The Lesgaux School

Here’s a snippet I posted to a homeschool list in response to a post requesting scheduling ideas for multiple children:

I have three boys, ages 7, 4, and 1. My 7yo is in first grade; he’ll start 2nd August 1, as we school year round. My 4 yo likes to be considered kindergarten, but for now, I mostly read aloud and unschool.

I love the short lesson method! We rarely go over 15 minutes per subject, with spelling and handwriting only lasting 5 minutes each. We cover math, handwriting/copywork, spelling and language daily. We do history MWF and science TTH. The only time it takes longer is if we do a drawing narration or other project. We try to do most of our work in the morning, though I try to reserve a bit of time in the afternoon in case we don’t get it all done. We fit read alouds in whenever the atmosphere needs to quiet down. This ususally adds up to more than 1 hour per day. This year, we’ve let art & music slide a bit, as we get into our groove, though we’re constantly singing, playing the radio and cds. I hope to work it into Friday afternoons. We use the library a lot to fill in the gaps. 7yo often reads silently on our history and science topics. I also try to check out art books, spanish books (4yo is taking spanish), and anything else I’d like to study but can’t fit into our schedule. It’s heartbreaking to not be able to cover everything, especially in history and science.

Here’s our daily routine. First I get 7yo started on math. We use the Miquon Math Labs and he is assigned 4 per day. He has 15 minutes to finish them. He is a daydreamer and a dawdler, so what he doesn’t finish during the week he must finish in Saturday study hall when dh takes the younger two out of the house. It’s challenging, because the 7yo would prefer absolute silence, which is next to impossible. He can’t go to his room to work, because there are two many things there that distract him (like his bookshelf and the ceiling) . While he is working on math, I give my 4yo some devoted read aloud time. It’s early, so the 1yo is content to play with his toys in the same room.

After math, 7yo moves on to copywork. I play with 4yo and 1yo for 5-10 minutes. If 7yo is too fidgety, we put copywork off until later. Spelling is next. We only spend 5 minutes here, often while jumping on the indoor trampoline. 7yo is a good reader, but needs to learn to sound things out. We do oral spelling only at this point. This may change in Aug.

Next, we all hit the couch for language and history/science. The 1yo is welcome to join, but often is still content at this point. If we’re on track, we break for some free time while the 1yo goes down for nap (anywhere from 11:30 – 1:00). By now, on a good day, we’re done with structured academics by noon. If not, we break for some free time, lunch and reading. Often, if 1yo goes down for nap early, things go smoother. We try to do as much as we can during his nap, as there is 1 less distraction. If need be, we tackle any leftover history/science in the afternoon. By 4pm, we’re into our evening routine.

Some things that help us the most are:

• Take advantage of naptime.
• Keep 4yo occupied during school so he is less likely to make noise to have fun.
• Have a routine, i.e. math 1st, copywork 2nd, then language. Not always the same time, but in the same order. That way, if we have a day where we need to start school at 2pm, there is still some consistency. (Let’s face it, errands are just easier in the morning with a toddler in tow)
• Try to alternate seatwork /reading on the couch / some physical activity (like mopping).

Math Note: T now does an average of 4 Miquon Math Labs a day and works for 15 minutes. He’s now in the Red Book.

Handwriting Note: We have replaced the handwriting book with copywork. Here is a link to explain the hows and whys of copywork: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/copywork.php