4Real Forums: Streamlining

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Topic: Streamlining

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Kristie 4
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Joined: June 20 2006
Location: Canada
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Posts: 1508

Posted: Feb 25 2010 at 12:36pm \| IP Logged

We need to streamline our days. They are long, and even when we try to stay more on track we are just so used to everything taking forever. I attempted to streamline today but my older kids got lost in some of their studies and we are lagging again. Even my youngers are taking most of the morning for the basics, then more basics in the afternoons and our read alouds are seriously suffering.

How do you families with many students, with many ages (we have 9th, 7th, 4th, and 2nd here) handle your day? (How is that for an enormous question!). I think we need some serious streamlining here. I liked the answer to Angela's question in dealing with times of change- we have none of them here, but I seemed better equipped and organized with littles underfoot!!

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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!

A Walk in the Woods

Becky Parker
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Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
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Posted: Feb 25 2010 at 1:42pm \| IP Logged

I'm wondering why your days are taking so long? Are the kids dawdling, or are they just so interested in what they are studying they just keep at it?

If it's dawdling, one thing I started just a couple of weeks ago is setting a time. I say "Okay, we're all going to work on math for 45 minutes. What ever isn't finished will have to be done this afternoon before you have your computer time (or whatever)". We're enjoying this online timer for this purpose. It's amazing how much my 9yo gets done this way.

Another thing I do to streamline is read aloud to the kids during meal times. During breakfast, I read history books, during lunch it's a science related book, and during our "Tea Time" (or afternoon snack time) I read some other sort of literature.

I know it's hard with such a spread of ages. In your case, I might choose two days a week to read something of interest for your 2 older kids and two days for the younger two. Sometimes my oldest son, an intravert, just wanted to go and eat his lunch while he read his own science or history. That was an option for him.

It was actually hard for me to start doing read alouds during meals because by the time we got to lunch I felt like I needed a break. But I just wait to eat my lunch until afterwards, and it's really not a big deal. I also see the benefits. My 9yo has ADHD tendencies and having something to do (eat) while I read helps him to pay attention. It also helps my 2 yo stay out of trouble. When the kids finish eating, if I'm not done reading they have the option to draw about whatever the book is about. I like to think that is a way to incorporate some art. I don't read a terribly long time. Sometimes it's only 15 minutes (I shoot for 1/2 hour). But even just a little a day keeps us moving.

The other thing I did, which was an attempt by me to keep homeschooling even though I was feeling terribly burned out, is to incorporate more breaks in our day. I know, that means the days are even longer, but the little breaks help me more than anything. I can go on line for a few minutes, throw in some laundry, vacuum the living room, or sit and have a cup of tea. My kids are benefitting from the breaks too. My younger ones seem better able to focus on the subject at hand after a little break.
That being said, my oldest son goes to highschool now. I think though, that if he were home, I would have to shorten his breaks or he wouldn't get done. I would probably give him a say in how he schedules his day. I did that a little when he was in 8th grade. We went through his subjects, figured out how long they should each take, then mapped out a schedule for him to follow. He was very independent, by his own choice so that worked for him.

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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd

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