Rather I think this maybe 2 questions. 1) When you record time spent with a subject (if you do) like 45 min practicing letters or 30 min discussing elephants, do you divide time by subjects or count something as multiple? I'll give an example: Recently we read a few books about the 5 senses and I was left to wonder if that time was reading, science, or perhaps both. My state likes the idea of hours spent learning/in class and I don't want to cheat the system but it seems that sometimes 1 activity can be 2 or 3 different subjects at once. 2) How do ya'll find time for the rest of the stuff one has to do to take care of a family? Naps and reading go together well but then I run out of time for vacuuming or finding time to travel to the zoo and bowling but still get the school and chores....it seems to be the thing that I cannot get a grasp on. And, truth be told I always feel guilty no matter the choices I make. If I do more housework I feel bad that my boys aren't getting enough time; focus on the kids too much and I worry my house will fall down, etc.
You can absolutely combine things! For example (depending on the grade level), read a book about Christopher Columbus for reading, then write a short report about him to count as handwriting (be sure to erase anything that isn't legible and have it re-done), grammar (point out punctuation mistakes, etc.), and social studies (history/geography). You could also turn it into science by explaining how early scientists were led to believe the world was round. Get a little technology instruction by googling those explorers or which constellations you'd find in your area during a particular part of the year. When working with multiple students, you can't always combine things like math, but you can certainly combine things like science, teaching/assigning at an age appropriate level while covering the same general concepts. Personally, I prefer to get all instruction out of the way in the morning. Independent work and/or naps can be done in the afternoons, giving you a chance to do your own thing (cooking, cleaning, phone calls, mail, etc.). Field trips and classes can be scheduled whenever works best for you. I have heavier school days when we're home all day and lighter school days when I know we're planning to be away for an activity.
To answer your first question, you should look to your state guidelines. If you have to do a certain number of hours in each subject, then make choices based on what you need more time in. If not, if you have one lump sum total, then it doesn't really matter.
Its a lump-sum time here. So many hours minimum over so many days minimum. Kinda nice really, a little math and I could find some nice daily numbers for my family.
The only time I broke out hours was for high school so we could show that sd completed a full unit, 1/2 unit.... For elementary it is just total hours. One thing to remember is your field trips should count in your hours too. As for getting everything else done...it just does not happen all the time. I try to do all our together work first during the day and then dd does her independent work. At that point I can do things like..oh shower, chores things like that. What I will do sometimes is just take a day off and do one big clean and then we just get by with little touch ups each day.
I'm assuming by your name you're in CO so your law is "172 days, averaging four hours per day." Mine in GA is similar, "Equivalent of 180 - 4.5 hour days" If we do 2 hours of school today and 2.5 tomorrow-that counts as a day. Likewise one Saturday a couple of years ago we did 2 field trips in one day-it was a 10 hour day so I counted that one day as 2 school days. You need to think outside the box, many things you might not think of as 'school' can count as school. Watch PBS? That's educational, count it! Play outside? That's PE, count it! They help you cook dinner or a cake? That's home ec, math, life skills, health and possibly science, count it! A nature walk counts as PE and science. Playing a board game? Bet that requires counting=math! We get our time in, but I do lessons based on my kids' needs, not the law of 180 - 4.5 hour days. If we need more time to count in a day I don't give my kids busywork, I round it out with educational videos, games, documentaries, nature walks, art and music, home ec, etc. IF we have a light day my kids get ot watch an episode of The Electric Company or a documentary (they like them! LOL) about history or sharks, etc. The zoo, totally counts as school field trip! Field trips count! Going to the grocery store you can talk about food groups, meal planning, budgeting, price comparison, counting, rounding, older kids can calculate sale price or tax, etc I say all this because our homeschool laws are made by people who understand how public education works, not how home education works. My 5 year old doesn't need 4.5 hours of books and worksheets a day. Young kids have short attention spans, I plan for each thing we do to take 10-15 minutes usually. If they are into it, I might try to go deeper and stretch it out. My older son can handle longer lessons. Our week looks like this (White = both together. Green = 3rd grader. Blue = Kindergartner.) Weekly Homeschool Lesson Plans by FreeCMEd, on Flickr What I do is rotate back and forth between school and housework and free time throughout the day. We try to start our day with Bible and Circle time (Circle time is Sing Hymns, Memory Verse Review, Pledge of Allegiance, Count calendar, Discuss Date, today, yesterday, tomorrow, Seasons and weather, Address & Phone Numbers Review, Daily Poem, This Day in History, Educational songs) The kids can listen to the audio devotionals while I load the dishwasher. They can watch the educational videos for circle time while I get dressed & fix my hair and makeup. We are down to one computer (essentially) now so since they both do phonics on the computer I'll have one do phonics on the computer while I do math with the other, then we switch. Then we do some housework, have some free time, do more school, more house work and free time, more school, more housework and free time, etc It works for us. ETA: As far as housework vs time with your boys-I subscribe to the old poem I keep my house decent, sometimes it even looks darn good LOL But mostly it looks lived in. I've found it helpful for EVERYONE for hubby to take the kids outside one day each weekend and I clean all day. I figure I can have a spotless house when the kids are grown up and moved away
1. You can lump it all together.... But if you want to separate it that would be fine. I do count each subject but it is more like.. English: 2 hours, Math 1.5 hours, History 1 hour, Science 1 hour, Home ec 1 hour.... etc. 2. My house is crazy.. LOL I have 4 in homeschool and 2 toddlers. My house looks a little neglected by the end of the day.. But I have them pitch in. I make a schedule of housework that the kids can help with on a dry erase with the kids name on what they should do. When school is done I have them do the chores on the board. Chores like dusting, sweeping, take out trash, put dishes up out of the dishwasher... etc. I do some of the chores while they are working on some. It takes a little time to get them trained on how well you like things done. But at least it looks better than before. When you can if they are doing things you can just let them do like worksheets. I take time to pick up the living room, rock the baby, or put some dishes in the dishwasher. Just a little at a time helps. I hope this helps. You are doing great. You will get the hang of it!! You just have to figure out what works best for you and your family. Homeschool is worth it. Even if the house isn't perfect!
