my daily home school schedule

[tatianna]

(this start out as a PM to waterdreamer but soon became rather long so i'm posting it instead)

here is the schedule we use with my daughter ( three and a half)
she is starting first grade

i try to keep pretty detailed records of what i do with muse everyday
i find it helps to keep me from getting discouraged with what we're doing as i can clearly see the progress we've made
i use two simple forms i've made
one is a weekly schedule by topics of what we will be doing
and the other is a daily checklist

this is what most of our days look like

every morning i cook breakfast while muse looks after the baby
this doesn't always work out so well but i'm hoping it's teaching her responsibility
after we clean up we water the plants and do yard work this takes about a hour
i play a disc of music (hour and a half long) by one composer (which we will continue to listen to for a week)
while listening she will ether paint or play outside by herself   


after that we have the days first lesson
this includes doman's EK program and math

i modified the EK program a lot
we only do one session a day sometimes two
i show her five categories with three bits in each
right now we are doing birds, art by picasso, musical instruments
as well as POI's for organs of the body and planets

for math we use a couple different programs all with a strong use of manipulatives
 Math in Focus (singapore math) this program uses varies manipulatives and it takes about fifteen minutes for two lessons
 i love Singapore's math system for too many reasons to list here but in short:
     it's strong emphasis on problem solving,
     the teaching of mathematical concepts from concrete to pictorial to abstract
     the high and fun use of story problems at all levels
     use of bar-models in teaching problem solving (a form of pre-algebra)
     mental math 
 
Miquon Math which uses Cuisenaire rods for all of the work
 mathematical insight grows out of observation, investigation, and the discovery of patterns
 it leads children through an exploration of mathematical relationships
 it's a great program for kids that can't sit still for very long and need to touch things to learn
 even though there is relatively little bookwork it moves along quickly and introduces all four arithmetic operations and work with fractions in the first year
 
 we also use the Three Bear Family counters a lot
 it's a set of small bears in three sizes and three weights
 the set comes with six colors of bears great for counting, sorting, matching, learning colors etc
 i also use the TBF scale and pattern cards with the bears
 muse loves the bears and they have really helped her understanding of patterns

 BrainQuest Workbooks
  if we have time we use the brain quest workbooks some of the topics are really fun for muse
  i love the brainquest card decks both fun and challenging
  the work books are not as challenging and require to much writing for a small child
  but we still use them every few days

after the lesson i play the Suzuki Violin cd which she listens to everyday
during this time she plays on her own (about 35 minutes)

next we do geography
in her EK program we study maps of the world as well as the states of the USA and mexico
one of the best things i ever bought were map cards by A Beka
i use them everyday in EK and then again when we look at the big world maps together
one a muse's favorites is for me a name a country and she tries to find it on the map and then we switch 
she loves her big cloth map of the world
(i bought it in the fabric section at wal mart for $5 a yard so about $6 altogether)
sometimes we do a puzzle of mexico or the US
if you can find a puzzle map of your country it's really useful
we may also use Usborne's Children's Picture Atlas

next we usually walk to the market to shop
muse helps me with picking out fruits and veggies
i give her a small bag for each and ask her to pick out a certain number of each
sometimes i have her count out the money and let her pay
on our walks i let muse give me directions (go left or right, which street to cross etc)
i also have her use the street signs 

when we get home we play brain quest
i read her stories (i'll post some recommendations later)
then she naps for two hours 

when she wakes up she gets ready for dance class
(she dresses herself and is in charge of keeping her things neat)
she dance five days a week: three days of movement and two days of classical ballet
(on the weekend she walks or does yoga)
we walk to class and back

after class we sweep the courtyard and play outside
some days she plays baseball
or rides her tricycle or scooter

then i cook while she pushes the baby in the carriage
after we eat we do another lesson
Sing, Spell, Read and Write for for 20 minutes or so
and then she choses a art project to do
sometimes we do puzzles
or she works on her own with cutting and pasting
while we do this we listen to ether Teach Your Baby French or Teach Your Baby Spanish
we repeat each word together with the cd

later on she does brillkids with her sister
and then plays starfall on her own
we tidy up the house
and she helps me take out the trash

in the evening we have her reading lesson she reads her peter and jane readers to me
after that we read poetry together
i think the very best book of poetry for children is A Child's Book of Poems
it's has stunningly lovely pictures and real poems
there is over two hundred poems by some of the greatest poets
yet it also includes childhood favorites
sometimes we try to learn a poem but most of the time we just enjoy the music of the words
review her verses (we use the Feed My Lambs program it's great 5 stars)
read some bible stories or Alice in Bibleland
then we read stories
 
after that she ether plays quietly on her own or goes to sleep

weekly activities

we bird watch a few times a week
she has her own pair of binoculars 
and we look for birds together in our backyard
she studies birds in her EK program everyday
and a few times a week she uses her Bird Songs books
those are great big books with huge beautiful pictures of birds along with a common call
it also includes basic facts about the birds highly recommended
the books are expensive $50 so check on ebay or even BN bookstore (i found them for about $15) 

