Help
With Your Rule
How to Finish School in the Morning
Dear Holly,
I've read your book and love it. I have 5 boys (grades 6, 5, 2nd, and a 5 and 3 yr old) and wonder how do you get your school done by 1230 p.m.? We always have to go to 2 or 3 p.m. What curriculum do you use? Especially for math and English/writing? Haven't yet set up my mother's rule schedule, because I'm afraid I'll fail. It seems I'm only doing school, laundry and whatever I can fit in...before it's time to cook dinner.
Labels: Homeschooling
posted by Holly at 4:26 PM
3 Comments:
I finish school in the morning because I have learned to put academics 'in its place'.
To educate a child is to form the whole child. And the child is a lot more than memory alone or intellect alone. In fact, within the broad context of Catholic education, intellectual formation comes second or third - higher up is the formation of will or heart, and higher than this, or should I say combined with this, is the formation of the child's ability to live the relationships they are called to live as humans - their relationship with God, within themselves as integrated persons, with others and with the world they are called to steward and tend to.
Given this, there are other areas of education in a child's 'complete life curriculum' - domestic skills, artistic skills, other practical arts like computer or carpentry, and the child's own ongoing interests and hobbies. I am sure my list here is not exhaustive.
So,
Given the reality of the whole child, I have chosen to place formal intellectual formation - ie academics - within a certain time frame and to stick to it. Keep in mind that they continue to form their intellect in many ways throughout the remainder of the day as well, on their own time, so to speak.
But I have kept the academic portion as a real chunk of time because I wanted the accent on the academic skills which their counterparts in good schools receive and I do not believe in sacrificing these. My kids need to grow up and live in this present world - not in another culture where academic skills don't count. However, I do not believe that the children need to spend all their day in academic formation.
So. GIven this, I break up our school time into timed chunks, usually. (At various times of year, I change the basic methods, but most of the time I focus on these things):
At about 8:45 we pray or attend Mass, depending on the season, weather, etc. Then,
For Junior High -
Religion 45 minutes
English 45 minutes
Recess 30 minutes
Math 45 minutes
Other 45 minutes - they shift back and forth in approx. 2 week spurts between Science, History, with some Geography ad Health occasionally.
For my primary/elementary kids
Religion 30 minutes
Reading/Handwriting 30 minutes
English/Phonics 30 minutes
Recess 30 minutes
Math 45 minutes
Other 45 minutes
For special events, like Science Fair projects, they spend an additional hour in the afternoon for a couple of weeks to work on this. But this is rare.
How do I 'cover it all'?
First, I decide what I want to cover that year, and I choose which chapters/topics I do not consider as essential as the rest. Keep in mind that even school teachers pick and choose and no teacher usually does the complete texts or books.
I have an extensive 'real books' part of my curriculum - mostly historical fiction and saints lives - which they read in Quiet time or for bedtime. And any videos I assign (Science or classic stories or geography) are done in spare time. We often 'Visit China' or some other such place around the world during winter lunch times. We just toured the Great Wall and we're going to the Canadian Rockies next!
If we get to January and I think we are a bit behind schedule, I will take a month (or week here or there) and do a "read-only" - where the topics I consider less important simply get read, with no corresponding exercises or any form of activity or evaluation, to give them a break and move past unnecessary projects or assignments.
(I often change methodology anyway - since no one likes tests or written assignments or oration or even hand-on projects ALL the time - variety is the spice of life, after all.)
On a daily basis, if they do not finish a lesson today, they carry on with it the next day. If they finish a day's lesson early, they start another lesson with the time remaining.
Does this help? Please feel free to inquire further and I can fill in any details.
Blessings
Holly
Oh, and one last idea -
If a child struggles with a certain course and does not complete a grade's Math, for example, then I pick them up in the fall where they left off. This has been very helpful when needed with a couple of my children. I do this with Readers, English programs and with one child, I've done it with Math.
Otherwise, if I move on, they have missed things, which I don't want them to miss. Or, I waste all my good books - which I pick carefully to target what I want to see covered. It might help you to know that, I use 7 Science texts for 9 grade levels, so they can finish them as they are able.
Or another example - for my Grade 7 & 8 history, we split a textbook over two years. I am doing the same thing with my son next year in Gr 10 - splitting a Gr 11 history text over two years and covering it more slowly so it sinks in. I don't believe in rushing thru good books.
As for religion, I insist that everything is done in that subject as it is the most important subject.
Hi Holly,
I have a question following on from your comments. How do you manage to stick to your time frame when you have two (or more?) children who need one on one instruction to complete their work? I have one child with special needs and another who is very easily distracted. Therefore they require much attention. They are 10 and 8.
What you wrote about keeping academics in it's place resonated with me. I've been homeschooling for two and a half years. In that time I've devoted too much energy to curriculum and to ensuring we cover it all!
Thank you for your wonderful book, and this encouraging blog.
In Christ,
Tricia.
(in Australia)
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