Getting Organized

Our school year starts the last week of September, so I am trying to get everything organized and ready. We are implementing a whole new system of organization and a new schedule this year. We will start with our new schedule next week and then school starts on the 27th. I am very excited to see how the kids will respond to the more structured approach to their day. I am pretty sure they will do better than their unorganized, procrastinating mother. We will see.

So here is an idea of what we will be doing....

After work I will prepare breakfast and wake everyone up at 9:00. After breakfast the kids will have a morning checklist (more about the checklists later) that they must complete and then start with school. The first part of the school day will be our time for reading and projects together. Then it will be time for them to start their independent work with a variation of the workbox system (more about this later too). Lunch will be around 12:30 or 1:00 and then back to their individual work. When all school work is completed they will have free time until 4:00, when they will start their afternoon checklist, once they are finished they have more free time until dinner, after which is their night checklist and then, depending on what time Cliff is off work, he will read to the family before bed.

The checklists were an idea after reading several other mom's blogs and piecing together the ideas into something that might work for us. I will be making a checklist for morning, afternoon, and night including anything I may have them do during that time. I will then laminate each list and glue it into a file folder. On for each kid. I will affix velcro to each item on the lists, then the night before I will add cute little tags to the items I would like to have them complete the next day. As they finish a task they will remove the tag and place it into a bag or box next to the list. Also near the list will be a set of library pockets. One will hold a decorated popsicle stick for each list as well as school. When they complete a list or their assigned school work they can move their stick into the other pocket so that we can easily see what has been completed.

As for our modified workbox system; For each child I purchased 10 12" x 12" plastic folders (like manilla folders only bigger and more durable), two pencil boxes, and a milk crate . I will be adding two velcro dots to the front of each folder. Every night before school, I will add the tasks I want them to complete the next day to the folders, with everything needed to complete that task, except for the basic school supplies which will be in their pencil box. Then a number tag will be velcroed to the folder in the order I want the tasks to be completed. Any empty folders will be filled with fun things like educational games, a card indicating outside time, or a random silly task like spin around three times while spelling your name backwards or yell the name of your favorite character in the book we are reading. After a particularly challenging task, I may add a mini scavenger hunt to a little reward like a small trinket or a cookie. These fun additions should help make the day more fun and exciting. The other velcro dot will be for tags indicating that they will need to see me, or daddy, or that the task will require the computer. When I have finished the folders I will put them in the milk crate along with the pencil box which I will have insured is not missing any necessary supplies. The next morning the kids will be able to grab their crates and start working right away.

I am hoping that these new additions will give the kids a sense of comfort in knowing what is expected each day as well as the freedom to control their own free time. If they stay focused and accomplish their tasks in a timely manner, they will have plenty of time to play, but if they procrastinate they will be choosing to give up that time. As for Tanya most of her tasks will be very simple, and her school envelopes will include a lot of fun stuff like play dough and coloring sheets. Also I know I will need to help her every step of the way for quite a while, but I hope she will be able to develop the skills early that I still lack today.

Well this is getting long, and I have a lot to do, but hope to post pictures after all my prep work is completed.

A Great Lunch

I had a friend over for lunch today, and it was very refreshing. I find that most of the women I know are either more seasoned homeschool moms that seem to have it all together, or mom's who do not homeschool. This makes finding a friend who can relate very hard. Well today I realized I really am not alone, there is another mom in my life that knows that homeschooling is God's calling for her life, but is still trying to figure out the how. To me that was really exciting. Just sitting and exchanging challenges, ideas, and laughs was exactly what I needed. Now y mind is spinning with ideas, and I am excited to get started with the school year. I now know when things get difficult, I can talk to someone who can just say, "I totally know what you mean".