Thinking of next year-school structure

Our day begins with a call to come to the couch.  We have a devotional first thing.  For us that means singing hymns we’re learning, reading scriptures and discussing, practicing memory work, and anything else we happen to lump in there for the week.  From devotional children go to do their individual work and I call the group or child I need to work with first to meet me at a specific place.

We have tried various methods.  We always begin with breakfast together, followed by family devotions.  I tried doing something more formal for awhile because I had a friend who did and her routine looked so cute.  She hed been a private school teacher, so she had things set up as she would have done in a classroom.  She would do calendar time with the kids posting the date on a bulletin board , then they would talk about the weather and do memory work together, followed by a five minute math drill, and then five minutes of each kid reading aloud.  

I feel as if we could benefit from having some of that routine, but the whole idea of the kids standing to do the Pledge of Allegiance and some of those other schoolish routines just doesn’t fit us.  

I find that we are most comfortable doing family Bible time, then memory work, then a math speed drill followed by individual meetins with me to plan the day.

In the past we have started our day by listening to a chapter of an audiobook – for a long time we worked through the narnia series. This got everyone settle down and focused on listening and gave me some time to put things away/take things out while listening. often we would finish up chores like putting dishes away or folding laundry while listening.

I let that lapse for a while and we have suffered from it. I will be finding a great riviting book to listen to next year! Maybe dickens…

We have breakfast with prayer, scripture memory and devotional. While I clear away breakfast, the girls dress, brush teeth/hair, make up beds (fold their blankets), and tidy rooms. They are free to play while I dress and do one load of laundry.

At 9:00ish we go the school room and our day starts with our hymn that we are learning. First “subject” is Bible…..always. Our day just doesn’t ever go well if we don’t do bible study. On a day that we don’t have school, they get to pick their bible activity. 

We have a dedicated school room (thank the Lord). DD 6 has her own school desk and DD3 has a child-size table near her cubbies with all her own things like paper, crayons, scissors, cheap workbooks, stickers, letter magnets, books. 

The only thing she does at her desk is handwriting. Anything read aloud (which is a lot because she is young) is done cuddled on the couch or spread out on our tummies on mommy’s bed. (They love that!) I have even read to them in their tents. 🙂 Pretty much anywhere they request to be for read alouds, I accomodate within reason. 

Math is done on the living room carpet because we do Right Start math and there is just a ton of fun manipulatives and card games. Delightful Reading is done on the carpet so we can spread out for that, too. I just give her a lap desk if she wants to write anything. 

It’s funny, we have a school room, but it’s more like a home for all of our books. We don’t really stay in the school room for school. We are all over the place…even outside. 🙂

erin.kate- I like that book.

We start the day in the kitchen with all at the table for breakfast at 8:30. They must be dressed, beds made, etc… and one additional pre assigned morning chore done. During breakfast we have prayer, scripture memory, and a read aloud.  Then we clear off breakfast and sit together to go over a hymn and then do whatever is next in our SCM Module. After this, we do one of the wonderful extras: picture study, Shakespeare, artist, etc..

Then, everyone goes on to their individual work. I work with the youngest on all that she needs me for and then move on to the next child.  I only have to go over a bit with the oldest ones at the close of the morning.

My children are 16,14,10,and 6.  We have been working towards this model for years.  It was harder to do when they were younger, but now it is so well ingrained in them that it is natural.  When they all needed my help in the morning and when I had a baby in the house it was obviously different.  But this was always the goal we worked towards.

Next year one tweak will be that all do math first after our family time.  Then I am right there with all to answer questions and quide. Of course the younger will finish sooner so I will move her on to something she can do independantly till the others are done with math and then I will go to her to finish her school work that involves me. 

My kids get up at 7 and have chores to do and one is to get breakfast on the table around 7:40.  We eat, clean up, brush teeth and everyone meets on the couch.  At this time we start with a prayer, I usually change it every year.  This year the pray is specificly for students.  Then we do family studies for the day.  After that they are free to get their school done where they’d like, and they help me rotate with the little ones so no one is wondering around.  Like my 15 yr old might llisten on Monday to my 5 yr old read while I do math with the 7 yr old and the next day we’ll switch.  

Anyway.. get ready, eat, teeth/kitchen clean up and family devotions/prayers and studies!