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Teaching Tips September 2010 |
When it comes to scheduling, it helps to take a signal from the way our brain works: automate as much as possible. The brain functions most effectively when
it can automate certain tasks, freeing up processing functions for new material and different tasks.
A set routine may sound either predictable and boring or sheer joy and comfort, depending on your personality style. In either case, the net effect is to reduce the number of decisions you have to make in a day. In our hectic lives, I suspect most of us would relish the thought of fewer decisions. Having a set routine means you are less likely to be impacted negatively by the immediate interruptions that occur throughout the day. It’s easier to return to the task at hand and to recognize which elements in your schedule can be dropped, postponed, or rescheduled. Homeschoolers who take a more relaxed approach or those who favor unit studies may balk at the idea of scheduling individualized subjects. They believe education is more effective when it is done in context or integrated. And they have a point – with certain learning styles. Yet having portions of the day earmarked for certain activities enables family members to focus whole-heartedly on pursuing their interests without worrying about overlooking chores or leaving gaps. There are some learning styles that need their training presented in a more systematic way, broken down into recognizable chunks that are easier to connect together. The more set the routine, the better. For these students, it helps to have each lesson begin with a review of the previous day’s lesson and then build upon that. Most states require all students to study the core subjects: math, science, history/social studies, and English/language arts. Two of these subjects are considered sequential and two are considered topical. The sequential subjects, math and English, build from skill to skill in a set order. For instance, you have to be able to add before you can multiply. Arithmetic operations are applied to whole numbers first, before they are applied to fractions, percents, and decimals. Likewise, a child has to learn the sounds of the language and the corresponding letter symbols before learning how to combine those sounds and letters to form recognizable words. Those words are then strung together to form simple sentences, compound sentences, and then more complex sentences. The sentences are then grouped into paragraphs that are then strung together with meaningful transitions. This line-upon-line building scheme means that the underlying skills must be mastered before significant progress can be made in the subsequent skills. The key word here is significant. New skills can be introduced even before the preceding skills are mastered, but unless the brain connections are solidified enough, continued practice will seem as if the student is spinning wheels because there isn’t enough of an existing foundation to cement the new skill to long-term memory. In most structured curriculum, key skills are sequenced across three years. So if your student has not yet mastered a skill, consider how long you have been working on it. If it has been three years, then you may have to suspend your regular curriculum and supplement it with resources geared specifically for that skill. The topical subjects, science and history, contain themes that are self-contained. There is no set order of presentation. What children learn in physical science, for instance, has little direct connection to what they learn in life science. Students can learn about the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression in American history without first having studied European Medieval History. Some high school programs begin with world history and finish with American history and government; others start with US history, switch to world history, and then tackle government and economics. Both approaches are valid. This topical nature means that you have much more flexibility in sequencing science and history. It also allows families with children of different ages to study a topic together; you simply assign age-appropriate activities for each child. When homeschooling multiple children, consider which subjects come easiest to each child. Generally speaking, the type of subject will match the student’s learning style. The sequential subjects will come more easily to sequential students, while the topical subjects will be more enjoyable to random and global students. Schedule your time with a student in the subject that is the hardest at the same time that another child studies the easiest subject. With the sequential subjects, don’t think in terms of grade levels as much as skill levels. There’s no such thing as a 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade skill only. Think in terms of broad categories, and combine as many students into these categories as possible. If a subject comes easily to a student and he/she seems to breeze right through the lessons, yet struggles with another subject, consider doing the easy subject only two times a week to free up more time to work on the more difficult subject. By adding supplemental resources, you can often come at a topic from another angle or perspective that clicks for the student. Another possibility, especially for families following a more relaxed or contextual approach, is to schedule blocks of time devoted to one or two subjects. For example, students may do math everyday while do nothing but science for eight to ten weeks. Then they switch to history or English. Or students may block subjects by days, studying math and English on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while doing history and science on Tuesday and Thursday. The key in scheduling and sequencing subjects is that you do not have to follow the way things are done in a group classroom situation (apart from the specific homeschooling regulations of your state). The schedule is meant to be a tool, not your master. Its value is in keeping you on track without having to think about it, freeing you to focus on your children’s training and the teachable moments that pop up. 996 Words To view more 'Teaching Tips' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
