requiring dc to get ALL daily scheduled worked done or scheduling TIME SPENT instead?

[CalicoKat]

Do you schedule a specific amount of time to be spent per subject? Say 30 minutes for Math a day.

Or do you schedule a specific amount of work to be done? This is what I've been doing but my 3rd grader is dwaddling and taking most of the day to get work done. She's got a planner with lessons assignments for the day. For example today she was supposed to do a MUS workbook page, SOTW chap., Handwriting practice, and a R&S English Grammar lesson. This is a typical workload for her. We do alternate handwriting, grammer, and reading so it's not everyday to balance out the writing. Not too heavy right? But it takes her forever to get it done, with self-timed breaks.

Soooo my thoughts are to assign a specific amount of time spent for a subject in addition to the math assignment. If she gets her math assignment done in the alloted time a reward? Or perhaps after 5 days of getting her work done during the allotted time a reward.

KWIM? A math lesson & a lesson on self-governing/motivation?

Or is this just a desperate attempt on my part of avoid the daily struggles in getting her to finish her work.

[ThelmaLou]

I require a certain amount of work to be done. But if they drag it out all day, I *also* require it to be done in a certain amount of time. I just did this today with my 3rd grader. He stretched 1 1/2 lessons of Horizons math into 2 1/2 hours. So...I gave him an additional half-lesson with only 20 minutes to finish. And if he didn't finish in the allotted time? Another half-lesson in 20 more minutes. Amazingly, he pulled it off the first time without further repercussions. If I see that my children are truly devoting themselves to work, but also struggling with the time, I'm likely to be lenient. But most of the time they just dawdle, and I crack down on it with more work. I'm kinda mean that way.

[bkpan]

I have 4 school-age boys, and the nagging was just driving me crazy! So, now I take the time every week or so to make up detailed assignment sheets/checklists for each of the boys and it has helped sooo much!

I list each assignment knowing about how much time it "should" take each boy to accomplish and then hand over the "responsibility" to them. Here's an example:

Monday (for 7yo 1st gr.)
Math - Exer. 35 & 36
HWT - p. 8
Latin review with mommy
Phonics - p. 42-44
Read to mommy chap 38 from reader
Art with Mommy
MFW 1st gr. with mommy
Spelling p. 62
Req. Reading. My Father's Dragon. Chap. 11

(Now, this may look like alot, but it takes one twin usually around 1 1/2 hrs to complete, and the other usually 2 - 2 1/2 hrs tops!)

So, ds is responsible for accomplishing all his schoolwork before he can do computer, watch a video, play outside, etc. BUT, he can also work ahead and end up with Friday off (which is a light day for us anyway). So far, all four of my boys (and mom!!) have earned Friday off for the last 3 weeks! It's amazing how much more motivated they have been having their own "control" over when they complete their assignments.

Yes, it takes an initial investment of time to enter all of the subjects and plans on the computer. I use Homeschool Tracker. But now I spend maybe 1/2 to 1 hour a week to complete them and print them out. It has saved us a great deal of mommy stress and I think that it is good for the kids to experience the natural rewards of diligent work. Some days my boys would sit and dawdle at the table for hours and it used to drive me crazy! This has really helped our days go smoother. Hope it helps!

Kim in TN (used to be in NV)

[CalicoKat]

I have 4 school-age boys, and the nagging was just driving me crazy! So, now I take the time every week or so to make up detailed assignment sheets/checklists for each of the boys and it has helped sooo much!

I list each assignment knowing about how much time it "should" take each boy to accomplish and then hand over the "responsibility" to them. Here's an example:

Monday (for 7yo 1st gr.)
Math - Exer. 35 & 36
HWT - p. 8
Latin review with mommy
Phonics - p. 42-44
Read to mommy chap 38 from reader
Art with Mommy
MFW 1st gr. with mommy
Spelling p. 62
Req. Reading. My Father's Dragon. Chap. 11

(Now, this may look like alot, but it takes one twin usually around 1 1/2 hrs to complete, and the other usually 2 - 2 1/2 hrs tops!)

So, ds is responsible for accomplishing all his schoolwork before he can do computer, watch a video, play outside, etc. BUT, he can also work ahead and end up with Friday off (which is a light day for us anyway). So far, all four of my boys (and mom!!) have earned Friday off for the last 3 weeks! It's amazing how much more motivated they have been having their own "control" over when they complete their assignments.

