I am finally getting my schedule posted for this year.
This schedule has been working very well for my boys for over a quarter now, so we've fine-tuned it to fit our needs. We have found that our start time is very important each day and that the next most important thing is keeping the same flow or routine to the day. 
For my oldest two sons, I made sure to schedule independent tasks last in their day. In that way, if my oldest two get up early or get ahead of schedule, they can simply jump to the end of their schedule and do one of their independent subjects. My boys love this, as they feel they are chipping off their ending time by doing these subjects earlier in the day. In order for my day to flow well, I don't necessarily have to be on the exact times it says on my schedule (and often I am not
), but I do need to have each of my kiddo's time with me in the same order each day. This keeps my routine very similar and makes me able to calmly move on to what is next. My boys know that when I call them to do any items scheduled with me that it takes precedence over whatever they are doing. This is because there is only 1 of me and 4 of them! I give each child his own schedule, and I keep a copy of these individual schedules in plastic page protectors on a ring on my fridge so that I can easily check at any given time who is supposed to be doing what (and where). I have a one-page schedule for me that includes only the items I am to be doing with my children in the teaching capacity or the maintenance capacity.
This keeps my notes to a minimum and shows me at a glance what I'm supposed to be doing. The kiddos each have a copy of only their own schedule in a 3-ring folder in a plastic page protector for them to check off each day with a dry erase marker. We use the same routine every day, which really helps the kiddos memorize it. Here are my boys' schedules for 2010-2011. The items in blue are the ones that are done specifically with me each day. I have not put mealtimes in blue, nor all of the overseeing I do as I move kiddos from task to task, but my teaching times are noted in blue. This way you can see how it works for one teacher to teach multiple programs.
We do eat lunch and dinner together as a family, but our breakfast is in two shifts with the olders eating as they get up and the youngers getting up later and eating later. This allows for the olders to have some quiet work time before the youngers descend upon us for the day. Don't let this detailed schedule scare you, as it is honestly the order and routine (not the times) that keep us steadily progressing forward each day.
Although you may never get to the point where you are doing 4 separate programs, I just wanted to let you know that it can be done and is manageable. You may never have the need to finish as early in the day as I do so that I have time to work, but if you do I also wanted to let you know that is possible. So keep that in mind as you read further. Rest assured that this is just one way among many, and HOD is flexible enough that families are able to make the same guides work in a completely different order and manner to find what is best for them. Shaw's Grade 6 Resurrection to Reformation Schedule:
6:30-7:00 Make Bed/Clean up Room/Dress/Groom (30 min.)
7:00-745 Pick Orders/Tape Boxes/Tear Down Boxes (45 min.)
7:45-8:00 Eat Breakfast (finish as needed during first subject) (15 min.)
8:00-8:20 Bible Quiet Time Box (20 min. morning room)
8:30-8:25 Take out garbages
8:25-8:30 Dictation (5 min. kitchen table)
8:30-8:50 Medieval Writing Lessons (or if no Medieval Writing Lesson, then Grammar Lesson) (20 min. kitchen table)
8:50-9:20 Reading About History Box (30 min. morning room)
9:20-9:40 Independent History Box (20 min. morning room)
9:40-10:10 Rotating History Box (Research/Geography/Timeline/Shakespeare) (30 min. morning room)
10:10-10:40 Math (I go over the lesson and am available during assignment time.) (30 min. kitchen counter)
10:40-11:00 History Project (20 min. kitchen counter)
11:00-11:30 Play with Beau (30 min. M/R- Beau's room, T - Playroom, W/F - Computer)
11:30-11:50 Art Appreciation/Devotions/Poetry (20 min. morning room)
11:50-12:30 Drawn into the Heart of Reading (40 min. morning room)
12:30-1:00 Science (30 min. kitchen counter)
1:00-1:35 Eat Lunch/Storytime (35 min. kitchen table)
1:35-1:40 Clear Table/Counters (5 min.)
1:40-2:45 Play Outside for Recess (60 min.)
2:45-3:00 Greek with Dad (15 min. kitchen table)
Greyson's Grade 2 Finishing Beyond Full-Speed Schedule. He begins Bigger Hearts in 2 weeks.
8:30-9:00 Make Bed/Get Dressed/Groom
9:00-9:30 Eat Breakfast (We have oatmeal on a kettle on the stove ready for differing breakfast times or eggs in the microwave.)
