scheduling question

[rcarp74]

Hi- This is my 2nd time to post a question on the HOD message board this year. I am new to homeschooling and we just finished our 3rd week. My oldest dd is 8.5 and is currently in Bigger. I also have a 4.5 dd doing LHTH, and my 2.5 ds is just hanging out. My question revolves around our daily schedule. I am not sure how to tweak our schedule or just leave it as is for awhile longer. As of now, we are doing Bigger half speed and taking friday mornings off to meet with a local homeschool group (I wanted to connect with some other families and meet some new friends for my kids). We have done some catch up in the afternoons fridays too. So we are halfway thru Unit 2 at this time in BHFHG. I am doing LHTH with my middle dd at full speed (minus fridays). I would like to do Bigger full speed but can't seem to make that happen right now. If I keep up the half speed schedule though I will obviously be working thru the summer and then some. I know there are no time constraints in homeschooling so maybe it is my own anxiety that wants to get done quicker. I would prefer to get done by the summer. At what point do people typically move up from half speed to full speed or are there people who just keep a half speed schedule for the whole year specifically in the older guides? Or is half speed always considered temporary?

Here is a rough idea of our day: Currently I get up around 7am- read my Bible, pray, then get dressed (reading is a MUST for me and everyone around me:). I wake up all the kids at 8am, they get dressed, do morning chores, eat breakfast.
Around 9am, we ALL meet and do circle time. Prayer together, music (3 songs- used from BHFHG guide and LHTH guide and a veggie tales song), Bible time (reading a Bible story and coloring. We will eventually start a Grapevine study), Story time (I let each child pick 3 books and I read aloud to all of them), then calendar time (we go over the days, week, month, etc).
Around 1015a- we have snack time, break time, I get coffee.
Around 10:30am- I work with my 4 year old dd doing LHTH (this typically takes 45 min as we don't rush. Rushing stresses me out). My oldest dd plays with my youngest ds during this time with bins of toys I have prepared or other things I have directed her on.
Around 11:15a- we stop and clean up around the house. Then at 1130am I start making lunch. We typically eat around 1145-12p. Then about 12:30pm it is nap time for the youngest 2. I read to my 2.5 ds before nap and my oldest reads to her sister before her nap. They nap around 2 hours.
So from 1-3pm (this time varies daily)- little kids nap and I work (half-speed) with my oldest dd on BHFHG until little kids wake up.

I tried to do some school with my oldest the first week we homeschooled in the morning but found it to be too frustrating with my little ones interrupting every 5-10 minutes. I had activities planned out but it either didn't keep their interest, they had questions about the activities, started bickering with each other over things, they wanted to see what we were doing, etc... soooo therefore I couldn't focus on my older and do what we needed to do.... nor could she. So that is when I changed the schedule to work with her solo while they napped. It took A LOT of the pressure off of me and I relaxed quite a bit. It didn't feel enjoyable at all that first week. Now we seem to be slowly getting into a groove. I have read many posts on trying to keep the little ones occupied while schooling older ones but it just didn't seem to work well(although sometimes I wonder if I needed to give it more time) unless I was right there with them (but how can I read to my oldest dd when the smaller ones are so demanding and LOUD or are into some kind of mischief?). They just seem to be more of a distration for my oldest dd than anything if they were around us. And at this point there really is nothing my oldest dd can do independent of me.

So now even though I feel we are at a better place (mentally for me), I still feel like I am missing something or not doing enough---and I keep coming back to my mornings and not working more with my oldest. So am I rushing things or over-thinking that I need to be working with her more each day? Or should I just stick with this schedule for a few more weeks and just try to enjoy homeschooling? Honestly I would love to be done with school by naptime but that doesn't seem possible. I know I am a beginner at all this so not sure what my expectations should be or if I just need to ride this schedule out awhile longer. I do enjoy the circle time with all of my kids and I know they enjoy it and I think benefit. I'm just not sure if I am using my time wisely enough or what I could be doing differently. I feel guilty not spending individual time with my youngest ds too but I have no time left. He does get a small amount of individual time while the older girls are doing their calendar time...but it doesn't seem very focused. And yes, I could homeschool year round but initially that wasn't in our family plan. I like the idea
of having a couple months off in the summer...I think everyone else in my fam does too.

