Scheduling

A few years ago a fellow homeschooling friend of mine mentioned the practice of some homeschoolers of devoting one day a week to each subject, instead of doing a little of each subject each day--"No Brainer Scheduling." I decided to try it and we haven't deviated since. The kids know everyday what we're doing, generally, and we really can delve into the subject material since we have the whole day to "get lost" in the matter. I like it because it greatly simplifies my planning, all the kids are doing the same thing at the same time, learning from eachothers observations, we talk about the subject throughout the day and during mealtimes--it just works for us! We even have a fun little way of referring to each day:

Math Mondays--we use MathUSee to they watch the video for the lesson in the morning and spend the rest of the day (usually with "homework" over the rest of the week) working on mastering the concept. They can usually get through one or two pages on the first day and then finish the other two pages of the chapter later in the week, like on Thursday or Friday.

Time Travel Tuesdays--this is History day! We love history, we love our timelines--I use the timeline figures to make coloring pages for the younger ones. Sometimes we listen to history on CD, The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer, Ann Carroll's series on "controversial" moments in history (the Crusades, the Inquisistion, the Conquest of Mexico), history activities from books like Spend the Day in Ancient Rome, and of course, History Links has TONS of activity ideas, writing assignments, discussion questions, etc. We spend the whole day in the past, sometimes even preparing meals from ancient recipes.

Wordly Wednesdays--today we write--stories, poems, essays. Sometimes we do an exercise from Teaching Writing Structure and Style from the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Sometimes we work on a paper from our history studies of the previous day. Sometimes I teach a lesson from Classical Writing (Aesop, Homer, Diogenese, etc.). Sometimes, instead of writing, we'll read Shakespeare, especially if there's a play that fits into our history studies. Or make a story chart of a beloved children's classic. This is also the day we work on our foreign language studies. We cycle through all our options, and we do most of the work together, like an old fashioned one room schoolhouse.

Thoroughly Thursdays--today we fill in the gaps, tie up loose ends, do outside activities with other families (usually geared towards learning more than just playing, which we reserve for Fridays after the weekly Commissary run). During years when we're actually doing "real" science, this is the day we'd do it. Otherwise we do a relaxed nature study, arts and crafts, etc.

Friendly Fun Fridays--Hopefully the older kids have completed all their assignments by Friday because this is the day we have friends over, go visiting, relax and do nothing, work on a hobby like Stamping Cards, draw pictures, whatever strikes one's fancy, because tomorrow is...

Slave Saturdays--when we get all the work done around the house, yard and farm--splitting wood, decluttering, pulling weeds, building, rearranging, mowing grass, raking leaves, etc. so that the next day,

Sublime Sundays--are truly a day of rest and relaxation.

As far as the daily routine during the week:

7:00--Rise and Shine. Hopefully mommy's already up and breakfast, if it wasn't prepared the night before in the crockpot--which I love to do!--is almost ready so that the kids can eat, say the morning prayers, milk the goats, wash faces, brush teeth, make beds, start laundry, and get the kitchen cleaned up at least a little, while mommy finishes the bread she started the night before, start laundry, make the final preparations for the lessons that day if necessary, and get dressed "to the shoes" before

9:00--Start School.

11:30--Lunch Break. We start making lunch around now so that we can eat and have the kitchen cleaned by no later than 1:00. We'll usually listen to recorded poetry, classical music (we love Beethoven's Wig!) or a recorded book while we eat. We also try to pray the Angelus at this time.

1:00--Quiet Study and Nap Time. Older kids will work independently on what's left of their studies from the morning while younger kids have some quiet or alone time with mommy.

3:00--Clean Up, Go Play and Start Dinner Time. WSe put away all the books, pick up all the toys, fold and put away laundry, go out to play until dinner's ready. Mommy and the older girls will start dinner now, the older boys will split and bring up wood if it's woodstove season, then go play until Dad comes home around 5:30.

6:00--Dinner Time. We usually say the Rosary right after dinner. By the time we eat, pray, clean the kitchen, etc. it's usually time for the kids to get to bed. They can read for a little while, but the lights go out at 9:00.