Stuck on Step number 4

I tried to schedule our days as well.  I will tell you that it is a lot easier and less stressful to schedule the Guide as is and just do one lesson after the other.  You will cover all the material, but it takes a bit of time to get through Creation to Moses and Ancient Egypt.  Don’t forget that Bible History is history as well, so you can count it for both subjects if you want.

If you are doing the SCM Organizer, you can schedule the guide and it will take you through it one lesson after the other. I also scheduled the list of needed books but assigned them to Saturday.  Then when I used them in a lesson, that night when I was marking off what we did, I would open that book and mark the chapter.  It makes it easier to print a completed list of all subjects and books used in the year for my final records.  

I have the hardest time getting past Step 4 and 5 on paper.  LOL  Usually I just choose to use the books as is, so   I can skip the paper portion of planning and imput my choices in the O and I am done. =)  The O keeps me going every day.

Why don’t you glance through the Mod 1 guide and see where those extra books will fit, then jot it down in the Guide and let that help you determine how much to do?  The Bible lessons are fairly short, so it won’t hurt to double up on a few of those days with an extra history reading.

The closest thing I came to having the Organizer at home without the computer was to figure out what days we were doing each subject.  Just a calendar that said: MTWTHF across the top, with the subjects written under each day.

I placed the schedule in the clear pocket of the front of a 3 ring binder.  Then I used 2 packages of 8 tab dividers labeled with all our subjects.

I made photo-copies of the Table of Contents for every single book we were using or going to use (saved me time in writing or typing them out).  I hole-punched them and placed them in every subject.  

As we did our schedule from the front cover, I noted the date finished by each chapter or division listed for all the subjects.  

Like I said, I have a hard time getting past Step 4 and 5 in the writing it out process. lol  If your husband can follow your schedule on the cover and see what chapter is next on those TOC, I think that it would work splendidly for you. Another benefit of this is that you can save that as your attendance and yearly records each year.

I haven’t used MFW so I can’t tell if I am being helpful or annoying.  =)

I have a 5th and 6th grader, so I made them a smaller version of the binder for their weeks. It was similar to mine, and then I made their dividers and TOC.  I found that they got “lost” this way, so made a weekly checkoff list from the schedule on the front of their binder.  =)  It worked really well since their assignments are like “read the next chapter in history or science, do the next math lesson, etc.    Math, grammar (ILL this time around), music lessons, individual readings for history, science, and literature, morning routines, chores, cooking dinner, handicraft, lessons and practice are some of the things on the kids personal lists.  I either choose to have them work a set amount of time or a set amount like a chapter for each thing on the list.

I made a list of books I wanted them to read and use for the year.  I tried to have them read 2 literature books per term (length and difficulty based on ability), at least 1 or 2 biogrpahies in science or history as well as a couple of living science books (Thorton Burgess). One is working her way through the Laura Ingalls Wilder Series in history. Those books do not correspond with our history module, but they can make their own connections.  I gather the books on my list and make a basket of reading choices for each person. I get better cooperation when I tell them they get to choose the order. Sometimes books have different appeals on different days.  They also get some control over their day, and they know when they finish one book to just go get another out of their choices.  Makes my life much easier during the daily routine of school. 

Here’s the deal though…instead of stressing over the nitty gritty daily plans that change regularly due to unforeseen life experiences (illness, etc)  I gather my list of resources I want to use for the year.  I make literally make piles for each person, including family, and write the final list of books to use. Having the list is simple because I can just glance at the list, pull out the book and we are off again.  (I also keep all the books for the year on a seperate bookcase by my desk for easy access.  Having the history and science guides are awesome.  We read great books and the plan is already made for me. lol

 Most of my plans are simple like:  for family- read a poem and literature chapter daily, do scripture memorization and reading daily, the module guide is daily, science is 3 times a week (follow the guide), foriegn language practise, practice our hymn daily, etc.  Then I throw in the twice a week stuff (nature walks and study) and schedule the once a week things: handicraft instruction, picture, composer, & hymn study, ASL lessons, creative art, Shakepeare, etc.   Since those pretty much involve going to the next chapter or page, it makes it much easier.  I divide out how much we have to do by 36 weeks and get a rough estimate of how much we have to do a week and keep that in my mind as we go.  The beauty of this is that I can do more some weeks when we want and less on busier weeks.  

I sent you a PM.

I’m setting up our year using this TOC method. Turn the page, next chapter type plan. If we get Internet service at home (instead of just by iPhone, I may use the CMO because I like the formality of it all. But, this TOC idea has made planning so much easier for me it won’t take me long to get the copies made, put ’em in binders, and get down to business. We are supposed to start our regular routine in September, but now that I’m

Almost finished planning, I’m wondering, why wait?

Becca<><

Here is an updated (with pictures) blog post showing how I set this up.  I thought seeing it sometimes is helpful.  =)

http://mysouldothdelight.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/planning-and-keeping-records-for-a-school-year/