I also thought I could read the emerging reader book during our circle time but since my oldest dd needs to read it herself, this isn't an option. As far as storytime, I doubt my 4 and 2 yr old will be interested in listening to a bio on Phyllis Wheatley...so not sure that would work either.

Everyone was so helpful last time with suggestions on placement so I am hoping for the same. I don't mind keeping this speed for awhile longer just wanting to know if my time is used wisely as is.....and am I missing seeing something? Or I am just over-thinking all this and need to CHILL.....
Either way, I KNOW God will work it all out. Thanks for any and all input.

Thanks
Rachel

[mom23]

Here are a few of my random thoghts-hopefully they come together into something cohesive enough to make sense! You asked about half speed. I think for many families who do it long term-up to a full year or so, it is done in order to purposely stretch out a guide (ie you wanted to wait until your child was closer to 10 to hit Preparing) OR the child just can't handle the full workload of a guide (maybe they're way on the younger end of the guide and need that whole year to grow into it.) I've used half speed for the better part of a year for my youngest in LHFHG (kinder year) because I couldn't figure out how to fit in a complete 3rd guide at our house. Although, I'm doing it now, and probably could have just sat down to lay out a better schedule and make it work! At the time it didn't seem like he was losing too much, he was pretty wiggly to sit through the whole thing...in hindsight, I wish I'd tried to lay out a plan where he had more breaks, but got through the whole guide in a day atleast by mid-year. I think maturity-wise he's going to outgrow LHFHG before we get done with it, and he would have benifited from the consistency. Oh, well, hindsight!

On littles and school time. Whew! If you spent a day or two at my house, you would probably not want to take my advice in this area...I don't feel I've been too successful. I think it takes time. At least I hope time will help it get better. One key seems to be frequent shifting of activities. Depending on the age of your youngest-playpen time is a great thing, or mine is 2 1/2 and he does blanket time, albeit he does not make this enjoyable for anyone within earshot at this point. We keep trying! At least I know he's not playing in the toilet or emptying the trash when he's screaming from the blanket.

I think if it were me, I'd really try some way to incorporate more of the school work into the read-aloud time that you're already doing. It may not be a time where everyone can sit there together, but if your kids are sitting quietly for storytime, maybe they would color or play with blocks quietly in a corner while you spent a few minutes on history or science. Then, get your Bigger child rolling on a notebooking assignment (if there is one that day) or on cursive, or copying down a Bible verse while you're with the youngers. With that said, I do think it's a great idea to start by reading a story or something to your very youngest before you try to do any school work. Maybe they can get in their cuddle time with Mom first and hopefully cut down on the interruptions. If you want to keep your circle time as is, maybe you could just consider reading fewer books then, knowing that you will be reading aloud lots for school at these younger levels.

You may find that some of your school work is still best when saved for nap time. After our 3 weeks of struggles through math time/screaming on the blanket time...saving that for afternoon nap sounds like a heavenly idea! Hang in there!!

[RestInHim]

Hi Rachel! We are using LHTH for my 4-year-old and Beyond for my nearly-6-year-old this year, and I also have a 1-year-old, so I know how it goes! I think you're doing well as you settle in and get adjusted. Your youngers will eventually get more used to your daily routine and having your attention directed elsewhere.

We focus on one BOX at a time, and don't try to complete everything with one child all at the same time. It just wouldn't work around here. So, I'll do a finger play with DS4, then do math with DD. Then I'll go back to DS4 and listen read his bible story. Then I'll change the baby and get him a snack. Then I'll go back to DD and do copy work and spelling with her. Then back to DS and then back to her, over and over as I have 10 minutes throughout the day.

We do save the history, story time, and emerging reader set for when the baby is napping, so DD and I can cuddle up on the couch and read. But everything else is done in small chunks of time.

