What to do Daily/Weekly/Bi-Weekly?

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  • May 26, 2010 at 2:41 pm
    zami
    Participant

    I’m struggling to figure out what to do when.

    I’m working with a first grade (going on second grade some time this summer or next fall) boy, a four year old, and a baby.

    I know a lot of this will vary from family to family and student to student, but I need help with a starting point.  I don’t have any problem tweaking-to-suit, but I need that starting structure.  🙂

    I’ve been comparing schedules between Ambleside Online, Milestones Academy.   How’s this look?  (The “x” means “times per week”.)

    ::Core Subjects::
    5x Bible (with narration)
    5x Phonics (practice work)
    5x Penmanship (practice work)
    5x Math (practice work)
    5x Music Appreciation (simple listening/enjoying)
    5x Literature (simple listening/enjoying, literature and “extra” history books)
    2x History (with narration, 1 chapter from our spine)
    1x Living Science Book (with or without narration?)
    1x Science Book (ie Exploring Creation With ____ , with or without narration?  Discussion?)
    1x Character (Childs Book of Character Building, Parables From Nature, etc, with or without narration?  Discussion?)

    ::Enrichment Subjects:: (to be added as we acclimate to Charlotte Mason)
    5x Foreign Language (simple usage, around the house phrases, songs, etc)
    1x Art Appreciation (books always available, plus picture study)
    as interested: handicrafts, drawing, signing, musical instrument

    Nature Study isn’t on here because, my boys are naturally outside finding caterpillars and such every day.  Though, I do intend to implement a monthly “picnic day”, going out to one of natural parks out here.

    Am I overloading science with using both a living Science book and “Exploring Creation With….” ?  Maybe I should move our Living Science books to the literature pile?   

    Thanks for any input!

    -Laura

     

    Oh also, I purchased the “Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education” seminar, but I haven’t gotten to watch or go through it yet, because my husband’s been out of town and it’s just me and the kids, 24/7, for going on a month now.  I look forward to working through it when my husband is back home (I don’t want to watch it WITH my kids), but in the meanwhile, the year is slowly slipping away and I have to start *somewhere*! 

     

    -Laura

    May 26, 2010 at 3:11 pm
    my3boys
    Participant

    I don’t really have an answer for you, but I’m sure other’s will.  I just wanted to say that I wish I had started my journey with CM as early as you have with your little ones.  Congratulations!!  And, happy reading.

    May 26, 2010 at 4:46 pm
    suzukimom
    Participant

    It looks pretty good to me… depending on exactly which resources you are using.  The planning book does a LOT to help you determine how often you need to do things…

    ::Core Subjects::
    5x Bible (with narration)
    5x Phonics (practice work)
    5x Penmanship (practice work)
    5x Math (practice work)
    5x Music Appreciation (simple listening/enjoying)
    5x Literature (simple listening/enjoying, literature and “extra” history books)

    I would add in poetry 5x a week (takes only a minute or two…)

    2x History (with narration, 1 chapter from our spine) – probably ok, or maybe 3x?

    1x Living Science Book (with or without narration?)

    1x Science Book (ie Exploring Creation With ____ , with or without narration?  Discussion?)  (I think they recommend 2x a week for the Exploring Creation books…)

    1x Character (Childs Book of Character Building, Parables From Nature, etc, with or without narration?  Discussion?)

    ::Enrichment Subjects:: (to be added as we acclimate to Charlotte Mason)
    5x Foreign Language (simple usage, around the house phrases, songs, etc)
    1x Art Appreciation (books always available, plus picture study)
    as interested: handicrafts, drawing, signing, musical instrument

    May 26, 2010 at 5:57 pm
    missceegee
    Participant

    I highly recommend the Planning Your CM Education book. It is the best tool for this that’s available, IMO.

    I’m copying a response that I received from Michelle (Bookworm on the forum) a year or so ago regarding this. I don’t think she’d mind my sharing it.

    Christie, one way to think about what to do is to decide how long you want your school day to be for the different children.  Then work backwards.  What subjects are important to you to do every day?  How much time will those take?  OK, now how many 20-minute lessons do you want to add in?  For my kids, more than 3 different things on top of the “basics” often does not work.  It takes too long and everyone gets tired and cranky.  So, then, that gives me so many “slots” to put in weekly or biweekly readings.  So then, how many “slots” do I have to put in some other items?  Sometimes that takes care of some of my scheduling “wishes and wonders” by itself.  For instance, it just doesn’t work out for our family to try to read in two different history time periods, plus a biography or historical fiction, because we run out of “slots” 

    I often use index cards and make one for all the daily subjects, then fiddle with the  other things, moving them around, adding or subtracting if it becomes obvious I’ve overscheduled a day, etc.  So then I have to decide which things are most important.  

    So I often use that rather than how many books.  Does that make sense? 

    That’s how I figure whether we have too much or need a little more.

    The index card trick for time slots is brilliant and I use it whenever I’m planning with the book. Perhaps that will also help you in your planning.

    Blessings,

    Christie

    May 30, 2010 at 4:39 am
    zami
    Participant

    my3boys – thanks!  I became aware of Charlotte Mason methods a few years ago, but am only now deciding to go full speed ahead with these methods for our own schooling.  This, after a year of floundering in an (accidently) eclectic style… ah well, live and learn, yeah?  Anhow thanks for the nice message.  

    suzukimom – thanks for the feedback!  And I’m adding poetry.  It was left off by accident!

    Christie, thanks so much for the feedback.  I’m hoping to get a chance to watch the Planning seminar this weekend.  (I’ve had the DVD in my home now, but our plans to have the boys go to the park with Dad just keep falling through.  I have my fingers crossed tightly for tomorrow afternoon, actually!)

    That’s very interesting about the index cards.  I might have to give that a try for our week.lol want to see how I’ve been planning our day?   It’s similar, but involves small papers all over my fridge!

    Thanks again everyone.  I appreciate the input.

    🙂

    -Laura

     

    edit: my photo didn’t show (maybe it’s waiting to be approved, or maybe I added it incorrectly) but you can see my fridge organizer here

    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_C6MbRUhDmuM/TAHp1AlLRNI/AAAAAAAABVU/IOLvI_b-vPg/IMG_3240.JPG

    The papers on the right were still being shuffled around.  😉

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