Kindergarten Schedule

We created a schedule with four columns, one for each of us -- Sammie, Chase, Ava and me.  It's divided into half hour increments.  (Mine starts before 7:00 and ends at 10:00 and I may post it someday, if anyone is interested.) If we're still home schooling in ten years, it will probably be divided into 15 minute increments and not have so many gaps.  We're at a stage where every minute does not need to be accounted for.  Sammie is so creative that we build in free time, so that she can learn through her own imaginative play time.

I love this quote from Albert Einstein: "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."  

7:30 Dress and get ready for the day

8:00 Breakfast

8:30 Computer Time (pbskids.org or other educational and fun websites)

9:00 Morning Chores (make bed, brush hair/teeth, pick up toys in room)

9:30 Video (usually something educational from library)

10:00 Outside time with siblings

10:30 Family Walk

11:00 Reading Time w/ Grandaddy (click here for list we'll go through)
11:30 Special All-Age Activity (this could range from craft to VBX music to kicking a soccer ball around orange cones)

12:00 Sam and Ava have one on one time while Chase is my lunch prep helper

12:30 Lunch and clean up

1:00 PM Chores (set table for supper, sweep in dining room, vacuum Grandaddy's room)

1:30  Sing, Spell, Read & Write  (while Ava naps and Chase has a special on-his-own activity)

2:00 SSRW continuation (games or color sheets)

2:30 Math U See

3:00 Sam and Chase play together downstairs

3:30 Snack time

4:00 Spanish (while Chase has play time in his room)

4:30 PBS television (Fetch is current programming at this time in Indiana)

5:00  Sammie is my supper helper (younger kids play on bikes in garage)

5:30  Free time or fancy supper prep time

6:00 Supper and clean up

7:00 All kids have Daddy time (I'll let him blog about the fun stuff he does then)

7:30 PJs and story time (kids choose books)

8:00 Family Bible reading (Brian and I are working through the One Year Bible.  It's supposed to be daily, but we don't always do it that way.  Ava will be asleep and we thought it would be a good way for the kids to wind down to listen to us read aloud. This leads right into prayers and bedtime at 8:30.)

So, you can see that reading, writing and arithmetic only takes up about an hour and a half, but there is so much learning going on all day long!

While this schedule seems definite, it's got a lot of flexibility built in.  We may alter it depending on how the kids do.  We also may alter it sooner since Brian has some neat ideas about what to do with our time once he begins coming home earlier from work.  I'll let you know if those become routine.  

You'll notice "school work" is scheduled for the afternoon.  That's specifically so that we can do our grocery shopping, errands and co-ops in the morning on their scheduled days.  And we can't forget the flexibility that having Grandaddy with us requires.  He's in very good shape for his age and we can plan ahead frequently, but for those other times, I'm glad we're doing things this way.

I won't post about school every day, but I do plan to let you know tomorrow how Sammie's first day of Kindergarten went.  Any bets?  Think it will go as scheduled?  Will she love it?  Will I love it?