2-hr relaxed child led schedule...

by Tahira
(Kansas)

I have 3 children DD5, DS7, and DD11. We don't use a schedule, we just use a check list for each child and I make sure they get it all done before the end of the day and/or week.

The children have as long or as short as it takes or they want to do each item on the list as long as they get each item done. I don't give them alot to do as most of what they do is to teach basic concepts. Besides our whole family is always learning through out every day life. Things on my children's list are:

(8 goals Daily M-TH)
Virtue study (done all together)(done M-F)
Reading: 1 lesson Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons (DD) or read wat ever on own (DS7 & DD11)
Writing: Copy " " of the week
Math: 1 page from School Zone math book (DD4 and DS6) 1 page Math Mammoth book (DD11)
Spanish: 10 min. listening to Rosetta Stone (or more if child wants)
Music: Practice instrument for atleast 10 min. (or more if child wants)
Unit Study: All together we do ether one science experiment OR me AND DD11 read from a non-fiction book that we get from the library to DD5 and DS7 and then discuss the experiment/book
Chores: DD5 picks up his own messes and feeds our pet dogs DS7 picks up his own mess and helps me do dishes, DD11 picks up own mess, cleans bathroom, and does laundry two times a week (her close and one load of sibblings)
(8 goals Daily M-TH)

The things on the children's list are all minimum requirements just to give my children a spring bord to work off of. If they want to do more great, if they get more ideas from what is above and want to study something eles awsome. If they finish whats on the list and just want to nap and play with legos the rest of the afternoon then that is fine too because at least they have learned something in the morning. :)

This list usualy takes the children about one hour to finish, but if it seems to be taking more than 2hrs (if some one is stuggling with something or being fussy and arguing) then I suggest something completely different to do, like play Uno or look up a fun language art game online, and put off the usual scheduled activies for the next day.

Once everything on this list is done then the children have free time to do what they want unless we have something planned in the afternoon. On the second Wednesday of the month our city zoo has Homeschooling classes so we make Wednesday afternoons field trip time.

Also we use Friday mornings as make up days to finish anything the children didn't complete M-Th, then we go to the library on Friday afternoons. If the children have finished everything during the week then they get extrea free time Friday mornings to do what every they want.

I think giving children alot of free time helps them enjoy life, find time to play and just be children. Also boredom is a good tool to creativity.

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Feb 23, 2013
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Relaxed Homeschooling -Sounds like us, last year
by: Anonymous

I also had a relaxed day of just having a list that needed to get done, very minimal, and sometimes it didn't get done at all because of fussyness or whatever. I started freaking out once in a while, lacking confidence in this decision to be so relaxed. This was after two years of being totally rigid and trying to be a school at home...

I think they did okay on this type of day. This year is a little more scheduled though, because we have all sorts of activities they want to do now in the evenings (Gymnastics, whatever sport is offered for the season, chess club, bible group, swimming, etc.) So while I don't really have them do this by this time or that by that time, they do know it has to be done one way or another by 3 pm if they want to participate in their outside activities.

I also discovered after the first semester of this year that they both matured a lot, and maybe when kids are ready for more work on a more scheduled time frame, they will step up to the challenge on their own. My son ends up doing more than what's recommended to him because he's genuinely more curious, rather than me forcing it on him and him rebelling.

One thing I think I've learned is that homeschooling is living breathing creature that grows and changes...so a routine that works for a few weeks or months might not be what works later in the year. Allowing some flexibility only makes everything come together in ways that make the most sense for each individual family.

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