As for the 1-year-old, I am in the process of training him to be patient while we are schooling. I'll keep him near me if he's fussy, and he will usually happily empty a big tub of crayons or markers on the floor or something while I work on a box or two with the older kids. But if he's really getting into stuff, sometimes I'll just hold off until he's in bed later. We tend to end up getting everything done, but not all at once

[daybreaking]

I don't know if I'll be of any help, but honestly, when I read your new schedule, I really liked it a lot! I think you have a great plan that works well for you and your personality and with the dynamics in your home. If I were you, I'd give it a few more weeks before attempting a change. When my oldest was in 1st grade, we did most of his schooling in the afternoon, when his little sister napped. Even though it made my day longer and I didn't get a break during naptime, I loved having the 1:1 time with him, without the distractions a cute little toddler can make! Now that my children are older, I am better able to occupy my dd while working with my ds and vice versa and of course, my ds is much more independent. I like the way you run your morning circle time, as well as some of your morning routines, and I'm thinking of "stealing" some of your ideas.

[jer2911mom]

Hugs, it sounds like you are doing a great job. Hang in there! When my younger dd was 2.5 and my older dd was in K, we did the work that required no interruptions during naptime. It made the days feel really long, but it was what we had to do.

We are using Bigger now, and I was wondering if you could slowly work on building some independence in with your 8.5 year old. My older dd is 8.5 now, too, and she has learned how to do the vocabulary cards by herself, listen to the hymn by herself, do the timeline by herself, write the bible verse by herself, and look over the day 5 poetry by herself. Sometimes she can get going on the art project by herself. Could you grab enough time to get your dd started in math and LA? Anything you could do to get her to where she could do some things by herself in the morning would help. Also, could she read the ER to the other children? Would they stop and listen for that?

Could you cut down on the number of read-alouds in the morning?

Would your 2.5 year old watch a Leapfrog DVD to buy you a bit of morning time?

HTH,
Kathy

[TrueGRIT]

Speaking as someone who has been on both the student and teacher side of schooling at home . . .

I wouldn't change the schedule as of yet. I would give it a bit more time, while taking Friday afternoons to train your children in different areas.
Your oldest to do a bit of Independent work in the morning to free up some of the nap time. My oldest strarts off his day with a sheet with work he can do by himself. Every child is different, so for him they are vocabulary word of the day, copywork, math, and ETC.
Your younger two in keeping themselves quietly occupied for little bits of time while you work with another child. They could be trained to spend that time separately and together. The fact that you have a time that your oldest spends with the youngest is great!

Given a few weeks you would see better where to "tweak' the schedule. i.e. give oldest independent work in the morning, have less stories in the circle time - unless you plan to read a book from one of the guides. All my children would listen in on the others if I let them, although the younger ones will be quietly playing and not just sitting.I think it is wonderful for you to read so much to them - but with all the reading you have to do in the younger ( Bigger on down) guides, it seems like a lot to put on yourself.
My ds9 reads to his siblings which helps some also - and he is dyslexic and behind, but they don't care! It is good practice for all of them.

Lastly, I want to encourage you that you are starting off great! Good schedules take time. It is wonderful that you are starting the day an hour before them and spending time in the word of God. Keep that up! Given time it will all come together in a way that satisfies you - and will reflect your family.

[MelInKansas]

I agree with the others. If this is the way that school stresses you out the least, then stick with it for a little while and let God show you how to make it better, but don't try to change it all again. The only things I would suggest are things others have already touched on. Incorporating little parts of it into your day. What about the poetry reading in Bigger during your circle time? What about storytime or history reading from Bigger during breakfast, snack, or lunch? I know this sometimes doesn't work well for me because I can't really eat while I read. But if you can figure out how to work that in, it's a great time to read aloud.

And the other suggestion is independent (or semi-independent) work for your oldest. English, Math, Cursive for my oldest she does at least partly on her own. I do the class work for the English and she does the written work on her own. Of course I have to have a time to look over it and discuss it with her (this could even be saved until afternoon, but you have to keep in mind that if there's something wrong that will take away from time you have to work on the other things).

Homeschooling is your freedom to school your children the way that works best for your family. If you've found it, don't worry about it. If you think she needs to go full-speed instead of 1/2 speed because 1/2 speed is holding her back, figure out how to make that work. Maybe you can do the things that might tolerate interruption more, science experiments, rotating box even after the little ones get up from naps.