Schedule Issue and Flow of the day

[tnahid]

Just a scheduling question...

Is there an advantage to following the flow of the book as it is laid out...like always going in order of the boxes, example, History, then going to the next box science, then poetry, then Bible, etc...?

I am thinking of trying this and switching my schedule around a bit. So, does anyone do it this way? I try to do a lot of it during breakfast, but it seemed a bit rushed and the kids don't seem to pay attention well. Do any of you stand up and read the stories or other parts of the schedule? My father built me a podium years ago and I am thinking of getting it out to try and use with my kiddos. I want to see how they respond to that approach. I feel that sometimes it is such a laid back environment in the home, that the kids don't pay attention like they should. Any thoughts on this? I don't have a room set apart for just a "school" room. I am thinking that might be nice if I did. Do any of you take that approach?

Thanks for your thoughts. Just keep wanting to tweak this and that. I really desire to be very informal about it all, just sitting and reading, as I have done, but it seems that my children are too lax about it or something...

Thanks for any advice.

Tina

[striving2Bprov31]

One of my overall goals with homeschooling is for it to be as organic as possible. I want it to inmesh with the rest of our day and all of the other learning that is always taking place.

Here is how I try and accomplish that, and balance it with some structure....

We do the boxes in the same order everyday. I have just found that doing it that way somehow enables us to make the most of each moment. We get into a routine with it and we don't lose minutes of the day with transition time. Does that make sense? Then, we do as many of the boxes as possible on the couch!! All of the reading, Bible time, etc.-we do those in a very relaxed setting. Again, that helps school feel more natural. The kids are more relaxed, and seem more inclined toward true listening and discussing. I've seen more lightbulbs come on in their minds while sitting on our couch together!

I hope this helps!

Also, we do have a schedule that we work from everyday. However, I don't allow our schedule to get in the way of surprise teachable moments, the spilled glass of water that we have to stop and clean up, one of the children needing an extra hug. Our schedule is just the "bones" of our day and is a help to see that things get done consistently. One of the best quotes on scheduling went something like this, "A daily schedule should not get in the way of you loving your family." This has helped me to learn not to get so caught up in keeping a schedule that I brush aside needs when they arise. I used to get so uptight if we weren't on schedule!!

I don't know if this has answered your questions, but I hope it has helped in some way!!

[Heart_Mom]

One of my overall goals with homeschooling is for it to be as organic as possible. I want it to inmesh with the rest of our day and all of the other learning that is always taking place.

Here is how I try and accomplish that, and balance it with some structure....

We do the boxes in the same order everyday. I have just found that doing it that way somehow enables us to make the most of each moment. We get into a routine with it and we don't lose minutes of the day with transition time. Does that make sense? Then, we do as many of the boxes as possible on the couch!! All of the reading, Bible time, etc.-we do those in a very relaxed setting. Again, that helps school feel more natural. The kids are more relaxed, and seem more inclined toward true listening and discussing. I've seen more lightbulbs come on in their minds while sitting on our couch together!

I hope this helps!

Also, we do have a schedule that we work from everyday. However, I don't allow our schedule to get in the way of surprise teachable moments, the spilled glass of water that we have to stop and clean up, one of the children needing an extra hug. Our schedule is just the "bones" of our day and is a help to see that things get done consistently. One of the best quotes on scheduling went something like this, "A daily schedule should not get in the way of you loving your family." This has helped me to learn not to get so caught up in keeping a schedule that I brush aside needs when they arise. I used to get so uptight if we weren't on schedule!!

I don't know if this has answered your questions, but I hope it has helped in some way!!

I'm not the OP, but you certainly helped me! Thanks!

[tnahid]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. I do like this approach as well, and that is what we have been doing mainly too. I did get the podium out today though, just to try it out and see how it goes. I set it by the kitchen table, where we do lots of things. Surprisingly, they seemed to listen much better, and I seemed to read much more animatedly than I have before, using lots more hand motions and movements. I only used it for History, Science, Bible and the poem reading. I let them stand up if they want to and listen while I read, as long as they don't run around. They also stood up for their poem and their Bible verse memory time.

I don't know if it is an issue with me more or what, but I felt really good getting up like that and teaching from that standing position. They seemed to enjoy it more by being more perky and listening better as well. I let them draw or play with thinking putty or even stand up if they want to while I am reading, etc, which I have always done that. But maybe it is a control thing? I just felt more in control today, and with my situation of having such a strong willed first born son, that made me feel good! He seemed to do better with this as well.

I did go with the flow of the curriculum today, and I liked it. When I work with them one on one, we will, of course, be sitting down together on the couch or at the table, as when they read aloud to me, etc. But for whatever reason, it seemed to work very well for us today.

I read somewhere that boys especially learn better when the teacher is speaks louder and uses more expression and motions. I happened to remember this today. Maybe this had something to do with it. Thank you, Heart of Dakota, for creating a curriculum that can be used in such a variety of ways! That's the beauty of homeschooling. We can be so diverse, and with a curriculum that can be acclimated to this diversity, that is a real blessing!

[my3sons]

If the podium works, run with it! Commanding a measure of authority, and giving our all to our teaching can only be a plus in homeschooling, however that can be achieved, podium or not. I often think my dc need to know this is "school time", and while we enjoy it together, it is their "job" right now. They need to show up ready and willing to learn. They need to commit their whole attention to what we are doing. They have a specific handbook to follow for success in this "career", and it's called the HOD guide. They have a boss to respect and to complete jobs for, and that boss is the mama right now. Maybe it's because I have boys, but I look at this as training for being successful in the work force someday, for being able to provide for their families someday. Poor personal hygiene, arriving late to work, messing around and wasting time in the work day, not cleaning up your work area, monopolizing the boss for constant help when other employees have questions too, needing to dribble a ball while you talk to a client because you like to be busy with your hands, stopping to talk and interrupt and distract other employees during their work, whistling loudly and singing because "you" like it even though your fellow employees (and boss) are holding their hands over their ears as a headache begins to form, complaining about work being toooooooo harrrrrrrrd or toooooo muuuuuuuuch or complaining about anything really, not doing work because you don't feel like it that day, turning in half-completed work, sloppy work, or less than your best work - YIKES! All of this spells you may be out of a job, if you ever got one in the first place! We've had this talk, and my dh has explained his job fully -its ups and downs, it responsibilities and the consequences of meeting or not meeting them - and it's made a HUGE difference! I second all of Liz's excellent advice too, as a routine order of doing things, and a "this is what is expected of you today in about this amount of time" kind of thinking leads our dc to become responsible workers! And yes, there is still time for this "boss" to give hugs and kisses, to snuggle on the couch, to talk deeply about her faith and her children's faith, and to laugh together with her "employees" - but at the end of the dayl - the work will be done, to my standards.

In Christ,
Julie

[tnahid]

Thanks Julie. That is an awesome analogy about the workplace. I am going to use it with my sons especially! And I agree 100%. I do require my children to get dressed in a collared shirt and khaki pants, comb their hair, brush their teeth, and clean their room in the morning. I find that when I fix myself up a bit more too, even putting make up on it helps me to feel more "professional" I guess it is a mental thing, but that's the only way I can get things done around here. Not that how others do it is wrong, not at all. I just find that when I am too laid back, my children become hyper, out of control, lazy and just not fun to be around. But when I require them to get ready, etc, they are more on the ball.

Thanks again for the encouragement. P.S. When I was using my podium, I was reminded of all the times I would play/pretend to be a teacher and/or preacher as a child. That was my favorite thing to do. So it is ironic that it is what I am doing now, all these years later, with my own children as my audience! LOL