Our {Getting There} Routine

Several of you have asked about our day and how it basically shapes up. If you would have asked me two weeks ago...well, let's just say that it looks a lot different today and we're still working out the kinks.

We started out doing a few things in the morning and then the bulk of our school in the afternoon, but it just wasn't working and I was about zilch on the productive scale around the house. After the first week I was extremely frustrated and decided to revamp the schedule and try to get the majority of school done in the morning.

We're in our second week of the 'new' schedule and it's working out much better. Our afternoons are free for me to do some things around the house {dinner prep, bread, laundry, etc...} and also to do fun stuff with the kids {games, more 1:1 time}. I'm able to relax a little more and just enjoy it ~ and that's half the battle. :)

This is a peek at our current day routine:

7:30 - 8:00 Kids have breakfast & get dressed. Depending on the morning, I'll sit with them and read a chapter from a book to them {right now we are reading through the Narnia series}. Essentially, when they are eating they are too busy chewing to talk, so it's fairly quiet reading. :)

8:00 - 8:30 Chores/Get ready for the day. They have five things to do before we start school time: Get dressed. Make their bed. Brush teeth and hair. Pick up their room. Choose an extra chore {start a load of laundry, vaccuum, sweep, clean up the bathroom, etc...}.

8:30 - 9:00 Independent work. The girls work on their handwriting sheet and math while I work with Zachary on his math and handwriting. We're all sitting at the table together if they have questions. Kaleb is also at the table with us usually coloring or working on an activity that I have for him.

9:00 - 9:30 Spelling and Language - I work with the girls on language every day and Zachary usually listens in on what we are doing. I alternate teaching the girls and Zachary spelling {girls are M/W and Zachary is Tu/Th - while I work with one, the others will play a game/workbox activity}. When we are doing spelling Kaleb likes to sit with us on the floor and play with the letters too. :) Otherwise, I have him near me working on something in his boxes ~ stringing beads, stacking blocks, or working with the girls.

9:30 - 10:00 Outdoor/Activity Time. If any of our subjects have run a little over, we push it into this time slot a little, but otherwise we take a walk, ride bikes, play outside or if the weather is yucky, have fun with the Wii.

10:00 - 10:15 Snack and Reading

10:15 - 11:00 Science and Bible. Again I alternate Bible and Science. Science is Tu/Thu and Bible is on Monday with the girls and Wednesday with Zachary. Kaleb will sometimes sit along with us at the table or I put a short video on for him and he will otherwise play by himself. If I am working with Zachary on Bible, the girls will work on independent reading or another activity/game that I have in their workboxes.

11:00 - 11:30 Geography. This is the time that we are sitting on the couch reading books together about the country we are studying, working on mapping activities, etc... Kaleb likes to sit on my lap or pull out his special school stuff to work on . :) Coloring...anything.

11:30 - 12:00 Free Time for older kids and 1:1 time for Kaleb. The older kids can either 'catch-up' on things that they couldn't finish earlier {reading or a worksheet, etc...}

12:00 - 12:30 Lunch and Reading. If I didn't read with the kids during breakfast, I'll sit with them and read a chapter from a book we're doing together.

12:30 - 1:00 - Game Time.

1:00 - 1:30 Outside or Table Time. Time to burn some energy off before Kaleb's nap...or if the weather is yucky we pull out our art supplies.

1:30 - 2:00 Art. Once Kaleb is in his room for nap, the older three and I have time for more involved art activities if there are any on the radar - otherwise, they are allowed to rotate through on the computer and they play together for a 'quiet time'.

2:00 - 2:30 Time with Laurianna. Because of the reviews that I do, this is the time that I have set aside if there is a product that doesn't fit into our normal day's routine...she gets to be the guinea pig. :)

Be sure to stop by and visit Darcy@My3Boybarians to check out a "Day in the Life" schedules from other homeschooling moms!