A Typical Day

A lot of people ask what a typical day is like in the life of a homeschooler. I don't believe that there is a typical day. Every family is so different. Each member of the family has different needs which differ from day to day. We do try to follow a flexible daily routine. An ideal day would be as follows:

Breakfast and Chores 8:00am

Devotional 9:00am This would include singing, memorization, scripture reading and family prayer. I usually emphasize a particular area of family life that needs improvement such as BEING KIND to each other and then we may read together.

Kidschool

After devotional we move into what I call Kidschool. This is probably the only time in the day that may look somewhat like public school except for the fact that we are usually cuddled together on the couches and are probably still in our PJ's. During this time we usually read together. This year we have read: Gulliver's Travels, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Sign of the Bear, Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Apple and the Arrow, Carry On Mr. Bowditch and The Jungle Book, as well as the biographies of Louisa May Alcott, Jack London, The Wright Brothers, Rosa Parks, Elenor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Abigail Adams, and Florence Nightingale.

After some reading we usually play some math games or work on some spelling together. Our family especially likes multiplication bingo. I have an easel that is a white board and also holds paper pads. The kids love to draw or do math problems using the easel. They can also do this while we read.

FreeLearning

I believe that one of the keys to encouraging a love of learning is to structure time not content so after devotional and kidschool the children are allowed to pursue their own interests. I provide guidance, resources and encouragement. I have one rule; no electronics during this time, unless a computer is needed for research or testing, or the children can convince me that what they are going to watch is educational. We have really enjoyed documentaries this year. We have learned about China, Spain, Cuban percussion music, Ancient Greece, Great Moments in History, Pandas, and many other great subjects using DVDs. I have a membership with Zip.ca where I have access to a wide variety of films. A lot of discussion takes place during and following the films. Great teaching tool.

I believe that Physical Education is just as important as Academics and so the children are allowed to play outside during this learning time as well. As the seasons change the emphasis on the different subject areas changes. With it being spring, outdoor activities involving physical education and science related learning are our emphasis. Winter we did more book learning.

Afternoons

Our afternoons are reserved for group learning. Girl guides, book discussions, art classes and playdates happen during the afternoon. If I am not facilitating group learning I will use the time to catch up on laundry, my own learning or spend a little extra one on one time with a child.

So there you have it. A typical day at the Witbeck Freedom Academy.