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...