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Seriously, I have read on other (unmentionable) boards that CtoC is light. REALLY? Because for us it is taking a full day. A very full day!
Granted, we are not doing things exactly as written--we are doing R&S 5 at full pace, Teaching Textbooks 6 math. We aren't even doing DITHR, and we haven't been getting Writing done as much as I would like. I can't seem to convince myself to go half pace on the English.
I have an 8yo who I am helping with her work...she is doing TT math 3, AAS 2 (one lesson per day), WWE 2, R&S 2, Evan Moor Language Review, and a test prep book (we do testing next month). I sit with her and help her do each of these subjects while my eldest works independently. She has been neglected in past years, and this is the year I knew I needed to really sit alongside her and bring her up to speed. Then she listens in on the CtoC history, Bible, science (I am reading all these aloud, for my daughter;s benefit, instead of letting my son do it independently) and painting or craft. Maybe that is what makes it take so long.
And, of course, the 3yo who keeps me hopping with dumping glitter all over the carpet, painting his fingernails while I am not looking, having tea parties with mouthwash, etc.
I am just on Unit 2, so hoping we will find our rhythm and get things going faster. But, we start at 9am and finish around 3, with a lunch break. Enjoying it, but also hoping to streamline a bit! Off to go search to see how long each subject should be taking us!

Hi! You have a lot going on at your home, so that's ok One thing that may help is to give yourself permission to go half pace on the English. Your child is 10, and Carrie's recommendation is to finish R and S English 6 by the end of grade 8, so there's no rush! R and S English gets very complex in the higher levels, and levels 7 and 8 are high school credit-worthy. The schedule in CTC for the English alternates it with the writing, so you have time to do plenty of each. I look forward to using CTC after Thanksgiving, I hope it goes as smoothly as I think it will!

Thanks, Lourdes...I need to come to grips with the English thing. I am coming from the WTM recommendations, where they just have you plug along at full pace. And I am not sure if I can back off! I am afraid if I don't 'keep up' and then don't follow HOD for the long run, we might be 'behind.' I am just having a hard time letting go. But I plan to look more at it tonight and see what I can talk myself into,
We also have piano daily, and I was doing Spanish, but I can't add anything more to my son's day. I want him to have some playtime, too.
And, we had started using IEW before, so I was continuing on with that instead of WWB. I bought WWB, but not sure I want to leave IEW, my son really likes what he is doing with IEW< but it does take more time. I am planning to spend time tonight looking at how to simplify/scale back on IEW and grammar.

Mmmm...scary. We're doing Preparing this year and it is FULL.
We're going from about 10-3 and DON'T finish. Some of it is Math as we use BJU, but there's always 2 boxes we don't complete.

Oh, I don't mean it to be scary! It is a really nice day! Just more than I was used to! And I am sure we will get in the swing of things. SOme of the things we are doing are fun things we just never got to doing before. I am thankful to have it planned and ready to go, that way it actually gets DONE!
I just looked at the RS book, leafed through it. I am thinking maybe just maybe I can scale back. I mean, really, I don't think he needs this level of detail in 5th grade to do it ALL. It IS really advanced looking to me!

lovetobehome wrote:Oh, I don't mean it to be scary! It is a really nice day! Just more than I was used to! And I am sure we will get in the swing of things. SOme of the things we are doing are fun things we just never got to doing before. I am thankful to have it planned and ready to go, that way it actually gets DONE!

Oh no, I know. Scary for ME...we're having a really tough time finishing Preparing. It's stressing me out, because I don't want to be in a hurry just for the sake of completing on time and bypassing good discussions or quality work. And geez, I only have one child! I'm just saying I don't know what we're doing wrong, however we love the content and CTC's content looks great too. It's just a heads up for me that we'll really need to work on this before hitting CTC.

Ds11 is getting through his days easily from about 7:30 or 8 till about 12:30 or 1...which is about 5 hours. If you are doing 9:30-3 with a lunch break, then you are taking about the same amount of time that we are.

CTC is definitely not light. It is amazing and full in so many ways...not just the time it takes to do it.

Oh...and HALF PACE THE ENGLISH, Meg.

Tree House Academy wrote:
Oh...and HALF PACE THE ENGLISH, Meg.

Just the encouragement I need!
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....
too bad when we try to make our kids over-achievers, isn't it??? He is just so smart and willing, it is easy to push!

Doing the reading out loud is definitely adding to the length of your day. If you wanted to cut back your day that is what I would look at, but I understand wanting your dd to hear the readings. We start at 8 and finish around 1:30-2 and that is with at least 45 minutes for lunch and a morning 15 minute snack break. When we did Preparing last year it was about 1/2 hour shorter. Now we do a different math that adds a little time and have been doing a different grammar (although we are going to give R&S a trial for a few weeks). He also has some reading homework from co-op each week, but that only adds a little to our day. The nice thing about CTC is that my ds is becoming more and more independent with everything. He now is really taking responsibility for getting the independent boxes done on his own and a side perk to that is that his self confidence is increasing. Also as he takes on more himself then his day gets shorter.

