I came up with this planning by the month chart for each child after a week during Alex's 2nd grade year.
We had done so many great experiments in science and built a fort for history.
Just as I was practicing my acceptance speech for the Great Mom Awards (GMA's),
Alex commented to me,
"It is kinda weird that we didn't even do math all week."
WHAT?
I had forgotten to do MATH?
All
week?
I knew then that my good intentions would not be enough.
I started making these charts.
I have a chart for each child to cover their whole week.
I make the whole month's charts at one time.
This idea works for me because:
1. I FORGOT MATH for a whole week. This has every subject and extracurricular activity listed on it. No more forgetting.
2. This chart covers the body of work due for that week (and that month because I do 4 pages at a time and staple them together for my boys). There are days where someone is sick or we don't get everything done or we need more to do - we can easily shift things around as long as everything gets done that week/month. The boys love to work ahead and have less work to do on Fridays.
3. This allows the kids to start to manage their own time during the day and for the week. There are times when they just would rather do all of their science for the whole week. Sometimes they work ahead in penmanship or in their map workbook while they are waiting on me to help them.
4. This also covers their chores, hair washing and practicing violin. It takes the unpredicatbility out of their day, which can be frustrating. I like knowing like knowing when I can have free time, the kids do too.
5. The boys love marking things off. Love. It.
6. There is only 1 "Awwwwwwwwwwwwah!"moment each month where Max looks at his list and acts like it is the end of his free time as we know it. (Seriously, he is surprised to have to do work every single morning. Every. One.)
7. I have gotten up some mornings and walked into the kitchen to find all of the boys already working on things they can do on their own. That is a very cool thing. Very. Cool.
I keep only the supplies that the kids will need for that month in these two rolling carts in the sitting area off of the kitchen (where we do school).
It takes about 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon to plan the whole month for all 3 kids.
And this year, I think I will make a chart for me to help me with my resolutions for working out, drinking water, taking my vitamins because I seem to work very well with a chart. And stars. And smiley faces.
