Rigid homeschool timetable or a more relaxed approach?

[agirlfrommars]

Keep seeing a lot of contrast on Facebook-
On the one hand lots of parents who are taking homeschooling during this pandemic very seriously with full-on colour coordinated timetables for every last minute and a very strict, rigid schedule and taking full advantage of every available resource.

Then, on the other hand, am I seeing posts from head teachers and videos from teachers etc being shared by some friends where it’s claimed this perhaps isn’t in the best interests for children and all the stuff about just relaxing, playing games and having fun/making memories as a family.

I think, like most, in somewhere in between. Trying to incorporate a bit of maths, English plus the work set by school but not on a strict timetable and probably a lot more fun and play than a normal school day.

However, if the strict timetables (or doing nothing at all) works for some families then surely that’s what is right for them?

Just wondered where people stood on this or what your personal set-up is :)

I’m dreading the Easter holidays! This structure is ace. Going to be so much harder to not let them distract working parent when it’s a traditional ‘weekend’ activity, e.g. board games / puzzles / mucking around. Don’t know how work is going to be possible really.

We’re fairly relaxed. The 12 year old is following her school timetable from home, so she has plenty to do. The 10 year old is doing some maths and English every day, and anything else is a bonus.

How much you do depends a lot on the child I guess. KS1 can learn a lot through play and counting things on a walk etc, so you can get away with minimal sitting at a desk. That doesn’t really work for older kids.

We're fairly relaxed here. We start with PE with Joe Wicks, then breakfast followed by 20 minutes each of maths and spelling games on the school app. Then there's work been set by the teacher so we do that till lunchtime. After lunch we do a bit of art then it's relaxed for the rest of the day.

We're having our Easter Holidays now - the kids schools suggested it. It's working out brilliantly for us so far. The kids are happy just blobbing and we all have a bit of breathing space to adjust to all this while me and dh work from home.

No idea. I am ill in bed and have just left DP to sort them out. Since he is also wfh, its hardly going to be a rigid timetable.

I have made a timetable, but it's realistic and includes lots of play/chill time.

"We have a strict start at 9am for PE with Joe, as I think we would easily slip into lounging around in pjs all morning otherwise."
Snap, we would definitely not get the day properly started until about 11am otherwise so I am strict with that.

Tbh the timetable is more for me than for the kids, I like routine and checklists etc. If I didn't have a timetable to follow then I would procrastinate all day.

Durr bold fail

Rigid timetable

Joe Wicks 9am
Maths 930-1030
Break
Reading 11-1130
English (Story project/SPAG) 11.30-1230
Lunch 12.30 - 130

Then either

Spanish/History/Geography/Science - 130-230

Then either

PE/Arts and Crafts/The World/Educaitional TV - 2.30-330

Each week we have a different theme.

This week is the Amazon Rainforest so history/Art/science/geography/english etc all surrounding that.
Currently it's "the world" and the girls are sat doing a quiz I made for them.

Routine is key to us all surviving this.

At weekends its going to be anything they want to do, they can do.

However, what people need to realise is

a/. we have two adults and an au pair, so we tag team the timetable. the au pair does the Spanish lesson. She also does the SPAG and reading - it helps her (her request for both).

b/. we have two adults and an au pair - so it's far easier for us than the average family. Despite DH working from home - he has little to do. I'm also "temporarily stood down" as I work in a field based role, so beyond a daily catch up with the team and having a laugh via whatsapp i have little to do.

c/. we have all the tech, a desktop computer, a printer/scanner, the kids have a tablet each, i have my laptop - this makes it super easy.

d/. I need routine, else I get really poorly MH wise. so this helps the entire family.

Last week I was also off work - unrelated illness, and laying around, not getting dressed etc fucked my head up.

Very relaxed here, we’re only doing what we would usually do each day, so bit of reading, some simple sums, shapes etc.

We started out with a strict routine, but it wasnt working - dd was getting loads done, but I didn't feel it was sustainable if this is going to go on for weeks.

So now we go for a walk first thing.
I have written a list of what should be done that day- maths, English, SPaG, reading, handwriting. Dd can do bits as she likes.
Have lunch
Dd can then do some art or baking or whatever she wants really.

Very rigid here. Every half hour is timetabled from 8.30 to 5pm. It's starts off with outdoor play regardless of weather to mimic our walk to school, then lessons, then lunch. After lunch it is more casual so PE, crafts, and story time. Then TV time for 45 mins with dinner at 5pm.

It's working really well. I never get the "what can I do now?" Question because they are occupied & can check the timetable. I'm dreading the Easter holidays. No idea what we will do all day.

Dd is being set masses of work by some teachers. She’s in yr7. She’s doing a lot of it. They have planned it so she follows she timetable. But it takes more or less time depending on the amount of work set and how clear the instructions are. Now she needs to get into the rhythm of only doing max 1 hr per subject.

