| Question: |
I wondered what your recommendations are on scheduling. I want to have our school days scheduled with lessons, chores, meals, etc. My question is how much time to allow for subjects. For a fourth grader, some of what I plan is to spend 20 minutes each on Religion, Spelling, English, and 45 minutes for Math every day. Would it be better to plan extra time between subjects, or just jump from one to the next? For instance: 8:00 Religion, 8:20 Spelling, 8:40 English, 9:00 Math, 9:45 etc. OR 8:00 Religion, 8:30 Spelling, 9:00 English, 9:30 Math, 10:30, etc. The second situation will take up much more time, but would it be more realistic? I don't want to rush, but neither do I want to spend my entire day on school for 2 kids. Please Help! I appreciate any helpful advice. God Bless you for your service to others! Thank you so much. |
| Answer: |
Dear Parent;
You sound like someone who likes to plan ahead. Good for you. Many moms can relate. I, too, feel calmer when I plan for my school day. I prefer to call my plan a routine, rather than a schedule, because when we fit school into family life, times can change. Of course, I write times into my routine, and hope for the best. However, if something comes up, I don't feel pressured by the clock. Twenty minutes for each subject is going to make you feel rushed. The following is an example of a typical homeschool morning: 8:00 - Breakfast and Morning Routine with Pledge, Prayer, Calendar, Saint, etc., 8:30 - Faith Formation for younger children, 9:00 - Faith Formation for older children, 9:30 - Math for older children, 10:30 - Snack and Recess, 11:00 - Language Arts for older children, 12:00 - Daily Chores, Lunch and Nap for Baby, 1:00 - Math for younger children, 1:30 - Language Arts for younger children. Each subject takes about a half hour, and Math takes a bit longer, just as you were thinking. Consider a few questions before you finalize your schedule. What will you do with your younger children when you are educating your older children? Can one child play with the little ones? Can the other school age child read silently? Can he or she work on academics independently while you are teaching? Write down what all of your children will be doing through out the day. You are right on track to include meals and chores into your routine. Allow time for these activities, and recruit your older children to help you with chores; as these are character builders for families who homeschool. Notice that I included recess in my example. You will want to incorporate exercise and fresh air into your morning before lunch. I have tried to jump from one subject to the next, without recess, and everyone is falling apart by eleven in the morning, including Mom. Once you are finished with your morning routine, be sure to allow for some quiet time. Whether we are finished with our school work, or not, we all go to our bedrooms for puzzles and books at two in the afternoon, to catch our breath. I encourage the children and Mom to pray for the first five or ten minutes. Speaking of prayer, be sure to add the rosary, adoration and mass to your weekly schedule. Although you have little ones, and you may not make it to daily mass once a week, it doesn't hurt to write it into your week to remind yourself why you chose homeschooling in the first place. Finally, pencil in your routine. You will be changing it from time to time through out the school year. Post it where your older children can see it, under a clock, so that they can follow along with the days and events. You are on top of it to be thinking so far ahead. May God bless you with the grace to follow your heart and mind as you plan your family's day. May He also give you the grace to enjoy your children and the joys of homeschooling. Blessings to you and yours, Julia Johnson |
