Our First 2016 Trial Week of School

This week is the second full week of our schedule. However, in between, we went camping over the weekend.

My two youngest kiddos, aka, students decided they would put up the tents and set up all the camping site.

 

They had a bit of fun with the set up.

OUR WEEK OF SCHOOL

Cha-Cha-Changes

Well, I had to change around Speed Racer's schedule. Realized (1) the Abeka Physics was WAY too intensive (2) that we only really had 3 to 4 evening hours of one on one time to get various subjects done, if he was going to do his PE classes like dance, soccer and martial arts.

For Tiger Lilly, she is reviewing and learning homeschool Calculus using both CTCMath and Saxon, but still says she wants some help. Therefore, I'm on the hunt for a tutor. She also wanted me to add back her ART curriculum since she didn't finish it. 

Positive Observations

My son has MATURED greatly and is a wonderful independent learner. Tiger Lilly loves teaching her brother and assisting him with his work.

I never would have thought my Speed Racer could calm down and be focused (even though he has to listen to music while he works or even stands up while typing). 

There are still some classes I have to be involved in (the Abeka classes for administering Quizzes or Test) and the follow up review of his Study.com, math drills and Vocabulary and Spelling I still check.

KEEPING THEM FOCUSED

Means I lock up the cellphones, the game controllers and tablets until their work is done, done, done. It's worked very well.

Timer - yes, I still use one. We set it 5 minutes before end of task time and it keeps everyone on focus.

If work isn't finished by the time the timer goes on, it becomes 'homework' for my child to do on Saturday.

Workboxes are helpful yet another year. They finish their work and when I am done doing whatever I need to do around the house, I go and check their progress. However, it's not as much needed for validation of the online work as that gets emailed to me.

Speed Racer's Week: 

Blended Middle School/High Schooler 12 yrs old

Mon - Friday
He does his Study.com classes on his own. On days he has a test (which is only 1 every week) he has a longer class.

(10 am-12pm) Daily Independent
Study.com
Psychology and Sociology are his favorites. He tends to actually watch the entire 5 to 7 min videos and wiz through the quizzes.

Macro Econ and Information Systems takes him longer to complete the quizzes and he prefers to read these lessons.

Physics was a course that he originally had in AbekaAcademy.com but he told me it was way too much math and work for him to be interested. He requested to move it to a Study.com class. Since then it's been working out great and he enjoys it.

(1pm-2pm) Daily Independent

Membean he does 20 mins of Vocabulary
Geometry (Teaching Textbooks) takes him about 30 minutes
Ace Reader is his speed reading and comprehension online class he finished in 10 min

(2-3pm) Mon and Wed with Tiger Lilly tutoring him

Java Homeschool Programming takes him 30 min to 60 min depending on task

(3pm-4:30pm) Daily

Then Mom or Dad are available to give him Quizzes and Test
Geometry AbekaAcademy takes him about 45 min to 60 min to watch video, take notes, do homework.

Copy work takes 10 minutes he's doing Great Quotes & Writing in Cursive

Sequential Spelling takes 20 minutes for him to do, he is at Level 5 and gets most all correct

(5pm) Martial Arts  or Soccer
He loves going to his sports since he gets to play with his friends. This year my husband isn't coaching but the team is pretty big for soccer. His Martial arts class has a few other homeschoolers there he plays with.

(6:15-6:30pm) 2 days a week
3-minute devotional for guys Bible Devotionals administered by Dad and Big Brother and he prefers his brother, but his brother is long winded with discussion times, lol!

(6:30-7:15pm) Dinner

(7:15pm-7:30pm) 2 days a week
Math Drill sheet are done and cover addition, subtraction, fractions, long division, exponents and are only supposed to take a few minutes but I give him 15 mins.

(7:30pm - 9:30pm) 5 days week
Chemistry he is taking with Abeka and so far likes it and is doing well at it.

(9:30pm-10:30pm) 3 or 2 days a week 
English Literature and American Literature he is taking with Abeka on alternating days.

Tiger Lilly's Week: High Schooler /Dual Enrolled 15 yrs old

She decided she didn't want to take the Digipen schedule after seeing how intensive the course was for homework.

Mon - Friday
Her schedule is still on the 'lighter' side since her college classes don't start until 8/22. However, here are her days.

11am-12pm - 3 days a week
Software Development class I had her do a Trade Analysis of Game design frameworks she can use in the development of her games. She enjoyed it and got the draft to me after two days of working on it.
12pm-1pm - 5 days a week
See the Light Art Class she gets to practice her drawing and it pushes her beyond her comfort zone. She is doing this instead of the Animation class.

1pm-2pm - 5 days a week
Homeschool Programming Android Programming takes her about 30 minutes to an hour

2pm-3pm - 3 days a week
Calculus with Saxon & Dive and CTCMath is a bit difficult for her. She is doing C work and requested a tutor.

6pm-7:30pm - 3 days a week
She goes to the gym with her dad and on Friday's she is 'trying' out martial arts at a new school.

7pm-8pm - 1 day a week
Japanese with 1.5 hr tutoring on Tuesdays. She spends the rest of the week practicing it on us.

8pm-9pm - 2 days a week
3-minute Devotional for Girls has been changed to just 2 days a week and she enjoyed the lesson, likes saying the prayers.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals Love, love, love the Airfry. My daughter is able to make dinner before I get home. Also, the freezer meal prep worked well since my oldest son now helps prep. So basically, I only have to do dinner 3 days a week. Hubs doesn't do it at all.

Cleaning. Well we had more of a 'pass the buck' chore chart going on. It was requested I change the days of the week that the older kids do the kitchen. Hum.....

Work & Life Balance. I had to work late this week for 3 days. Ugh, I was so tired. However, my kids were very independent in doing their work.

Lesson Planning. It didn't get done until 11pm on Sunday night. Not my best, but we did go camping this weekend.

Rest. I am getting 5 to 6 hours on the days I had to work late. When we went camping, I got no darn sleep.

Marriage Check Up. We were supposed to go to the movies. Well, that fell through, but we promised to do it this weekend. The only problem is my hubs is a night owl who likes to go to the midnight movies when we have to wake up and go to work the next day. Needless to say, we argue about this and sometimes I give in, other times he does.