School Schedule

All families that "school at home" have a unique schedule that works specifically for them. There is NO right or wrong. Some are more loose, some structured, some have like 10 schedules for 10 different kiddos going (most I have had was my three, plus two foster two year old boys!), but seriously no schedule is incorrect... Well unless you never get any school done- then there is a problem with your schedule. Add in family activities like dance or piano and you have a schedule that works for your family's interest. And my schedule is morning heavy, cause afternoons are for the birds.
We are going into our fifth year homeschooling and each year our school schedule looks a bit different. One thing I can say is that I begged, borrowed and stole schedule ideas from a hundred different mamas out there! If something on this schedule helps you (as in makes your life better!) then by all means, use it. If not, throw it out! Such freedom in homeschooling, keep what works and throw out the rest. I have descriptions throughout that explain our schedule for our youngest two...

Monday:
We attend Classical Conversations. At school one day a week we cover: Timeline, History, Geography, English, Latin, Math, Science and Art/Music. We continue to review these core subjects during the week and the child is tested by another parent the following week, accountability!
In the afternoons our kids attend electives, Fiesta Spanish and Culture Camp.
Under Monday's section I have a Busy Box. Basically if the kiddos get bored, they can be directed to something from the Busy Box: Music/piano, write a letter, coloring, puzzles, board games, sand, reading, make a book, word search, drawing, art, craft, bath, shower, blocks, legos, clean, dishes, grocery list, cooking, baking, sewing, nap, eat, roller skating, bikes, go outside!

Tuesday:
Technology Free (as in no TV, tablet, games, etc)
Get Ready
8:30 Bible for Breakfast. Bible for breakfast is my best steal from another mama. She said how difficult it was to have a family devo with different bed times and show them to put God/Bible first, so it literally needed to be done with breakfast. This is our third year eating breakfast while I read a Bible story.
Names of God- We review a name of God each Monday, teaching them His unique names, like Abba, Bread of Life, Johovah-Jireh, etc.
Piano- We practice daily and go to lessons once a week.
Math- While one is at piano, I do math with the other, then swap. We have tried many different math curriculum and now I use Horizons and love it.
Handwriting, I use a beginning cursive book with both kids.
Phonics- I use Spectrum
Story Starters- I give the question from the book, I write the story they tell me (usually 2-3 sentences) then they copy the story themselves on their own paper, so I don't have to spell the words out loud.
Snack- We all tank without a snack break.
CC Review
Reading, read to self while I make lunch
Lunch
Outside/inside play
Rest, 1 hour each day
Clean house
Liberty's Kids- Trying out a, study of kids who shaped America
Busy Box
Dinner

Wed:
Get Ready
8:30 B & B
Pledges, US and Christian
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
CC Review
Reading
Lunch
Play
Rest
Clean
Tech time
Community Group and dinner at church

Thurs:
Tech Free
8:30 B & B
Character Word- As in honesty, integrity, discuss what the word means.
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
CC Review
Reading
Lunch
Electives
12:30-1:30 Piano Lessons
Home- CC Presentations. Each week at CC the children present an oral presentation in front of the class. We prepare this and practice at home.
4:00- Gymnastics
Family Night- We do a family devo and play a board game.

Friday:
Get Ready
8:30 B & B
Teach a chore- Like cleaning a toilet, dust, organize.
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
11:00 Public Library to get books. We do this purely for pleasure, we do not check out any books on what they are studying unless it interests them. Going for the love of reading.
Lunch
Play
Rest/Busy Box
Tech Time

Weekend:
CC family test, $1. If the kiddos can get most or all of their CC memory work, they earn a dollar from me.

Caught you! I give the kids a star if I catch them doing something good on their own. It MUST be something that I did not ask them to do. Like Nehemiah opened the car door for me or Avi Joy cleaned up her desk, both without being asked. They maybe get 1-2 a week. After they earn 10, they get something from the dollar store.

OK, so there is our schedule! IF we get ONE day that looks like this, it is rare. Even today, we didn't get phonics in, so we did it in the afternoon. If you have Dr.'s app'ts, playdates, luncheons, field trips or a trip to the store (which all of these seem weekly!) then in all reality there is a disruption of some kind each day. Expect it! You are STILL accomplishing more in their little hearts and minds than you could ever imagine!
Having some kind of plan of what could/needs to be completed has helped us tremendously. Overall our school motto is, God first, Family second, School third. We will not push education over family time and not family time over centering time with the Lord. It works in this order and when they get older I pray they will continue with God first, Family second and their Job/Career third.

Hope you find what works for you!
The Perryman's

Paid.

We have some amazing news and we wanted to share it with you! As you can read from the previous post, Karrington has the gift of attending Teen Challenge 2013-2014.

During her year at TC, she will be working on her struggles. Many older adopted children, including Karrington, need to spend significant time working through their past trauma, neglect, abandonment, abuse, malnutrition and educational delays.

Partnering with the parents, Teen Challenge has the support structure in place to help young adults work through their grief and help rebuild their foundation. All this time/effort is to help bring full restoration and healing to each child and help them become all that God intends for them to be.

While worth every penny, TC is $2,300 a month for tuition. (After tuition, comes payment for two mission trips, one to the Dominican Republic and one to Africa.) Many of YOU have been working and praying to help support Karrington’s tuition at TC. Along with our parents and you, we have been able to cover six months of tuition at Teen Challenge. Astounding!

Over New Years we received a phone call from a friend whose family had been praying for Karringtion and they wanted to know the remaining balance for Teen Challenge.

See, this precious family has been through three tragic deaths in the last five years. Through these losses, the Lord has provided a flood of finances that has been a blessing to them, their children and to their foster children. Through these ashes, beauty will rise.

They believed in Karrington’s healing and they wanted to sow a seed into her story of redemption. And they paid off the remaining balance of Karrington’s stay at TC. Selah! (Selah, 74 times in the Bible, “to pause and think of that!”)

After hearing the news and drying up the tears, we attended a worship in the New Year event in AR. They played one song that I think sums up our thoughts, “And we stand in Awe of You.”

We are simply standing in Awe of God’s handiwork and that He (not by us pulling strings) gave us grace and mercy in our time of need, showed up and astounded us and our family.

Part two of the miracle: TC believes in taking the girls on mission trips as part of their healing. They go to the Dominican Republic and to Africa to serve orphans, prostitutes and do street ministry. We have a heart for missions and while we wanted her to go, just paying the monthly tuition was our current goal.

After this gift of “paid” we were going to turn our eyes to the mission trips and lo and behold, another flood of donations came in and one trip was paid off! Karrington has the honor of serving the people/children in the Dominican Republic in March and we are confident she will serve in Africa in September as well.  Again, in Awe!

We pray that ALL families that have invested love, time, cards, prayers and finances towards Karrington’s healing would themselves find a double portion of provision. We also pray that Karrington would fully understand how incredible this miracle is for her (TC paid and missions too) and that she would rest assured in His love for her and our family/friends love for her.

“God can do anything, you know- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20

With Love,

The Perryman’s