I absolutely love SCM! Thank you for your heart to help us!
Here is my question…specifically, what did a day look like when you had a 5/6 grader, a 7/8 grader (easily distracted and lackadaisical) a 3/4 grader (struggling reader) and a 2/3 grader (also a struggling reader). I desperately need a breakdown ?
Even though I am walking this journey alone, I am dedicated to teaching my children from home! I am just having a hard time pulling this all together and I get EASILY distracted myself looking at this blog and that blog! Ugh ?
ANY words of wisdom you offer would be well received!
Hi, I’m not Sonya but wanted to share that you can do this!
One thing that helps me with the distractions is that I stay away from the computer/blogs/social media. It’s okay to start there but then you just have to pull the plug and just go do it!
In time, you will make your way back to the helpful blogs bc you’ll have new questions. But, you’ll have more experience and hopefully more confidence from that experience!!
While I haven’t experienced the exact situation you described, I’m happy to share a possible breakdown as a starting point for you. Feel free to tweak to best fit your family. What are your thoughts on something like this?
Family Work –
Scripture Memory (5 min.)
History or Geography or Bible (20 min.)
Picture Study or Music Study or Hymn Singing (10 min.)
Foreign Language or Laying Down the Rails for Children or Poetry (15 min.)
Individual Work –
2nd: Math / 3rd: Reading practice or Transcription / 5th: Typing or Grammar & Spelling / 7th: additional history/geography/Bible reading and narrating
2nd: Reading practice or Copywork / 3rd: Math / 5th: Math / 7th: Math
Family Work –
Handicraft or Nature Study or Art Project
7th: Science
Family Literature Read-Aloud (at snack time or bedtime)
When you mention this: are you saying that the 2nd grade does math then the 3rd does reading and the 5th does typing or Grammar and Spelling, etc. at the same time and then switch it to 2nd do reading practice, 3rd math, 5th math, etc…all the same time?
Individual Work –
2nd: Math / 3rd: Reading practice or Transcription / 5th: Typing or Grammar & Spelling / 7th: additional history/geography/Bible reading and narrating
2nd: Reading practice or Copywork / 3rd: Math / 5th: Math / 7th: Math
Family Work –
Handicraft or Nature Study or Art Project
Yes, usually the Individual work has the students working independently or one-on-one with mom as needed. Ideally, everyone will be doing their work simultaneously, but sometimes you might need to give one a chore to do while you work with another one, then go work with the first one.
The key, as with all lessons, is to keep lessons short and focused in order to cultivate the habit of attention. Once the student completes the assignments well, he’s done and has free time even if the others are still working on their assignments. It’s a natural good consequence for paying full attention and giving best effort.
The older the student gets, the more individual work he will have. The extra reading I’m referring to are the additional books listed in the curriculum guide under the older grade levels. For example, in the Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt study, you have certain books you are reading all together as a family, then there are extra books assigned to the older grades to also read and narrate.
I’m not Sonya, but my kids are 7th, 5th, 2nd, K and 3 years old. I can share what we do, if it helps, since it is really similar to what Sonya suggested.
We do individual studies first thing after breakfast and chores. The reason we do this is that my oldest kids are ready to get started while my littles and I take a little longer to get cleaned up from breakfast and ready for the day. Then when I’m ready, I answer questions from the olders and get the littles started on their individual subjects.
We do our family subjects right after lunch….often starting as soon as I put a little one down for a nap.
Extra, individual reading is done after that…while I nap. 🙂
It’s the one setup that has worked really well for us.
Our schedule has morphed into something similar to KeriJ. My older two (10 and 11), love “morning” time but the reality is that it is difficult with a 3 and 1 yr old. Our “morning” time is happening more in the afternoon once the little ones are down for naps.