I have gotten quite a few emails recently with questions about how I go about weekly or day-to-day planning of our morning activities, so I thought I 'd share my strategy. First of all, I found this great little
5x8 planner. It is exactly what I had been envisioning, so I ordered several to save on shipping charges over time. Every weekend I sit down with a pencil, my planner, my calendar, a copy of the
Ambleside Online weekly reading schedule, my jar of sticks (more on this later), my copy of
BFSU, and the laptop.
Step 1
Look at calendar and add any field trips, classes, or social events for the week to the planner. If I don't have any already scheduled, I talk it over with Gerrick and I pencil in something. I may contact friends through facebook (right then!) to see if they want to join us. I add a star next to events that are away from home so I can quickly see those at a glance.
Step 2
Add "hymn, prayer, poem" at the top of each day's block. We like to start with these, but lo and behold, if I don't write them down, we forget.
Step 3
Check the prior week's planner pages to make sure we completed all the Ambleside Online readings. (We check things off as we do them.) If there is anything not checked, it will be moved forward to this week's pages. I then spread this
week's readings throughout the week.
Step 4
Add the three R's:
- Reading (Gerrick reads aloud his choice)--daily
- Copywork/dictation/spelling--3-4x/wk
- Math--Dreambox 3x/wk, other games/etc 1-2x/wk
Step 5
Make sure there is some physical activity planned into each day. (I am focusing on this simply because Gerrick has asked me to help make sure he gets some exercise every day.) Add at least one nature walk to the schedule and fill in any other days that don't already have planned physical activity with a walk or bike ride to the neighborhood playground.
Step 6
Fill in the planner with the "extras"--things we generally try to do once a week or so. I have a jar of craft sticks labeled with these subjects. They are quick visuals that help me not forget anything.
Step 7
Plan the following week's
science lesson(s) and place any books needed on hold at the library via the online reservation service. Check notes from the previous week and if any topics were noted of interest or concern, research and reserve books on those subjects as well.
These seven simple steps do take a little time, but they are well worth the peace of mind they give me the rest of the week! Do you have a system of planning that works well for you and your family? In the comments below, tell us all about it or share a link to a post of your own.
