I should probably say establishing our schedule, because prior to this, we didn’t really have one. And while that was not really a problem, setting up a schedule has really helped our household run smoother, for a few reasons:
1. We (almost) always finish school before lunch now, which leaves the afternoon free for us to do whatever we want.
2. Madison helped me set up the schedule, like the order of subjects, so she no longer complains about what she wants to do next. I think she feels like she has some control over her day now.
3. We added some free computer time to our day when she is allowed to play at Starfall or PBS Kids. This is definitely her favorite time of the day, and my favorite too, since it gives me a chance to do my household chores uninterrupted.
One thing that I am still working on is getting up when I feel like I need to. I rarely manage to get up that early, but when I do, I feel so much better and the day runs smoother.
So here is our schedule, at least for now:
From when ever Madison wakes up until 8:30, she watches PBS. She normally wakes up between 7:45 and 8:15, so she watches Super Why while I shower and get dressed.
8:30 – Eat Breakfast, Make Beds, Get Dressed, Walk Spencer
9:00 – Start homeschool:
- Bible Lesson (15-20 minutes)
- Headsprout Reading Lesson (15-20 minutes)
- Read books together on the couch (30 minutes)
- Math (15-20 minutes)
- Explode the Code/Letter of the Day (15-20 minutes)
- Japanese (10 minutes)
- Art/Science/Violin (1 each day, about 20 minutes)
12:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Free computer time if homeschool is done (30 minutes)
1:00 – Rest time in bedroom; listen to memory CD or watch Leap Frog Video
2:00 – Free time
5:30 – Dinner
7:00 – Bedtime Reading
7:30 – Lights out with memory CD, violin CD or audio book
Of course the schedule does not always work out perfectly since we have Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday afternoon, Storytime on Fridays, etc… but overall it is a big success (when we stick to it). The time we are spending on “school” right now is really only about 2 hours, which seems to be the perfect amount of time for us, and I am really happy with the material we are covering.
RED HERRING? 