that they exist. I'm not terribly good at the whole thing. I'm considering making him a checklist and putting it in a page protector so we can check things off as we do them and wipe clean to start again tomorrow.
For me it really depends on how the day is going and what their lessons are. Some days for my oldest it will be reading/writing then the other subjects then other days it will be math first. Really depends on them.