Oh heavens, Meg, I totally missed that you were reading everything aloud for your dd's benefit! Don't do that! Let your ds read them independently...because he needs to have that independence and your dd needs to settle in with her own curriculum. My ds11 reads all of that on his own. It is his special work and his time to be independent. That is one thing I love so much about CTC. If you are reading them aloud, you are losing that part completely (independence-wise). I really would encourage you to do only your dd's curriculum with her and let your ds do his work as independently as possible!

It does sound like you're busy, but that it is a good kind of busy!

This post gives estimates of how much time each subject should take and I found it very helpful:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3765

I am doing CTC with just one child and my others are older (although that is just a different kind of busy!), so certainly family dynamics play in--been there, done that! Some days a subject/box will take a little longer, but on those days another box usually balances it out. I am doing the guide with the recommended resources/activities except for CLE for math and BJU Booklinks (which I already owned) for reading. (Well, we had just done Land Animals last year so I'm doing an "even exchange" of Swimming Creatures for science).

My ds starts at 8am with Bible Quiet Time and we are done by 1pm, with 30 minutes for lunch. My schedule (and many others) are on the "Let's Share our Schedules" post at the top of the board. We just finished Unit 9. It took about 3 weeks or so to get into a good rhythm. There is a LOT, but by following what is written, we accomplish all the assignments every day--including things like projects & painting which have typically fallen to the back burner in the past.

We are really loving it!

As far as R&S, I really do know where you're coming from. If R&S was all I was doing for English, I would certainly do it at full-speed, and I have in the past (but not with HOD). But in CTC your English component is made up of grammar and writing from R&S plus grammar reinforcement & writing skills in WWTB! That doesn't even include the skills learned through oral & written narrations, and other Language Arts components such as dictation and reading. I have two who have graduated from homeschooling and two more in high school. The intensity or speed of their grammar instruction has not been a deciding factor in their "success." Consistent instruction has been important, but application of what they have learned through writing instruction and practice has proven far more beneficial in high school, college, and "real life" work.

I would strongly encourage you to give the 1/2 pace of R&S a try, ignoring the "label" and the idea of being "behind." See how much better your overall experience with CTC is when you follow it as written. You might not finish earlier on a daily basis due to your family's dynamics & needs, but you should be able to get it all in AND enjoy the process even more.

It sounds like your middle one could use some streamlining in the Language Arts area too!

Just my experiences and two cents...
tollhousemom

Thanks, friends.
Well, I planned last night from 10-11, and shut the lights off at 11. My 3 yo woke up right after that and did not go back to sleep until 2AM! The house was completely quiet and dark, and he stayed in his bed but kept making noises and I got no sleep.Then he woke up at 6:30. Eek, so much for my well-planned day! Sigh...
So, I decided to give half pace a try, with a caveat. Fridays is our co-op day, and I added one R&S lesson in on friday. So 3 days a week for R&S. That will allow us to finish the book by the end of the school year if I feel it is necessary. My son was more than happy to comply, he thought it was a great idea. So today we did writing and no RS. The day was shorter, and I did have them start at 8:20 with prayer together and the Bible section. He did math, writing, spelling, and I read the history aloud. During that time, I helped DD do spelling, RS 2, WWE, Daily Language Review and Test Prep (these last two I am just doing until the end of Oct, to prep for standardized testing, she is behind and needs some concentrated effort here). We then went to ballet (my son read his storytimebook while we were there), and on the drive there and back we listened to the Independent History (What in the World?). Got home, 30 minute lunch break. Then science (my son did independently) while I helped DD with math. My son finished up the rest (prophecy and notebooking, which he loves) and my daughter read independently. I came down and did my workout, which about killed me (it was seriously insane), but all is done!
If I stay really on task, we can do this! Just getting the discipline to keep focus, keep moving, and no dawdling. And, keeping the 3yo busy with puzzles, games, manipulatives etc. I left the room for a moment, and I came back and all 3 were playing with the 3yo's bug puzzle!

About reading aloud. I really want to read the Bible aloud together, and I think we are all getting a lot out of the Bible reading plus Story of Anc World plus Diana Waring. You hear the same thing told 3 times, and it comes together and comes alive really effectively.
Plus, I don't have any other history or Bible for my daughter, and right now I don't think I want to have anything else. She wants to do the notebooking like her older bro, and I had ordered pages for both of them because I know she always wants to do what he is doing. I don't require her to do any of it, but she wants to. Same with the science animal tracks book, the painting, etc. She insists! And truthfully, I enjoy all of us doing some things together.
We;ll get the hang of this! And once the dreaded required testing is done, I feel like I can drop the test prep book and the daily language review my daughter is doing.
I am enjoying it, it is just that I need to fine-tune our day and keep everything running. Thanks so much for the ideas...I am pondering switching from IEW to WWB but not sure I want to do that. He is really thriving with IEW and loves it.

