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kathleenmom
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Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Jan 04 2007 at 7:57pm | IP Logged
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I have a question for you Michele or any seasoned MA curriculum users. Our school days go on and on and on and I guess I am not certain if this is the way it is for everyone, or if I am doing something wrong and need to tweak.
We usually get school underway by 9 am and I am currently using MA for two students. They are 1st and 3rd grade and we are using Level 1B and the second year of 1A. I combine a few things. We do the same American History, we combine some science, we also combine geography. We do some religion together and the rest is individual. My 9 year old is not all that independent, truly. We are currently buddy reading the books that are recommended for independent reading, so she doesn't do much on her own.
I think MA is a great curriculum and don't believe that it is over the top in regards to how much is expected of the child. My children are bright and capable, and are not really be stretched beyond their abilities. Add to the mix, a healthy dose of 4 year old preschooler and 1 year old toddler and a new baby due to arrive in 6 weeks or less and you will be able to set the scene.
As I said, we begin at 9ish. We do Morning offering en masse, then I do catechism with the two school age kiddos. We use catechismclass online and really like it. They are at two different levels, but I combine the readings and prayers and such and then just go back with the elder and read the more advanced catechism work for her level when the 1st grader is done.
Next, I try to get the eldest to practice her piano for 20 minutes and give the 1st grader something independent like handwriting and/or copywork to do while I squeeze in a few minutes of preschool work with the 4 year old. Preschool wasn't anything I aspired toward, truly. With the olders, we just read lots of books and did very low key colors, numbers, and such until kindergarten. However, this child having older siblings busy with school, has requested school work where the others did not. I usually spend 20 minutes in the morning with her, and then maybe squeeze in some more as the day progresses.
After piano, I then attempt to get the eldest to do something independent while I do phonics and math with the 1st grader. When he is finished, he is usually done until we do our collaborative lessons together, so I may have him play with the baby for a bit.
Now, I move on to the 3rd grader and do math with her...we are now usually into lunch prep time. This all sounds smooth thus far, but factor in diaper changes, sippy cup refills, snack dispersing, meltdown clean-up and squabble refereeing and bamm-o....here we are at lunch time.
After lunch, it's usually attempt a nap for the baby, which more likely than not, does not happen anymore. Since he weaned, I'm no good at getting him to sleep, but that is another post. So, now we have fractious baby to add into the mix as well.
Now, let's on to finishing math with 3rd grader, science, history, geography......literature, poetry review. Now, mind you, we don't do all of those subjects every day, but break them up over the course of the week.
That said, we find ourselves daily here lately nearing dinner time and just finishing up. Is this normal?
I don't even give them formal breaks, really. There are so many natural interruptions that our day just can't fit them in, truly. My 3rd grader, especially, has really begun to buck at the traces. She wants to know why the neighborhood children are outside playing and she is still finishing her work?
I'll also mention that neither school age child excels in dilligence. If I'm not there with the bullhorn chanting (hurry, hurry, focus.......) then nothing would ever get completed.
I look at the curriculum and try to envision what if anything needs pruning, and I just don't see it. It doesn't look overly ambitious to me, and I actually fall a lot shorter of the mark than I would like to. All of the lovely unit studies, the extras, the arts and crafts that I can never seem to get to........
Does this look something like your house, or am I falling down somewhere? Oh one more thing, I do a pretty good job of keeping myself in check as well. I don't answer the phone during the day at all and don't allow myself to be lured to the computer either. In fact, many days the sink is full of dirty dishes at dinnertime and the laundry I tossed in the washer at 7:30 is still in there. Any and all advice is much appreciated.
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DH Daniel, Sophia Brigid (97), Russell Powers (99), Honoria Jane (02), John Patrick (05), Brigid Mary Feb. 24, 2007!
AMDG Academy
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Kathryn UK
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| Posted: Jan 05 2007 at 7:39am | IP Logged
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Hello Kathleen,
There are certainly days when that looks like my house  . I have an 11yo who is far less independent than she should be, an 8yo who can work independently but is a dreamer who doesn't focus, a 7 month old baby, and I'm trying to clear out and pack up my mother's seriously cluttered house so that she can move. I have opted for what I call emergency mode. I split our school day into three sessions. I read aloud first thing for about an hour - that covers religion, history, geography and literature (not everything every day). Later in the morning we do maths, language arts (dictation for 8yo and English exercises for 11yo), Latin (8yo) and French (11yo). Again we don't get to everything every day, and it takes about an hour. I usually set one child going with something, then work with the other while the first is completing her task. My 11yo now does her maths independently working from a CD-Rom  , which does make this easier. After lunch they read independently for a while. Whatever doesn't get done just gets kicked on to the next day. We did get through most of what I hoped to cover last term, though I'm afraid science and art fell through the cracks. The key for me is keeping lessons short and not stressing if I don't tick everything off my list. And I have trouble getting the laundry out of the washer too 
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Kathryn
Dh Michael,  Rachel(3/95) Hannah(8/98) Naomi(6/06)  (11/07)
The Bookworm
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Jan 05 2007 at 8:35am | IP Logged
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Kathryn UK wrote:
| The key for me is keeping lessons short and not stressing if I don't tick everything off my list. And I have trouble getting the laundry out of the washer too |
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Me too! Honestly we're all just doing the best we can. Some weeks are better than others. When my dh is here he helps and is really great about keeping everyone on track but when it's just me it's certainly more loose. That's OK, we do what we can do.
My older children are more independant in their work and they have consequences if they get behind (because of goofing not becuase they are struggling). But experience has taught me that my 7 yr. old still needs lots of time to just play and explore (mind you compulsory school age here in PA is 8). We do some formal instruction with her, in fact she just had a phonics lesson on the couch for 15 min., now she's playing with her new "laptop computer" she got for Christmas and I have no doubt she'll be off to do something else in a few minutes.
My 10 1/2 yr. old (girl) and 12 yr. old (boy) are very diligent in their work but trust me my older kids were not that way so I consider their attitudes as a gift and simply thank God I don't have to nag them. (I can hear them quizzing one another on spelling words in the kitchen right now).
The 14 yr. old (boy) drags his feet on everything. He takes frequent breaks but he also has to answer to Dad if he gets too far beind so it does help motivate him. My 17 yr. old (boy) is studying to take his GED (he needs to take it for the Army National Guard which is on delayed entry for).
The 5 yr. old is easy. He plays and does his thing. We read stories together, build things etc. but he's just a laid back little guy (who says funny and adorable things with regularity) The 2 yr. old (boy) follows the 5yr. old around. He can be a challenge some days but mostly he's fine.
The baby is nursing as I type. She calm, sweet and sleeps quite a lot still. But I have a pile of work on my desk that needs attending (orders to fill, 7-hole planners to punch) and the laundry has not been started yet. 
Edited to add: the 20 and 21 yr. old (men!) are still in bed (they're still on Christmas break). I have no comment on that. 
__________________
Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: MA question? Reality check, please
