I Need a Syllabus

[4kidsandcounting]

OKAY, I admit it, I am overwhelmed and most of it is due to the inability to plan. Please help me. This is the curriculum I am currently using, but first my kids ages:

Logan 8, 2nd grade
Sammy 5, K-1
Josie 4, pre (a very little bit)
Noelle, 20 mo.

Logan :Math-U-See Gamma-switching to Saxon
Spell to Write and REad
Shurley Grammar
Bible
Various read alouds
When I get time (ha!) We listen to SOTW
Looking at animals for science
Copywork

Sam: Math-U-See Alpha
Then, same as Logan

The other two sweeties run around. I think that is a bit of the problem too. I would love to train them, I just need to set aside some time.

Thank you. Is there a syllabus already done for me somewhere in this universe or should I switch to Sonlight?

Jen:tongue_smilie:

[Melmc]

I don't have a syllabus, but I do use Saxon for my 3 kids. It's pretty much open and go with the teacher's manual. Just figure out how many days you want to teach math (4 or 5) and you can just work through the book that way doing that many lessons a week. I try to get any materials together the night before. If I ever get organized, I'd do it a week at time.

I bought a syllabus for K from Angelicum Academy to see how it was being done/schedule. All it said was only teach this lesson on this day for Saxon. Nothing else.

As for SOTW...I've found listening to SOTW (we use it along with BP which you don't need because of the age of your kids) in the car when we're going somewhere to make it so much easier. Then after it's done we're all together where we can talk about what we just read. I have them orally narrate SOTW (starting with the youngest going to oldest so each seems to add on to what the younger said) and then later I'll have them write down their narrations on a notebook page or sometimes in the car too if it's a long trip.

[Cami in UT]

Are you a check the box kind of person? I know that I am and I'm also a very goal oriented person too. It can get very overwhelming because I tend to over expect from everyone. (just ask the family they would all agree) I found I had to take some time buried in the computer room and on my bed and figure out what I wanted to finish in the year. Then I figured out how little we could get by each "week" to get there. I don't actually do days because things always come up. Our school "week" sometimes also takes longer then one week but we just keep plugging away. I actually planned that in some by figuring on a 32 week school year. But I'm thinking that the 32nd week will probably be late June or early July for us, mostly because things keep coming up, like a SIL on bedrest with three kids under 4 so I had to spend at least one day a week at her house. But I'm digressing.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is if you found what is working for your dc then keep those resources. Figure out what you feel is enough to complete in a set time and run when the children let you run and take baby steps on the days when that is all you can take. The children are young and they will learn what they need to as long as you keep trying a little each day.

Sorry this got so long, but I hope it helps some.:001_smile:

[4kidsandcounting]

Cami,
Thank you! I am a check the box type girly, and that is why I want a full syllabus done for me with really cool checks that speak and say, wow, you are amazing!" every time I check them. No, really, thank you! You encourage me!

[Sara in WA]

Sounds like we're in a similar boat (in the same state even!). I have a simple chart with boxes for each subject. I just check off the boxes when we do a lesson and add any notes about their learning. At the end of the week I see we did more than I realized. For the last few years, I did lessons three weeks on and one week off. This was so great because a break for planning was always just around the corner. Plus, I realized that my children were learning just as much during the off week. We still read great books, listened to great music, played games (like Monopoly Jr), etc.

I spent this fall being frustrated by having so many ideas and not enough time to implement them or being frustrated by little ones "getting in my way" (of course they are just being little!). Plus I felt like I was missing out on what I love most - reading to my kids. So, just this week I simplified our schedule to math and language arts 3 days, Classical Conversations one day and history one day. Once a week we have a 1-hour drive to violin lessons, so while we drive the kids will listen to the SOTW CDs (always my best HS purchase) and do the coloring pages. I ask them questions about the chapter or have them tell me about it. My oldest also just loves to listen to the CDs at rest time and bed time.

One other recent change for me is that as the kids are getting older (my youngest is about to turn 3) I find I can survive without a nap. Silly, I know, but I do have so much more energy now than 2 years ago and that is encouraging to me.

One all-prepared curriculum I have considered is My Father's World. I may consider it again, but for now I am forcing myself to stop the shopping and just teach my kids! :)

[4kidsandcounting]

Hi Sara! :)

How funny, it does seem like we are in the same boat! Thank you for your encouragement! You really gave me a few great ideas. Is there anyway that you could forward your little checklist and/or schedule if you have it on the computer? If so, I will give you my email address. Oh and what is FLL and the couple abbreviations following?

Thank you!

OH, how is the snow where you live?

[Sara in WA]

I am happy to share with you. It is nothing rocket science, but I am in the "no need to recreate the wheel" philosophy of life these days, and it may give you some ideas or a starter. You can send me a private email and I'll send you the attachments.

Those letters are FLL (First Language Lessons), OPGTR (Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading) and WWE (Writing with Ease). I probably should write them out instead of using those abbreviations.

Snow is gone. Phew! I like snow for 3 days max!

