Last year you had a "School Calendar for the year of ____2005 Through ____2006"
You could pick the month that you wanted to start in (2 month choice) and end in.

Do you have one for this year or where can I find the one from last year??

I have dug for it and can't find it.


Thank you.

Do you mean these?
http://donnayoung.org/calendars/school-calendars.htm

Months available are June, July, and August and at this time the years: 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 are online.

Yes Those are them ...


You are so wonderful..
I am so glad to have you to help me.

You really take all of the hard work out of homeschooling ...
Well if I could get you to teach and squat this "I don't want to" out You would be amazing...

I guess I can't want you to do everything.


Thank you again


I love all of your charts and helps ... All I use. Thank you.

And all the way to 2008
That is so wonderful...

Thank you.

You're welcome and thanks!

No ...
Thank you.


I really don't think I could homeschool if I didn't have all of the help you offer.

I agree. I can't imagine doing this without Donna. I read DY site for 2 years before I had the courage to homeschool. Your forms really make it look doable and take some of the mystery out of where and how to start. Thank You

You're welcome Lisa!

I got to visit with a good friend this afternoon. We got on the subject of school (she also homeschools) and she started talking about her portfolios that she hasn't done and how she got this great idea. She brought out two teacher planners (one for each child), she is going to tell her oldest daughter to write down what she needs to do that day in the planner. Ex. English pg 3 - 4, worksheet A, etc. This way my daughter will learn how to keep records. I thought that was great. She was so excited to have found these planners. I am flipping through the planners and I finally say, "You know donnayoung.org has all of these on her web site." (I have showed her this site before) My friend does one of these, " You mean I could have gotten all of these forms off of her site...for free!"



I don't know why she forgot, I am always talking about this place.

I told her that the planners she has are very nice, put together and ready to go. She felt a little better after that.

I just thought it was funny.

That is funny Applie.

Sounds like fun!

Last week I downloaded her household planners. I had never looked at them before, because I was too busy looking at the homeschooling planners!



They are awesome!

I want to order the cd Donna has. I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. It's supposed to have LOTS more neat stuff on it! I am afraid I have a weakness for "neat" things.

It does, Ginger. I like it because I can use it without having to be on the internet. The planners are the best.
This year I will be using more of the children's journal pages. My daughter will love those.

I guess I will have to do that this week then!

Sounds great ... ... thanks Applie.

I use Donna's CD all the time. It even helped me win a bet one time!!

A friend and I were debating how to write a cursive uppercase Q. I won thanks to Donna's CD. You cannot believe how hard it is to find a cursive uppercase Q around the house!

Kelley ... next time try it with the Z. you wouldn't believe how many people can't make a cursive Z or Q.

For some reason those are the two(that I have found) that people forget how to make... .

It is hysterical to me that cursive it taught in the younger grades and then kind of forgotten as they get older. The schools here let them print, type or write in cursive, but they are allowed their own "creative" interpretations! Actually, I have mine own too and I do not write the traditional way. I just think it is funny.

Maria (chocolatelover) wanted to know what I think about the Robinson Curriculum, so here are my first impressions. We had a trial week and it went very well. I will update after we have used the program for a few months.

First of all, we agree with a lot of things that Arthur Robinson says about the values of independence and excellence. We have always brought up our kids to be as independent as they can be, and that also extends into our homeschool. My son (age 10) has been essentially self taught for months now (using materials bought for our usual method, which is described in The Well-Trained Mind) and my daughter (age 7) is not far from it. We already use the Saxon math program, and we already require much reading and writing. So the Robinson method meshes well with what we already have in place in our home.

I've also had the tendency to treat science as an extracurricular activity, rather than a major subject. There are so many things in science that little kids can't grasp because they don't have the maturity or the math. I've always felt uncomfortable trying to simplify topics. I feel it is better to wait to introduce something until they can fully understand it. I feel the same way about literature - I don't like abridged or simplified versions. It's just something that bothers me personally. Anyway, when the kids are interested in something, I try to get them adult books on the subject (when appropriate) and they can read what they want to read and do what they want to do. We also garden, nature journal, visit science museums, etc. Reading Dr. Robinson's thoughts on this has made me feel less guilty about running our science studies this way. Less guilt is always a plus!

My biggest concern was the aesthetic quality of the printed books. I like "real," bound books. My kids don't have a problem with it, though. Kids are so adaptable! The boy read five of the books this week and Dd read three.

I like the vocabulary flashcards very much, and so do the kids. Also included are math fact flashcards, but we don't need those because my kids both know them already.

You should know that we have no plans to stop watching nature shows and documentaries, or to give up our cookies. I admire that they don't watch tv or eat sugar, but I am not willing to go that far. Also, Robinson frowns upon children learning "extra" things like foreign languages. I take exception to this and will continue with our Latin studies.

Normally I would not have spent this much money on something I could put together on my own, but I am having a fit of the lazies. I think this will be a great program for us while we are living with my parents and have little room for a lot of different materials. It will also be a great time saver for me while I am working on my college courses. I'll let you know how it turns out - wish me luck.

