Homeschool Planning and Scheduling - Day 3

!!!Send Out the Search Party!!!

Sometimes looking for the right schedule to fit your home school is like looking for a needle in a haystack! 

Sometimes you just have to gather your resources and come up with your own thing. You know how women are, we like to brainstorm and get ideas from other women.

First: I asked some other Homeschooling Mommies I know how they did things and this is what I found out..

• Mommy 1 Sets her priorities and works from a list. She knows that in order to function at their home they must start with breakfast and by taking care of some necessary chores and get moving around the house. Next they have devotion. Mommy 1 is a list maker. So, each night she sets down and makes lists for herself and everyone in her home. This is how they tackle their academics. They start at the top of the list. However, they do not go until the list is finished. She does encourage them to work diligently, but school is over at 3:00pm every day!

• Mommy 2 Uses the Workbox System. Which I find to be very productive but tried last year and I found it to be a lot of work on my part. (That's just me though) You can find out more about Workboxes here.

• Mommy 3 Is scheduled down to the minute. She has a schedule written out, her times are precise and she doesn't miss a beat. I do admire someone who is that disciplined however I would go crazy!

Second: I got on the Internet and searched some Blogs...

• Brandy, over at Half A Hundred Acre Wood has got it going on! I love her planner for each cycle of Classical Conversations but I wish it had the days divided so I could put what each child is doing that day.

• I also love Confessions of a Homeschooler's Schedule but it doesn't allow for much flexibility. Although I do like her color-coded layout!

Third: Still not completely satisfied...

• I looked at a few planners one could purchase but I am cheep!

• So, as I was flipping through my Classical Conversations Foundations Guide,There it was! A section entitled..."A Real Schedule for Real Homeschooling Moms! Yes! That's what I need!

In a nut shell...It says to schedule in 4-1hour blocks into your day. Math, Grammar & Review, Reading Instruction & Practice, and Writing. In any order (There's my flexibility!) Set the timer and for the first 20 minutes everyone gets to work individually and I work with the youngest child for 20 minutes and they are dismissed for play time. Then 10 minutes with every child working from youngest to oldest. After everyone has finished their work for that period, use the remainder of the hour to clean up, set up, or any light chore in the home that needs to be done.

• Another book that I reference often is Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn. I love this book for many reasons but for this post,  I love the sample schedules in the appendix!

So, I decided on a mix of all of these great ideas! Once we actually get into our school year, I am sure that things will change here and there. But, I believe I have a great place to start from.

Tomorrow, I will be sharing "The Big Picture" our over all plan!

Until then, just keep on keeping on for the glory of God!

*What are some good tips you've found for scheduling?