Would you give an older dc (say 11) a list of subjects to complete and let them go...

[Sue G in PA]

To be more specific: Would you give your older dc (I'm speaking like 11yo) a list of subjects to complete each day and let them just go ahead and do them in whatever order and whatever time of day as long as they completed everything? My dd11 is very independent..always has been. We do this for her each morning. She has a list of subjects to be completed and she goes ahead and does them, asks questions when necessary but really is mostly independent. I'm thinking of just giving her a list of ALL her subjects for each day/week, lessons to be completed by Friday, etc. and having her go at it at whatever pace she is comfortable w/ as long as all assignments are done by Friday? Is this good? Bad? Anyone else do this?

[Mama Lynx]

It really depends on the child.

My oldest wasn't really ready for that amount of independence, and come Friday most of his work would still be undone. We found that he works much better if I give him a *daily* list; he can choose the order in which he does things, but he is to get them done that day. He has the option to work *ahead* to gain free time at the end of the week. For us, this balances his need for independence with not-quite-there-yet maturity level.

Some kids do very well at 11, though, in managing their work and their time. For some kids, it's an utter disaster. I say give it a try and see what happens.

[Rhonda in TX]

But he is not independent - at all. For you your DD, it might work. However, I'd start with 2 or 3 day and work up to a week. She'll need to learn to manage the workload and distribute it evenly throughout the week.

[5wolfcubs]

I guess this is what I do for my 13 & 11yo dds. We do some things together (some of the time: Latin lesson together, exercise pages independently) and we don't always click on the times. When they are ready and/or need my help I'm not always ready or am interrupted. I am not (as much as I wish I was) a by the hour scheduled person. Our days are not as orderly or as efficient as I would wish. BUT we are making progress. I did spreadsheets on my blog to assess where each of my children are in relation to the projected "end of the school year" and they look good. :) The one lacking area for us is writing...which requires a lot of teacher time and has suffered for lack of it.

I plan to make my oldest (8th grade next year) even more responsible and independent next year...just working on the how now!

[Stirsmommy]

My dd is twelve. Write now she is still learning how she can budget her time. She does just take her weekly list and run with it for the most part. I break it all up into daily chunks. Then I give her the whole week. She is free to get it done earlier in the week. I tried to give more leeway but found if I don't require that things are done by the end of day then the end of the week is ugly. I am hoping to start taking one subject at a time and maybe trying to say this is what I want done this week so that she can get the hang of doing it herself.
Melissa

[momofkhm]

I give her a daily chart. I fill in history and vocabulary, Bible, literature. She fills in spelling, math, grammar (next lesson kind of stuff). She has a check off sheet for each day and she does check it off. Today she couldn't find it and was in tears! I think we figured her history for today and Friday. Tomorrow is co-op so none tomorrow.

My 13 yo get a daily chart as well, but hers is completely filled out by her. On a small note pad size sheet of paper, I give her all her assignments. She fills her chart as she sees fit. Se does get it all done.

My 7yo, I fill out his chart! :) But he is the one that makes sure everything gets done.

[Just Me]

I do this with my oldest (12), and a little with my second (11), but I do try to keep track of where they are in the week, and nudge them a little if needed. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

We just started to do this on a daily basis with my ds10. He loves it. But if I were to let it go longer than a day (before checking to make sure it is all done for the day) we would have a major problem on our hands. Now if we get to the end of the day and he has not gotten his work done, I can still assign it during my supper-making time or for right after supper. And it isn't so much that he is overwhelmed. He knows on the checklist that there are some subjects that are marked "meet with the teacher to go over Oral Drill" or whatever we need to do together. He is responsible for coming to me to schedule it.

[Blue Hen]

I've had to do it the way you are thinking about doing it for awhile now. Some weeks it works great (last week) and others weeks it doesn't---then he gets to do work on Saturday.

[JennifersLost]

Even when my kids were just in first and third grade. There is some work we did together - reading out loud and parts of the foreign language stuff, but they always did a lot on their own while I worked.

I think it's great for kids to organize their own time. Everyone like to be "in control" and they are likely to get to it and get things done so they can move onto the things they really like to do.

[mcconnellboys]

Well, I think SWB talks about this some in WTM, LOL.... If you wait until Christmas to check on progress and look over work completed, you might find, even with generally motivated pre-teens/teens, that shirking has set in....

