Some of you have expressed curiosity and interest in how we "work" homeschooling in terms of scheduling our day and making sure we cover everything that we need to cover for any given day. Let me being by saying....we have always been firm believers in flexibility, even before we ventured into homeschooling. So, while we begin with a lesson plan for each week, and a general lesson plan for each day, we also realize that life happens sometimes....we feel different levels of health, motivation and wellness each day, so the general ebb and flow of life is allowed to happen, too.
Generally, we try to follow according to the following schedule on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, though we allow a bit more flexibility on Fridays.
8:30 ish-->Wake up, cuddle a bit, read, bathe, get dressed
9:00-10:00-->Make beds, tidy up, make and eat breakfast, devotional and prayer
10:00-->Handwriting and/or typing practice (or leave for field trips to zoo, museum, library, etc)
10:20-->Bible and History lesson with written narration reports/drawings
10:50-->Math, facts drills, math-based lessons
11:30-12:30-->Free time, free art play, prep and eat lunch
12:30-1:00-->Read-aloud reading (I read classic literature to the kids)
1:00-3:00-->Quiet activities (art/reading/writing), kids in their own rooms and me in mine!
3:00-4:30-->Art, Language lessons, Imaginative Play, Music, Outdoor Play, Play with Friends
4:30-5:30-->Free time, catch up time, movies
5:30-7:00-->Dinner prep and dinner
7-8-->Wii play and/or computer play
8-9-->Baths, Snacks, Read-alouds with both kids
9-9:30-->Tuck ins and kids do quiet reading in rooms until lights out.
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Matt does some of the teaching while I head to CU, so the morning tends to look a bit different. Instead of handwriting, the focus on those days in on Science, Bible and Physical Education. Then, in the afternoon while our nanny Mary is here, the kids practice lots of reading, work on their own projects, play educational games, and spend lots of time time in free play.
So far, this schedule is working for us. As the weather melds into spring and warmer weather, more of our lessons will take place outside as we work on planting a garden, creating a fairy village garden (I can't wait to do this, and incorporate lots of our lessons into this), and doing nature/exploratory walks. We are also going to be doing theme units on butterflies and dinosaurs, to correspond with upcoming exhibits at Meijer Garden and the Ford Museum.
Next week should be a fun learning week! Not only will we be focusing on themes of Valentine's Day and love, but we will also be celebrating 100's day on Wednesday. Lots of fun to be had, for sure!
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Can I go back in time and come to your house for "school?" The more I read about your learning lifestyle and think about it, it really makes sense to me. Not that I didn't disagree with the concept (as I've even thought about it myself for when/if we have kids down the road), but I can definitely see a lot of benefits. I can imagine that the kids will learn and retain a lot more by simply being able to actually experience the concepts in action rather than just hearing and reading about them in books. The gardening is a perfect example. I'm just thinking...I would probably remember photosynthesis if I learned it as it applies to gardening. I'm babbling. Bottom line - you guys rock and I'm so glad you're sharing bits of your experiences with us. :)
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