once or twice a week we do science experiments
i really wish we did more of this i need to get organised
we use Janice VanCleave's  Science for Every Kid series
what is really fabulous about these books is how they throughly teach kids how to use the scientific method
each book has a hundred experiments on one topic, earth science etc
as you work though the book your child starts to gain a really understanding of the subject
not just some facts to memorize out of a textbook
after each experiment the author also tells you why it happened for you learn the facts as well

we are starting Suzuki Violin classes twice a week for twenty minutes
we will begin to practices at home as well

arts
muse does art almost everyday
all her art supplies are on a low shelf so she can have access to them at all times
any given day she uses: pastels, oil pastels, oil paint, water colors, color pencils, markers, collages, stamping or clays
some days we do an art project from one of MaryAnn Kohl's art books for children lots of great ideas
i love her philosophy on children's early art experience
when in the US we visit the art museum at least once a week
and we study the great masters ether with EK (we have studied the works of at lest 40 artists) or with books
for young kids i recommend the series of board books by Julie Merberg
for slightly older kids A Child's Book of Art and The Art Book for Children are both wonderful
there are of course many more but those are sitting right next to me

we will be starting Latin as soon as the program gets here
 Song School Latin is what we will start with
 it has weekly lessons peppered with songs, illustrations, hand-writing practice, stories and activities for easy mastery and memorization
 after this we hope at start something more advanced
 our plan is to delay English grammar and spelling until she has a firm foundation in Latin

games and puzzles
 if not every day i try to do some learning games and puzzles a few times a week
 she also uses some on her own
 i've been collecting for many years on so we have a lot of these 
 but i just wanted to mention a few i consider essential
 wooden beads for stringing
 lacing cards (we use a set of wooden animal cards that muse likes a lot)
 a life size skeleton foam puzzle
 tangram puzzles are fabulous resource for developing geometry understandings and spatial skills
 (plus they are just so fun for kids)
 a memory or matching game

 Physical Education
last year we followed Glenn Doman's book faithfully, as we had since muse was seven months old
sadly a lot of our education programs took a hit when we had another baby
but as the baby starts to crawl i've been trying to have muse crawl with her
this is all very informal right now but as the baby grows i hope the program will as well
for now she mostly dances and does some informal balance work
as well as hanging and swinging on the ladder

nature studies
i have muse outside in much as i can
try to go on nature walks often
learn about trees, plants,garden and life cycles
this is a work in progress as there are no parks to speak of here and no zoos
but we do the best we can and get creative press flowers etc
and enjoy our time in the united states
     
food
no msg
no trans fats
no white flour or rice
little or no sugar
little or no salt
i know this is about education yet i feel strongly that diet has a lot to do with mental development
so i keep her food as healthy as i can

i've been involved in or around home education my whole life
yet everyday feels like i have just begun
many many times i've had to throw out a perfectly great program or curricula because it just didn't work for my daughter
remaining flexible and having patience are two of the most important lessons i have had to learn the hard way   
a very wise mother once told me,"you don't make your children into something, you simple discovery what God created and nurture it as best you can"
the more i work with children the more i find that to be true
some days i feel like giving up, that nothing is working
so instead of trying to "home school" my daughter i like to think of sharing one truly great idea with her everyday

[heath]

WOW!! Amazing.  Thank you so much for sharing it is a real inspiration.  You are really doing an amazing job in nurturing your children. The other day I was reading about homeschooling and the lady said, God was also not a perfect parent.  He told Adam and Eve not to eat the apple.  But what happened....  he didn't give up.  I always think of this when I think, nothing is working and am ready to give up and honestly I don't even do 1% of what you are doing.

We can not be perfect in everything, we can not do everything we intend to do with our kids.  But, I am sure, each one of us here is perfect in loving their child and are doing their best to give them the tools to be happy and be the best in whatever they choose to do.  Every little bit goes a long long way, you might not realize it now.

Kudos to you.  Your post has given me a lot of inspiration.

Thank You
Heath.

[Sarah108]

Karma to you for sharing Tatianna, Wow!! I am certainly going to use some of your ideas - sounds like you are managing to put together a really full, fun day for oyur little one.

Do you print the flashcards off, or use them on the pc?

[PY]

Great info. Thanks for shraing. Thanks for mention her diet. Would please be more specific in her diet?

[DrPrimo]

fabulous!  how old is your daughter?  are you going to continue to home school in the future or are you going to send her to some kind of school?  also, how long have you been on this schedule with her?
thanks for sharing!
the doc

[ruby10]

Hi
I am new to this forum,Can i know what is EK program?

