I just have to say it - Loop Scheduling is great!

[JanOH]

I revamped our schedules this week and put everyone on a loop and I love it. It has really been a lifesaverfor all of us, but especially my sixth grade son. He has always fought me on school work but this week has been a breeze. No stinky attides, enthusiam for projects, time to pursue his own interests in the afternoon. . . I could go on and on. In fact, I had to laugh because several days he made it all the way around the loop, hitting every subject, in a much shorter time span then it used to take when I was making a detailed too do list for him every day.

My highschoolers are enjoying it also - they are turning in more quality work because they are free to work more deeply on a subject rather than just working to get items checked off.

A big thank-you to all of you who have presented this idea!

[JudoMom]

I revamped our schedules this week and put everyone on a loop and I love it. It has really been a lifesaverfor all of us, but especially my sixth grade son. He has always fought me on school work but this week has been a breeze. No stinky attides, enthusiam for projects, time to pursue his own interests in the afternoon. . . I could go on and on. In fact, I had to laugh because several days he made it all the way around the loop, hitting every subject, in a much shorter time span then it used to take when I was making a detailed too do list for him every day.

My highschoolers are enjoying it also - they are turning in more quality work because they are free to work more deeply on a subject rather than just working to get items checked off.

A big thank-you to all of you who have presented this idea!

It's funny how that works, isn't it? There are many days we start later than 9:00, but by 12:00 we've hit every subject (or all but 1) on our Loop (http://larsonboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/09/loop-part-two.html).

I'm glad it's helping you!

[one l michele]

I revamped our schedules this week and put everyone on a loop and I love it. It has really been a lifesaverfor all of us, but especially my sixth grade son. He has always fought me on school work but this week has been a breeze. No stinky attides, enthusiam for projects, time to pursue his own interests in the afternoon. . . I could go on and on. In fact, I had to laugh because several days he made it all the way around the loop, hitting every subject, in a much shorter time span then it used to take when I was making a detailed too do list for him every day.

My highschoolers are enjoying it also - they are turning in more quality work because they are free to work more deeply on a subject rather than just working to get items checked off.

A big thank-you to all of you who have presented this idea!

Congratulations. It IS amazing isn't it?

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Is Loop Scheduling based on hours? Do you devote x time to math, x time to grammar, x time to science? I have some subjects that take 1/2 hour and some that take 1 hour. Do you block them together - do them back to back?

I can't get a handle on this, but I'm interested in it.

TIA
K

[GSMP]

I've seen it mentioned. What exactly and how do you schedule loop scheduling?

[prairiegirl]

We have been doing the loop since the beginning of this school year (end of Aug.) The kids and I really like doing school this way. We like having our afternoons free and we are usually getting our work done in the allotted time.

The one thing that was a concern was that on the days when we didn't get the list done, my perfectionistic tendencies would kick in. I felt like we had failed because we didn't get all of our work done. I would read on here where everyone said that the loop was making them more laidback. For me, though, it was having the opposite effect. So I have had to work on that. This week has been a total write-off due to life's happenings but I am not stressed out at all, knowing that it will be covered eventually. I have come a long way! :D

[Shasta Mom]

Yes, could somebody please explain the loop for us again?

[EvergreenEclecticAcademy]

...that gives some great explanations & examples.

The Loop Schedule (http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=551092#poststop)

BTW...I think I've been loop scheduling all along...and didn't even know it!!! :D It works great at our house.

HTH!

[JanOH]

From what I understand, there are many different ways to do the loop scheduling. We have some subjects are are considered daily subjects and are outside of the loop: For example, my sixth grader does a page of MUS Epsilon, a page of Singapore 4A or Challenging Word Problems, and a Bible reading every day so those items are outside of our loop. Then he has loop subjects: Grammar, Latin, Greek, History, Science, Writing, Art/Music. For the loop subjects, he is to spend at least 1/2 hour on the subject unless there's some reason (like a test) where the time would be less).

He is supposed to work from about 9 a.m. to noon and then 1 to 2. I know a lot of people stop their loops at noon but I had to modify a bit because I have a lot of younger children and there are times where I'm not instantly available to him for questions, despite my best intentions.

Wherever he is at at 2 is the last loop of the day and after his daily subjects the next day, he picks up the loop where he left off.

[one l michele]

The one thing that was a concern was that on the days when we didn't get the list done, my perfectionistic tendencies would kick in. I felt like we had failed because we didn't get all of our work done. I would read on here where everyone said that the loop was making them more laidback. For me, though, it was having the opposite effect. So I have had to work on that. This week has been a total write-off due to life's happenings but I am not stressed out at all, knowing that it will be covered eventually. I have come a long way! :D

Not the content, but visually. Really, this was me at first. For me all I had to do was take off the days of the week label at the top of my flow chart - mine is a 5 column spreadsheet representing our ideal week. This sounds so minor, but really made a huge difference.

I also have mine split into individual (skill) subjects in a 2 hour block, break then together (content) subjects (1 hour). I feel better if we do a complete section before stopping for the day. So some days we have skill, then content, other days content, then skill depending on the amount of work involved, some days they have a lot of new materials, a composition, etc. that makes it take longer.

It takes time for mom too, I had to relax quite a bit. Gosh when I started I was literally trying to create public school at home and really didn't have a vision yet.

[aomom]

I revamped our schedules this week and put everyone on a loop and I love it. It has really been a lifesaverfor all of us, but especially my sixth grade son. He has always fought me on school work but this week has been a breeze. No stinky attides, enthusiam for projects, time to pursue his own interests in the afternoon. . . I could go on and on. In fact, I had to laugh because several days he made it all the way around the loop, hitting every subject, in a much shorter time span then it used to take when I was making a detailed too do list for him every day.