[4kidsandcounting]

Does anyone have a syllabus that they would like to share if we have a few subjects in common? I am sorry, but reinventing the wheel is not an option right now. Speaking of time, I have to go get the laundry:001_smile:.

[LadyAberlin]

Have you looked at Easyclassical.com? They use some of those curriculums.

[DB in NJ]

Have you been to this website? http://corefoundations.wordpress.com/scheds-math-science/

There's a schedule done for all Saxon math programs, and some blank forms that you can use to make your own schedules.

These belong to a fellow WTM'er (can't remember your name whoever you are, but these schedules are wonderful!!).

[Wendy B.]

I created my own schedule using donnayoungs.org quarter planner (http://www.donnayoung.org/forms/planners/term.htm). I use the type-able one so it is neater and I can put more information on it. I keep is super simple and just add in the specifics ( page number, book titles, etc ) as we go. So Tuesday's daily box just has

Read
MUS
FLL/WWE
SOTW
Literature
Art

So Today I checked offeach item and put the specifics. 19c for Mus, 29/week 8 for FLL/WWE, etc.

I also only schedule 4 days per week so I use the unscheduled day to keep a tally of other subjects that I don't feel the need to keep specifics on. Such as my son's speech therapy work, poetry, etc. Clear as mud?


If I were creating a schedule for 2 kids. I would have each child have their own level specific sheet and then have a sheet for all shared activities. So for you Logan would have his page (Math, reading, grammar, copywork), Sam would have his page ( Math, reading, grammar, copywork).....or whatever specifics you want to schedule with him , then you would have a sheet for the shared activities ( Bible, SOTW, Science, Read Aloud)

I have found that using a quarter planner worked out far better than having a weekly schedule. I was NEVER on the exact same page on all subjects while using a weekly planner. Although a weekly schedule might work for me now that I have let go of the need to pre plan the entire year to the page number. :smilielol5:

Having a schedule is helpful but it doesn't mean that everything is magically going to get done. Work on your daily schedule before spending the money on Sonlight! Sonlight schedule is just going to overwhelm you if you are still working on a daily schedule with your little ones to get through your day. JMHO.

Best of luck, mama!

[Christine]

Are you a check the box kind of person?

YES! And that's a very important thing to know about yourself. As in this example:

I don't have a syllabus, but I do use Saxon for my 3 kids. It's pretty much open and go with the teacher's manual. Just figure out how many days you want to teach math (4 or 5) and you can just work through the book that way doing that many lessons a week.

If it's not written down, it doesn't get done. I have a great friend that does this "mental planning" thing, and it really works for her, and I envy that. . .But, it's too easy for me to sidetrack myself and "forget" what else I need to do in a day.

If I were creating a schedule for 2 kids. I would have each child have their own level specific sheet and then have a sheet for all shared activities. So for you Logan would have his page (Math, reading, grammar, copywork), Sam would have his page ( Math, reading, grammar, copywork).....or whatever specifics you want to schedule with him , then you would have a sheet for the shared activities ( Bible, SOTW, Science, Read Aloud)

This is an excellent suggestion, and I used to be able to do this with my older two. (They are on completely different levels now, so I have to schedule every subject for each one.)

My younger two are taking all subjects together right now.

Which means, I come up with 3 separate schedules per week. . .

I have found that using a quarter planner worked out far better than having a weekly schedule. I was NEVER on the exact same page on all subjects while using a weekly planner.

I had to "reset my mind" for my own schedules. A schedule that shows itself with 5 columns automaticaly incurs the thought of a Mon-Fri. schedule. I had to change mine to say "Day 1, Day 2. . .Day 7, Day 8. . ." That way if something came up and we couldn't do school on a Wed, I didn't totally freak out about not getting that third column checked off.

Having a schedule is helpful but it doesn't mean that everything is magically going to get done.

This is such a valid point!!!

Work on your daily schedule before spending the money on Sonlight! Sonlight schedule is just going to overwhelm you if you are still working on a daily schedule with your little ones to get through your day.

Sonlight has changed so much in the last 5 years, but when I started back then all they "supplied" schedule-wise was "history" and "English". Everything else had to be done on your own.

Also, they liked to schedule reading several books all at once, and my poor little brain just couldn't handle that. . .

It got to the point that I was scheduling everything BUT history through them (didn't like their English), that I have since wound up doing it all myself now.

Have you been to this website? http://corefoundations.wordpress.com/scheds-math-science/

These belong to a fellow WTM'er (can't remember your name whoever you are, but these schedules are wonderful!!).

:tongue_smilie:That would be me. I'm glad you found them helpful.

[GVA]

I'm one who has found Sonlight to be a godsend. We're on our sixth Core, and it's kept me sane. Other years we used Galloping the Globe and TOG, both which required too much planning for me. We didn't get nearly as much done with them frankly. I'm satisfied with Sonlight's choices the vast majority of the time, and don't tweak it much. We drop maybe 1-2 books each time that don't fit our tastes, and do other things for Bible.

That said, a lot of people on this board find the schedule constraining and/or don't like their book choices. To each his own!