My Grand Schedule

I have spent the last three days in a paper storm and everything is now sorted out. One of the fruits of my labour has been the construction of a Grand Schedule which I can now follow daily for the rest of the year and a perfect Home Ed Curriculum will be delivered to my children.

Or, at the very least, I can go into September believing that to be the case, yet secretly knowing that I will probably re-write it a number of times before it gets forgotten.

In front of me is a pristine piece of A4 paper. It is not yet smudged, scribbled on or decorated with tomato sauce spatters from being looked at while I am cooking. I have optimistically titled it 'Year Beginning September 2008'.

First come my goals. These are somewhat loose as I firmly believe that the children will learn what they want to, regardless of what I think.

1. General reading and writing skills: for my eldest son I would like to see him writing neatly on a more regular basis. He can write a beautiful cursive script but always chooses to print. Does it matter? I guess I feel that the more he used joined-up, the more naturally it would come and what he writes would look the way it deserves to, a bit like dressing smartly on appropriate occasions. I would like my middle son to move onto reading more fluently and also to spell better. I think that as reading comes more easily for him, he will read more and so become more familiar with the look of words, but I may do a little spelling work with him. I would like my daughter to be reading by the end of the year and to be forming all her letters correctly and neatly.
2. Some routine work. I think that we all feel more comfortable with some structure as well as plenty of freedom and I think there is a valuable lesson in the discipline of getting on with something even if we don't feel like it. I also know that I don't find it easy to live spontaneously the whole time and that having a routine means that I can relax knowing that all bases will be covered.
3. A lot of variety of exposure to different ideas and concepts. I always feel a stab of envy when others talk of 'projects' which they are following but so far that has not worked for us. I have a personal image of Home Ed being like a buffet meal. It is my job to present a wide and balanced spread and the children's to choose what they would like.
4. A mix of outdoors, indoors and trips. Left to my own devices I do not go outside much. I run, often first thing, and then I'm happy in the house. By building in time outdoors I won't have to decide if I want to, it'll be on my Grand Schedule so I will have to!

Then comes the Schedule itself, in all its glory.

Each day comes in two sessions apart from Thursday which will be our Day Out. I have plenty of ideas of where to go, sometimes to visit friends, old favourite haunts and a few new places thrown in. We like the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum , the National and National Portrait Galleries. I love the Victoria and Albert Museum and I'd like to introduce the children to Tate Britain and Tate Modern. My middle son has been promised a trip to Tower Bridge and so far I have failed to deliver so that is on the list too. Perhaps one Thursday we'll have day home and just watch DVDs and play games!

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings we will do 'Table Work'. This will meet my first goal, largely through the boys doing back issues of 'The Arrow' from Bravewriter and my daughter completing mini-books from Enchanted Learning. We'll also do some maths. In October we will be doing a One Thing workshop at Bravewriter.

On Monday afternoons we will finish the Art Course I bought in the Spring and then begin 'Exploring Creation with Botany' which I bought after being inspired by Kathy at Restoration Place. In the Spring I am hoping we will do the Mystery Class project at Journey North again, but I didn't really allow enough time each week for it in 2008 so it will get 2 afternoons in 2009.

On Tuesday mornings we will do the Green Hour Challenge. I know it's probably the wrong time of year but I thought it would be helpful in my efforts to get outside more often. If it's too rainy/cold/miserable I have all of David Attenborough's Life series on DVD. That should keep us going for a while! In the afternoon my parents-in-law will come every fortnight, visits we all look forward to. The alternate Tuesday will be Movie afternoon!

Wednesday afternoons will be for cookie baking and Poetry Teatime. Friday's we will write, first working on a poem for a local competition, then freewriting. We might study a Shakespeare play and when Journey North starts we will give Friday afternoons over to that too.

I'm also hoping to read a chapter from Our Island Story after our evening meal if we all eat together. The children also have Gym, Beavers and Swimming (one activity each). We always have a chapter book on the go too.

Although every day has something both morning and afternoon, some of these things will only take an hour, so I hope I have left plenty of time for 'self-directed activity', both for them (Lego, drawing, engaging in complicated imaginary games) and me (blogging, keeping the house tidy and everyone fed, relaxing on the sofa.)

My life is sorted - bring on September.