our summer schedule for schooling and sanity
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Yep, school just ended last week, but my kids aren't getting a break.
Go ahead and call me cruel if you want. I don't care.
Jocelyn is right around grade level for reading and ahead in math, while Patience is behind in everything considering she only came to this country in November. To keep forward momentum for the girls as they head toward 2nd grade and to prepare the boys for kindergarten, we needed a plan.
Structure? Not my strong suit.
Good intentions? I'm all over those... while consistently inconsistent on my follow through.
So I took a note from a viral blog post I saw on Facebook, something about giving kids unlimited screen time after they've finished a list of tasks for the day. Cue our list...
Because our printer likes to pick her own colors, the actual page - which I printed and laminated and hung with 3M foam squares on the big girls' bunk beds - is in different colors, but I like the look.
My goals were to keep the girls reading and writing and working on math, while getting them to engage their siblings in reading, basic math, and phonemic awareness. I posted it on the last day of school and told the girls we would start the next day, so naturally they wanted to start that day.
Here's hoping they follow the plan this well every day!
Meanwhile, I just have to hold them accountable and pick out daily math pages for them to complete.
Low effort: that's my style.
I've already written about the magnets and zones (if you'd prefer not to click through, it's our chore system), so I think the only piece requiring explanation is the boxes. Most are made by a company called Lauri, and they're ready-made manipulatives for building early math and literacy. I think these pictures will show the finer details, but feel free to comment if you have any questions.
For Jocelyn, this will be a time for her to teach the brother she's working with that day. For Patience, she and her bro partner will be learning together for some of these.
Jocelyn and Patience are also reviewing spelling from 1st grade, using the 45 spelling lists they had last year; that happens during afternoon rest time (aka nap time for the little girls). In particular, we're focusing on vowel sounds for Patience, as those are the most challenging for English language learners, and going through three lists a week. I have a few workbooks we're also using from time to time, like cursive for Jocelyn and handwriting practice for the boys and reading comprehension for Patience.
Will this work? Eh, I don't know.
But it's a good plan to start with, and - with the exception of the week our oldest four will spend in day camp at New Life Camp - it'll work no matter what else is going on that week, even through VBS and a roadtrip to see some Alabama friends. Today marks our fifth day, given that the girls wanted to start on the last day of school and that I decided not to stop them when they decided the rules applied on weekends too (which wasn't my plan, but shh! don't tell them now), and all is going quite well.
Here's hoping for continued summer success!
(And a lot of fun too... I'm not a total vacation killjoy, after all.)
Go ahead and call me cruel if you want. I don't care.
Jocelyn is right around grade level for reading and ahead in math, while Patience is behind in everything considering she only came to this country in November. To keep forward momentum for the girls as they head toward 2nd grade and to prepare the boys for kindergarten, we needed a plan.
Structure? Not my strong suit.
Good intentions? I'm all over those... while consistently inconsistent on my follow through.
So I took a note from a viral blog post I saw on Facebook, something about giving kids unlimited screen time after they've finished a list of tasks for the day. Cue our list...
Because our printer likes to pick her own colors, the actual page - which I printed and laminated and hung with 3M foam squares on the big girls' bunk beds - is in different colors, but I like the look.
My goals were to keep the girls reading and writing and working on math, while getting them to engage their siblings in reading, basic math, and phonemic awareness. I posted it on the last day of school and told the girls we would start the next day, so naturally they wanted to start that day.
Here's hoping they follow the plan this well every day!
Meanwhile, I just have to hold them accountable and pick out daily math pages for them to complete.
Low effort: that's my style.
I've already written about the magnets and zones (if you'd prefer not to click through, it's our chore system), so I think the only piece requiring explanation is the boxes. Most are made by a company called Lauri, and they're ready-made manipulatives for building early math and literacy. I think these pictures will show the finer details, but feel free to comment if you have any questions.
For Jocelyn, this will be a time for her to teach the brother she's working with that day. For Patience, she and her bro partner will be learning together for some of these.
Jocelyn and Patience are also reviewing spelling from 1st grade, using the 45 spelling lists they had last year; that happens during afternoon rest time (aka nap time for the little girls). In particular, we're focusing on vowel sounds for Patience, as those are the most challenging for English language learners, and going through three lists a week. I have a few workbooks we're also using from time to time, like cursive for Jocelyn and handwriting practice for the boys and reading comprehension for Patience.
Will this work? Eh, I don't know.
But it's a good plan to start with, and - with the exception of the week our oldest four will spend in day camp at New Life Camp - it'll work no matter what else is going on that week, even through VBS and a roadtrip to see some Alabama friends. Today marks our fifth day, given that the girls wanted to start on the last day of school and that I decided not to stop them when they decided the rules applied on weekends too (which wasn't my plan, but shh! don't tell them now), and all is going quite well.
Here's hoping for continued summer success!
(And a lot of fun too... I'm not a total vacation killjoy, after all.)