Schedules.

I’ve been tossing around possibilities for schedules as I prepare to start school soon next week . . .

This is usually right up my Type A alley, but I’m a little indecisive this time around.  Here is my dilemma:

Plan A :

All the homeschooling books, articles, & professionals recommend beginning with the core subjects.  Mostly because this is when your children are their prime time for learning & retaining.  It is also an added bonus, that if you start with the core & the afternoon falls apart - well, hey, at least you accomplished the necessities.

 

or  Plan B

    

Plan A sounds great.  Except I kinda like the idea of beginning our day together & spending the afternoons on independent work.  This gives me the morning devoted completely to our group studies, freeing me a little in the afternoons for teaching, then being available when needed.  The tiny bit of freedom in the afternoons help so much with preparing for the evening.  Plus, it gives the kids a little initiative to finish their independent work. 

 

My next “issue” is Tyler.  I have read a couple blogs/articles that recommend giving your older children more freedom in scheduling their work.  Instead of me scheduling when he does math or what order he does it in – allow him to learn to manage his workload.  I like the little push this adds into independence, but really – I have 5 kids (almost).  Am I just being too big of a control freak or is it still necessary for me to schedule our subjects & plan his daily work for him.  The idea sounds so appealing & easy, but am a cautious as to how it really works.  I’m seriously considering giving Tyler a weekly list of what he needs to have done by Friday & allowing him to work through it at his own pace, on his own time-frame, & in whatever order he likes (as long as it is all done by Friday).  Another option is to just get him his own planner, plan the daily plans & let him work through it on his own daily instead of weekly.  This option might be our trial plan to see how the more independent plan would work. 

We might play around with these options over the next few weeks & see which works best for us. I’ll have so much better of an idea once we start using the curriculum & see how long each subject will actually take us.  By the time we find the perfect fit, fall will be upon us, Tara will be here & I’ll probably have to come up with a whole new plan . . .