I need advice if I've got too much scheduled for my two daughters or should I be able to accomplish this? I only have two children to homeschool. My oldest daughter (8th grade) is taking vocabulary, spelling, sign language, Bible, Literature, science, math, English, history, typing, writing, health, and Spanish. The main classes are scheduled 4 days per week and the other ones are 2-3 times per week. In addition, she takes piano lessons and the both want to take basketball in the winter which involves practice, games, and volunteer work. We go to church Wednesday evening and Sunday morning and evening. Plus, I REALLY feel we need to be a part of Keepers club to help them learn some useful skills which will meet every other week. My younger daughter's (6th grade) schedule is pretty much the same minus the Spanish. It seems some homeschoolers can fit in so much in their schedules, I'm curious if this would be a normal schedule for most homeschoolers.
Seems hectic, but looks a lot like what we're doing, so it's probably alright. If they're not getting burned out, it's probably fine. We do the basics everyday, science & history 2-3 days per week (alternating days), and then things like health are quick subjects that can be covered during down times over the summer. We also have church 3x a week, therapy, and sports. When he seems tired, we take a break. When he's in the mood to do a lot, we get a little ahead of schedule.
DS is doing Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Spelling, Writing Skills, Spanish and Typing. He's in a choir which rehearses twice a week. I'm going to meet the local co-op next thursday, and they have classes every tuesday, but i don't know if we'll go every week. Oh, and my baby is due in 5 weeks! That's hectic enough for me!
I have an 8th grader also. We are doing pretty much the same thing, except for spelling. I haven't found that concentrated spelling really helps his actual ability to spell a word when writing...so we just correct writing. We don't do grammar and vocabulary the same days...one or the other. The grammar program is much more about writing and editing as opposed to knowing what a past participle is. We do the following every day. English (writing) Math History Science and typing or computers Every other day we do English (grammar or vocabulary) Bible Extra computer - meaning on the day we don't do bible I have him do a formatting assignment. (I am writing this as we go, using 'Office for dummies") on the days we DO do bible, he just does a typing lesson for speed and accuracy. Unless it is friday and his final draft on writing assignment is due, and often I let that "count" as typing. Health we did last year (as in specific puberty boy stuff) But this year we are "casually" exploring the girl side of things...in conversation, not a specific curriculum. We have unfortunately been unable to keep up with a foreign language. Oh, and he has band @ the middle school every day and he will be starting a 9 week (once a week) class on journalism with the coop next week. I recently heard a "test" of what to teach. If you ask the question "what will they use this for." and the only answer is "for the (a) test." then don't teach it.
Every year I always, always, always schedule too much work. I never learn but this year I hope not to do that. Because of that, I now look at how much time will be spent in each subject and can some of the subjects crossover. For example, he can practice his typing while writing that paper. My son is in 9th grade and I plan for him to receive 6 plus credits, which will equal out to six hours a day. He will do school six days a week. One of those days is an all day PE day. This is his choice. - 1 credit (1 hour) science--SOS - 1 credit history--1/2 credit in American history and 1/2 credit in government. Bible will be put under history. - 1 credit language arts--1/2 credit composition, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and 1/2 credit in literature - 1 credit PE - 1 credit music which includes band that he attends one day a week and the study of composers, etc. - 1 credit math--Algebra TT - If other subjects are covered as in typing, reading Thinking Box will spill into Life Skills or some other category. We are doing a unit study and I have to keep track of hours. It is easy to put items from one subject into another. As we study history, we will also be studying artists. This time spent will be put under history unless history hours full, then it will be put under art. I will keep track of art hours until he has enough for a semester, it may take several years.
Do you feel it's too much? Do you kids feel it's too much? Are you stressed out trying to keep up? Are they? Is it causing a lot of frustration? Or are you all enjoying it? Do you and your kids thrive under the pressure of 'getting it all done'? For some families this would be too much, for others it wouldn't. If one size did fit all, PS would work for everyone If you need to cut back some, here are some ideas you could try... vocabulary, spelling, Can you combine these two? Use vocab as spelling words as well instead of two seperate subjects? (I never took these separately at that age, it was always worked into English class. Can you work it into your English as well?) This might not work for you but my plans at that age are to read-our vocab/spelling will come from mainly what we read. Words they come across that they don't know as they read, or watch the news or a movie or hear in a song even, they will write down, look up and learn to spell. This is how we handle vocabulary now, but spelling we use a program as I have a 'struggling' reader but he's a great speller (go figure, I find that weird) but once he's older and the reading thing 'clicks' for him, we'll drop the spelling program. sign language, Spanish - do one semester each? Or teach simultaneously? (which I think is only realistic if mom is fluent in either ASL or Spanish) I'd pick the one I wasn't fluent in to follow a curriculum and teach the one I was fluent in along side it-does that make sense? Ex: My kids are very young so we're just doing a basic introduction to these two, nothing really formal, and I'm doing Spanish now and ASL next semester, but if I wanted to do both all year, I'd follow a Spanish curriculum cause I don't know much Spanish and teach the ASL I do know fairly well along side it, just from my knowledge of ASL, no formal curriculum. Bible, Needed history, Needed (what history period are you teaching? Can you combine Bible and history?) Science, Needed Math, Needed health, Needed but probably not all year every year, can you postpone it til next year? Literature, English, typing, writing-combine what you can. We always took 1/2 or English/writing/grammar/spelling/vocab and 1/2 year of lit each year. And I honestly don't see a huge need for typing to be 'taught' separately, if she is getting computer time for social networking, blogging, email, writing papers and such.... Do what works for you and your kids. And it may be that this is too much for one of your kids and just fine for the other child, and that's okay too But if it's too much for mom, well, you know what they say....if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy...LOL Just my 2 cents, but mine are only 3 and 6 so you may take it with a grain of salt
we're almost the same. I tried so hard to say No to other classes that I teach and volunteer in to avoid burn out. This year seems full as well. But I mainly do math and language art(spelling/vocab/grammer/reading) the rest are assignments on what they cover in Co-Op class which includes(writing/history/science/art/literature). we also have PE classes start at the end of September.
