Scheduling Our Day Using Blocks of Time

 

I always like to consider our first schedule a rough draft, because I typically make changes as I see how things shake out. And truly, our schedule is more of an order to our day than actual times to do things. That sort of predictability without strict rigidness works for us.

Mondays:

Our Classical Conversations community day now includes an afternoon of Essentials, so I know that’s going to be a long day for all of us. I’m curious to see if my crew will want to lounge around or run around after a day full of classroom work. We’ll see. My children enjoy Song School Latin and I’m hoping we can do that lesson sometime after we return home. It’s done mostly through DVD, so that makes it easy for me too. However, if it feels too squeezed in, we’ll find another time for it.

Tuesdays – Fridays:

Morning –

Bible: Read The Story, review Bible verses for Awana and CC, pray together   1 hour

CC Memory Work review: All together review CC geography memory work. We’ll operate on a loop of review activities including map tracing, map blobbing, and map marking.

Review timeline together twice weekly. Since this is our third year with this timeline, most of my crew knows it very well.

8 and 9 year olds review remaining memory work independently with their classical notebooks while eating a snack. 4 and 6 year olds review memory work with mom and also enjoy a snack. 1 hour

Math: Everyone works at the same time, but not necessarily in the same space. My oldest needs a little quiet to concentrate, so he tends to carve out his own spot in a different room. I start working with the youngest first and then move along working with each one as they have need. The 4 and 6 year olds still need my full attention, while the 8 and 9 year olds need a little less each year. 1 hour

Afternoon –

Reading: Reading lessons with my 4 year old. Listening to my 6 year old read-aloud. My oldest boys read independently. While it is independent reading for them, I’m encouraging them to pick up books they wouldn’t normally by giving them a shelf of books to read this year. I’ve mixed in all sorts of books for them. Each day I’ll expect them to read from one of those books + through their reading loop. The loop consists of timeline cards, scientists cards, and fine arts cards. They’ll read two cards (or more, if they’d like) from one of those types of cards daily.  They’re welcome to read anything else after and I’m used to finding them around the house reading at all sorts of times. I have no doubt they’ll find more time in their day to read extra. 30 minutes

Language Arts: First Language Lessons with my 6 and 8 year old. My 4  year old can join in when she’s interested. My 9 year old will work on his Essentials work. The rest will work on their Spelling Workout and Prescript books (except the 4 year old). 30 minutes

Read-alouds and Fine Arts: Two days a week, I’ll do Before Five in a Row time with my 4 year old.  The other two days we’ll study artists from our Fine Arts study. Every day I’ll read aloud to everyone based on our Ambleside schedule. 1 hour

Our afternoon will be split between quiet time, play time, and piano practice. Fewer of my littles will be napping this year, so quiet time will be even more important. My oldest son can work on his Essentials work with any help he needs from me.

As you can see, I’ve basically set one hour time increments for each area. Much of our work will take less time, but I’m purposely allowing for cushion. I expect interruptions and delays of all sorts, but this predictable rhythm will help keep us on track. If my littles finish their work before the time is up, they are free to work ahead on independent work or play quietly until the next subject block starts. By working with the youngest first, I’m striking while the iron is hot. In other words, I’m teaching them while their excitement is high and focus keen. On the other hand, asking the oldest ones to wait till last for help encourages independence and problem solving.

This is how things are shaping up over here. In our neck of the woods, students don’t return to school until the end of August. I imagine we’ll ease back into our schedule starting sometime next week. How about where you are? Easing in or jumping in? I’d love to hear how you do it!