Sommer, my comments are in BLUE: Timers are a big thing here, I have quite a few of them. Rylee is one who day dreams A LOT!!! If I don't set a timer for her, math takes her all. day. long. literally. I know if she focuses non stop she can get done in about 20 minutes (just the work, not the lesson she watches on the computer), so I set the timer for 35 minutes. I have done timers in the past. They work for some kids and not others. My Autistic ds and 8yo daughter get super stressed with timers. My 7th grader has figured out that timers are just ticking boxes and he could care less. Maybe I will have to find a way to remove privileges. Free time on the computer or the Xbox being removed may be enough motivation for him right now. Hmmmm...I will think on that. I also think workboxes could be great for all of your kids, and you don't have to refill them every day.... just keep the same work in the same drawers and maybe have one or two that get changed up. I have never officially had work boxes, but I do have folders with their work in it for each day. They have a bucket with a lid that holds all their books, and anything necessary for the week. Maybe that is a work box system in some way. In my opinion, math needs to be done almost daily. If we are having a horrible day and nothing is getting done, math is the only thing I make sure does get done. I don't know a lot about MUS, I know I looked at it once and saw black and white worksheets and knew my kids would throw me overboard. If you can switch to TT it is a life saver for many! My kids could care less if things are colorful or b&w. Right now my kids actually enjoy MUS and they are finally grasping concepts that they have been struggling with. So for now I am sticking to it. If they start complaining or I can tell we need to switch, we will. Language Arts... there are so many parts to this and you have some of them doubled! Drop something! It actually isn't doubled up. I can see how it would look that way from my list of curriculum though. I explained in my last post how LLATL is being used. Here is how my schedule would look: Together subjects: MW: History TTh: Science M: Music T: Art W: Logic Th: Logic Friday would be for science labs, bigger history projects (build a pyramid with sugar cubes) MTWTh: Math MWF: Writing Strands TTh: Easy Grammar MWF: Spelling TTh: keyboarding or handwriting Daily: Independent Reading or reading lessons for the ones who need it. I don't think kids need to know how to analyze a book at all until middle school... when Hewitt's Lightning Lit starts (they now are doing elem. too but only have 1st grade out and it's pretty all inclusive for LA). Honestly, when I read a book, I read it for my own enjoyment... I don't sit and think well what is the plot, who is the protagonist, etc. Actually this schedule you created looks good to me. I think you are a genius! I don't know why I never thought of splitting things up that way. I think I will try this and see what happens. If it works then I am coming to you each year to write me up a schedule!
Science, History, Geography, Music, Art, Latin, Logic. Any of these don't need to be more then 2 times a week, so maybe not even two a day...one and no more then two a day. I may even knock music, art and logic down to only once a week. Science, History, and Geography no more then twice a week each...IF that! I would probably choose each semester between Geography and History but not do both the same semester. Even when I was in high school you never took BOTH in the same semester it was only ever one or the other each semester.
I think taking away privileges is a great thing, I do it... they don't get any game time or anything until school is done and done to my satisfaction. Then they each get an hour on the 360, an hour on the Wii, and an hour on the computer... I know horrible mom, letting them have that much screen time :roll:, but the kicker is once school is done tv is free...lol If they have thrown a big fit and not worked hard or putzed all day then they lose things, sometimes everything which means sitting in their rooms for the day. I love making schedules, I have been trying to figure out for a few years how I can turn making schedules for people work as a business using their own curriculum choices. It's hard to do when you don't have it in front of you and well obviously I don't use everything out there so I don't have it all here (only most of it...:lol ps.. W or Th should be Latin in my list up there.
I still remember years ago, very early on in our homeschooling, when I came upon the realization that I didn't have to do every subject every day. Who knew? Nobody had told me! I'm not saying that this is what you've been doing. But if it is...then I can definitely see how you'd get burned out. I would do a schedule similar to the one I posted below (Sommer is not the only one who likes making schedules. :lol: ). Although I do make schedules....I do not make lesson plans. I also try to keep Fridays for what I kinda call "miscellaneous" things. I'm sure you'd tweek this to fit what you want (such as, I don't know if you try to do scripture daily). But, something like this schedule is only 5 things a day. I like what sixcloar said, "Multi-level curriculum is awesome!" As an example, Sequential Spelling Level 1 could be used with all of them at the very same time, instead of using Spelling Power and each having their own list and you having to do separate spelling lists 4 times a day. Monday Math Grammar Spelling History Scripture Tuesday Math Grammar Spelling Science Writing Wednesday Math Grammar Spelling History Scripture Thursday Math Grammar Spelling Science Writing Friday Foreign Language Music Art Logic Keyboarding Reading on their own each night before bed. McGuffey reader scheduled in where you think it would go (not sure if that's a daily thing for you).
I think it would be a bit overload.. But that's just how I see it if it were my kids.. They would completely shut down.. My philosophy is less is more.. Shorter lessons seem to stick better for mine though.. Maybe yours would work better with longer lessons. I know how it is trying to get all the kids to do their work. This is our first year not having multiples of kids to school.. Only one home and I get to focus on her one on one and she is doing much better than she did last year.. I tried a schedule with mine that involved working with the girls for a few hours then bringing the boys in that way the girls got their much needed instruction before the disruption of the uncompliant boys began.. It didn't work very well for us though :/
