Here starts a new feature...What We're Learning Wednesday! Seeing as this started out as a blog primarily about our schooling journeys, I thought I should stick with that at least part of the time :-)
Since we're almost half way through the year already, I'm going to point you to our Current Curriculum page first so you know what we're using. In the middle of our 16th week of school, I think we may have finally found a routine that more or less works for us.
Also to get you all caught up on what we're doing around here, today I'm going to walk through a typical school week. Next week, I'll try to go over more specifics about what we're doing.
Here goes...
Monday - This actually seems like one of our easiest days usually. The kids are ready for the routine, and so am I!
8:30ish We start with "reading" Zoology, which we listen to on my phone (got it on Audible, but apparently they're not selling it right now). The kids do not have to sit at their desks or even sit still, as long as they're being mostly quiet and stay in the school room, they are allowed to play with one toy that their siblings are not playing with.
9:15ish Math comes next, which is still where I get the most complaining. *sigh* It will probably always be this way. Anyhoo, after we watch the lesson video, the older two sit at their desks and do two pages front and back (I know, I'm so mean) while I do school with Shane.
We're using pretty much the same things that Kahlen and I did when she was this age, but a little bit less on the art projects, mostly because I just don't have time AND the other two would want to do it too. No thank you. So it's pretty much all worksheets that we do together from 1+1+1=1's Raising Rockstars Preschool and Confessions of a Homeschooler's Letter of the Week.
10:00ish Recess! and morning snack. And mom's time to do her bible study. I put a timer on and they run around like crazy people for 15 minutes while I sit quietly and work on my bible study. When it was warm, I "made" them go outside during this time, but that doesn't work as well when it's 20 degrees outside :/
10:20ish We split up. This time, Kahlen helps Shane with his slideshow from Raising Rockstars, while I help Nate practice piano and then First Language Lessons. Kahlen and Shane play on my computer until we're done. They can go to Starfall, PBS Kids, or a few other learning websites.
11:00ish Lunch prep. Kids either have free time or they do their daily chores, it depends on their attitudes and my energy level. If they want to get done earlier in the day with everything that's required of them, they'll do their chore. Or if I'm feeling super energetic, they do their chore. Otherwise, they get the run of the house while I make lunch.
12:00ish After lunch, it's definitely time for their daily chores if they haven't done them already. This may include cleaning the bathrooms, folding their laundry, picking up the living room, school room, bedrooms, sweeping the kitchen and dining room, wiping down the door knobs and light switches (a perfect chore for Shane), or special assignments as they come up.
12:30 Episode time! And thank you Netflix for making it so easy. They get a break, I actually get to eat lunch, check Facebook, read part of a book, or whatever for 24 minutes
1:00 Shane's naptime, although I think this is coming to an end. Up until one week ago, he was taking a good solid 2.5-3 hour nap every day. The last few days, not so much. We'll just have to see what happens with that, because I still need him to be down for at least two hours for everyone else's sake!
We start with our Zoology notebooking, which has been very light this year. We're actually planning on doing two years of Zoology this year, so we've mostly just been reading the text and not really doing any of the hands on projects.
Bible study comes after notebooking. It's been a struggle to get their lessons and mine done this year, since Nate doesn't want to/can't read or write his answers and Kahlen's study requires quite a bit more thought than the younger grade book. But we persevere. I often don't get mine completed, but since we're all studying the same thing, I'm still learning from their lessons.
Next is reading. Kahlen is reading some very long chapter books this year and doing amazingly well! This week, it's an abridged version of The Time Machine. Before break it was Little House on the Prairie.
Nate is solidly where he should be in All About Reading 2. It's a challenge for him, but he's progressing very well!
2:00/2:20ish DONE! This is why I need Shane to still be resting at least until 3. I take about an hour to do something I want to do or need to do (like blog, customer follow-up, nap, read a book, finish bible study) Kahlen and Nate are on their own for awhile, which usually means tablet time and that's okay with me.
We're going to start doing a quick 5-10 minute pick up before daddy gets home too. It's something that I've done in the past but drifted away from, but it helps the evening go smoother for everyone.
No wonder I'm tired at the end of Monday, that's a lot we get done! Moving on...
Tuesday - Buela day! My mom takes the kids all day almost every Tuesday. I run errands, go to networking meetings, chiropractor adjustments, and anything else that I need to/want to do. It's glorious (Thanks mom!!).
Wednesday - Mostly a repeat of Monday :-)
The main difference is that we replace Zoology with Story of the World and we add in spelling in the afternoon for both Kahlen and Nate.
Thursday - 1/2 day!
We have Community Bible Study in the morning and don't get home until close to 1 because we either go out for lunch or have a picnic lunch and then we often go to the library or somewhere to play for an hour.
After Shane goes down for his nap, we do about an hour's worth of school. They both have their math test, then reading, then whatever we didn't finish on Monday or Wednesday.
Friday - Frontier Homeschool Access program. This homeschool enrichment program is almost an hour from my house, but well worth it! The kids get to take language, art, history, science, PE, and a variety of other classes. All things I could teach but don't really want to. Plus it's awesome to have some just Shane and Mom time :-) This year (and last year), I've been able to carpool with another family. She picks my kids up from my house and drives them to school, and I pick up all 5 kids from school and bring them back to my house. Overall, Nate and Kahlen enjoy it but they come home super tired and often cranky. I'm very glad we only have school somewhere else once a week!
That's our typical week!! And just because they're cute...
See you tomorrow! (And I know...I missed yesterday's Talk About Tuesday, oops)
~Sela
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