Are you a homeschool parent who is struggling with getting it all done? If so, here are some ideas that will help. Remember, there are lots of ways to get it done, and lots of definitions about what "done" really means. Scheduling helps. Make sure that you schedule as long as possible for each subject. In other words, if it takes 30-60 minutes per day for a topic, then always schedule 60 minutes for it. Prioritize. Make sure you put in the big rocks first, meaning that the most difficult subjects to finish in a year are the subjects that you do first thing in the morning - and those are the subjects that you are willing to buy new curriculum for if necessary. Redefine "Done." To be finished in the grand scheme of things means to complete 75% of a curriculum, so don't feel like all is lost if you don't get to the very last lesson. However, to finish the maximum, plan to complete things by mid-May, which will allow for greater flexibility in case of illness or something. Avoid Excess. The biggest cause of not getting done is usually over-scheduling and doubling-up. Have you checked to be sure you aren't expecting too much? Are you doing double of any kind of curriculum? Do you have two history curriculum, or two English programs? Eliminate duplicates. Focus. Work on the core, and make sure you only work on core subjects; reading, writing, math. History and science come next and are only added if you can. A nice and easy history and science would be best. Skip fine art, PE, foreign language and electives for this time of transition. In 9th grade, all of these are optional. And for many kids, PE will come naturally. The Weakest Link. The biggest deal is going to be math. Everything else can be quickly obtained, but math has a certain amount of time commitment and brute force. If you can make sure that math is done every day, then no matter what else happens you can compensate during the remaining 3 years of high school. Unschooling with structure. Scheduling may be a good fit for you, but it may not be the best fit for your child. If your teen likes to read, it's possible that you can hand over Sonlight Curriculum. Just reading the books because they look interesting, without much structure or prompting, is the same high school credit as the scheduled credit. Give Credit. You can give him credit for the unschooling that he IS doing. Consider current activities, and think about what is done for fun that might actually be high school credit. One child may have a lot of PE, fine arts (music or dance) and another may learn history naturally while studying wars. Mix it Up. You can also mix the physical subjects between the more brain-intensive subjects. In other words, schedule PE between math and reading. Physical exertion will help most kids, but particularly boys and those with underlying ADD/ADHD issues. Watch Expectations. You can't expect a 9th grader to be ready for graduate school. Distractions and a lack of focus are normal in any high school student. "Sitting on them" to get their schoolwork done happens to all moms - even those who don't homeschool. Work Without a Net. When a child learns naturally through self-motivation, perhaps you don't NEED a schedule. Remember that you can put natural learning on a transcript as well as the bookish learning. I'm here to help you with that if you need help.
Article Source: http://www.bizymoms.com/expert-advice
Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, www.TheHomeScholar.com, “Helping parents homeschool high school.” She has a free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”.