Schedule or routine, which do you prefer and why?

[Carrie]

I agree that I begin with a schedule and move to a routine. Making the schedule helps me to be sure that I will be available for the teaching times that I have planned during the day, and also helps me make sure that not everyone will need me at once (which can quickly descend into chaos)! During the first several weeks, I also make sure that I really pay attention to how much time each subject really takes. Then, I can be comfortable knowing I am allowing enough time for needed subjects (or not allowing way too much time, which leads to dawdling). I really do want to know how much time each subject SHOULD take, so I can know that what I'm asking my kiddos to do in an allotted amount of time is reasonable.

I also have found that scheduling several independent things back-to-back for my older kiddos last in the day, gives them a couple of independent things they can work on if they finish early, or if they happen to have to wait a bit for me off and on. Scheduling these things last (after lunch) still allows my boys to follow their morning routine or schedule as planned (so they don't interrupt my flow to the day), as they can insert their after lunch subjects whenever they get done early with something in the morning. This may mean they don't finish that particular after lunch subject in one sitting, but rather do it in bits throughout the morning as time allows. Many times, my boys have finished those after lunch subjects earlier in the day in order to be done by lunch. This way they don't have any wasted time, if I'm not available.

I also make sure when designing my original schedule that the little ones are engaged (so they won't interrupt) during my bigger teaching blocks. I don't mind interruptions so much when we're doing things like handwriting, spelling, grammar, math (in the younger years) etc. However, when I'm setting aside time to do something like the left side of Beyond in a chunk, I want to move from one thing to another without interruptions. Or, when we're doing phonics or any subject that is tough for a certain child, I don't want any interruptions. So, I guard my uninterrupted teaching time carefully. This means the flow to everyone's day must stay the same throughout the year, because if my older kiddos start jumping around in any order in their schedule, then my uninterrupted teaching time goes out the window too. Hope that makes sense!

So, I make the schedule and follow the order, using the times a gauge of whether we need to move along a bit more quickly or not. We do follow the same start-time everyday, and try to have lunch at a similar time each day, and then we just move through the rest of the items on the schedule in order, finishing when we do.

I'll be posting my schedule soon, so you can glimpse more of what I'm talking about! I make the schedule, and we follow that order every day.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Catherine]

Definitely routine... though I'm still working on perfecting this one. With little ones in the house, sticking to a strict time schedule only leads to disappointment.

[jenntracy]

i use routine. Especially with little ones. There will always be some interruption/distraction. This way you can just pick up where you left off. i know i would be stressed out if i had to stick to a time. once you are off a little, the rest of the day would be off. Kinda like at the doctor's office when someone 's appt. runs late and then everyone else has to wait.

It has to be flexible. You can maybe set goals to have "such and such" done by lunch. i have little ones only so i can't help much with "schedule" for older independent work. i do try to get as much done in the morning as possible. that way if we do still have stuff to do we can sometimes do it during the 22 month old's nap. Everyone seems more alert and gets it done faster in the morning.

also, i have to be the one focused and diligent or that is when everything falls apart.

i was jsut thinking ,too, that when my babies wer infants, we didn't have a schedule. We had a flexible routine. ya know. say baby usually ate at 4pm.. one day they were hungry at 3:30pm... Am i going to hold out on the baby, "No". so we had structure, but flexibility and it worked for everyone.

Happy planning:)

Jenn D.

[MommyInTraining]

Thank you all.

It sounds like I need to get rid of the 30 minute time blocks !

Carrie, thank you for your insight. I would love to see your schedule.