Comments on Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers: Homeschool Scheduling and Planning

Thank you for sharing that you don't wake up a...

2011-04-14T09:40:04.178-04:00

Thank you for sharing that you don't wake up and start school early! I feel a kinship to you just reading that. :-) We are late starters here, too. But we also burn the midnight oil. I love that about homeschooling.

I love lesson planning...scheduling etc..however, ...

2010-08-24T07:27:09.861-04:00

I love lesson planning...scheduling etc..however, it always seems that no matter what i have scheduled we always change it mid-stream...I wish my schedule looked like yours...my kids are up before the sun comes up...they do better (younger kids) in the a.m. vs the p.m. hours. Someday I will be able to sleep past 5:30 am 8)

I love hearing about other "not morning perso...

2010-08-24T01:35:27.881-04:00

I love hearing about other "not morning person" homeschoolers! lol!!! I'm shooting for getting up by 8:30 but after a summer of getting up at 10:00, it's going to be hard.lol!!! You have a good article and a good plan. I hope it works for you. :)

~Lynn

I'm the same way. Love the lesson planning, n...

2010-08-06T15:55:42.425-04:00

I'm the same way. Love the lesson planning, not so good with a scheduled routine. In the past I've always made one and never even followed it one day. LOL This year I'm not even trying.

We used to start school by 9 and finish by 11-12 but since our little "surprise" arrived two years ago that has gone out the window. Now our routine is start by 9ish and hope to finish sometime the same day. Breaks are whenever the wee one demands. That's what happens when you have kids 7 years apart. LOL

I am sooo glad to read that we aren't the only...

2010-08-06T03:18:28.954-04:00

I am sooo glad to read that we aren't the only ones on a different schedule. My son is a 3rd shifter - nothing has helped, including drugs. :( Not something I want to keep going (the drugs) . Anyway, we think it is because of brain damage caused from stroke, etc. SOoooo, that means we are homeschooling @ 1 am! LOL!

The only good part about that is that there are fewer distractions - nothing good on T.V., no phone calls, etc. :)

Steph

We don't start school until later either. My ...

2010-08-05T22:23:16.434-04:00

We don't start school until later either. My children get up at 10 Am as well because we keep my husband's schedule and he works nights. Sleeping children are easier to keep quiet than awake ones! lol

I don't require a lesson to be done until after noontime. Then they are required to finish their independent work before 6 PM to earn tv time.

What I struggle with is the together work like history and science that need to be done. I like the 3 week idea. THen we could catch up if we needed to and not always be behind. Kind of like a built in cushion. Thanks for the great idea.

I think there is as ashamed silent majority of us ...

2010-08-05T19:59:44.489-04:00

I think there is as ashamed silent majority of us out there who do not start school at 8:30 a.m and work until 3 p.m. with regular breaks... We start whenever they are ready (done w/ breakfast and chorse)- usually by 10, and eat lunch when we are done with school for the day (hopefully by 1 or 2 but some days when they aren't being diligent we work longer)

Nancy, Congrats on your first homeschooling year!...

2010-08-05T18:20:11.492-04:00

Nancy,

Congrats on your first homeschooling year! How exciting! My kids are 15, 10, and 8. I'll answer the multi-level teaching question more in-depth in an upcoming post, but for now I'll say, by the time my younger two were old enough for formal teaching, my oldest was working fairly independently.

Because my younger two are only 21 months apart I've always basically taught them together. My 10 yr old has pulled ahead in math over the years, but I'm still pretty much able to teach them together. We do hands-on projects together and I try to make sure that they're at least studying the same general topics in history and science for ease in planning field trips and hands-on activities.

My older daughter does most of her work in her room or in the basement living area. I mainly work with my younger two at the dining room table, but they do their independent work in their rooms and we often read in the living room or a bedroom.

HTH!

Kris...since this year will be my first at homesch...

2010-08-05T18:10:06.925-04:00

Kris...since this year will be my first at homeschooling (we won't start until after Labor Day)...I have tons of questions...but I limit myself!