[tatianna]

doc
my daughter is 3 and a half
we plan to continue home education
parts of the program we have been doing for almost three years
(EK, music, art, poetry etc)
the math program and most of the rest we've been for a little over a year now
(when she started pre k)
of course we had had a few months in which we did almost nothing (when i had a baby, moved to mexico etc)
but for the most part this what we've been doing for a year

ruby10
EK is short for Glenn Doman's Encyclopedic Knowledge program

[DrPrimo]

thanks for the info.  i hear that the american schools in mexico are fabulous!  way ahead of anything in the states.  might depend on where you live in mexico, but i have a lot of friends who have attended the american schools in mexico and they are some of the smartest most well rounded people i know... just wanted to share!
well done on everything!
the doc

[waterdreamer]

Wow Tatianna! This was exactly the kind if info I was hoping you would share with me! This was real food for thought. Right now were are just playing around with stuff, trying this and that so that can see what works for us. Come September I'm hoping to get more structured.
How do you like Sing, Spell, read and write. I've been looking at getting it but it's so expensive. I'd love to know your thoughts and how it works.
Thank you again and karma to you!

[tatianna]

Sarah108
except for some little reader and little math i use real cards for all the EK subjects
i have printed out a few sets
but i mainly make them myself using large postcards, art books and magazines
i am always in thrift stores, used book shops, library sales, and on ebay and amazon
i also swap books at paperbackswap.com 
for great wildlife bit cards i am always looking for  Wildlife Explorer by International Masters Publishers
 are perfect for bit cards and you can find them at yard sales etc

i don't make my cards as big as doman says to
i use regular size white card stock
and instead of laminating i use regular plastic sheet protectors
and i don't use contact cement ether just a glue stick 
this makes EK a whole lot cheaper for example
i'm going to make a set of bits on the art work of Vermeer
i found a big art book on his work at a yard sale
so for 40 pictures it cost me  $1.50
i bought 250 sheets of card for $12
and 200 sheet protectors for $14
it took me a hour and a half to make these bit cards and cost less the $10

sadly it's th POI that take all the time
i have made way over 3000 cards but only 50 have the POI
 
sometimes i buy already made cards like The Presidents Fact Deck at Barnes & Noble
the set came with 52 cards one card for each president with a large pic on one side and facts on the other
plus some extra cards the set was $10

 

 

[tatianna]

Monique

i just started SSRW and you right it is expensive though you can find it a little bit cheaper on amazon
we bought the first grade kit for $160
the good news is that the kit resales for around $150
so if you keep it in good shape you don't lose much

we decided to buy this program for a few reasons

muse did not learn to read with sight reading
we tried everything little reader, all the big red Doman words (hundreds of them), YBCR nothing worked
i had used Doman's method with many classrooms of children in Africa before i had kids (so i know it does work)
his books where my standard baby shower gift for years
yet with muse it just didn't work
(we will be starting it with her sister this month knock on wood)
after almost three years with little to no progress we started doing a little bit of phonics on the side
and muse finally began to read  
the only problem was most of the programs and books i looked at were really boring
and since muse is without a doubt a auditory and tactical learner this program seemed like the best fit
(on a side note auditory learners in general do better with a phonics program)
the program comes with a tons of stuff (a huge boxes)
it's truly multisensory with songs, games, prizes, wall charts, readers, and loads of hands-on activities
they claim a average 42 percentile-point increase in total reading scores, 34-point increase in comprehension, and a increase of 2.7 reading grade levels in one year
but like i said we just started so i can't give a full review yet
i will let you know how it's going and if it's worth the money in a month or two


 
 

[waterdreamer]

Thank-you for replying. I'm excited to see how your little one takes to this program. I read a review just now that their kit came with a VHS parents guide. Is that what yours came with or was it a DVD.

[LMsMum]

Tatianna, you have given so much useful information and tips! You are absolutely right about the need to be flexible and adjust teaching according to your child, but I have learned some great ideas from you post. I loved the quote at the end of your post about discovering your child! I can relate to it so much. My daughter has got a few problems developmentally, but she keeps surprising me every day. Karma to you!

[Sarah108]

Tatianna, thanks for the reply. My greatest time burden at the moment is making the BITS with the facts on the back - same problem as you.What are sheet protectors? Are they sticky? or is it just a plastic slip that you use?

Sorry for all the questions, but I think you seem to have found the formula for cheap, easy and relatively easy card making!

[tatianna]

Sarah108
sheet protectors are not sticky
they are a plastic slip you use
i buy them at Office Depot, i use the store brand because it's cheaper or i look for sales
one thing i have noticed is that it's best to wait a few minutes after you glue the picture to the card
or it may reacted with the plastic and bubble a little bit
so let the bits dry before you place them in the plastic sheets

waterdreamer
yes it came with an instructional video
but the music at lest is on CD
don't own a tv much less a video player
so i haven't watched the video yet
but the program comes with a step by step teachers guide
so i don't think you really need the video
i'm going to visit friends in week or so who have a player
so i will watch it and post about it

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