I had this grand plan of blogging on our first REAL day of homeschooling as a family. I was going to have photos, examples of work done, and it was going to be a happy, uplifting and encouraging piece of writing.
But then real life kicked in.
No, it’s not that the first day was terrible at all. In fact, it went very well! It’s just that between trying to work out assignments lists, grade papers, answer questions, conduct science experiments, while still doing all the normal “mom” stuff, and taking three college classes myself, and trying to figure out how to run errands with my kids in tow (or at home alone?)... I have had a hard time trying to prioritize in this blog!
So now we find ourselves in the third week of homeschooling and things continue to go well. The kids have found their stride, I think, but I am still struggling a bit to keep up with everything. (My Facebook obsession certainly isn’t helping matters any!) It’s getting better though and I am sure I will get in the groove of things soon.
All of this brings me to the real purpose of this blog post... two questions about how YOU teach your kids.
Number One... On Sundays I make a schedule for the kids of the work they need to accomplish each day the next week. There is a wide variety of subjects. Some classes are from textbooks, others from workbooks, and others on the computer. But the “problem” is that they are done by noon most days. They’ve put in 3 1/2 to 4 hours of work by that point, which I know is solid work time (unlike in a traditional school). I’m wondering, though, if it is enough and if I should add more work. How many hours do your kids school on a typical day?
Number Two... If I add more work, should I be adding depth or breadth? Do you teach a wide variety of subjects at once or do you have your kids study fewer subject more deeply?
I know there is a wealth of homeschool knowledge out there and I am a “don’t reinvent the wheel” kind of girl... I look forward to hearing your advice and ideas based on how YOU homeschool.