I am also interested in RC...however I am wondering how much it costs to print out and bind the books? Can this be done at a print shop, or do you need a book binding machine and a gallon of ink?
Kate

I am not binding the books for now. I am just three-hole punching them and sticking them in cheap plastic binders, one for each child. Then I just rotate the books through the binders. When both kids have read a book, I toss the pages. (I will purchase any titles that they love.) I have printed five books and have gone through about one and a half packages of black ink, so around $15 worth. My printer isn't exactly efficient, though, so you can probably do better than that.

It costs me around $5.00 to print a book. That is using a laser printer and comb binding the books.

If the print is a thick kind of font, you could try printing it in draft. That might save some money. I buy printer cartridges on line and don't buy the name brand. It's way cheaper--$7 compared to--what--$40?

Also, I use 24# paper as the lighter 20# weight is a little too much see-through.

I basically punch holes and put in a binder type of thing.

Good luck and have fun.

Thank you for the update Melanie.

I'm glad that it is working for you.
We wouldn't give up sugar or tv either...

I also agree with the science aspect of RC...

Please continue to keep me updated.

I currently part time HS my three children in the evening after they attend a Catholic school. This has seemed to work well for them, and we work on rounding out areas that they are struggling in and do enrichment curriculum. Our kids will be out of school around mid-May, but will not return until Sept 4th, which is about 13 weeks of downtime for them. For my oldest who is LD, this time will kill her, as she spends the first quarter each year attempting to get back on pace with where she was at the middle of the previous school year. My husband and I decided that we will try to homeschool them straight through the summer in addition to our regular summer activities. For Liz it should at least keep her mind fresh... Anyway, I have never full-time homeschooled Could anyone offer me insight into how to schedule classes? Right now we spend about 1/2 hour on two subjects a night and alternate based on night which subject we work on, and then we do a little over the weekend if we have time (on the weekend we only HS using learning software so they don't realize they are learning LOL). Over the summer, I am planning around 4 hours a day (maybe 6...I don't know yet ... I am not sure whether they would like 6 hours of school during the summertime) of school work, and then we will swim, golf and do other things for fun. Could someone maybe email me what you use as a schedule so I can start working on mine? I would appreciate it. I only have a little over a month of planning time, and I am just wanting to do it in a fun yet educational way.

Thanks in advance!

Jennifer

Personally during the school year, we only homeschool 5 hours max a day. On top of this, we do read each night aloud and then silently for 1/2 to 45 minutes. I think after that time, their little brains just turn off. I think you will have the added challenge of it being summertime and the dc might resent working 6 to 8 hours. I know I would.

Wishing you success in your homeschooling endeavors.

Are you planning to homeschool after the summer is over? I mean full time? The reason I ask, is that I would have different advice.

If you are just homeschooling for the summer, I would read, talk about the books, work on math drills and depending on their age, maybe some worksheets on a particular math topic.

I am with Karen. I guess my question would be why are you needing to homeschool in the evening if they are already spending the day at school? That would drive my kids bonkers. We homeschool during the summer months but mostly because we are year round schoolers. We spend maybe 4 hours of schooling a day and only do it four days a week so we need to do it year round. Also, it is hot in the summer and my kids scream boredom if they don't have something to study and learn. They have been off one week and I am already getting complaints.

So what are your goals? Then there are plenty of wonderful ladies here that can help you with scheduling.

I would agree. The way you would schedule would depend on your goals, as well as what simply works best for your family. Some of us here are more traditional schoolers, some are more relaxed, and some are somewhere between.

At my house each child is different. My oldest daughter thrives on structure. We have worked out a schedule for her throughout the week. This is only a guideline and doesn't follow it strictly, but it keeps her sane. She is 9th grade. My younger daughter thrives on flexibility. She works as she is driven. She completes her assignments that I give her, but in her own good time. With the knowledge that she will not attend any activities if her work is not complete. She is 7th grade. Finally my son has determined his own routine. He hasn't really shown a preference to one way or another. He sits down to do his work after breakfast. Completes his lessons usually around lunch time. He is 5th grade. He is aware that next year will not be so easy and the hours he spends working will be increased. At that point, I will attempt a schedule with him to see how he does.

Right now we do about 1 hr in the evening of extra studies. For my girls it is mostly enrichment, to help them get caught up. My oldest is LD, so we look at things she is struggling in and work with her on those subjects. For some things she needs things broken down differently so that she can absorb it. My middle girl needs a little enrichment, but mostly she likes to work ahead, and in the 4th grade she reads and comprehends at a freshman in high school level. With my son, he *loves* school, and he actually asks to do work. He was doing sight words as a 2 1/2 or 3 year old, and he is currently about 3 grade levels ahead in his private school.

We don't do HS every night, as two nights a week they are in outdoor soccer, so on those nights we don't. We also do an hour or two on Saturdays and the same on Sunday. Normally our Saturday studies more focus on free reading and we do projects based on what they are reading so they really don't realize they are doing schooling. (My middle girl and I had so much fun when she read "To Kill A Mockingbird!".

