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 have one ks1 and one ks2 child. We have a good routine but fairly flexible on content.
We're up, breakfasted and dressed by about 8.30am
They have an hour or so to do what they want.
Then a maths activity and an english activity (sent or set by school)
After that they can have some "educational" computer time eg Purple Mash, TT Rockstars
That fills a couple of hours and they can do what they want again for a while before lunch.

In the afternoon they have about 45 minutes of quiet/reading time after lunch and then something broadly educational whether that's history, geography (watching documentaries!), art, science (basic science experiments), MFL (duolingo).

Also playing in the garden, video calling relatives, doing some exercise whether Joe bloody Wicks or yoga on Youtube.

Incredibly relaxed for me too! Things are difficult and strange enough and I have a lot on my plate without tryjng to homeschool too. My daughters school has given her some lovely Easter themed homework to do so we are doing a little bit each day which she is enjoying and the rest of the time we are chilling, baking, playing etc.

Surely it depends on how old your children are.

Mine are 13 and 16 and have had a lot of work set by the teachers to be emailed at the end of each day or week. Although there won't now be any GCSEs, the 16yo is motivated to crack on as he's been told that this work may go towards his final grade. Not sure whether it will or not but he's getting loads done although did go out for a bike ride at lunchtime.

They're both doing 5-6 hours work a day which TBH I didn't really expect!

Relaxed as possible here and encouraged by teachers also (although they have set work for those who want to do it).

Pretty relaxed here. They have to do some maths (worksheets off twinkl) some writing and some reading every day, plus the activity school has set (think plant some seeds, write a book review, make up an exercise routine for your family type thing) and the rest is pretty relaxed. We are lucky that both DH and I just have to do our hours in a week, not during 9-5 so we don’t have to worry about keeping them entertained whilst we work. On the days when I have to go in (school staff on a rota) DH has to be more structured and rigid. Much solidarity to families who have to work in their usual hours whilst entertaining kids!

We have a loose timetable allowing for a bit of schoolwork, some physical exercise and some other activities that don't involve a screen (!). The teenage DC are being very disciplined about it, to be fair to them.

Good life I read your post and thought it was mine....!

I’m thinking of timetabling Easter

Oh yeah, and a bit of joe wicks too!

DD (11, yr6) has been clingy to me all week, and sometimes teary. I have been trying to do a bit of maths/English in the morning, but mostly she's been following me around while I do chores or sort work. This afternoon she independently decided to clean her room (which never happens). She also watched her headteacher reading Winnie the Pooh on Youtube.

DD (13, yr9) is ploughing diligently through all the work sent from school, doing 9-3 with lunch break and odd break to stretch.

I’m not in the UK. We’ve been off nearly two weeks now and the school are providing nearly a full time-table of work for my primary age kids. I find it impossible to get much done except help them with their work - downloading, uploading, printing and actually explaining the concepts they don’t understand. But they are both too young to really work alone. And they are two years apart so little overlap. I’m not really a routine person but we do have a loose structure - “boring” (in their opinion) subjects first and gradually getting more creative/tech-based as the day goes on. With a mandatory 1hr of outside play for them after lunchtime.

From school so far... Here's a list of websites.

Our timetable... 9am PE. 5.30... Great British Chorus.

In between.. we get some maths in. We do something creative. They read books. They play in the garden. We do jobs around the house. We cook. Digging out the French books.

This will continue in the holidays.

Both; I'm a teacher (though haven't taught for almost a year) and the oldest has autism, so we have to be flexible to a point.

They sleep in - this is their first week and they're adjusting, so I don't wake them up at 6.45 the way I would on a school day. They're usually up by 8am and downstairs in fresh clothes ready for Joe Wicks by 9am.

They work 9.30 til midday on their study; 14 year old has been sent a routine and lessons from school so can manage his own routine and generally has it all done before midday. 9 year old has online learning, DEAR and some art to get on with. If they need to go out and bounce on the trampoline for ten minutes for a breather, they do it. DH and I both work from home so their work time coincides with ours as best we can so that we're all able to be productive.

We have lunch together, head out for a game of cricket in the garden and the afternoons are their own. DS1 has washed the cars on the drive for a fiver from DH, DS2 has made a poster.

