Blogging From A to Z - Daily Notebooks

I've talked before about how we are having a shortened summer school schedule this summer. It hasn't gone quite as smoothly as I had hoped! For one, we have been super busy so far and not home every day during the time I try to set aside for schoolwork. Secondly I have been so tired and exhausted from the heat and this pregnancy that I haven't been making it happen every day. 

As I was thinking of what I could do to make sure that certain things get done daily this summer - reading books, Bible study, math practice - I remembered how I used to use spiral notebooks to write out assignments for Mikaela and Eli. It worked really well and ensured that everything I wanted them to get to got done each day. 

I decided that I am going to use spiral notebooks this summer for the boy's daily notebooks. They will have checklists of everything I'd like them to do each day for school as well as chores and other reminders. 

Cheap spiral notebooks

I will handwrite their assignments either each night before bed or each weekend for the entire week. That way they can just grab their notebooks each morning and start working on their checklists. 

Silas, rising 7th grader

I know Silas will appreciate this because he doesn't like having to wait to be told what to do. He wants to wake up and get everything done at once. This will be good for him because he will be able to quickly see what all he has to do each day and choose the order he does it in. I added in some exercises for him because his 30-day challenge is five daily chores.

Silas, rising 7th grader

Titus will also like this because he likes to work independently if possible. He has a hard time focusing on tasks, but this will break things down into manageable chunks for him. I added a daily chore because his 30-day challenge is exercises.

Titus, rising 5th grader

And of course I think it's going to be extremely helpful for me! I can sit down and think of all the things we need to do, but then I get distracted and busy and before I know it, we've run out of time. This way I can sit down and write their checklists, no distractions, no forgetting anything. There is also plenty of space to add in things I think of later.

Titus, rising 5th grader

I really want this to keep us on track this summer. Titus has to get his multiplication and division facts down better, Silas has a math workbook he's reviewing for the Crew and he needs the review before seventh grade math hits, and they both need the reminder to read more! I'd also like them to begin having a short quiet time with their Bibles each day, and this will be a great place to record this for them. 

Have you ever used daily notebooks in your homeschool?

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Summer Schedules - Yes or No?

When my older kids were still homeschooling and we were traveling with my husband for work, we schooled through the summer. It gave us something to do in the hot weather and provided us with plenty of time off in the winter when we were home. We had great schedules each summer with schooltime in the mornings, outside time, park time, library time, and lots of free time in the afternoons. 

As the older kids grew up and went to public school and I had the younger ones still homeschooling, we were staying home instead of traveling. We were also adapting to the public school calendar with summers off. Having summers off with nothing but free time is great, but it can also be a little chaotic. We have plenty to keep us busy at home - horses, cows, chickens, dogs, cats, and a rabbit! I feel like the past few summers we have developed some bad habits that carry over into the beginning of the new homeschool year.

My oldest daughter, Mikaela, is 19 with her own baby (and apartment) now. Eli will be 17 this summer and has a summer job that will keep him busy most days. Mercie is 14 and will be attending a private Christian school this coming year. She will need to do a few lessons in Saxon Algebra 1 each week this summer to be ready for Geometry in August. Silas and Titus will be in 7th and 5th grades this coming schoolyear and will be homeschooled. Zeke is 3 and needs to keep a good routine to keep him happy!

Because of those reasons, I feel like we need a Summer School Schedule for this summer! The boys will balk at the idea of 'summer school', so I need to come up with a more appealing name. 

What I'm thinking is one hour a day of summer school. This will probably be done during the hottest part of the day here, right after lunch. I would love to have Zeke start a quiet time during this hour since he has given up naps already. 

Mercie will do her Algebra 1 lessons during this hour and then fill the rest of the time with reading.

Silas will work on Cover Story, a review we will most likely be doing for the Homeschool Review Crew anyway. He has never had a formal writing program and this will be good for him. He will also work a page or two in the "Key To..." math series, and fill the rest of the hour with reading.

Titus will be working on his multiplication and division facts during this hour because he really needs to master them before moving on to 5th grade math.  He will also be using Critical Thinking's Language Smarts workbook which is another review item and filling the rest of the hour with reading.

Zeke will hopefully spend his quiet time hour with puzzles, playdough, and quiet play in our homeschool/playroom. Hopefully this hour will also be a quiet time for Mom (if I'm not having to offer too much help!). 

Are you planning a summer school schedule for your kiddos? I'd love to read about it! 

Blogging Through the Alphabet: R is for Routine

We don't exactly have a schedule for our homeschool day - my 14 month old, Zeke, would definitely put a wrench in that - but we do follow a pretty predictable routine each day.

I wake up very early every morning, usually around 5, sometimes a bit before that. I've always done this so it's become a habit. I will take my bath and get ready for the day first. Then I will read my Bible, clean up the house, lesson plan and blog until it's time to get the kids up.

I wake up Mikaela and Eli around 6:30. They leave for school around 7:20. While they're getting ready, I am still doing the things I need to do.

I wake up Mercie, Silas, and Titus around the time the big kids leave for school. Zeke is normally up around 7 or 7:30. They eat breakfast, get dressed, brush their teeth, make their beds, and clean up.

