What I know now......

So often I read posts from new homeschoolers with really YOUNG children aged between 3 and 7 years who are trying to figure out what curriculum to use or how to teach their kids or get them to focus on lessons.

After 6 years of homeschooling the one thing I know for sure is that it is better to relax and take things slowly in the early years and build up gradually. I believe routines and a certain amount of structure are important but you need to make them something you gradually build up and weave in around daily like. I have had to constantly remind myself to avoid over scheduling even though this is a really HARD lesson to learn for a lot of us mum especially those of us who tend to lean towards the control freak side of the coin.

Here is my perspective on what to teach when....

• I don't personally begin doing any sit down formal academic learning until around 6.5 at the earliest with enthusiastic girls and closer to 8 with boys.

• For preschoolers and kindergartners I usually only offer optional colouring pages, arts and crafts and we spend a lot of our time reading lots of nice picture books. However I prefer to allow them to do 99.9999999% of their learning through play and exploration.

• I only focus on reading and phonics with lots of art and crafts until around age 7.5. I would then introduce 1 - 3 lines of copywork for handwriting and some basic math. At this age I use hardly any curriculum except for math and HWOT for handwriting. For Math at this age I like ACE or Singapore and a lot of people I know recommend Explode the Code for this age group for phonics although I personally am having great success with ACE English and Word-building for my dd7 at the moment.

• Around age 8 or 9 when I introduce science and spelling/vocab. I personally like ACE Wordbuilding for spelling and Gods Design for science.

• Between ages 9 and 10 I introduce independent writing and grammar and assigned literature. I like Voyages in English and I use a variety of highly recommended Literature mostly from the Sonlight reading list.

SCHEDULING:

• I personally like to just do 10 - 15 minutes per subject 3 - 4 times a week until around age 7.5 or 8.

So a typical academic week with a child aged up to 7.5 or 8 would look like this...

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Reading - 1 book aloud to me and then I read a book aloud.(10-20min)

• Break for move around or play with manipulative resources (10 - 15min)

Handwriting/copywork - 1 letter or phonics blend per day (10 - 15min)

• Break for move around or play with manipulative resources (10 - 15min)

Maths with me (10 - 15min)

• Art and Crafts

Tuesday and Thursday = Social and or sporting activities

• At around 7.5 - 8 years I add another day to our schedule and around 9 years I add another light day and extend our other 4 days to incorporate the extra subjects.

Soooooo........

• 6.5 - 7.5 years - Max 30 -45 minutes sit down academic learning 3 times a week.

• 7.5 - 8.5 years - Max 1 - 1.5 hours sit down academic learning 4 times a week.
  

• 8.5 - 10 years - Max 2 - 3 hours sit down academic learning 4 times a week.

• 10 - 12 years - Max 3 - 3.5 hours sit down academic learning 4 times a week.

• 12+ years - Max 4 hours sit down academic learning 4 - 5 times a week.
  

By the time they reach age 11 or 12 they will usually be studying...

1. English - (Composition and Grammar)
2. Spelling
3. Literature
4. Maths
5. Science
6. History & Geography
7. Typing
8. Penmanship (copying Scripture)

• These will be spread over 5 days usually with 1 - 2 days being much lighter than the rest.

At the moment due to all our afternoon sports etc the older boys tend to do 4 - 5 hours on Monday, 3 hours on Tuesday, 2hrs on Wednesday, 1hr on Thursday and 3 -4hrs on Friday. Dd7 of course does much less than this. Most of this we try to slot into the babies nap times.