9:30-10:00 Play in his room
10:00-10:10 Clean up room, be down by 10:10.
10:10-10:15 Dust Bust kitchen
10:15-10:30 Copywork of Poetry from Beyond (15 min. kitchen table)
10:30-10:45 Math Box (15 min. kitchen table)
10:45-11:00 Language Arts Box (15 min. kitchen table)
11:00-11:15 Emerging Reader Appendix Beyond (15 min. morning room couch)
11:15-11:30 Storytime Box (15 min. morning room couch)
11:30-12:00 Playtime with Beau (30 min. M-Computer, T-Greyson's Room, W-Beau's Room, R-Playroom, F-Greyson's Room)
12:00-12:15 Clean-up
12:15-12:25 Reading About History Box (10 min. morning room)
12:25-12:30 Music Box (5 min. morning room)
12:30-12:40 Bible Study Box (10 min. morning room)
12:40-12:45 Poetry Box (5 min. morning room)
12:45-1:00 Rotating Bottom Left Hand Box (15 min. morning room)
1:00-1:35 Lunch/Storytime
1:35-1:40 Dust Bust
1:45-2:45 Recess Outside (60 min.)
Beau's Age 4 Little Hands to Heaven Full-Speed Schedule:8:00-8:30 Get Dressed/Brush Teeth/Groom
8:30-9:00 Eat Breakfast
9:00-9:30 Educational Video (30 min. living room)
9:30-9:40 Clean up living room
9:40-10:10 Little Hands to Heaven All Boxes (30 min. playroom)
10:10-11:00 Toys from kitchen cupboard / and Playdough (50 min. kitchen table)
11:00-11:30 Play with Shaw (30 min. - see Shaw's schedule above for rotation)
11:30-12:00 Play with Greyson (30 min. - see Greyson's schedule above for rotation)
12:00-12:15 Clean up with Greyson (15 min.)
12:15-1:00 Play in Room, or in Playroom, or if he hasn't had computer today do computer (45 min.)
1:00-1:35 Lunch/Storytime
1:35-1:40 Clean Up
1:40-2:45 Recess Outside (60 min. all boys together)
Cole's Grade 9 School Schedule (Piloting Some Possible HOD Plans for the Future):
7:15-8:00 Make Bed/Get Dressed/Groom/Unload Dishwasher/Eat Breakfast
8:00-8:50 Pack Orders (basement)
8:50-8:55 Dictation (5 min. kitchen table)
8:55-9:25 Spanish (30 min. kitchen table M/W/F) Greek (30 min. kitchen table T/R)
9:25-9:55 Grammar (Go over lesson/Assign portion to do on own) (30 min. kitchen table M/W/F) Music Appreciation (30 min. T/R Cole's Room)
9:55-10:40 Math (45 min. Mom's room) I'm available as needed.10:40-11:25 Science (45 min. Mom's room M/T/W reading/questions lessons) (R/F Lab -kitchen counter)
11:25-12:15 Geography (50 min. Mom's room or kitchen table)
12:15-1:00 Literature Study/Composition (45 min. Mom's room)
1:00-1:35 Lunch/Storytime (35 min.)
1:35-1:40 Load dishwasher
1:40-2:45 Recess (60 min. all boys together)
2:45-3:35 Bible Study (40 min.)
3:25-3:35 Typing (10 min.)
Note: Typically, Cole gets up on his own by 6:00 or 6:30 A.M. So, he does his Bible Study and Typing before breakfast. In this way, he is done at 1:00 like the other boys.
In all honesty, out of necessity I have gotten more scheduled as the years have gone by, due to needing to have work time for ME in the afternoons.
I work hard with schooling until 1:00, but this truly leaves my time free from teaching after that! This is such a huge blessing to me, so I am willing to work harder to stay on task and keep interruptions at bay in the morning to have my afternoons for my much needed worktime and for maintaining my home. I also have to say that I am truly feeling blessed this year, as my two oldest sons are very independent, allowing me time to work with my younger two during school.
I enjoy the things that I still do with my oldest sons, but I am also enjoying time spent focused on my younger ones. I can see the fruits of years spent in training my older sons in so many areas. They are truly becoming young men! Blessings,
Carrie
It's really nice to see your schedule.... next year I'll be doing two full guides (Bigger and Little Hearts) and I've been a little nervous about the time factor. But now I see that I have *nothing* to worry about.