It sounds like overall ds is doing very well with CTC! Last year when we did CTC, 4 to 4 1/2 hours a day was pretty typical for my ds. We got started at 8 AM so we could be done by lunch - as I have some thyroid problems, and after lunch, I am just spent and need some down time to get my second wind for the nights when my dh is often gone. I too am trying to exercise - I am so proud of you for getting that in - I read that on another post, and you've encouraged me to try to start that up again! It affects my mood and stress level too - in a good way. Exercise de-stresses me if I can just make myself do it.

It sounds like this thread has helped pinpoint the things making the day go longer - reading aloud rather than having ds read independently, daily R & S English instead of half-speed, adding on test prep books and Spanish, IEW instead of WWTB etc. In the past, I added this or that to the days as well, and for some years, that was fine and I enjoyed it (mainly when I had fewer dc and when my dh didn't travel so much ). But now, I have to look at what I can do to be happily homeschooling each day, and I have had to come to admit for me that means being done by lunch. I had audio tapes of books, nature studies, composer studies, art study, educational games, music studies, exercise programs, etc. added in our days at one point or another, and have now dropped all of that as I realized saying "yes" to any/all of those things was making me very stressed, making our days go long, and making me further resent the nights my dh is gone. We now just do the guide, and we are able to be done in the time we need to be, and I am happier. This is just one 40 yo mom's story though - I recognize health concerns and my dh's traveling are just plain slowing me down. We are much happier and less stressed now that we've streamlined our lives though. I can keep a handle on the day, keep my attitude more cheerful, get my boys the playtime they need, have a healthy relationship with my dh, and get through my health problems fairly happily. My dc have never scored higher on their standardized tests than this year, so I wonder if this less is more idea I'm learning to embrace is better for our whole family anyway?

I just share this because if you are in a similar situation with age, stress, health, dh traveling, etc. - maybe something here will help. However, I could very well be in this boat alone! I value education highly - spent oodles of money on getting my masters I was so gung-ho for it - and scaling back went against the grain for my natural inclinations, but I will tell you it has done wonders for our whole family. As you look at the extras in your day, maybe just try to step back and weigh each of their individual merit in the long haul - and then weigh how much you can really take on and still truly enjoy your life and your days homeschooling. Dropping something or changing something to see how it really affects your day is so worth investigating - you can always add it back in later. I also wondered about IEW? How often are you doing it? Maybe if you could just do it 2 times a week, on the days in the CTC guide WWTB is scheduled that would help? Maybe you could set the timer for 20-30 minutes and just see how far ds got in IEW? I was just thinking that balance in writing assignments was helpful to have in CTC so one day didn't go much longer than another. Anyway, I hope something here helps! Okay, now how can I get back to exercising again... PM me if you have any tips!

In Christ,
Julie

Just a quick update!
We are getting in the swing of things, now we are doing great! My son has gotten used to things, so he is not so intimidated. I am still working out from 7-8, shower and breakfast until 8:40, then prayer together and I read Bible aloud to them as we finish breakfast, and I also read the History aloud then. Then DS does math, english, spelling and writing. We are done with those by 11. We tried various things with Engl/Writing, and my son asked if we could do engl 4 times a week (not on friday, co-op day) and writing just on Mon and Tues (because those are the days we don't have ballet, co-op, or scouts). That is working great, esp because it was his idea! I am happy because we can keep up with the Engl lessons. I decided to use the R&S worksheets on occasion, to make it less writing. I think I am doing that on Wednesdays, when we have to leave for DD's ballet at 10:30am. It makes that day go quicker. So while DS does all that, I help DD do Engl 2, AAS, test prep, WWE and flashcards. She does cursive, too, most days. THen at 11, my son is excited because he is done with the hard stuff, and he delves into the other CtoC things. My daughter can tag along, or play with the 3yo, or read independently. My son is finishing up by 1, or we break for lunch and finish up a little bit after lunch. Either way, it doesn't matter so much now that he is familar with how to do things. We do piano and reading in the afternoon.
I am thinking about placing DD in Bigger. I tried that last year, combining both kids, but quit after Christmas as I didn't think it was enough for my son. So I may try to do that just with DD, though she really wants to do what her brother is doing. We'll try it and see!
Julie, I appreciated your post so much. Yes, my hubby travels much of the time, so I am solo for what seems like most of my days. I also teach at 2 different co-ops on friday, just for this semester...in the Spring I will not have any of the teaching responsibilities, which will help a lot. It is important to keep things at home peaceful and enjoyable. I never put that on my list of priorities, but it SHOULD be! Thank you for reminding me!
More soon, I am off to bed!
THANKS!