Here’s our homeschooling schedule that most of you are probably interested in, as this addresses the younger kids in the family.

• 7:30 am – wake up, get dressed, clean room
• 8  – prayers
• 8:30 – breakfast
• 9:00 – chores
• 9:30 – academic time

For the six year old, this means: daily handwriting (D’nealian), Hebrew writing (print lettering, copies one letter between ten – 20 times), math (Miquon orange book, just because I have it around, not because I especially recommend it), reads to me from a book (5 – 10 min), and does some beginning Hebrew reading with me.  That’s it.  My younger kids have adopted academics as part of their day because they see their older siblings doing it, but I wouldn’t insist on a daily math workbook for a child this age.  The times I gave for him are approximate because I don’t pay much attention to it; he determines how much he wants to do.  He finishes before anyone else, so he then plays with the toddler, reads something with me, or finds something else to occupy himself. 

7.5 year old – daily math (Singapore 2B), copywork, sometimes reads something to me (today was The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen – it’s in the Jamestown Heritage reader that I aquired free from someone- but she liked it so much that she kept reading to herself after she finished reading to me – oh, the troubles of homeschooling :)), Hebrew reading practice a couple of times a week, and independent reading (she chooses what she wants to read, though I did get the Billy and Blaze series by CW Anderson for her that she’s enjoying because it has challenging words but doesn’t look intimidating, and it’s a very nice series).

9 year old – daily math (Singapore 5A), copywork, an hour of reading (currently Treasure Island), learns chumash/mishnayos sometime in day with older brother, Hebrew handwriting. 

While they are all doing their handwriting, they don’t need me to help them with anything.  With math, they usually need minimal help – an explanation of a concept and help with one or two examples, then they’re good to go on their own.  They come to me if they have a question.  While they’re doing this, I’m with the baby and toddler, sometimes reading something to the toddler (he loves books – I think it’s genetic :)) while the baby crawls around and pulls everything out of everywhere that he can, making an unbelievable mess in about two minutes.  I’m sure none of you can relate.  But he’s happy, so it’s fine, and I just accept that this stage of life is about having regular pick up times and a floor that isn’t clear long enough to enjoy the clean feeling.  🙂

The six year old is usually finished very quickly, in time to listen to me read to the toddler, and I usually tell them both to choose a book from the library shelf that they want to hear.  These are mostly books that I’ve chosen, most recently from those I saw recommended in Under The Chinaberry Tree. 

Yesterday’s books included Autumn Story and Summer Story, from the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem.  Today they chose Once There Was a Tree, by Natalia Romanova, about all the various forms of life that live in a tree stump, and Malian’s Song, based on the true story of the attack on the Abenaki native community in 1759.  I don’t try to qualify and categorize every single thing we do into little academic compartments.  So though these books would easily be science and history, it just happens to be what they chose.  Having good quality books around means that whatever book they choose has value. 

Sometime mid morning, I do a read aloud with the 6, 7, and 9 year olds that is separate from our evening read aloud for the entire family.  Right now we’re in the third book of the Little House on the Prairie series, Farmer Boy.  Again, the book chosen for this is one that is well written and content rich.  We do 2 – 4 chapters each day, depending on the length and what time it is by then.  That’s fun history.

I try to coordinate the naptime for the baby and toddler, which usually means I put the toddler in an hour or so after the baby, since he doesn’t sleep as long.  If I don’t consciously do this, the toddler ends up falling asleep right before the baby wakes up.   Usually I put the toddler in sometime around 11 am or so, and he’s then sleeping when I do the longer read aloud. 

The 9 year old practices piano sometime in the morning (and usually again in the afternoon), my 12 year old decided this week that she wants to teach the 7 year old piano, so she’s spending time with her on that.  We eat lunch at 1:30 until 2 pm, and then they have the rest of the day until dinner at 6:30 to do with as they want. 

The 7 and 9 year olds almost always spend time together in the afternoon listening to a long and complicated audio book.  That’s fun literature.  They both have similar interests in literature and have high comprehension levels, so they easily listen to books geared towards kids aged 12 and older.  They could sit there for hours listening if I let them.  They choose those books, but I approve them, so they aren’t fluff books.  They play inside and outside, work on projects (the 7 yo started a science project with her 12 yo sister a couple of days ago, growing crystals), ride bikes or scooters, play with friends (though I limit this a lot), and somehow manage to productively pass the afternoon.  (You know what productive means for little kids? Having fun and being able to relax.)  

Beginning this past Monday, they’re all enrolled in a new Junior Rangers series, which  goes for three weeks, for two hours each time.  They learned about insects this time, and the next two sessions will be on flatlands and grasslands.  That’s what we call fun science.  This group was one that several homeschooling families in our area are doing together so the kids enjoyed being with their friends while enjoying the activity.  What’s nice is how easy and natural it is for them to pick up a lot of information in an environment like this.

If there’s something that I didn’t cover that you’d like me to give more info on, just ask.

Avivah