Sometimes people ask me what our daily school schedule is like.
Sometimes they say I seem to be so calm and organized and that our days must be so nice.
Well.
Let me tell you a little about each.
I am neither organized nor calm, generally. However there are glimmers!
One day this week, Sammy asked me, "Why do you have so much sin in your heart this morning?"
He was right.
I am more prone to impatience or frustration than I ever thought I would be. Sammy is right to call it sin, and I am convinced my sanctification is all a part of this thing we call homeschooling. The gospel has to be central to our day and our home or we will be in one sorry mess. I need reminding often, even by a five year old.
Our "schedule" is a loose one. Between 8:30 and 9:00 we get started. I read aloud to everyone first from a chapter book, and we try to pray together before we get started. We do math, spelling, word study, handwriting, and independent reading in the morning. There's more "fun" reading in the afternoon or evening. (If you know anything about our family, you know that we are a family of readers so books find their way into most every part of the day in one way or another!)
Our Classical Conversations memory work usually comes in the morning as well and includes a history sentence, geography, Latin, English grammar, science, math- skip counting, and timeline. Much of this serves as the springboard to other activities we do.
Jack and Kayla are able to do some of this on their own while I work with Sammy. Lucy plays so nicely during much of this time- which sometimes leaves lovely messes but that's ok with me.
What I love about history, and to a certain extent science, is adding related reading- both fiction and non-fiction. The older kids usually do some writing (or dictations) to go along with what they've read. There's time for history or science in the morning most days, although it sometimes gets pushed to after lunch. I'm trying to get in a lot more nature study this year as well, which is mostly observation and sketching.
In the afternoons, Jack and Kayla work on IEW (usually history-based writing) and EEL (grammar) with me. I love IEW. It has been a wonderful help to the kids but also to me as we learn how to write with quality. Sometimes we also throw in math games during the afternoon- which we all enjoy and should do more often. I'd also like to throw in projects like lapbooks and art after lunch.
There are other parts of our day that I haven't included.
There are other things I'd like to add to our day.
We're always in process and I hope my kids are learning a lot and enjoying it as we go.
2 comments:
It's amazing that you can get that much school done in one day! You are doing a great job :)
L-o-v-e this! How far you've come, but I know --from experience--doubts surface. Love that Sammy-is he going to be a preacher? And Jack's picture of him reading. What a guy!
I saw on my little "have you also seen" past post thingees a similar post I did on the small details, only a year ago. :-) and you made a similar comment! Big smiles!
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