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I LOVE the day to day and not weekly lesson plans.

Yesterday morning I had bible study at my church. Imagine my surprise when the boys and I go to leave and my car is dead? It's the first time I've ever had a problem with my Sedona? Without lots of deatils the Lord graciously put a friend there who took all four of my boys home while I had to get jumped and drive to the dealership. My entire day revolved around this unexpected surprise. Long story short, no school happened.

I love that today I just pick up day two and we go. I don't have to feel guilty, which I would have if I were looking at a week and then seeing it took me longer than that to complete.

Well I'm glad someone was able to help with the kids. It is great just going day by day. Course I'm running into a situation where we may need to take a week long break in the middle of a 20 day block of reading and I'm not sure about that but for your situation things worked out really well.

Mary, I was thinking the same thing last night as I was reading through the week-long sample of "Bigger". I think that was part of my problem with the other curriculum I was using, and contributed to our inconsistency. If I couldn't do it "all", as scheduled, then I was already behind. This led to many feelings of frustration, and then as hubby says, I just give up and run to the computer. LOL.

We love this too. It makes it so much more flexible. You can even decide to go ahead in something and wait on something else. I did this with Science and history. Then I just came back to the box. No stress at all. Love that!

I can definitely see advantages to the daily blocks as opposed to a weekly schedule but I do have 1 question. Do you sit down with your TM and figure out a supply list for the yr, month or week? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this. In past curriculum I have used, it is a weekly schedule and I can just glance for any supplies needed for the week or couple of weeks and go to the store.

Oh and for some reason this Olive has no problem ignoring the dates on a weekly schedule. I just check them off as we finish the lesson. Go figure.

Sarah

Ladies, I love hearing that you love the daily schedule, since we just decided to go with that same format for "Preparing Hearts..."!

Sarah, as to your supply question, I'm sure some other moms will chime in here too, but I'll give you my "Olive" take on it....

In the Introduction pages of our guides, we list any major items you need to have to start the year, certain notebooks, index cards, globe, basic art supplies etc.

However, we didn't include a supply list in the front of our guides for a couple of reasons. First, it shouldn't be necessary because when I write each day of plans I try to make sure that there are no strange supplies. Hopefully family's would have the supplies in their home. I am very strict about this, which is another reason we are different from other programs out there. So, having said that ... the second reason appears... supply lists can make curriculums look overwhelming and daunting to do. I have passed on many a curriculum simply based on the supply list.

Now, being an Olive, I know you like supply lists.... but I would encourage you to try just teaching the plans without gathering a year's worth of supplies ahead of time. Try looking at the plans the night before or the morning of, if you must, but try it this way for a little while.

I think you'll find that you have the supplies you need in your home. If not, you can always go back to list-making and gathering. I would just hate to see the Olive in you, complicate the simplicity of the way our guides were written if it isn't needed.

See what you think. From one olive to another!

Blessings,
Carrie

Mary you're so lucky to have someone to take the boys home and have a son old enough to watch them! Bummer on the car. Hope it was an easy fix. Betty's seem to tolerate a glitch in the schedule better. Olive's..me...would wig!

We didn't school yesterday either, because we have early neighbor day. But I noticed as well, that we just pick up and move on. And for an Olive even though the top of the page says "Day 2" and I'm physically on "Day 3" today, I think I can mellow on it. LOL! Even so I wouldn't dare tell if I "caught up" on Saturday.

Annaz

remember if you don't have any raisins in the house you can substitute dried blueberries.. LOL

I don't necessarily do a supply list but I do "plan" for like one month (in pencil) so I can get an idea of where we will be and things. The 2 things I definately look ahead at is the weekly reading books for the emerging reader schedule and for the 20-day genre reading. That way I can place holds at the library or find our copy of the book.

Ok what I am excited about that supply list is in a pinch I could find all that stuff in a drawer somewhere. I am so bad I do not even look to the day ahead most of the time. Where is the excitement if you are not hunting for cotton balls the day of the project!

Unfortunately W2W, you would not find cotton balls in my house. We don't use them.

Sarah

shera wrote:Unfortunately W2W, you would not find cotton balls in my house. We don't use them.

Sarah

Neither do we but you could still find them somewhere....hahaha! Seriously way too much junk hidden in secret drawers or boxes.

LOL We used are last 2 this yr for school. I think I got them for a baby shower present. They were at least 3 if not 6 yrs old.

Sarah

But Shera I will tell you this. I am taking that nice list you made and giving it to my kids to go on a treasure hunt with this weekend to see what they can find of what is on it. I'm going to let them get it ready They know where all the junk hides.

I'm glad the list is helping so many people. I'm thinking for the Bigger manual I will divide the list into office/school supplies and grocery items with the unit beside them so I know when I need to add something to my grocery list. Truly everything is common items just not always something I have in the house.

Sarah