flow chart planning

[oceandaughter]

Someone mentioned this in another plan. Does anyone want to explain a bit more? (I could use some visuals!)

Jo

[ELaurie]

At the beginning of the year, I count the number of lessons I need to cover in each subject area every week. For example, to cover 100 lessons in FLL, I need to do 2-3 lessons per week with ds 8 throughout the year. If the lessons are short, or repetitive, I may cover more than 3 lessons in a given week; if the lessons are longer, and require extra time or additional review, I may cover only 1 lesson in a given week.

I note my goals for each subject area in the column at the right, e.g. chapters 35-36 in FLL, then I check off what we actually do. As long as I have two checks somewhere in the row for grammar, I'm on track. If there are more or fewer checks than indicated, I adjust accordingly for the following week.

Some subjects, like art and music appreciation, are covered only once a week.

I use the rectangular spaces to write notes, such as projects I want to do from the SOTW AG, or AP.

The lines at the bottom provide space to list books I read aloud and note my dc's memory work.

Every 6 weeks, I take a week off, and use another form to compare where we are against my original goals, and make necessary adjustments.

The planner page takes just a few minutes to fill out each day, and serves as an attendance record, a planner page, and a record of work completed and books read, all on one page.

[Josie]

My Take:

A flow chart is kind of a list of things to get done, but no set time to do it. A schedule is a list of things to get done with a set time to do it. A flow chart just tells you what to do next, but doesn't tell you what time to do it.

Flow Chart:

Get up
Morning hygiene
Breakfast
Morning Bible reading
Morning chores
Math
Memory work
English
PE
Science
Lunch
History
Spelling/Vocabulary
ETC.

Some people put a limit on the time to spend in each area. For example, spend no more than 45 minutes on math. Some people just say they are going to complete one lesson (or a certain amount of work) in each area. For example, do pages 2 and 3 in vocabulary book.


Schedule:

6:00 Get up
6:05 Morning hygiene
6:50 Breakfast
7:10 Morning Bible reading
7:30 Morning chores
8:00 Math
8:45 Memory work
9:00 English
9:45 PE
10:45 Science
11:15 Lunch
12:00 History
12:30 Spelling/Vocabulary
ETC.

[oceandaughter]

Well that one looks just like what we do. Here is an example:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=540283&da=y

We don't always get to everything every day. Next year I have history scheduled for 2 days and science for one. Also we won't be doing Five in a Row every week, just once in a while for something different.

Jo

[JudoMom]

Someone mentioned this in another plan. Does anyone want to explain a bit more? (I could use some visuals!)

Jo

This (http://larsonboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/04/loop.html) is a system we're trying out this year (we'll start after we do the ITBS in early June).

[Faithr]

I always called this a routine vs. a schedule. I tend to do this too. I just make a list of what is to be accomplished each day, mostly it is the same general routine but some variation can occur. And generally I know that a certain number of things can be accomplished in the morning and a certain amount in the afternoon and then again some things get done in the evening.

[one l michele]

This (http://larsonboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/04/loop.html) is a system we're trying out this year (we'll start after we do the ITBS in early June).

To answer the OP:

For us a flow chart is - I do not schedule a time to do each subject or stay with a certain subject for a specified number of minutes. We do one lesson and move on.

I have mine in a spread sheet consisting of 5 columns. Here is what our Monday's look like:
gym (I work out as well)
math
spelling
English/writing
independent reading
lunch
state study
SL history/geography
read-alouds
art

This year the only thing that changes is art is M, science T/Th, health & safety W, and music F.

Mornings are our must do subjects, the afternoon we do 90% of the time, but we also school year round, it all works out in the end.

This flow chart helps us at the start of each new school year. Once we are in the groove, I pull out the materials, put them in each dc's clipboard and they decide the order of the a.m. subjects. It helps me balance, M art, W health, etc..

Judomom - The only thing I've come across in doing the flow chart is we are pretty much finished with skill subjects, yet have three weeks of content remaining. I'm going to try "the loop" when we start the next level materials. I can see how this would keep things more balanced.

The way I'm understanding the loop is if we had a doctors appointment or something and only did the skill subjects in the a.m. today, then tomorrow we would start with the content subjects, then go to the next days skill subject. You aren't doing any more work in a school day, simply keeping things more balanced.

I really like this concept, this is the first I've heard of it. Thank you for sharing.

Michele