My older son did his daily work pretty much on his own from seventh grade on, too, but I did check all that work regularly to make certain it really was getting done. And we continued to talk about his readings, as well.

Regena

[Peek a Boo]

sure -- but I'd increase the length of time gradually, like start w/ turning her loose w/ a whole day's assignments, and maybe increase it to checking it every other day.

Or giving her several days worth of ONE subject and checking in on Wed and Friday, or even just Friday, THEN adding in another subject for long-term independent accountability. Let her practice a bit at a time instead of overwhelming her with too much at once.

[Tracey in TX]

I've considered this for 10 y/o DD, but 11y/o DS would never accomplish his tasks. Some kids are naturally driven, and others have to be encouraged to move forward.

I will discuss this with DD tonight.

[Bee]

My 11 yo gets a daily list every day and she works almost completely independently.I do have to check her work every few days to make sure she is understanding her math and has actually done the assignments.(Writing "help" at the top of the page and not bothering to ask for assistance does not count as completed!).My 6 yo is now asking for the same type of lists one or 2 days a week.Her list is smaller and consists of reading,writing spelling words,ETC, and review of math.Last week she did ask to read a chapter in SOTW to herself but that was her idea,not mine.

[gardenschooler]

This is what we do, but I give out daily assignment sheets, not weekly. My oldest did fine with weekly, but the middle one isn't quite ready.

They know which things have to be done with me, and which are independent, so it works fine. If it's a normally independent subject that isn't that day, I put a note that says "SEE ME" on it in big letters!

I also put estimated times/schedule to keep them on track. After awhile, they don't need this anymore. I also have them tell me when they're finished with each thing, and I glance over it, even if I don't have time to check it right then. Maybe it's just me, but if I were a kid, I'd have a hard time disciplining myself not to slide sometimes, kwim? I also keep up with what they're working on when, so there is really no problem. Accountability is needed to gradually transfer the responsibility.

The kids really like this, I think, because they can see exactly what is expected out of them (or in other words, "How long until I'm free?" :rolleyes:)

[Heather in the Kootenays]

My now 12 yo ds needs way more checking.

[Laura Corin]

Calvin (11) has a list of all his English and maths for the week and he completes it in whatever order he likes during our first time block of the day (or in his own time if he dawdles). The other subjects I still schedule day by day.

Laura

[Eliana]

To be more specific: Would you give your older dc (I'm speaking like 11yo) a list of subjects to complete each day and let them just go ahead and do them in whatever order and whatever time of day as long as they completed everything?

I've done this on the day-to-day level with my now 14.5 and now 13 yr old dds (my 11 yr old ds is not a candidate for this approach, at least not yet!), but I have only done it on a week-by-week if I'm also checking in each day to make sure daily progress is happening.

If you have any specific questions about how it works for us, let me know! :)

Eliana

[Sasharowan]

I do this for all 3 of mine. I give them a weekly list on Monday that is split into daily work. 12ds and 8dd work mostly off their lists on their own time knowing that the days work has to be checked off for any after school free time. My 6ds's usually brings his list to me before starting each subject, but in 1st he is mostly working with me anyway. They all like their lists and knowing what to look forward to each week. They also like being able to work ahead if they know they will want extra free time on Fri.

[Nancy in MI]

others have to be encouraged to move forward.


Hehe. So true. That would be my 13yo. This is a much nicer way of saying it, though! ;)

[Nancy in MI]

I'd have a hard time doing a weekly list because some things are hard for me to schedule ahead of time.

For example, with math, the next assignment really depends on how they did with the previous one. If they get all the answers correct on the first practice page, then they can skip ahead to the review pages. So, even though math is technically a "do the next thing" type of subject, I wouldn't be able to know ahead of time what their next assignment should be.

However, it really depends on your child. If it works, I say go for it! :)

Nancy

[Michelle in MO]

but my youngest still needs some help in some areas, and I have to do Omnibus with my older two (the discussions require it) plus they need "prodding" with writing.

If your 11-year-old is independent, go ahead and let them work as independently as they can manage, but I would still check their work daily and make sure they're staying on track. "Trust, but verify." I don't know where I heard that, but that's how we've tried to do school here.

[Anne/Ankara]

I give my dd age 11 a list sometimes, and she works through it independently. Some subjects we do together, but many things she can do independently. Totally fine with me. But I do check on the work done each day, and don't wait for a week to expire before finding out whether something has been done (correctly!).