What you’re seeing is my master plan, all that I hope to acheive in a year with one of my kids. It never fully works out like planned and that’s completely ok! The linked chart is for ds10. We have changed spelling to a combination of R&S and straight CM dictation bc it’s working better and he needs the two pronged approach. We dropped Vocab. for the time being and are focusing on elocution, typing, spelling and grammar. The Handicraft dvds haven’t happened yet, but other handicrafts have. We’ve switched out a lit. book. Even with those tweaks and possibly some I’m forgetting, I can look at my chart and see how very much we’ve accomplished. I always start with a plan, it’s a must for me. I can change my plan or even scrap it and start over, but without a plan, I flounder.
DS10 in grade 4 spends ~ 3.5 hours on school per day
DD6 in grade 1 spends ~ 2 hours on school per day
DD13 in grade 7 spends ~ 4.5-5 hours on school per day
ETA – Both dd13 and ds10 are mostly independent in their work. They need me for dictation, listening to narrations, occ. questions or help. We do our fine arts at co-op and have some Bible, History, Geo. we do together in addition to a family read-aloud. The rest is independent. Even my dd6 is starting to do several things independently. That’s earlier than my others, but she was an early reader and is ready.
March 26, 2014 at 3:44 am
Anonymous
Inactive
Christie,
Do you have the charts for your 7th grader on your blog? If not, would you be willing to share those as well? Thanks!
7th grade – Again, I tweak and change as needed. Dropped Apologia in favor of an online Marine Bio. class that has been FABULOUS!Penny Candy and Ourselves postponed. Latin and Greek roots postponed. SWR changed for SW and Phonetic Zoo for the 2 pronged approach. Even with all of that, this is my go-to chart.
I’m curious — Christie, sheraz, others — regarding the actual time YOU spend planning everything (per child or whatever):
– how much time you spend planning for the “big” chart (for a whole year? a term?)
– how much time do you spend at shorter intervals (weekly? monthly?)
These last couple of years I have just not been able to get myself back to a “big chart” approach, although I used to do it, long to have it again, and have even been blessed to see such fabulous samples of others. And it’s really bugging me that I haven’t done it because I certainly do feel that “floundering” that Christie mentioned…more often than I’d like, at least!
I spend 1-2 weeks before the year praying, considering, and actually planning for the full year. That way I spend very minimal time throughout the year maybe 30-45m per month checking it over. I don’t have two solid uninterrupted weeks, but I do make it the bulk of my time those weeks.
I appreciate Christie so much. She is amazing, isn’t she? =) She has really blessed me as I try to get my act together.
@MLIP: I spend about the same amount of time for the year as Christie does. I have my Big Picture chart on a poster board and use it to help me keep track of the curriculum I have (purchased as it comes available used or as I can afford it) and where we are heading so this really helps in narrowing down my plans. The weekly review and prep is about 20-30 minutes total for all 4 kids making sure that I know what is happening during the week (both school and non-school) so that I can adjust our days as needed, but still cover the material. I have been struggling a bit this last month, so I am trying to use my weekly spreadchart and then just write down what we did do each day. This makes me feel better about not having a book with only a third of the things marked done. The planners work both ways for me.
I confess that I don’t “long term” plan. I always start — but eventually, it feels like I’m just filling in the next lesson number or the next chapter number….and that makes it feel like a waste of time.
Do you all consider the calendar with your long-term planning? I mean, do you actually plan things out and around vacations and holidays?
I guess I’m having trouble understanding why I should write it all out. I have a big, generalized plan in my head, but have never written it out. Maybe I should. Although, I would worry that if I actually wrote it out, maybe I’d feel tied to it? I don’t know.
I do like my weekly plan – every week (or every 5 school days) I sit down and “plan” the next 5 days. Our 5 days don’t always happen in a row, so things are a little wiggly, but at least I have an idea of what we should be doing.
March 31, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Anonymous
Inactive
Christie, Do you have a weekly schedule chart for your 7th grader that goes with the term charts? If so, would you mind sharing a sample week?
YOu guys are gonna think I am such a loser….I am always trying to figure things out, and seem like such a mess, I am sure!
So, in regards to planning, someone above asked, how much time do YOU spend plainning…..the anser was 1-2 weeks, from our beloved Christie. HOW CAN I BE DOING THIS WRONG TOO. I spend weeks and weeks, late night after late night, have my mom take the kids…..it seems like, if I am not doing dishes our laundry, I am planning school! Looking at planner pages, different schedules online (lots of online research), compiling book lists, and makeing our schedule, with little charts…(we just moved and the house is differnt, so I need to revamp everyones chore chart). IT seems as though I need to make up *systems* (little velcro charts to laminate and such to help them stay on track). I have 7th, 5th, 3rd, 1st, 4 yo, 1yo.
Honestly, someone on the forum the other day said I should have hobbies too! That threw me for such a loop, I feel SO behind in house management (not evne cleaning), organization, meals, piles everywhere, and the MOUNDS of planning I discussed above. I feel discouragedas I want to not spend so much time on THIS as I do. It’s almost like an idol, as ALL of my free time (ha) mental effort goes here. I need to forcus more on heart training I think.
I tend to be always searching fo rthe right syste, the best chart…..to make this whole thing flow. It robs me of peace. I don’t feel there is peace here. I hate to admit it (but U guys are like family), but I am always RUSHING them around even in summer. I know this is not the right home environment I should be creating, but I feel so out of order.
Sorry for dumping my guts on you all…..but the 1-2 week planning made me flip my cookies (no offense Christie)…..feeling like I’m doing that wrong too. Why can’t I be an ABEKA girl??? This is hard! Hard to paln! Hard to find the right charts to organize all the different components.
Kelly, I’m not offended. In fact, you described me to a tee. Somewhere there is an old forum post about over planning. I’ve been there and sometimes allow myself to fall back into always planning for the perfect_____ and never doing anything. It’s something I need to be mindful of and continually lay down. This year, I cheated and hired someone to help me think it through and plan. It’s what I needed and the best $50 I’ve spent in a long time. Lay it down and go outside and enjoy summer. Then even if you come back and spend 30m, layout a simple plan (list of books) for a subject. Don’t worry about breaking them down into term charts, but just pick up one and read. When you finish go to the next one. Simple really is better. (I am reminding myself of this, too.) Be encouraged!
Kelly! I have done so much planning It is crazy. And I could not bring my self to pay for the SCM organizer. Well I but the bullet and it is amazing. It will be in our homeschooling budget forever. It seriously simplified so much for me!
I hope I didn’t miss the answer to this question somewhere else. What do the letters stand for on the Gr. 4 – T. 1 weekly planner (i.e. N, P, H)? I assume BOC is Book of Centuries, is that correct?