Real Life Homeschooling :: Getting the Week Started
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Mondays are the day that I dedicate to all things homeschooling. I rarely blog. We don't leave the house. I don't do any outside projects after the girls get up.
We have to take this extreme because we can all easily become distracted. If I start a project then I am often taken away, and it's hard to get back on track. If I am taken away on another tangent then one or both girls may follow then it may become a lost day.
Our Mondays aren't crammed, but they are full. Lately, our days begin at 10:00. I used to want our days to start earlier because morning hours are MY best hours. Over the years, I have finally learned that teaching my girls really isn't about ME, but them. Now, honestly I really enjoy the later time. By that time, everyone is fed, dressed, and willing to learn (as long as it isn't math first).
We do our writing and book work at our kitchen table. Since I learned about Praying in Color, we have begun starting our week with creating a prayer for whoever God has placed on our heart. We all do this followed by worship and prayer together. After clearing our mind and getting focused, we jump into our Community Bible Study homework. There was a time when CBS homework wasn't necessarily a part of the girls' schoolwork instead they did it whenever. We no longer do it that way because it wasn't in their best interest by us all completing our work at the same time, we are more likely to discuss the lesson and scriptures.
When we begin our academic studies, I've learned to start them with something fun. It could be a critical thinking puzzle or introducing a topic we are about to start learning. After we finish completing an activity together, the girls will jump into their independent studies which include math, spelling, and handwriting. At this time, only one does spelling and only one does handwriting. This is because my oldest is pretty good at writing in cursive, and my youngest spelling program was too easy so it was really a waste of time.
We will usually eat lunch after independent studies, and then get back together for art, geography, science, and a read aloud or audiobook.
I've found by easing into our week while making our learning time priority sets a precedence for the rest of the week. We are flexible, relaxed learners, but finding a balance was key to making our home learning experience successful for us all during this season.
This is the way we get our week started.
What does Monday look like in your house?
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