Independant work

For us, I had to list out everything he needed to do and he checks it off. When he is older he will have more responsibilty here. The first week, I worked along side him to direct and help, doing so less each day until he was ready to do it on his own. For narration it says on his list after reading “go tell mom what you read about”. He still constantly updates me on what he has left to do. He has to bring his finished work to me to check after each subject and correct anything missed. His schedule is in Excel and I handwrite page numbers or book titles each week. Send me a pm with your email if you want to see it.

He still joins in on read alouds and I give a weekly spelling test and teach math lessons, plus the extra arts like music and picture study. I explained to him that if he takes a short cut on his work, it only gets him further behind as he would then not be improving in skills or learning what he needs to be. He has done well with it and tries to get all of his work done in a timely manner. I do have to check with him if he has not come to me in a while for me to check his work or to give his narration. If he gets stuck on something he does not come and ask for help. I am trying to find a remedy for this besides me coming to him. I have him read aloud for family Bible time in the morning to keep working on that skill. His other readings are silent to himself. We are starting to have a quiet time and I have him do his reading then.

Never read the book, but for us the transition to independent work is VERY gradual – usually beginning in about the 2nd-3rd grade.

Copywork is the first subject I generally train them to do independently. We set the timer, they are instructed to do their very best work until the timer goes off. If they have a language arts program, that generally comes next as far as independent work. Math would be last. All of this seatwork gets checked subject by subject, until independent work is natural. Then the entirety of their seatwork can be checked as it is completed.

Once my kids are reading fluently (about 3rd grade, usually) they are assigned independent book reading in the afternoon. I start with having them do a narration every day of their reading. Once I know they are comprehending well, I go to more occasional narrations.

The last subjects for us to transition are the family subjects like History, Read Aloud, Science, Bible, etc…We are now transitioning my 6th and 7th graders to almost complete independence in those areas. I would say that this is where the assignment checklists and written narrations really become necessary.

Some things we will continue to do as a family, forever! Devotions, Hymn Study, family read alouds, picture and composer study, nature study…these are things that have just become part of our family ‘atmosphere’ and I hope we will continue as long as the kids are at home.

Hope that gives you some idea of what we do around here and what a typical transition to independent work might look like!