We start school around 8:00. The first thing we do is read the Bible. We read a chapter or two and fill out a notebook page. We also work on scripture memory and pray.

Next, we do geography. We are currently using Expedition Earth. It usually takes us around 30-45 minutes to do this. We read books, complete worksheets, do crafts, and learn interesting facts about our country of the week.

Then we roll right into science. We are working through the book "God's Design for Science: The World of Animals." This takes us around 30 minutes. We read, discuss, and complete a notebook page or worksheet. Some days we have hands-on activities and it lasts a bit longer.

It's usually 9:30 or 10:00 by the time we are through with our "together school", as I call it. Zeke gets into everything we do - drawing on our paper, stepping on our books, climbing on the table, fussing while I'm reading, and bringing me books to read to him. It's a challenge to get anything done, but I just press through the morning and try not to lose my temper (and my mind). I try to give him small spurts of attention throughout the morning, especially while the kids are working on their worksheets or doing a craft or activity. I usually fit his "schoolwork" in between theirs - a coloring page here, a story there, a poem here, a song there.

I get the kids started on their independent work, and Titus will read to me and complete his reading worksheet. I have to help him with math and language arts, usually holding a grumpy Zeke. I also try to get my laundry swapped at this time and maybe sweep or tidy up the homeschool area.

I usually lay down with Zeke around 10:30 or 11:00. He will only fall asleep while nursing (I know, I know...I'm ready to stop this but it's so easy to get him down this way).

When he is asleep, I cook lunch for the kids and I, and I help anyone who needs help. I check and correct their work and then send them off for free time. They normally eat and go outside to help their dad with the cows or to play, but if it's raining or bad weather, they'll play inside or watch a movie. I get the house back in order (or try to) while Zeke naps. Some days he will nap for an hour and a half, some days for half an hour. I try to cram as much cleaning as I can into his naptime.

When he wakes up, if the weather is nice, we will go outside and play. If it's not good weather for him to play in, we play inside. I am usually playing with him a bit, sorting clean laundry into baskets, playing with him some more, washing dishes, playing with him, sweeping and mopping. If I have to go run errands, now is the time I normally do this.

If the big kids don't have practice or games they are home by 3:30. I talk to them a bit and start dinner. If I cooked a big lunch, dinner is leftovers. If we ate a simple lunch, I cook a big dinner. Some days, Zeke will take an afternoon nap, some days he won't.

We will go outside for a bit, sit on the porch, clean up, eat, and hang out the rest of the evening. If the kids have a game we will go to that. I try to get some lesson planning and blogging done in the evening, but I don't always get to.

Around 6:30 or 7:00 we start baths and teeth brushing. I lay down with Zeke around 7:30 or 8:00 normally, and the kids will stay up a little later watching TV or reading. They usually go to bed around 9:00 on school nights and a bit later on the weekend.

Having a routine helps the kids to know basically what we are going to do every day so there are no surprises. I do let them know in the morning if we have any appointments or errands to run. Do you have a routine or schedule? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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Middle School Checklists {Junior High Junction}

With two kids now in middle school - one in 8th grade, and the other in 6th grade - I have decided to do a few things differently. Having a schedule for them to follow each day is one thing I have implemented this school year. They each have a 3-prong folder with 36 weekly schedules inside.

By schedule, I don't mean a strict, to-the-minute itinerary each day. I have created each of them a weekly checklist to use. This weekly checklist includes each subject they must complete each day, along with a checklist for things like personal hygiene, quiet time, and chores. {I find my middle school age kids need reminders to put on deodorant and brush their teeth without being embarrassed when I mention it.}

 

On their weekly schedule, I have included the following subjects:

• Math
• Language Arts
• History
• Science
• Writing
• Reading
• Spanish
• Typing

They don't do every subject every day - for example, science is 3 times a week - but they just put an X in the box if they don't have to complete it that day. A check goes in the box when they do complete it.

I have also included the following under the category of habits:

• Quiet Time
• Memory
• Personal Care
• Clean Room
• Chores

Also on the checklist is a reading log with room for the book title, number of pages and date completed. I have this because my kids read so many books that I can't keep track of them all! This way, at the end of the year, I can compile a list of every book they read in a year.

There  is also space for their memory verse, which we are using from Foundations 2: Christ our Messiah Bible curriculum. Having them write their memory verse on this page insures that when they see the Memory row to check off, they will study their verse for a few minutes. It makes it easier than hunting for an index card or searching in the Bible. Plus, I want us all to memorize the verse in the New Living Translation {my absolute favorite Bible translation} so we can play games and help each other memorize it.

Having the kids use this Weekly Checklist has been so helpful. There is no more "What do I do next?" or "I forgot to do Spanish today!" Until they have checked off every item from that list, they can't watch TV or go outside or do anything.

This gives me plenty of time to work with my little ones, who really need my focus this year. {This is why I have moved my two older children to independent school work instead of the family learning we have done in the past.}

How do you make sure your middle-schooler gets all of his work completed each day?

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