Help, Does any one have a schedule they can show

Hi. This is the first year we’re really using CM, though I’ve used some ideas in the past 5 yrs. Our oldest ds(10yrs) has ADHD and dyslexia, and is going to a private school this year, same as last year. I’m homeschooling our oldest dd , who is eight, and middle ds(5). We begin the day by (hopefully) reviewing our memory verses around the breakfast table before oldest leaves about 7:40am. Finances were extremely tight, so I wasn’t able to buy what I’d have liked to for curriculum, so we are using Ray’s New Arithmatic for Math. I start with one of the children, one on one, with that, and, if it’s our ds, I review alphabet sounds and the first lesson of Webster’s Speller (I think that’s the right name!) that I’ve copied bit by bit from a free website. Then we work on the formation of letters and numbers. After that, he goes to play, and dd does her math, Webster’s, reads from her storybook reader (Learning to Read, from Christian Light), narrarates what she just read, and does some copywork. Then both of them come back and we do Genesis together, then review and learn more sign language (dh is mostly deaf). One day of the five day school week is set aside for science (experiments from a library book), picture study, nature study, music study, and poetry. At the end, we check out what the weather’s like and the outdoor thermometer, record both plus the time on a regular calendar hanging on the wall, then review what day, month, year it is using the calendar. If I remember, I pop in a cd at the beginning of school for the composer we’re studying, as background music. During this time, our youngest ds (17mo) either cuddles on my lap or plays nearby with some toys, or our youngest dd (3yrs), if she’s awake yet (she’s a late sleeper). They usually play together pretty well. Dd knows she’s not allowed out of sight, and baby doesn’t care to go too far. It all only takes about 2-3 hrs, but if we’re really strapped for time I only do the basics, math & Websters, or even just do dd’s schooling. In the evenings we read our stories; this month, they’ve been Christmas stories. That way, our oldest ds, who loves listening to stories, doesn’t miss out. Also, the three oldest love to make things, so they spend time on that on their own.

It all sounds so nice and neat in writing, but it doesn’t always go so smoothly in practice! Currently, the baby has been teething, and very fussy, so that doesn’t help. Plus, I’ve been working 1-2 days a week outside the home (which, praise the Lord, will come to an end the end of this month, Lord willing!) The children can get into more mischief those days than I care to admit! At any rate, that’s how things are going this year, and I’m so glad that we’re not bound to a set timetable! A few years ago, I was using CLE, which is nice, but if you miss a day or so, you get so far behind, and then the guilt and frustration sets in, and… This way, you just pick up where you left off and go again!

It was neat reading the other replies and seeing how some of you arrange your schooling. I really like how lamasahm has Fridays off to run and do errands. We sort of try to cram that in after school when necessary, but then it seems the day is done. I’ll probably use that and some other ideas I’ve seen here. Thanks!

@Christin, when you say “family time,” do you mean the school work we do all together as a family or do you mean the culture of the home and family aside from school work? I’ve found some passages where Charlotte talks about the culture of the home and family, including the family habit of reading aloud, but schedule-wise when I say Family Work I’m talking about the subjects that I combine all the kids for. That type of Family Work isn’t in Charlotte’s writings because her schools were set up with traditional grade levels rather than combining several like we do at home.

Daily:

Bible – as a family

Recitation – as a family

Math – dd13 independent, other children 15 mins with mom, then work independent

Latin – mainly independent (lessons all together once per week: co-op)

Music – weekly private lessons, practice mainly independently

Oral Narration daily, Written for olders once per week

Copywork daily, recitation for olders once per week

Grammar work – twice per week, olders, independent

Weekly:

Art appreciation – as a family

Music appreciaton – as a family

Hymn – as a family

Nature study – as a family

Shakespeare – older ones w/mom

Plutarch – older ones w/mom

Then each child age 10 and up reads from their own school books

Each child under 10 listen to mom read from school books

School per day, approx: 3 hours