I think I have my school-year routine down pretty well, and it works well for us. But, this summer is what I am more concerned with. I have 13 weeks of downtime (the kids school is starting late because they are finishing up the new building and renovating their current building and it won't be completed until the last week of August. and with my LD daughter, anything more than about 3 weeks off is too much for her. Due to budget cuts, private school kids no longer may take summer school classes, and we have noticed that. When she was in summer school, she stepped right into school okay, but without it, she struggles until the end of 1st quarter.

So ... anyway, my goals are to help keep the girls sharp, and with my son, he just loves school anyway. We are going to build in Home Ec, and have the girls work on budgeting and planning for a menu (a week each). I am just looking for ideas as to how to schedule a day. I have never done that. Right now, we pick two subjects and work on them for an hour. Doing a whole day is totally different. I would need to be more traditional, because my ADHD kids need structure. Without it, they get really out of sync.
Thanks for the input, and if anyone else has ideas, let me know!

I agree with everyone else that 6 hours would be way too much, especially for summer! Think about how much of the typical "school" day involves non-academic stuff -- getting from one place to another, getting books, settling everyone down, eating lunch, recess, pe or other specials, etc. My friend who has homeschooled K-10th says she has never had to formally hs more than 5 hours a day / 4 days a week, except when her oldest was preparing for the PSAT and SAT this year. (Fridays are her field trip/hands on days. I love her schedule for the older ones.)

Our family is fairly relaxed and do mostly hands on stuff so she doesn't always realize she is learning. We have been more successful with activities that do not require sitting at a table or desk. We try to do sitting things (esp math) first thing in the morning (or if we get behind, after bath -- our calm times). I try to separate sitting activities with highly physical ones. I would think ADHD children would need that more so.

We are learning all the time. We don't see learning as a M-F thing or a school year thing and do a lot of impromptu stuff outside of our math/lang. If you include all the reading we do (which is how I cover lots of our unit themes, world cultures, history, science concepts, famous art/artists, etc), then we probably spend an average of 4 hours a day. Some days we do more than others.

Here is our current "good" typical week schedule (on the weekends don't do the Lang Arts hour). I hope it will give you another starting place:

AM
7:30 am (30 min) We read three poems, work on memorizing one, and I usually read her a couple of stories (one is usually historically themed). DD climbs in bed with me first thing & we do this before anyone else gets up! My most peaceful time of the day! Then I have to face actually get up!

(10 min) Calendar activities, daily weather report & graph, go over the day's activities

8:00 am (30 min) Formal math Lessons together (we're doing Saxon 1 right now, which has a lot of hands on)

While I prepare breakfast, get the baby up, bathed, and dressed, DD completes the workbook part of Saxon on her own. She also has handwriting at this time, which she also does independently -- usually 2-3 numbers, 2-3 letters, and one sentence to read, trace, and then copy (it often reinforces our sight words, spelling, or phonics of the week). If she finishes quickly, she usually has a nature study page to label & color, a self-explanatory art project, or she likes to write "stories" in her spiral notebook. I will sometimes give her a story start or picture to inspire her, or she'll use a theme we've been learning.

9:00 am After breakfast, we have clean up, morning chores, etc. then go on to unstructured play, organized activities (gym' & swim), outings/errands, library, parks, visit family/friends, field trips (all depends on day)

12:15pm Lunch, Baby's Mommy time, & then Baby's nap -- during this time DD works on her choice of quiet activities -- puzzles, pattern blocks, tangrams, geoboard, coloring, art projects, play dough, painting, etc.

1:15pm (30 min to an hour) Language Arts -- mix of activities -- usually one or two activities from First Language Lessons, Lang Arts worksheets from the internet, then informal spelling (on the magnet or white board), phonics/sight words flashcards (if she gets them right she puts them in the "mailbox"), and writing activities. If we are all caught up for the week we just play games, build stuff, or she will opt for extra stories.

2:15-4:30pm Rest time -- she reads me a book, then I read her 3 books/chapters (these are supposed to be non-fiction or our unit themed fiction). Then she listens to books on tape while resting on her bed for approximately an hour. After that, she may read or play quietly with her toys in her room -- favorites are the playmobile, her dollhouse, puzzles, lego, coloring with markers, sewing cards, etc.

4:30 Impromptu -- usually Kitchen stuff or outside time together -- games, science experiments, art projects, cooking (measuring and following directions)

5:30 Swing set/gym bars, art projects, or computer time (with a 45 min limit, educational games only) while I cook dinner

6:30 Dinner, bath, Daddy-time

8:00 PM -- She'll read 1-3 stories to me, I read 3 stories to her.

Notes:
-We also do our Spanish language program in the car twice a week, since two activities we do are an hour away.

-I don't do a scheduled structured music program because we always have classical, instrumental, folk or children's music playing in the house and car. We will dance, id instruments, tempos, pitch, repeat patterns, etc. on the fly. We have various musical instruments for them to play with, and we also try go to a live performance once every two months.

-She only watches TV on Sat/Sun mornings for and those are DVD's.