This year I moved our homeschool over to a 4 weeks on, 1 week off pattern. I used to run along with Australian school terms, but then a homeschool friend told me what they do, and I thought that it might help to make less burnout if I could get more regular rests in there. So we're giving it a one year trial to see how it goes.
This week is currently a week off.
Last week I programed the next 8 weeks that we're going to need and then I thought that I might like to share about it on my blog. So, what do I put in it?
This is my latest one that I made up the other day. I even put a cute little patterned paper on it. :o)
I love my binder. It means that I can keep everything together neat and tidy.
At the front of the book I keep the year at a glance. I cross off each week completed. At any time I can see what week we are up to, when breaks are coming, and what date each school week starts with.
This is a sample from Phebe's ( 5y 3m ) program. We are about to start week 21. It tells me EXACTLY what pages for which books to use on any given day.
A sample from Chloes ( 7y 3m ) program. On each day that we do our school work I simply run a texta through each subject as it is completed.
Here's a shot from Caleb's ( 14y 11m ) program. When I get to the boys program each subject gets it's own page. The page here in the sample is for History. I like History, so I get the children to do a lot of it. LOL
This one is Daniel's ( 16y 5m ) sample.
The boys program is just as simple to mark off as the girls is. I just run a texta through each subject on the given day when the work is completed.
I also separate each child's pages with a post it note on the side, that way it's easy to locate each child's program pages in the book.
Yeah, so that's basically what my programing looks like. :o)
Thanks for visiting~!!
Thanks for visiting~!!
Questions questions questions!
ReplyDeleteWe're loving the 4 on, one off.... BUT how do you plan out the work like that? How much time are what ages spending 'doing bookwork'?
If someone gets behind, when do they catch up?
Do you have a binding machine or take it to Officeworks or the like, to be bound? (I'm considering getting one and have been thinking on it for over 3 years now!!)
Thanks for showing us your plan. Been trying to plan our weeks too :)
ReplyDeleteLove binding machines. Think I will wait until ALDI brings them on special again.
PS I tagged you in a MEME
Good Random Fun Meme
Hey Chareen, can you remember what price Aldi had them for?
DeleteNarelle, I own the binder and it didn't really cost that much. It has really been worth the money as I have used it a LOT. I've used it for all sorts of little projects. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteOn the other questions - I might need a little more time to get them done. :o)
Chareen, Wow, that's a big meme. Looks heaps of fun, so I will get to it, just need a little more time. Thanks. :o)
ReplyDeleteNarelle, re: questions.
ReplyDeleteBUT how do you plan out the work like that?
I just work out how many lessons are in the entire course for each subject and then divide them up according to weeks - and that tells me how many lessons to do per week.
When I know how much is required for each week I can tweak WHERE in the week we will do them.
How much time are what ages spending 'doing bookwork'?
I *think* they all spend a good 2 - 3 hours a day doing their stuff. Give or take on a good / bad day. Daniel might take a bit more because he works slower. Caleb is very focused and will try to get his done quickly. Phebe only does about 1 hour. These times do not include me reading to them.
I should take a note when school resumes next week and actually find out who's doing what.
If someone gets behind, when do they catch up?
For the most part they don't get behind. I am very goal focused and stick very closely to the program. Except for Daniel, whose pretty much behind all the time. But he has reasons. Sometimes I will allow skipped lessons, or part lessons. Depends on the child and if they really need that particular lesson. The workbooks are made for us, not us for the workbooks. So I do leave some wiggle room in there.
But, if they do get behind because we might go out shopping or something else takes up the time - and I really really want that work done, they'll just have to do the work on the next day. So some days we do catch ups in there.
But in real life I am super flexible and just keep working when we can to get the program done. I just keep a really close eye on the program.
chewing chewing chewing.... thinking I haven't been able to get my head around this till now is because we don't/haven't been, doing 'year levels' as such, though they are pretty on par with where I'd expect them to be if I was lining it up against year levels. M & Nj are both competent enough in reading now, though, that I could move to that way of doing things and then this way of programming would probably work quite well for us...
DeleteThanks for sharing. If you do make any notes about times etc as you move forward, I'd love to hear about it :)