My highschoolers are enjoying it also - they are turning in more quality work because they are free to work more deeply on a subject rather than just working to get items checked off.

A big thank-you to all of you who have presented this idea!
Do you think you can share your loop schedule and how it helps your sixth grader motivated? Thanks,
J

[Katiebug_1976]

So tell me how you do a loop schedule with multiple children? I am very interested in this, but haven't yet been able to figure out how to make it flow w/ my 4 "school aged" kiddos.

[one l michele]

So tell me how you do a loop schedule with multiple children? I am very interested in this, but haven't yet been able to figure out how to make it flow w/ my 4 "school aged" kiddos.

I have three school age children, they each have their own loop which I described in the other loop thread. Same concept, just different materials, some kids need different areas supplemented, etc.

[momofmiracles]

I am VERY interested in the loop schedule. I plan on using TOG this year.

So, for the things you do together do you put that on the loop? For instance, we will do the TOG activities together, Bible study/devotion, and Science. TOG and Bible study will be everyday; Science will not be.

Thanks!:)

[~AprilMay~]

Well, whatta ya' know? I guess you really do learn somethin' every day. I've been homeschooling since my 17 year old was born and I've never heard of this. :blush:

[Pammy]

Thanks!

[Mom in High Heels]

Haha! I've been "loop" scheduling all along, I just didn't realize it!

[LisaTheresa]

I revamped our schedules this week and put everyone on a loop and I love it. It has really been a lifesaverfor all of us, but especially my sixth grade son. He has always fought me on school work but this week has been a breeze. No stinky attides, enthusiam for projects, time to pursue his own interests in the afternoon. . . I could go on and on. In fact, I had to laugh because several days he made it all the way around the loop, hitting every subject, in a much shorter time span then it used to take when I was making a detailed too do list for him every day.

My highschoolers are enjoying it also - they are turning in more quality work because they are free to work more deeply on a subject rather than just working to get items checked off.

A big thank-you to all of you who have presented this idea!

Okay, you've sold me! I have a 5th grader with a stinky attitude. How is loop scheduling different than the daily checklist we do? I thought all the people who were excited about loop scheduling and workboxes must just not be using checklists.

Can you tell me exactly how it works? I'm having a hard time understanding how this is different from a checklist. Could I just use my weekly checklist and then say we're just going to do school 4 hours a day and then just pick up wherever we left off the day before on the checklist? Would this be the same thing as a loop schedule?

Lisa

[LisaTheresa]

It's funny how that works, isn't it? There are many days we start later than 9:00, but by 12:00 we've hit every subject (or all but 1) on our Loop (http://larsonboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/09/loop-part-two.html).

I'm glad it's helping you!

What are all the things in the boxes to the sides of the loop labelled by the day of the week? Are those some of the things you do first thing in the morning each day or just more detail of what is actually in the loop?

Thanks!
Lisa

[LisaTheresa]

Is this something mostly for big families? I've been looking at the old thread where JudoMom's loop schedule which was linked and it seems like maybe the loop is just for the subjects she is teaching and then the kids' independent work is listed off to the side.

I only have 2 kids and I spend about 30 - 40 minutes with each first thing in the morning and then the rest of what they have to do is independent work. I am always available to help, but they are able to do most of it on their own. Would a loop make sense for me?

Lisa

[Amy loves Bud]

Yes, could somebody please explain the loop for us again?

Basically you put your subjects in order that you would like them done, and when they finish the list they start the loop over again. You set a time that they work, and they keep going through the loop until that time is up.

So they might just make it through the loop, they might get through the loop and then some, or they may not get through it because math was a little extra challenging that day.


My kids have everything but history and science in their loops, and we do those at the end of the day together.

[dripdripsplat]

So, if we were doing a loop schedule, and my kids ended up being on different subjects that they both required help with, where do I go from there?

Right now, both kids do the subjects that they can work on individually at the same time... does that make sense?

My ds and dd will both work on spelling at the same time, because they really don't need help with that subject, but later I've schedule my dd to do math while my ds is doing handwriting, because I know my dd will come to me with a billion questions, and my ds doesn't need any help with handwriting. Then later my ds will do math while dd does handwriting, because, again, there will be a billion questions.

Maybe I'm just not getting the whole idea of this thing.

Am I making this more complicated than it should be?

[one l michele]

So, if we were doing a loop schedule, and my kids ended up being on different subjects that they both required help with, where do I go from there?

You will be alternating which child you are working with. While you are working with one dc, the other will set that subject aside if they have reached a standstill and move onto another subject that they can do until you are finished with the first dc.

Right now, both kids do the subjects that they can work on individually at the same time... does that make sense?

The easiest way I have found is to give them each all of their materials for that column, let them decide the order. 95% of the time they can find something else to work on in that column while they wait for me, if not I okay them moving ahead beyond what was required for one day's lessons in a subject. But they must work on school.

My ds and dd will both work on spelling at the same time, because they really don't need help with that subject, but later I've schedule my dd to do math while my ds is doing handwriting, because I know my dd will come to me with a billion questions, and my ds doesn't need any help with handwriting. Then later my ds will do math while dd does handwriting, because, again, there will be a billion questions.

While I allow my boys some control over the order of subjects, I am the teacher and if they are both working independently, I will tell one to come to a stopping point, that we're going to do xyz together.

Maybe I'm just not getting the whole idea of this thing.

It's new and sometimes you just have to do it to get the picture and see how it works for your family. It will likely take a few weeks for you to get in the groove as well.

Am I making this more complicated than it should be?

We're ~ 2 years or so into loop scheduling and I still say it's had the most impact on our schooling. School is no longer something we "check off" daily. We are enjoying learning and being together. It feels so natural and no subjects or child is getting squeezed out.



See above in blue.