Break up your routine!

 One of the best aspects of home-schooling is that you can tailor your program to your family’s needs.  One young friend needs to do math at 7:00 am when he is most alert.  I have a few tips to help break up your routine.

1. Twice a week, our Co-op teaches Biology and Algebra 1 from 9:15–12:15.  First, we take a 15 minute break between classes.  Most of the time, the kids go outside and shoot basketballs.  The kids need time to change gears before Algebra.

2.  Change up activities.  During science classes, I schedule several activities which last about 15 minutes each—all within the 90 minute class.  Usually, I start with about ten minutes of direct instruction.  I like to have four changes, unless we’re doing an extended lab.  Today the high school kids did a chromatography lab with ink pens, spinach leaves, and food dyes and a flower dissection. The teens stay engaged as long as the lab is fairly interesting.  

3. When is your kid at her best?  Plan work then!  I’m old school and like kids to go to bed early.  Other families have vastly different schedules.  We found Paul worked well all morning.  School started after breakfast at 8:30 until lunch.  After lunch, Paul read for an hour.  We planned labs for the afternoon.  Lacie a teen, liked to bunker in the basement during the afternoons when it was quiet.

4.  Vary the assignments by day of the week.  Elementary students often have vocabulary, spelling, grammar, reading, phonics, and hand-writing.  First, combine hand-writing with vocabulary or composition.  Secondly, select different days for vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.  Read and write everyday.  Where does your child need more practice?  Spelling?  Do that twice a week.  Paul liked the Vocabulary workshop book exercise.  We did that twice a week.  

5. Friday is Fun Day!  We worked five mornings every week.  Friday afternoon was spent learning Morse code, assembling LEGOs, doing a lab, or making an edible model. The local Co-op schedules play dates on Fridays in the park.  LaCie spent Friday afternoons painting.  However, Friday afternoons can be spent finishing work, too.