1. What are the ages of your kids?
I wonder because, mine are 10, 6 & almost 5.....my 10 year old will probably be able to work on his own at some point...my 6 year old will need lots of direction...as will my preschooler. So, this leads me to question #2...
2. How do you teach different grades at the same time.
3. Do you have a classroom or do your kids work at the table (or wherever?)

Thanks so much!

Yes! This mom blogs or works on my websites until ...

2010-08-05T16:34:48.651-04:00

Yes! This mom blogs or works on my websites until at least midnight, so I am usually not up until 8 or 8:30. I don't usually tell people that tho, since hard-core homeschoolers seem to get 1/2 their day done by the time I roll over! Thanks for the "sample" of your day.

Robin

Oh, I love your schedule. I am not a morning perso...

2010-08-05T14:32:38.915-04:00

Oh, I love your schedule. I am not a morning person either, I am hoping my kids will follow suit as they get a little older! ;) This past year I have been planning on a weekly basis, every Sunday evening getting stuff for the week ready, but it makes so much more sense to plan the whole month in advance...um not too much with the brights here! :) Anyway, thanks for the great tips!

This will be our biggest obstacle this year ... I ...

2010-08-05T12:29:50.221-04:00

This will be our biggest obstacle this year ... I am a super-planner liking lots of order. My son is not. We'll see.

I do plan to do the "tough stuff" from 9-12 with more independent studies of Spanish, typing, reading, projects in the afternoons. That allows us to have an errand afternoon, an afternoon to volunteer at our elementary school together, without disrupting the "necessaries".

I'm also planning Monday through Thursday on paper, leaving Fridays for "testing", reviews, organization and project completions. That will free me up on Fridays to substitute teach, if we need the extra money.

Hopefully this "plan" will work!

I love planning. I think spending time looking fo...

2010-08-05T11:05:08.237-04:00

I love planning. I think spending time looking for crafts and activities is my favorite part. I also like getting a thorough look at what we are doing all year. It makes me feel more prepared. We don't follow a strict schedule for our days, but I try to get everything done. I also try to get the stuff that is harder done right away-- math, reading, and writing. Then we can lay about reading about history, doing science experiments, and getting crafty.

I am a planner, it is my idea of a good time, twis...

2010-08-05T10:03:20.898-04:00

I am a planner, it is my idea of a good time, twisted though that may be, lol. I write out the entire overview for the year, then I pull all my resources, then I schedule the first semester, day by day on a weekly planner for each child and put it in a binder. I need that kind of structure.

OH I LOVE seeing others homeschool schedules - I a...

2010-08-05T09:49:36.694-04:00

OH I LOVE seeing others homeschool schedules - I am very scheduled - here's last year's schedule:

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-my-daily-schedule.html

Im working on this years right now.

I also have a structured cleaning schedule:

Mondays: Menu and Market (Grocery shop)
Tuesdays: Toilets, Tubs, Towels
Wednesdays: Wash (laundry)
Thursdays: Dust
Fridays: Floors

Of course I have to vaccuum and sweep and sometimes throw a load of laundry in on off days - but for the most part this is what I stick to weekly and it works for us!

Courtney

I just LOVE your "late" start time- if m...

2010-08-05T09:16:37.010-04:00

I just LOVE your "late" start time- if my girls didn't have dance, and the boy have soccer, and if we didn't have Enrichment classes, I would SO love having your schedule!

Kris, I love reading your blog. You have great i...

2010-08-05T09:14:40.206-04:00

Kris,
I love reading your blog. You have great information that is very helpful. Even though this is my 3rd year of homeschooling, it is the first year I have 2 kids to coordinate. I also love that I am not the only Mom who doesn't start school at 8am :)

I love your schedule. Finally, someone who does n...

2010-08-05T08:20:55.407-04:00

I love your schedule. Finally, someone who does not start schooling at 6 am! That was always a source that could produce guilt very quickly in me. But, we have just been informed that for my boys, I REALLY need to have structure. So the Lord is going to have to do some major work in me for that to happen. I really enjoyed reading how you schedule and such. Always great to hear how others do it.