|
 Are
you stressing out over scheduling your homeschool day?
Many of the homeschool moms I talk with are trying to do too
much every day. My advice is - lighten up!
A
traditional school year is 36 weeks, 180 days. This can
be done on the same schedule as your local school or customized
to suit your family's needs. You do not have to do every
subject every day of your school year. You don't have to
enroll your child in every class or outside activity that
your friends do. I recommend that you only enroll your
child in one, out-of-the-home activity during the
school year, especially if you have several young children
in the home. Use weekends, Friday, or summer for special
classes and activities. Leave Monday through Thursday during
the school year for school at home.
The
amount of time spent on each subject
depends upon the age, small motor skills, learning style,
and abilities of each child (ranges as follows: 3-5 minutes
for preschoolers, 10-20 minutes for 1st -3rd graders, 20-45
minutes for 4th - 6th graders, 45 minutes or more for 8th
- 12th graders). More time can be spent on each subject if
done orally than if you require it handwritten, especially
for children who have difficulty with handwriting. For these
kids, save their handwritten work for handwriting practice
and for final copies of their composition projects.
The
total number of hours spent each
day in one-on-one instruction
ranges as follows: thirty minutes in Kindergarten (broken
up into several five-minute sessions), one to two hours in
grades 1 - 6, two hours or more in grades 7 - 12. Again, more
can be accomplished orally than handwritten for children with
handwriting difficulties.
The
remainder of the school day is spent having
the child read on his own, participate in playtime activities
with his siblings and friends, do his “homework”,
take a special class, go on a field trip, complete his
own
“chores”, experiment with science projects, practice
an instrument, create art projects, and/or participate in
any other activity that can be done independently. I recommend
that you do not allow playing video games or watching television
(other than for educational purposes) during school hours.
“BUT,” you
say, “my state requires me to homeschool for
4-5+ hours per day.” (Not the case in Oklahoma, by
the way.) If that is true in the state in which you live,
remember this: What every teacher and student knows is
that “actual
teaching time” is not the same as “school attendance” time.
In school, “attendance time” includes: time
for kids to settle in to class, checking attendance,
checking homework, snack time, recess, lunch time, library
time, study hall, sports time, special classes (art, music),
changing classes, actual teaching time, waiting for students
to be quiet and listen, clean up the classroom time, etc.
etc. etc. Many schools today even show movies in history
or other classes - sometimes movies that have very little
to do with the subject they are teaching. They do group
projects where the students work together while the teacher
does something else. There is a lot of flexibility in this
4-5+ hours per day.
Your
school day will look similar; however, you can use your
“attendance time” on what needs to be done
to keep your school functioning properly: actual teaching
time, time to fix and eat lunch, recess, library time,
study hall, special classes in art, music, P.E., clean
up the
“classroom” time, etc.
Here
is a recommended “actual teaching time” plan.
You can adjust this to the needs of your child.
An
ability-appropriate level math
textbook for each child. 4 days per week.
Drill
work on math facts, 3-10 min/day, 5 days per week (while
learning math facts).
Math
reading: Each Friday or 1st Friday of the month, as needed.
LANGUAGE
ARTS
Phonics:
(for beginning readers), daily.
Handwriting:
(while learning penmanship), 2 days per week, Tuesday &
Thursday.
Spelling:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
Grammar:
2 days per week, Tuesday & Thursday.
Reading
Practice and Literature: (read-alouds, personal reading,
fluency reading, vocabulary development, reading comprehension,
american and world literature) daily, integrate into other
subjects such as history and science, as able. See Multi-Level
teaching.
Composition:
2 - 3 days per week, Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
Use compositions to reinforce grammar instruction as
well as for additional handwriting practice while your
child is learning penmanship.
Vocabulary:
one day per week as a special class (Fridays) or integrate
into reading/literature, as needed.
Use
a grade-level history textbook daily or complete 3 to 6
history history units per year.
If doing units, spend 1-1/2 to 2 hours per day, 2 days per
week (Tuesday and Thursday) for 36 weeks, incorporating
reading, hands-on activities, art, music, and composition,
as appropriate.
Integrate
citizenship into history curriculum or complete one or two
special classes per year.
Geography
and Mapping Skills: Fridays
Current
Events: daily
Use
a grade-level science textbook daily or complete 3 to 6
science science units per year.
If doing units, spend 1-1/2 to 2 hours per day, 2 days per
week (Monday and Wednesday) for 36 weeks, incorporating
reading, hands-on activities, lab work, art, music and composition,
as appropriate.
Each
Friday or 4th Friday each month, as needed.
Each
Friday or 2nd Friday each month, as needed.
Each
Friday and/or integrate into other subjects, as needed.
Keyboarding:
daily (after child has learned to write in cursive and until
he can type a minimum of 40 wpm with only 1-2 errors).
PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
Keep
track of 75 minutes of physical activity per week or special
class on Friday, as needed. Kids who like sports will want
to do more. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with other
school work on Monday - Thursday.
HEALTH/SAFETY
Integrate
into science curriculum or do one - two special classes
per year, as needed.
ELECTIVES:
Bible:
daily
Logic:
each Friday or 1st Friday each month, as needed.
Foreign
Language: special class on Friday or Monday - Thursday,
as needed.
Family
Living: integrate daily into regular household activities
as needed. This is “clean up the classroom” time.
Test
Preparation practice: once per month on 3rd Friday each
month or as needed.
Volunteer
Opportunities: Fridays, weekends or as needed.
Field
trips: Fridays or occasionally substitute for Monday - Thursday
school day, as needed.
Social
Activities: daily play time with friends after school, during
field trips, Fridays, special classes, or weekends
Print
a sample
weekly schedule, a sample
daily schedule (pdf document) and blank
daily schedule form (pdf document) for your homeschool.
You will need to download the free Acrobat
Reader software to view these forms.
For
more information on this type of homeschooling, use The
Checklist.
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