"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows that we know, and holds us responsible to ACT"...Proverbs 24:12
















Friday, February 1, 2013


My friend over at Simple Homeschool
http://simplehomeschool.net/rachels-homeschool-day/ is doing a series Called: 

Day in the Life of  Your Homeschool...well here it is!

 
I should note here that I have a: 

 6 year old son
 8 year old daughter
  9 year old son
  and twin 11 year old daughter's that we adopted from Ethiopia only 4 months ago- they are just learning English

 
All 5 kids and I wake up between 7:30- 8:00

 The kids are allowed to wake up in front of PBS kids while I get ready (funny how getting ready has changed...can you call black yoga pants and a pony tail getting ready?)
 
I get breakfast on the table with my 'daily kitchen helper.'  Each day of the week a child is assigned to help me in the kitchen w/ each meal- not only is it a real help but it gets in some extra 1 on 1 time.

 
call the kids in- while they eat their breakfast I get a lot of reading in.

I do Bible/ missionary stories, poetry, read a portion of their science book, a portion of their history book, and then a read- aloud- chapter book...

I use Sonlight Curriculum- but w/out the curriculum- I just read the books...

Some kids sit still...some kids don't.  I let the fidgety one's walk around the room, sit on the floor, lay on the couch, draw, fiddle w/ something...as long as they are listening in and not noisy.

 
This is really my favorite part of the day.  Without fail the kids ask, 'what we are doing today' (basically I think they just want to know if they can stay in their jammy's or do they have to get dressed)

It still seems peaceful- there is usually a child on my lap and we just linger before the 'rush of getting it all done starts.'

I know- that term must make many cringe. I try not to be jealous of other 'day in the lifes' I read about- especially the 'unschoolers.'  In a way I think that is my favorite philosophy and I scatter this into our homeschool but for me- going from 3 to 5 kids- I have to plan and carve out learning time to make sure that it actually gets done!

 When our 'Extended breakfast' is over we get down to business!

 
 I don't have a set schedule- I do what works best for that moment and I often give the kids a choice between 2 options of what they want to work on 1st.
 I also give 2 directions to keep them moving- for instance... If Sova (8) is dabbling on the piano I tell her to start practicing-  and then give her a choice of starting math or copywork.

  
If some kids are playing nicely together or really into something that they are playing- whether it is a game, making a comic, or an intense lego creation...I take advantage and start cleaning up.

 
Some of the kids like to get school done with right away- they want a pile on the table and they want to be done first.

While other's- after doing 1 thing will flee to the legos and stay there until I drag them back.

Jacob (9) knows to go straight to the computer to do his math program- Teaching Textbooks.  When he is done he knows that he has a choice of practicing piano or reading his book.

 
While he does that, I will sit down w/ my coffee and usually rotate 2 kids at a time at the table.

 They each do handwriting/ copywork from whatever book they are interested in, spelling from Spelling Power, Explode the Code, and math-u-see. 

 
The twins and the younger 2 love the computer program called,  'Reading Eggs', they think its fun but it is a Huge help in all of their reading/ language skills.  So they all know that once their table work is done they can each have a turn on the computer doing 'the eggy game.' 

 
That's our morning- along w/ too many requests for snacks, multiple requests to 'take a bath,' a family search party for the little grey piece that  is missing from the Lego guys ship, the occasional chase of a squirrel, along with breaks to jump on the trampoline in the  cold with or without socks on, the breaking up of squabbles, and the chasing of a child who is playing with my phone... By now it's time to 'figure out lunch.'
 

Here I read again to them- another History portion and more of a chapter-read-aloud.
 

After lunch Jacob and Sova may take turns on a typing program and I will sit at the table to help Jacob with spelling and instruct him in his 'Learning language arts through Literature' book. 

 
I then plunk myself down on the couch with the phonics book, Dick and Jane, and a stack of early readers...I proceed to call in 4 of the kids individually- to come and read to me.  Because my 1st grader is a bit fast and my 2nd grader is a struggling reader and the 11 year old twins are just leaning English...I find myself reading the same.. pages.. over.. and.. over...and...over... again... all... day...long.  Or so it feels ;)

 
All of the above is usually accomplished by 2:30- 3:00ish.

 
Amazingly we are only home all day on 2 of the days of the week! 
 The above work gets carted to Homeschoolers ski club on Mondays and the piano teacher's kitchen table on Wednesday.  Every Friday we take part in a homeschool group so that is a shortened school day for us anyways...anything that get's done Friday morning is a bonus :)

Yes, sometimes I feel stressed out.

 Often I feel guilty that a particular child did not do his or her math or reading for that day.

And yes, sometimes I take a shower at 4:00 in the afternoon just to be alone and because I am tired of talking. 

 
But I confess...I love homeschooling. 

I love that learning takes place at home- because it's always there...it carries over from one thing to the next.

Most of all I love the memories that we are making...supposedly, for so I've been told- these children will one day be grown in a wink of the eye...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 comments:

Rachel Marie said...

I had to visit (from simplemom) when I saw that you adopted from Ethiopia. We adopted a son from there nearly 2 years ago (how time flies!!). At that point he HATED sitting and listening to me read ANYTHING. Who can blame him since he didn't understand a word of it. But now, he LOVES to read! You have a beautiful family :) I love your scheduled, yet flexible day.

Leah E. Good said...

This made me smile, Mrs. Turner. #1 thing to learn as a homeschooler? How to do school on the run. I love homeschooling too. :)