Schedules/Planning

Misty,

I can’t really answer your scheduling question as I’m still working on that myself! However, I’m coming from veerry relaxed to a little more structure–opposite problem from you! I *have* been where you are, too, though!

Have you looked at “Making the Transition”? That helped me as well as the sample schedules. I love the idea of time blocks. My goal is to keep it a bit loose–I just cannot have it too tight (I’m guilty of putting waaaaaay too much into a time block!).

Perhaps you can start with the basics and how you’ll schedule them, then add read aloud for the extras for awhile. Since you have your science, maybe have history just be read alouds, maybe assigning the 9 year old a little more reading on his own.

Anyway, just don’t plan too tightly. Maybe have a “transition” plan, then add to that. And just about the time you get it all nicely laid out, one of them has the audacity to have a passion and learning moment about something *not* on your schedule! 😉

Perhaps you’ve already looked at the “Making the Transition”. I printed out the different schedules and then put together one that went with our lifestyle (we actually have a week 1 and week 2, because 1 week is more hectic than the other).

Hope some of that is helpful! I’m sure others with more experience will post, too!

Trisch

Hi Misty,

Please forgive this excruciatingly long post :).

As for schedule, this type of schooling is so wonderfully individualized that each family’s schedule will reflect its own personality. So, what I am sharing may help; it may be totally out in left field for you. The thing about schedule, is that God knows our needs and so we always start with prayer.

With that in mind, I will tell you that I tend to be a little more strictly scheduled than some because I am one that needs to have all my ducks in a row, so to speak. I am also visual to the extreme and so, if I can see it on a schedule, it tends to happen more often. “Out of sight out of mind” is the story of my life, unfortunately! Also, when we do get sidetracked for whatever reason, it helps me feel like I can be flexible because, for the most part, we are covering all the bases. Plus, with eight children, I need to have things written down so that I know who is supposed to be doing what. I also remind myself that it is my tool, not my master, and that is so key. I believe that we are to redeem the time that God has given us and this is the way that works for us.

Having said all that, we try to routinize wherever possible. The children have their ‘morning routines’, their ‘before lunches,’ their ‘before dinners,’ and weekly chore list.

Beyond that, we do have a pretty strict schedule because you cannot, obviously, have five children on the piano or computer at once. We have assigned a particular time for history, science, etc., but I treat these slots more like timeblocks in that I know we can spend more time on one and then just hit the other a little more the next day.

As for the children, they are responsible for their own schedule (starting when they can read). That helps to build punctuality in them as well as a realization that they are stewards of the time God has gifted them with. Their little feet must be on the bottom step at a certain time each morning, Mom will not be the short order cook throughout the day, dictation happens at a certain time…you get the picture.

I have assigned certain times for each of their independent studies for the simple reason that I need to know that I have provided ample time for them to get it done and that what we have set out to do is a realistic plan. That helps me not overcommit their time and also banishes the opportunity for excuse making :). However, they are free to fudge things as well. Math does not always have to come first, for instance.

I would not offer to have a cm consultant come and analyze whether this is what Charlotte would prefer ;), but it is helpful in our family. I think, in the end, that the success of our day has more to do with my attitude than anything else. I read Sonya’s wonderful analogy of the thermostat versus the thermometer in the free download, “Education is an Atmosphere.” I’m not sure that’s the right title, but it’s right on the homepage. That would be a good thing for you to read as well; it really helped to renew my perspective even after 15 years at this! I always thought that people that homeschooled more than 4 or 5 years were soooo experienced! I now think that could be true only if we had cookie-cutter children! There is always something to learn.

Blessings,

Cindy

I’m really looking forward to Sonya’s further planning helps too, and hope you can “stick around” to hear what she has to say. I tend to come from the “overplanning” side of the spectrum. I was famous in college for my detailed fifteen-minute schedules. 🙂 Having children has done a number on my planning tendencies, though. LOL

Anyway. I draw on both the AO schedules and the ones here for ideas of what I’d like to do. Then I get a set of colored index cards for each child and write on them what I’d like to accomplish. I make as many cards as I need to for however many times I want to spend on that subject. For example, I like to do Latin every day, and math, but we do dictation on certain days, and some books we might only read out of once a week. I make one card for those, two for our twice-a-week dictation, and five for Latin and math. Then I try to sort out all the cards into a big “block” schedule I make up, based on family together times and individual-work times. I double-slot a lot–for example, I give dictation when my youngest is practicing typing or something on the computer. When the older ones are doing copywork, I can read to the youngest one one of “his own” books.

I spread these cards out on the living room floor and invariably find I have more cards than time, and need to winnow down! LOL

One of the best things I’ve done is to start using the CM Organizer here, because it helps me to feel like I do have a “plan” but it is so flexible that when I don’t get to something, I haven’t ruined the week or gotten us all off track. I have a nice list each day with check-offs that makes the “inner scheduler me” happy, but the flexibility helps the “real-world me” to not get bogged down.

Michelle D

Misty-

You might look at something like Homeschool Tracker. It is like the planning site here on SCM but you can put everything into a time slot. It has been so helpful to me. Even if I do not follow the times exactly it still helps guide my day.

Also the biggest thing is doing as much together as a family as possible but still making sure your older ones get the independent work they need to establish responsibility in their own learning.

I’m not Misty, but–

WOO-HOO! I’ve even got some extra “homeschool” money for once–guess I’ll earmark that! 🙂

Thank you, Sonya!

Trisch

Yes, I believe the CM Companion is still available. It’s listed in our CM Bookfinder and on our Getting Started pages. That was one of the first books I ever read about CM too! 🙂

Over the summer here’s another idea to spark your boy’s interest in learning and imagination in learning. Is there a subject that the three oldest are intereted in? Maybe a couple of ideas come to mind. You could even ask them what they would be intersted in learning about or give them a few choices if the previous idea would start a fight! Anyway, you could take those ideas (or idea)and find a study for it on the computer. Or even easier, gather as many OLd Schoolhouse mags. that you have and look at their Unit studies offered in each and have the boys pick one or two to do. Then you can go to the library and gather the books,(maybe request them now for interlibrary loan), if you need to purchase anything now would be a good time to gather that info, too. Using CM methodology, I believe has caused my son to enjoy learning so much it overwhe;lms me! He’s almost insatiable.

Pray for creativity. G-d is the Creator after all and He has an abundance of creativity to give! Also, pray for the boys to love learning, too. Ask G-d to really work on their hearts to be receptive and loosen any attractions to this world that encourages boys to have nothing in their heads and hearts!

Hope this helps,

Rachel