Yes, it takes an initial investment of time to enter all of the subjects and plans on the computer. I use Homeschool Tracker. But now I spend maybe 1/2 to 1 hour a week to complete them and print them out. It has saved us a great deal of mommy stress and I think that it is good for the kids to experience the natural rewards of diligent work. Some days my boys would sit and dawdle at the table for hours and it used to drive me crazy! This has really helped our days go smoother. Hope it helps!

Kim in TN (used to be in NV)

Are you tracking Total Time for the days work or do you break it down by subject? Do you set a timer for the day's work and when the time goes off your done?

I use EduTrack to record work that's been done. I'd stopped using it proactively because of all the dwaddling. Instead we use a student planner and write lessons in pencil and check them off as we go.

[orangeblossom]

I've done both. I prefer to give them the work needing to be done for the day and I only set a timer if they're dragging it out.

My kids get 1 hour of 'screen time' per day (if they don't take it, they lose it) and they can't have it until all their school work and chores are done. This is a huge motivator.

[CalicoKat]

I require a certain amount of work to be done. But if they drag it out all day, I *also* require it to be done in a certain amount of time. I just did this today with my 3rd grader. He stretched 1 1/2 lessons of Horizons math into 2 1/2 hours. So...I gave him an additional half-lesson with only 20 minutes to finish. And if he didn't finish in the allotted time? Another half-lesson in 20 more minutes. Amazingly, he pulled it off the first time without further repercussions. If I see that my children are truly devoting themselves to work, but also struggling with the time, I'm likely to be lenient. But most of the time they just dawdle, and I crack down on it with more work. I'm kinda mean that way.

must be an age thingy too.

[RoughCollie]

I figure out how long it will take to do something and make the assignment fit the time period. If a child is dawdling, then s/he gets to do the remainder of the assignment as homework, during what would otherwise be free time.

Once in awhile I make a mistake and assign too much work -- if that is the case, I decrease the length of the assignment and tweak my lesson plans.

If I assign too little work, I don't change anything. I base my assignments on the material I think the kids can and should cover in a year and if they can get it done faster, more power to them. At that point, the child can elect to continue working for the remainder of the hour, in hopes that s/he will finish the book before the school year is over, or the child can move on to the next item on his assignment list. Math is our only never-ending subject.

[Amy in NH]

I feel like I schedule a reasonable amount of work for each school day, so I expect a certain amount of work done. I have one, in particular, who will spend hours sitting a daydreaming, and if I only expected a certain amount of time he'd never get any work done at all. This way, if he wants to spend four hours daydreaming during math, that's his playtime he's wasting and not my school time.

But if someone feels like they have an unfair amount of work in any one subject for the day, I'm willing to adjust the workload accordingly.

[bkpan]

Are you tracking Total Time for the days work or do you break it down by subject? Do you set a timer for the day's work and when the time goes off your done?

I use EduTrack to record work that's been done. I'd stopped using it proactively because of all the dwaddling. Instead we use a student planner and write lessons in pencil and check them off as we go.
I don't require any specific time frames other than; no screen time, outdoor play, etc. until the school work is done. They are free to roam around the house and play or read if they want. They simply check off each assignment as it is completed. I don't have an hourly schedule, but I do have a routine. After breakfast I do preschool with my 4yo, then the 1st graders and I do MFW 1st gr., and then I do MFW ECC with my 8 and 10yos. Other than that, they are free to do their work independently. Oh, and I am religious about a 1-2hr afternoon quiet time in our home, lol!

As I said, right now they are really motivated, so we have had a few 4-day weeks. I have told them that they will complete the week's work, even if that means working all day Friday, Saturday, etc. until it is done. My boys really value computer time, outside play, and playtime with Daddy quite a bit. These things are off-limits until schoolwork is finished. Did I answer your questions??

Kim in TN (used to be in NV)

[GreenKitty]

I used to require a specific amount of time, way back when we first started hs'ing. Now, it's so much easier to give them the work for the day and when they are finished, their finished. Except things like reading for an hour or something specific.

[nancypants]

Specific amount of work here, generally speaking... I suppose it sort of depends on the subject. If I assign a specific amount of time for some subjects (like Math) I would have to stand with a stopwatch and stop it every time the kids stopped to daydream. (They do a lot of that! LOL) I want them to complete a certain amount of work, unless we are having some particular struggle with understanding it. Sometimes I will not worry about the amount done if I can see that we broke down a barrier and surmounted a problem area -- and then displayed, post frustration, that we "get it now." :)

With reading, for my oldest, he is only assigned free reading. He has to do at least 30 minutes of free reading a day (though usually he reads for over an hour). With my youngest, we read one whole phonics reader per day or go through two pages of Phonics Pathways per day... or whatever I have picked out. We use several resources so it varies a lot with him.