Whe I say we're relaxed, we have a 'timetable' but it is loosely grouped into morning and afternoon stuff like "exercise with Joe", do 30 mins maths app, read 30 pages of latest book, watch Horrible Histories, walk dogs. Walk dogs again. Etc. So we have a bit of structure (otherwise the 12 year old would fanny about on youtube all day), but at the end of the day we usually haven't done all the stuff. It's the only way of doing things when you're working from home as well.
I want an au pair!!!!!

I don't get how teachers and schools can expect parents to teach things which haven't already been taught and follow a strict curriculum. It seems ridiculously unreasonable and punishes parents who are having to work and sit side by side with kids who might need more guidance.

Our school just told us to relax and follow the children's interests for now because life is a bit unpredictable. I like our school :-)

I guess a lot depends on how much work the school had sent home?? If you've been sent reams of work then it would be easier to have a timetable to follow that work. I've got 2 degrees but I'd be buggered if I had to do a full timetable of educational activities right now, teachers have that skill, I dont.

However Mines only 3 so were obviously just doing learn through play stuff we usually do. But my sisters children have only had one work booklet sent home and as shes not a teacher shes struggling to have a proper routine and think if activities with limited resources. I've had to remind her that she isnt homeschooling her children, I believe that only applies of you've made the conscious decision to do it. She is doing her best to provide some education in very difficult circumstances.

We are doing school work until lunch and then outside playing football or just chilling out. I am wfh so we sit together in the morning then DS does his own thing later.

We aren't doing much at all. Reading this reminded me that my 6 year old has not done any studying today! So far I've got him to do a few of his KS2 tests and he's been using some learning apps.

As he won't be sitting his year 2 tests now I actually don't see the point in getting him to practice the tests etc. I'm going to let him enjoy these last few weeks before Easter and after Easter hols I'll start to go though bits with him that he would have learnt at school, the non test related stuff. So the history, geography, science bits etc.... These are the important things. I will get him to continue working on his writing though.... but after Easter. I'll let him enjoy his free time to be creative and relaxed etc

We have a timetable otherwise we will all slob. Up, wash, dress and fed by 9. Playtime in the garden. 9 30 ish do school work (they choose from the list) 10 30 snack 11 more school work 12 lunch and 1 30 creative stuff done by 3 sometimes earlier. That’s it’s now free time. In terms of actual work today
Yr2 - finish re writing a story, handwriting (copied 6 words a few times), a maths worksheet on time, 10 sums set by school, a book on bug club and something on mathletics. This afternoon we finished making a junk model castle.
Y5 reading comprehension exercise, maths sheets on decimals, a sheet on inverted commas, word of the week and mistake of the day - given a sentence which has to be rewritten correctly. This afternoon did a labelled drawing for topic.

The thing that gets me is when they set stuff they have not learnt - explaining time is one thing but circulatory system is another

I have 2 kids, age 11 and 6.
We do an hour of maths and an hour of English every day. (Maths, 10-11, English, 11.30 to 12.30). This also includes doing maths or English games from the school website, so it’s not an hour of worksheets. Afternoon, we do something but the kids get to dictate, broadly speaking, what it is. Baking, bug safari, building a bug home out of stuff we collected on a walk, watch a movie, play games, arts and crafts....
Having said that, we missed the English this morning as DH, although working from home, could come out for a dog walk if we went at the right time so we ditched the English! Kids have read this afternoon.
I find the children like some structure to their day. They seem to want to know that I have it under control, when everything has been tipped upside down.
When it is ‘playtime’, they vanish off and do their own thing which means I also get time to do jobs, or have some space for myself.
My youngest is very behind, has some learning difficulties. We are mostly ignoring the stuff from school and I am trying to get her caught up a bit so I want to seize this opportunity and don’t want to waste it.

My dd goes to independent specialist school so any work sent will be optional anyway. For now dd is needle felting and drawing. Her school is a Steiner school so expect the homework will have some craft elements and the needle felting will be considered as fulfilling that element.
My dd is missing her school and her friends it wouldn't be helpful to impose a rigid learning regime on her just now.

Very relaxed here but then DD is only in Reception & DS isn't even 2 yet. Trying to get DD to do some of her school work each day but then the rest of day is activities (baking this afternoon, an online Toddler Group this morning) interspersed with tv, games, reading & lots of playing in the garden (we planted potatoes on Tuesday).

The only hard and fast rules here are bedtimes during the week (a later one though for my 12 year old) and they have to be out of bed, clean fed and dressed by half 9.
The 12 year old has plenty of work to do from school so tried to come up with a timetable for that so that it doesn’t pile up. The youngest has SEN so keeping him busy is the aim: odd maths game online, minecraft, a longish walk, baking, drawing etc. If my daughter was still in primary school/didn’t have work to do she’d be doing similar.

The way I see it, I’m not a teacher. Same way I’m not a doctor, a hairdresser or a plumber. So me trying to be full on teacher isn’t going to work.

Structured with flexibility.
9am start with maths/ English early. Play breaks. Less structured activities later. Sessions get shorter through the day.

Today was not the day. DS2 is fragile, teary, sad and missing his friends. DS1 is hyped and sensitive (ASD, so emotions run big). It's not a good combination and I've backed right off as a lost cause. Fresh start again tomorrow.