My homeschooling plan for the next year is in shape.  I wonder how long for?  It seems to add up to about 12 hours of formal schooling, mostly spread over 4 days.  It is a mixture of Charlotte Mason inspired methods and what I think we need.  Here is what it looks like at the moment:

• Vocabulary memory work (Antonia is very bad at names, no matter how often she hears them!) – 10 minutes
• Math: I give a short presentation of the work to be done, she does it, then we go over any issues.  If there is something really new to learn, then we may work together for the whole session – 30 minutes.  During this time, I do the housework!
• Maths memory work or drill: currently, this is multiplication tables, it has been telling the time and will be typing later on.  There is always something to learn! – 10 minutes
• Spelling in French – 10 minutes

That is a total of one hour, and then there is a break!

• Science + narration: this is still experimental, because I am looking for a good source that is challenging at the same time – 10 minutes
• History or any non-fiction in French, read by her + narration + follow-up depending on interest – we do Story of the World in History on 2 days and are currently doing a book called La Mer in French on the other 2 days – 15- 20 minutes or more depending on interest.
• Journalling in English, occasionally a letter instead: any subject or story she likes, or I will suggest one – about 20 minutes.

Clearly, I have fallen into a pattern of putting the more ‘technical’ stuff first and the literary stuff second.  Must be because it works for us…

There is some more reading that gets done in the day, and even on non-school days.  But there is not a fixed time for it.  Before lunch, after lunch or even at bedtime, are all good times.

• Read-aloud – from classic or good modern children’s literature in English or French
• Antonia’s reading – suitable books in English or French selected with my help (these are her ‘school’ books.  She reads quite a bit at other times, but I don’t count it, or take too much notice of what she’s reading)

We generally go out in the afternoon for a nature walk, a field trip, an activity, errand or to play with other kids.  But if it’s raining, we might cook or do an art or craft project or play board games.

Once we get back, or during the afternoon if it is raining, there are two other things to do:

• Piano practice – 15 to 20 minutes.  Once a week this is a more extended music lesson, in which we study reading music and new piano material.
• French writing exercise – this sounds really schoolish and should perhaps be in the first part of our day, but she usually doesn’t have the energy – 10 to infinity minutes depending on energy level.  I think it needs to be done though.  During this time, I have my bath!

Apart from that there is an extended art study once a week, which is a bit eclectic.  It might be picture study with narration and copying.  It might be GeeGuides.  How long it takes is rather variable.  There is also Chinese which often consists of listening to the CD in the car, but every so often, we need to sit down and do something a little more precise.

Other educational things go on all the time, but these are the ones we pay conscious attention to.