HTH

[cin]

Amount of work here, too.

Reading, 1 lesson
Math, 2 pages
Grammar, 1 exercise
Vocab, 1 page
Thinking Skills, 2-3 pages (she REALLY likes to do this!)
Various problem Solving, 2 pages
Handwriting, 1 page

This usually takes about 90 minutes. If she is really bogged down in something (usually reading) I will come along side and help her out a bit.

[Cabertmom]

I do some of each. With math, science, history, grammar, and religion, it's a given amount of work--a lesson or a chapter. With reading and piano, it's time. With spelling, it's a certain amount with me (AAS), and with writing (IEW), it's sort of a combination of the two depending on the assignment. I might assign an outline or 1 or 2 paragraphs.

Each of the children has a weekly checklist. For most of the children, the checklist is divided by the day, but for my middle child, he works well independently, so there's just a smiley face for each time I want him to do a given amount or time of each subject for the week, and he can choose the order in which he does them.

[Stacy in NJ]

what a realistic amount of work is appropriate.

[floridamom]

I tried doing a specific time when we first started, because we follow a Charlotte Mason type method, complete with short lessons. However, that didn't work, because sometimes ds will want to dig deeper in a subject. I found it no different than school class periods where you have to stop when the bell rings, even if you are really into the lesson.

He now has a certain number of assignments per day, which changes daily based on what our week is like. On a day like today when we have no outside commitments, he has more assignments. On a busy day, he only has a few, sometimes even none. He does tend to drag out his school day, so I tell him he has to finish by a certain time -- usually that's around 2 or 3 pm.

[laurad1125]

I give them assignments that need to be completed. I allocate an appropriate amount of time plus about 30% in our schedule. If you finish early, you get free time. What ever isn't done during the time allotted becomes homework to be completed after dinner - which is the only time they are allowed screen time. It motivates my dawdler.

I also use homework time as motivation for good attitude. A simple, "We can do this later." (which means after dinner) usually fixes any attitude problems. Screen time is golden around here.

[momma aimee]

I require a certain amount of work to be done. But if they drag it out all day, I *also* require it to be done in a certain amount of time. I just did this today with my 3rd grader. He stretched 1 1/2 lessons of Horizons math into 2 1/2 hours. So...I gave him an additional half-lesson with only 20 minutes to finish. And if he didn't finish in the allotted time? Another half-lesson in 20 more minutes. Amazingly, he pulled it off the first time without further repercussions. If I see that my children are truly devoting themselves to work, but also struggling with the time, I'm likely to be lenient. But most of the time they just dawdle, and I crack down on it with more work. I'm kinda mean that way.

:D gotta love a mean momma :D

[Martha]

I require a certain amount of work to be done. But if they drag it out all day, I *also* require it to be done in a certain amount of time. I just did this today with my 3rd grader. He stretched 1 1/2 lessons of Horizons math into 2 1/2 hours. So...I gave him an additional half-lesson with only 20 minutes to finish. And if he didn't finish in the allotted time? Another half-lesson in 20 more minutes. Amazingly, he pulled it off the first time without further repercussions. If I see that my children are truly devoting themselves to work, but also struggling with the time, I'm likely to be lenient. But most of the time they just dawdle, and I crack down on it with more work. I'm kinda mean that way.

That is what I do too. Also, I'm pretty strict about getting assignments done before getting free time or outside activities.

[Elizabeth in WA]

I require a specific amount of work done. My scheduling is per week, and anything left over gets done on the weekend in place of free time. I do assess progress during the week and remove freedom in favor of catching up if they are significantly behind on getting done as well. My third grader is my worst dawdler too. The older kids get sucked into Java scripting or other electives, but they don't just plain waste time like the third grader.

[Night Elf]

I've always done a specific amount of work but there has always been an ultimate time limit.

When they were younger, all schoolwork had to be done before 3:00pm when the neighborhood kids got home from school or they couldn't go out and play.

After we moved 5 years ago, the motivator changed. We school 4 days a week. Any work not completed during those 4 days must be done on the 5th day, which means they don't get a 3-day weekend.

I've never had a schedule like brick-and-mortar schools, such as Math from 10:00 to 10:30am, etc. That would drive me bonkers!