If this continues long term I know enough and have enough resources for them to maintain studies. I also think, though, that their emotional wellbeing has to take priority during this time and getting out exercising and playing games is vital.

I actually home educate full time. For me and my three kids a more relaxed approach works for us. We get everything done that I want to do every day, we have a routine, but we are flexible and certainly don’t have every minute planned.

Very relaxed. We always start the day with almost normal get up time and breakfast together and game of cards (just taught DS shithead and he's obsessed with it). Then Joe wicks pe at 9am

Then we pick a couple of online lessons (there's a daily list of good ones in a FB group and other links to fun and educational things - music- art- dance- fun history etc)
And around that we do cookery, gardening, language, anything based around interests)

It's hard enough on both of us with everything going on that not going to stress about school work and routine. A loose routine is helpful but the main thing is no stress.

I think the most important thing is to take the cue from your kids. Some want the routine and predictability during an uncertain time and some need to have any pressure take off them.

Our school is doing online learning from 9-12, setting work and then checking back in and then the kids are playing for the rest of the day.

We normally have to be out of the house by 7:15am so we are already much more relaxed than usual here

Relaxed.very.

I also know from HS friends that lockdown schooling is not at all like normal HS.

Home educators are usually in communities and a lot of learning takes the form of trips and activities which are very social so the current situation is a challenge for them too.

Fairly structured here just so that I can work as well and DS1 (yr 13) and DS2 (yr 2) both have time with the working home laptop. DS2 is in year 2 and my time is his until lunchtime. By mutual agreement we crack through all the assigned work except reading by lunchtime, then his time is his own for free play, I start work and DS1 gets the computer. Reading happens at bedtime as it would normally. I'd like to do more interesting things like crafts and science play but I have to work a full day too.

I don’t intervene except for waking them up at 7am. By 8.30 they are all working by themselves in their rooms, and they wander down late morning for a couple of biscuits, then when it’s lunch. Dc3 did need a bit of help today with a craft project but otherwise they’re independent. So I’m pretty relaxed about it. I’d be less relaxed if it looked as though they weren’t working though 😀

We are very chilled! Ds3 (13) has been getting up at About 10am, showering, having breakfast and then checkIng what the school has sent. Today he had about an hour of maths and a blindfold food tasting Experiment for science. He had planned to bake after lunch but his friends were playing minecraft so he did that and then watched Johnny English strikes again and that’s it for the day. He’s an avid reader and listens to audio books in bed so I’m not bothered about reading.

We’re following a strict timetable here so the kids (7 and 10) know exactly what they’re doing while I get on with WFH. The schools have set loads of work but I’m breaking it up with Joe Wicks, music, arts & crafts, science experiments, stories and throwing them into the garden during breaks. It’s worked pretty well all week. If I let them blob then they’d be on screens all day - fine for the weekend but not for weeks and weeks. And they’d pester me all day if they didn’t have a structure.

If I had school aged children (my last has just done A levels (or not as the case is )

I would absolutely not in ANY way be running any form of timetable. I would be embracing every single minute of this time to spend it with my children and get off the whole awful busy busy merry go round where no one has a minute for each other. Parents are stressed, kids are stressed, no one has time with each other.

Lucky enough to be home with 3 adult kids' and feel so lucky to be able to have this time with them. It's like winning the lottery. Time to ourselves without waiting until we are 68 to do it ! .
Make memories, have a good time. By all means 'teach stuff' but think out the box a bit. It's not school. There will be god knows how many years of that to come.. enjoy the now !

I was aiming for them to be up dressed, teeth brushed, ready to work by 9am but that was a bit ambitious as they didn't wake up till 8.45am today so we've pushed it forward to 10am.

Youngest DC has four pieces of work a day...as long as these are done and she's been on our walk, her time is her own. She has also played games and done crafts.

Eldest DC had huge amounts to do. Expected to put in a six hour day and email work to school. I've definitely had to be stricter with him but he's done it without complaint mostly.

Quite rigid, I think. 9-11, and 2-4 school work. What they want to do is up to them though.

In the middle really. DD has work set by her teacher each day that has to be done but we aren't doing it according to her timetable (supposed to start at 9 and spend x amount of time on each lesson etc.) but we get it done by the end of the day with lots of breaks.