What order do you like to do the guides?

[Missy OH]

I'm going to run three guides (plus I have two doing high school and a toddler) and would really appreciate it if you would share the order you do the subjects.

I'm wondering if I want to teach the right side of the guides to everyone and then the left or vice versa. Will my voice give out? Do I want to mix up which sides of the guides I'm doing?

[MelInKansas]

Well... what I can say is that it has helped me tremendously to plan out a schedule with some estimated times for each box, so that I can maximize the school time and work with each child one-on-one when they need me. I have activities for the preschooler and toddler too while school is going on, though I do flex a lot with what my toddler is doing, at least there are guidelines. He does blanket time, eats a snack, has time running around upstairs with music on, things like that.

We start off with "independent" (really semi-independent) work, everybody at the table doing math, handwriting, English. My oldest (Bigger Hearts) can do most on her own and then just check in with me so I can tell her her spelling words and check over the work she has done. The LHFHG girl and my preschooler I am very hands-on with at this time and 1YO is usually eating his breakfast. Or crawling around and making a dirty diaper I wonder if I should put that on my schedule. I guess this is a lot of what you would call the R side of the plans.

Then while my oldest is practicing her piano and reading to the 4YO I get as much of LHFHG done with my 6YO as I can - phonics, history, storytime, Bible, Rhyme in Motion, Rotating box. Mostly L side except for the phonics which I just really need to be able to sit and focus with her to do it.

Then 4YO plays a computer game with 6YOs help and I do DITHR with my oldest. Then sit and read to my oldest - History, storytime, science, poetry, Bible. Then do science experiment and rotating box. The 3 younger often get a 20 minute video during this time too. Sometimes some gets left with my oldest until after lunch or during my 1YO's naptime. Lunch, clean up, sometimes just some play time, then 1YO goes down for his nap and I do LHTH with my 4YO as a quick time with her before her nap, or rest time, she stays in her room but she usually naps. There's a schedule thread at the top, one of the sticky ones, where lots of people have shared their own schedules for their families.

The biggest thing I think you have to consider is how to allow yourself to have the best uninterrupted time with each child while they need your attention. Some people do it by having their oldest children get up earliest and start their work/confer with mom. And then which things are easier, usually leave those to last, because you are more likely to go ahead and finish it. If you leave the things you and your child think are hard and don't enjoy as much until the end you might be more likely to drop that part (well I would be). Handwriting is that for my oldest, which is why I started having her do that first thing. Science experiments and art projects are fun and she would always ask for them, so they are at the end.

[countrymom]

Like the above poster, I look at how I can be most efficient with my time. If I am having one-on-one time with one child, the other is doing independent work, recess, or chores. I have one semi-independent box as well. So the subjects are picked according to the order of each child's "teacher boxes" (independent, one-on-one, etc). When I am doing one-on-one time I alternate between high concentrating and lower concentrating activities. So I might have storytime after reading, etc.

[Robin]

I would have to agree with the above post also. We had to take each child's hardest subject and do that one first or we found it hard to finish for the day. We also do the one on one while others are doing things that are independent but primarily stick to the science and art projects until the end of school when other subjects have been completed. Kind of as a reward for doing all the hard stuff of the day. Unless of course this is a particular childs "hard" subject-then that would get boasted to the beginning of the day for them.
Robin

[arstephia]

I run three guides as well. I have my older two start with the math, language arts and science things first. Then do Bible, their inventor/signer, etc. study if there is one, so basically they start with the right hand side page. If they need me for a question, I help, but for the most part they are independent on that page. While that is going on, I am doing the left hand page with my younger child doing any read alouds, activities, etc. Then we transition to the other page and I am then more available for the narrations, discussions, memory work, etc.

[twoxcell]

We do seat work the first half of the day so phonics, emergent readers, DITHR, math, Bible, handwriting, fine motor skills, poetry, spelling/dictation, grammar, independent science and history, hymns, bible songs, copywork, etc.(depending on the kid and guide) We then take a lunch break and do everything else after lunch. I take one kid at a time and do all the reading aloud, geography, games, songs, etc. with them in my room. Any projects, notebooking, experiments, vocabulary, etc. that require a table is done after this. Some times I get one kid started on something and then read to the next kid or else I wait until I am all done reading to all if they need more help.

[Kathleen]

I start with whoever needs the most of my time. So, this past year, I started with Allison in Bigger. We did 45 min of work (with the 1-year-old coming upstairs with us and crawling/toddling around). During that time Grant was working on his own and Garret was unloading/loading the dishwasher with Asa. Next...about an hour with Garret where we were able to finish all of his school. Asa & Quinn played downstairs right near Grant & Allison working at the table. Next, 45 min with Grant. Quinn down for nap, Asa and Garret playing, Allison working independently. (Now in between these sessions, I might help Allison start something else if she's ready. I'd also check things over that were done, listen to narrations from Grant, etc. I am also checking diapers and getting out snacks when needed.) Back to 45 min with Allison.

So, in our house it works out that the oldest is going to start school 1st and finish last. The younger ones end up in the middle and can get done more quickly.

Kathleen

[StillJulie]

Last year I worked my way down in age order. That worked great for us. I'm not sure if we'll do it the same way this coming year or not. When a child needs to orally narrate or has a question, they just stand next to me, and I'll help them when I can take a quick break conveniently.

They pile their completed work up next to me, and I check it as I have free moments.