Dear Mom,

Yes, it does seem too good to be true, but you are spending the right amount of time each day. If you are following the CHC lesson plans and completing the work in 2 1/2 to 3 hours, then you are doing enough core academic work. When your older daughter begins doing more research and writing, she may need an hour or two longer on those days. The rest of the day may be profitably spent on hobbies, sports, and other interests. Be assured that your children will still be learning.

Perhaps I can explain why the time seems too short. A typical school day is 8:00 to 3:30 with 30 minutes for lunch. That's seven hours each day. But this is a typical elementary school day. Children come in and take about 15 minutes to put away backpacks, sharpen pencils, make lunch choices, find take-home communications, which the teacher must walk around and verify. Then 5 minutes of announcements. Then another 10 minutes to get the children on task because they are looking for books, passing out papers, trying to find the right page, arguing that they have already completed the lesson, and often wandering about the room talking with someone on the other side. During each lesson, there are numerous questions, which are rarely about the lesson itself, and lots of classroom management going on. Students are distracted and unable to focus. Then it's time to put everything away and line up for computer lab. The teacher passes out log-in cards, the students line up, the teacher must remind them to tie their shoes and to be quiet in the hallways. And so on.

Whenever I substitute teach for elementary or middle school, I am astounded at how little the students do each hour. One hour of school probably translates to 20-30 minutes of a typical home schooler's day. That is why you are able to get all the work done in about half the time.

Peace,

Sandra Garant