Scheduling Your Day: First Week Notes

Five O'Clock
George Dunlap Leslie

This post is a follow-up of: Scheduling Your Day: Why Bother?

First Week Daily Scheduling Notes:

~ Reaction From Family: The boys, ages 8 and 10, normally use check-off sheets to order their school days. So while used to a routine, they weren't used to a timed schedule. We used one for a while last school year, but with Beth's new arthritis diagnosis to contend with this year, I hadn't implemented one for the 2011-2012 school year.

The boys loved it and raved about it to Daddy the second he came in the door the first night. They remarked that they weren't wasting their time, which birthed greater productivity. The day went along faster.

I noticed that with a tighter schedule, the boys got along better and spent less time comparing each other's academic prowess. Peter, age 10 and in fourth grade, perfoms at grade level in most things, but reads and comprehends above grade level. Paul is two years ahead and uses the same materials Peter does for the most part, though his reading comprehension is lower. Peter has a fine-motor delay and can't manage cursive yet, while Paul loves cursive and does it beautifully. They hear all the time that God gives us different gifts, but as boys, they seem to be hardwired for competition.

Winter returned here two weeks ago (most of the tulips never bloomed), so getting them back inside after recess hasn't been a problem, though when spring weather arrives again, coming back in promptly may require an incentive and possibly a pre-decided consequence.

The girls liked having more individual time with Mommy, something I can better manage now that Peter's  behavior shows improvement.

I will need to organize more materials for the girls, hopefully this weekend. We have a whole lot of preschool materials, but the key is getting them all re-organized and ready to go in tubs, to be used during the times the girls must be in the playroom.

Beth suddenly stopped following asleep at naptime, except on the day she goes to her physical therapist. Her nap may be added back in...we'll see.

~ Laundry:  I put wiggle room into the schedule so I can shuffle laundry without actually scheduling it in. The boys and girls both have an afternoon segment of helping me fold clothes. We save the washcloths and small towels for the girls, as well as their own pajamas.

I've revised the schedule a few times. You won't see science or social studies specified, but the boys are currently reading mostly biographies and historical fiction. Two days a week we discuss their readings and use some support materials with the novels/biographies, but that isn't on this schedule.

Some Curriculum Notes:

Science:  They are currently raising tadpoles and watching their container pond outside for signs of life. Peter added frog eggs recently, from the drainage ditch across the street from our house. The boys are also planning our garden. In a couple weeks they will join the 4-H club, which offers many science projects. They've decided to start with a joint weather project, then Peter will either get a bunny or another hamster for a project, and Paul will do the aerodynamics booklet he saw offered on the 4-H website.

Reading:  I pull suggestions from Honey For a Child's Heart, and from Sonlight, and from Ambleside Online (Charlotte Mason). The first half of the year they read mostly classic fiction novels, and the second half of the year it's mostly historical fiction and biographies--a plan we started this year.

Math:  Teaching Textbooks - a CD Rom program with the best instruction you'll find (IMHO). Again, Peter began thriving in math when we began this his third-grade year.

He also needed Times Tales to master multiplication, which includes wonderful mnemonic devices (stories). My husband and I are amazed at the difference this mnemonic program made for Peter!

Paul, because his brain clings so easily to patterns, does math effortlessly. Both boys love Teaching Textbooks.

Spelling:  We use Avko Sequential Spelling. I dictate 125 words a week, all with similar patterns. The boys write them (25 per day) and if they make a mistake, they correct it immediately and then we go on. Peter has some learning disability that makes spelling very difficult for him. He is at least a year behind in spelling, but since we started this program, he's growing amazingly well. The problem wasn't a lack of spelling knowledge--he could recite spelling rules, but his writing never reflected the knowledge. This program, designed for dyslexics, contains the repetition Peter needs. It requires him to use the patterns over and over, so that his brain internalizes them. (He is not dyslexic.)

Paul is an excellent speller because his brain, highly visual, easily groups like entities. He spelled very well before I ever began instructing him. He does this program along with us because I believe it's the best, and because he likes it better than what he had.

Writing:  We use the Institute For Excellence in Writing's DVD student writing course for grades 3-5. The boys watch instruction one to two days a week, and on the other days I work with them on the writing projects.

Art:  Two days/week, not on this schedule


Here is the current breakdown for three days of our week:

7:30 Girls: wake up, dress, playroom  Boys:  wake up, make beds, get dressed

8:00 Everyone: Breakfast, Prayer

8:30  Girls: Storybook Bible w/mom  Boys:  Read your Bibles

9:00  Girls:  Coloring, ABC video or early reading video  Boys:  Spelling with mom

9:30  Mom in shower; Beth storytime with Peter;  Mary storytime with Paul   The boys are paid a nickel for every book the girls sit and listen to. This keeps them on task, trying hard to be engaging in their reading styles.  It also enables us to teach the boys some money managing skills. They will open savings accounts soon. The girls are paid a penny for listening.

10:00  Everyone:  recess/snack; mom sweep floors

10:30  Girls: Mary - reading instruction w/mom; Beth - coloring, counting  Boys: Read novel or biography for 30 minutes

11:00  Beth - physical therapy w/ mom; Mary - computer PBS.com; Boys - computer Cool Math games strategy, 15 mins. each, working together

11:30  Girls:  puzzles, dolls, dishes  Boys:  Write in journal   Mom:  Make lunch

12:00  Everyone:  lunch and prayer

12:30  Mom - dishes; Girls playroom; Peter - math; Paul - cursive, then read to girls (not paid this time)

1:00  Everyone:  recess  Mom: chores

1:30  Girls: video in playroom ( They can't interrupt me for the next hour, during which I do writing with the boys, in turn.)
Boys:  Peter - writing with Mom; Paul - math

2:00  Girls: free time in playroom  Peter - read 30 minutes; Paul - writing with mom

2:30  Girls: stories with mom, make beds with mom  Boys:  Peter - AWANA verses; Paul - read for 20 mins.

3:00  Everyone: recess/snack

3:30  Girls  help mom fold clothes; Boys  clean room, put away clothes

4:00  Girls - puzzles, playdoh  Boys  - help Mom fold clothes

4:30  Peter - read to girls (not paid); Paul - AWANA verses  Mom - put away clothes

5:00 Children free time, mom make dinner