4Real Forums: How long do you you spend a day teaching

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Topic: How long do you you spend a day teaching

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emmsie
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Posted: March 12 2008 at 5:13pm \| IP Logged

I seem to spend about 3 hours is that enough, how do you organise. i am using an old fashioned education as it is free and all planned out for you. But i add in nature study, art, lapbook, music, and a few other bits as i find them.
My housework never seems to get done. Do you go out every day as it seems like we never have time to do field trips, probably one a month.
It seems apart from the weekend and hospital appointments and they do girls brigade on a friday night we are stuck in the house.
I have only been homeschooling a year in april.

Lauri B
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Posted: March 12 2008 at 6:35pm \| IP Logged

Hi! How old are your children?

My teens work from a syllabus which I create at the beginning of the year - so they have their own plans which they attend to (mostly) on their own. They work from 8 or 9 until 10 on their own, at which time they work together on Literature until 11 or so, at which time I work with them (30 minutes) on Analytical LIterature. At that point they usually finish up their independent work and that's it! Lunch time! :) My youngest (age 9 and 3rd grade) and I work about 90 minutes or so in the morning, and she also does 30 minutes Silent Sustained Reading.

Martha
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Posted: March 12 2008 at 8:05pm \| IP Logged

3 hours for above 2nd grade is enough, imho.
1/2 that below 3rd grade

HOWEVER

I have to have a list or something to know what to accomplish "next" otherwise it's 2.5 hours of "where's my pencil?" and "I finished what you said so I thought I was done to go play" and only .5 hours of genuine progress.

AND

That 3 hours of teaching or "school" includes breaks from seat work for painting, plucking at a guitar or piano, drawing, free reading, lego building.... iow directed and purposeful play, not goofing.

Then it's the rest of the day for activities and goofing off.

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Martha
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Willa
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Posted: March 12 2008 at 9:34pm \| IP Logged

My teenagers start when they wake up -- my son likes to charge through and is usually done before noon, my daughter likes to fit her work into the course of her day.

I work most closely with my 12 year old and my 8 year old.   With my 12 year old we have divided the morning into "hours".   They aren't always real hours -- sometimes they go longer and sometimes they are shorter, especially if we have to go to a therapy appointment in the afternoon.

In the first hour I read to him from history and literature and we discuss/narrate. Then I send him off on a research project connected with our reading.

In the second hour he can have his snack and then either take the young ones outside or do a science or art project. Sometimes he reads something connected with science.   He finishes off the hour by doing his grammar.

In the third hour he does math, Latin and writing.

In the fourth hour he has religion (we usually read and discuss) and spelling/copywork.

So we call it four hours but it could really be done in three hours if we marched right through it.

My eight year old is developmentally delayed and works on a first grade level.   His attention span is short and he has lots of therapy goals right now so I fit his academics and therapy into little intervals.   I have a sheet that I glance at and I keep flashcards and dominos and a hundreds chart in the kitchen so I can give him short quizzes throughout the day.

He also has a shelf with his wooden educational toys and some handwriting and other workbooks and he usually finds things to do from these.

His work probably totals about 2 hours.

My 15 year old son starts at about 8:30 with Greek and Vocabulary, then reads from his books, in the first hour.   Then he does math, which takes an hour.   Then he does Latin and some online drills.   Lastly I give him a research and writing assignment.   He is usually done before lunch.

I never heard of that
Old Fashioned Education before -- thanks for mentioning it!

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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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emmsie
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Posted: March 13 2008 at 5:34am \| IP Logged

DD is 9 my other two are 16 and 12 but are in catholic high scool. Dd has special needs so it is a struggle keeping her focused. She dosen't like going to the home education meetings as she dosen't like noise. She refuses to play with other children not in the family.
I feel she should be out and about more. Especially since i have banned the tv from their bedrooms, best thing i have ever done.

Lauri B
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Posted: March 13 2008 at 6:53am \| IP Logged

Hi Emmsie - Limiting TV is so important for my 9 yo DD, too! :) They sound a little like kindred spirits! :)

Gracie, has Aspergers/ADHD/SID. She enjoys being out and about but can be overwhelmed by noise and crowds and funny smells after a fairly short time. I have to build a "down time" into every activity - especially the sensory-overload ones - for her where she sits and reads and has a quiet drink & snack. Today we're off to the Natural History Museum!

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