Too much in a day

[topekaclark]

Have a question we do bible study, math, english and reading daily....

I am also trying to fit in:

History
Science
Spelling
Maps/Journaling (one subject every other day)

One child may take longer in math then the other one takes longer in english...

Help, I was thinking of not doing history and science every day but do one every other day.

The day is dragging on:doh

[Lucy]

Some adopt the college model: MWF & TTH
Group things could be done first.

[Reason&Hope]

I agree. It always helps to do the group stuff first. Or if you all have the same lunch break, after lunch.

I read a book a few years ago by a former NYC school teacher. One of his arguments against regular schooling was that it trains you to think in 50-minute sections, and to jump from math to English to history to PE . . . It's actually better to spend more time on a few subjects on alternating days, such as Lucy suggested. Even though we've always had math every day, my oldest son switched it to 2 math lessons a couple of days a week, and no math 2 other days. He said he accomplished more because "he was in the math zone."

[topekaclark]

Well we are changing it....Main things in the morning, that seems to be the best time my children are very alert, lol.

If we do history one week and science the next, yeah if not then we can have a fun summer of hands on history or science.

[Lucy]

I agree. It always helps to do the group stuff first. Or if you all have the same lunch break, after lunch.

I read a book a few years ago by a former NYC school teacher. One of his arguments against regular schooling was that it trains you to think in 50-minute sections, and to jump from math to English to history to PE . . . It's actually better to spend more time on a few subjects on alternating days, such as Lucy suggested. Even though we've always had math every day, my oldest son switched it to 2 math lessons a couple of days a week, and no math 2 other days. He said he accomplished more because "he was in the math zone."

John Taylor Gatto-he is one of my favorite authors!
The temptation is to re-create "school" at home. The problem is that "school" at school is done the way it is for crowd control. It is the only way that officials can make sure that "all" the kids get "all" of the subjects. They theoretically throw a net over them all and hope they catch most of them. You at home can cover so much more because bells aren't ringing and your kids can actually learn "all" of something without having to leave to go somewhere else before they are done.

[Lucy]

Don't forget to use your crockpot on hard days! I have 2 pots: a large one and a smaller one for sides or smaller meals. Over the years, those crockpots have saved my SANITY!

[lisaann]

Math, Reading, Spelling and Grammar get done first. Science is Monday and Tuesday. History is Wednesday and Thursday.

This year I'm also making my son's reading assignments correspond with our Science. Trying to kill two birds with one stone ;)

[topekaclark]

:yeah it was a good day....decided to do history one week and science the next.

[NewWorldOrder]

One thing I'm trying this year, that is actually working quite well regarding math, is to teach math two days a week. I'll teach two or three lessons on Monday and assign only two problems sets of work, and then I'll teach one or two lessons on Wednesday and assign only one problem set of work to do. The other days we concentrate on math facts and memorization. For kids who take a long time to do their math work, as mine does, this seems to work really well.

I'll teach the lesson, but I'll assign the work for her to do after we've completed our other subjects for the day. I also only make her do the even problems or the odd problems, but not all of them unless she wants to do all of them. So far, she's doing great.

[Cookies4me]

Great Ideas ladies thanks