With our fall term well under way, I feel that we've finally gotten our schedule nailed down! For those of you who don't know, I homeschool my 1st and 3rd grade sons. I will admit upfront, this schedule is a little more full than what I feel is ideal. But the reasons for that are beyond the scope of this post. Today, let's focus on our schedule.
Let me start with a disclaimer: This is not our schedule to a "T" every single week. There might be weeks when my kids have a break from one enrichment program or co-op and not another. There might be days when someone is sick or has an appointment, leading us to adjust.
However, this is the schedule we start with each week and make adjustments as needed.
Also, this is our weekly schedule. It's our routine or rhythm. I'm not going into our yearly calendar here. I'll save that for another day.
Finally, I schedule by time blocks. I've found this to be the most effective way of keeping us on schedule while still allowing some freedom and wiggle room while my kids are still young.
Okay! Let's get to it!
Mondays
7:00-8:00 AM
Quiet, independent reading or drawing (until everyone is up)
8:00-9:00 AM
Handwriting
Breakfast
Bible or Church History
Memory Verses and Recitation
Get Dressed and Brush Teeth
9:00-10:30 AM
Building Writers
Fix-it Grammar (3rd Grade)
Explode the Code (1st Grade)
French Literature
History
10:30-12:00 PM
Play Break
12:00-1:00 PM
Chores
Lunch
Latin Video
1:00-2:30 PM
Latin and Grammar (with Mom, 3rd Grade)
Piano (independently, 1st Grade)
Math, Spelling, Piano (independently, 3rd Grade)
Math, Phonics/Reading, Myofunctional Therapy (with Mom, 1st Grade)
Literature Read Aloud and Discussion
Tuesdays
7:00-8:00 AM
Quiet, independent reading or drawing (until everyone is up)
8:00-9:00 AM
Handwriting
Breakfast
Bible or Church History
Memory Verses and Recitation
Get Dressed and Brush Teeth
9:00-9:40 AM
Building Writers
Fix-it Grammar (3rd Grade)
Explode the Code (1st Grade)
French Picture Study
10:00-2:00 PM
Enrichment (Literature, Science, Social Studies, Life Skills)
2:30-3:00 PM
Math
Wednesdays
8:40-3:00 PM
Enrichment (Art, Science, Social Studies, PE)
Thursdays
7:00-8:00 AM
Quiet, independent reading or drawing (until everyone is up)
8:00-9:00 AM
Handwriting
Breakfast
Bible or Church History
Memory Verses and Recitation
Get Dressed and Brush Teeth
9:30-11:30 AM
Co-op (Geography)
12:30-1:00
Lunch
1:00-2:30 PM
Latin and Grammar (with Mom, 3rd Grade)
Piano (independently, 1st Grade)
Math, Spelling, Piano (independently, 3rd Grade)
Math, Phonics/Reading, Myofunctional Therapy (with Mom, 1st Grade)
Literature Read Aloud and Discussion
Fridays
7:00-8:00 AM
Quiet, independent reading or drawing (until everyone is up)
8:00-9:00 AM
Handwriting
Breakfast
Bible or Church History
Memory Verses and Recitation
Get Dressed and Brush Teeth
9:00-10:30 AM
Building Writers
Fix-it Grammar (3rd Grade)
Explode the Code (1st Grade)
French Review
Nature Study
10:30-12:00 PM
Play Break / Exploration
12:00-1:00 PM
Chores
Lunch
Science
1:00-2:30 PM
Latin and Grammar (with Mom, 3rd Grade)
Piano (independently, 1st Grade)
Math, Spelling, Piano (independently, 3rd Grade)
Math, Phonics/Reading, Myofunctional Therapy (with Mom, 1st Grade)
Literature Read Aloud and Discussion
And that's our current homeschool schedule. Like I said, it's a bit more full than I would have liked. My kids do get an hour and a half play break and time to explore their own interests on Monday and Friday mornings. And even with a 2:30 PM finishing time on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, they are still free a full hour before our neighborhood elementary school lets out.
The reasons for my kids being in two enrichment programs this year instead of one are a little complex. My husband and I had to sit down and weigh the pros and cons; and right now, the pros simply outweigh the cons of a busier schedule. We did also decide on a lighter extracurricular schedule for our kids because of that.