Saturday, September 5, 2009

School Set-Up

So the next few days are planned to the hilt.

I'm going to the library this afternoon to make returns and pick up some new books I can use with Aubrey's main lessons.

Tomorrow we are going to Home Depot to pick up some masonite and chalkboard paint to make ourselves a few chalkboards and paintboards. (And then we'll make them!)

Monday I'll clean out and organize the learning closet (for all our supplies and such) and clear off ALL the workable surfaces. (Read table-tops: the bar, the craft table in the office, the dining room table and the coffee table.)

(I also need to write something for the critique group. Whups. How am I going to fit that in?)

Tuesday we start. The first two weeks will be light duty until we get all of our supplies and things start flowing.

Here's our first term weekly schedule:

Sunday~ write a letter, quiet time, pay bills, reading and handwork.
Monday~ Main Lesson, Gymnastics class, chores, Nana comes over.
Tuesday~ Main Lesson, Swim lessons for Robert and Ballet for Aubrey.
Wednesday~ Computer Art class for Robert, Spanish, Handwork, Water Safety class, chores.
Thursday~ Main Lesson, Daddy Day, Chess class.
Friday~ Main Lesson follow-up, Painting, Handwork, finish up chores for the week and visit friends!
Saturday~ SpiralScouts or Library Trip.

Field trips will fit into there as they come.

Our DAILY RHYTHM will hopefully (snicker) look like this:

  • take care of animals (feed, let chickens out of coop, etc.)
  • make breakfast
  • eat breakfast at 8am with Daddy before he heads to work
  • clean up
  • get dressed and brush teeth
  • take a walk (bring dogs ... and maybe a Bengal cat if we get one -- they like to take walks on a leash, too!)
  • Circle Time:
    • each light a candle
    • read a poem I've found for the day or week
    • recorder practice and mini-lesson (10 minutes)
    • math exercise (one or two)
  • Main Lesson (bring snack out to them when they're set up and working)
  • clean up
  • fix lunch and eat together (maybe read a chapter book to them during lunch if there's time)
  • afternoon movement class (gymnastics, swimming, water safety or ballet)
  • free time and snack
  • chores
  • check on animal needs (food, water, play, training)
  • make dinner
  • eat dinner together
  • bedtime ritual: (starting around 7:00 p.m.)
    • bathing
    • brushing teeth
    • reading together
    • reading silently individually
    • lights out
      • Robert 8:30 p.m.
      • Aubrey 9:00 p.m.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this! It was helpful to both me and my husband, to whom I read it aloud. I'm just in the beginning stages of exploring home education, and this is inspirational!

Valerie Willman said...

Snort. I'm glad I'm inspirational to someone. ;)