The Daily Folder System

Ok, so you all know by now that we are eclectic homeschoolers that lean towards unschooling.  Eh- or maybe you don't.  What this looks like in action, can vary.  But on most days, we have goals that we would like to accomplish and then I simply leave the rest up to chance.  Our goals are fairly simple, Monday through Thursday the kiddo has classes to attend and then we aim for one hour of workbook or online learning and one hour of quiet reading.  From there, the kiddo is free to pursue his own ideas.

For years now, this has been working pretty well.  Some days, there's more home learning then others and many times he reads for way longer then just 60 minutes.  However, this year- it seems we've turned a corner.  Since September, I have spent the majority of the day yelling at the kiddo to get his workbook and reading done while he's spent his time NOT doing it.  It's a battle of wills in my house with no clear winner.

And so- I'm switching things up!  Ah- one of the many great benefits to homeschooling.  When one thing isn't working, you can change it.  Love that!  So I wanted to share with you the folder system that I came up with one afternoon.  Perhaps it just might help you too?


What You'll Need

• 5 folders with pockets
• sharpie
• post its or paper clips
• worksheets, curriculum, workbooks etc
• computer/printer

The process is easy.

Step 1:  Create a daily checklist in either Word or Excel for the next month or two.  You could also do this by hand and simply make copies if that's easier for you.  

Daily Checklist

Keep in mind your schedule constraints for each day.  For example, the kiddo has several hours of classes on M/W so for those days, the daily checklist is different then it is for T/Th.

Step 2:  Write the day of the week on the outside of each folder with your sharpie marker.  On the inside, write "Assigned" on the left pocket and "Completed" on the right pocket.

Assigned & Completed Assignments

Step 3:  Tape the daily checklist on the outside of the folder with the corresponding day.  So Wednesday's checklist on Wednesday's folder.  Easy, right?

Step 4:  Pull assignments, worksheets, curriculum etc for each day.  Paper clip together and label it.

Because the checklist is 5 weeks long, I pull 5 weeks worth of curriculum at once.  If you prefer to only have to do this every couple months, or every 6 months- then by all means, extend your checklist to include the length of time you prefer.

And that's it.  Seriously, you're done.

How It Works:

Your kid pulls the folder for that day.  So if it's Monday, then pull Monday's folder.  Look inside the "Assigned" pocket to find that dates assignments.  

Once the assignments are done, they mark them off the daily checklist located on the outside of the folder and move them to the "Completed" pocket.

*Tip- I also include quiet reading, science experiments, crafts, chores etc on the checklist.  Same principal applies here.  So even though there might not be items in the "Assigned" pocket, they will still need to complete these and mark them off the daily checklist.  Like quiet reading for example...

You can then check their work in the "Completed" pocket and make note of anything left to be done on the outside daily checklist.

Pretty simple right?  We are on week one of this new system but already, I'm seeing big improvements!  

The Daily Folders

How Do YOU Homeschool?

If you've been following my blog, you may have heard me say- "we are eclectic homeschoolers and lean towards unschooling."  If you're new to the homeschooling world, this may as well be a sentence in Latin.  Trust me, I know.  It took me awhile to get the lingo and some things I still have no clue what people are talking about.  So allow me to explain exactly what I mean when I say this sentence.

Eclectic homeschooling is simply the idea that curriculum, lessons and learning comes from many different avenues.  For this reason we do NOT have a set curriculum.  I pull William's lessons from several sources and incorporate lots of resources and tools.  Some things that I am currently using are:

• Scholastic Workbooks
• Sylvan Math Workbook
• Compass Odyssey online program
• Science experiment kit from Lakeshore Learning
• Classes taught by certified teachers and experts in the field at Edmonds Heights
• Sports
• YMCA membership
• Field trips and activities
• Worksheets printed from Education.com
• Online math games from CoolMath.com
• Board games
• Projects around the house
• Free quiet reading
• Weekly library trips
• DVD's and YouTube videos
• Art projects and classes
• Holiday themed activities
• Building projects at local hardware store

With unschooling there is no curriculum, there are no workbooks, no formal classes- nothing.  The concept of unschooling is that children learn what they want to learn when they want to learn it.  It is 100% child led.  

I love this concept but have to admit that 100% child led learning is just a little scary.  When I say that we LEAN towards unschooling, I simply mean that we try to let William direct his education.  If he's really interested in volcanoes, we allow him to pursue that.  We do not wait months later for it to come up in a unit study or perhaps wait a year for him to learn about a certain subject when he's older.  We let him learn now, when he's curious about it and the information will be more exciting to him.  By the way, did you know if kids are passionate about a subject they are more likely to enjoy the learning process and better retain the information?  Score for unschooling!

While you may think that parents who unschool would be fairly hands off in their approach to their children's education, this simply isn't true.  The role of an unschooling parent is to provide vast amounts of materials to help facilitate their kids learning process.  For example, last summer when William was interested in volcanoes, I helped him check out books on volcanoes, pulled up YouTube videos for him to watch, bought him a volcano making kit, put together art projects and took him to see a real, live volcano.  This can be much more exhausting and time consuming then simply following a set curriculum.  So parents- you've been warned. ;)  

We incorporate both of these styles into our son's education.  He takes classes during the regular school year- typically twice per day for 2 hours daily.  He also does 60 minutes of workbook, worksheets or computer learning as well as 60 minutes of daily, quiet reading in a book of his choice.  The rest is unschooling.  Once he's done with his "school work" as he calls it, he is free to pursue his own interests.  Some days he wants to go swimming at the YMCA, or go to their youth center to do a new craft.  Other days he makes an invention in the backyard with his trusty sidekick, Buddy Boy.  Perhaps he draws replicas of Lego Bionicals and spends time online researching all the characters.  He might want to play Monopoly or write a story complete with illustrations.  Some days he wants to go to the library to pick out new books or take a walk in the park and look for treasure.  For this reason, we also homeschool year round.  There is no off button when learning is happening.  And you really never know where the day will take us, the sky's the limit and I have to admit, that it's pretty fun too!

If you want to read more about what it means to be an unschooler, I highly recommend you check out The Unschool Bus.  They are awesome!

For us, this is what we do now.  This may change in the future and that's the great thing about homeschooling.  The ability to do what works and if it's not working, the freedom to change.  But I have to say, that right now- I'm pretty happy with how we homeschool and the methods we've adopted.  How do YOU homeschool?

What Do You Mean You Don't Have a Curriculum?

Whenever I tell people that we are homeschoolers, one of the common statements I hear is- "I know "so and so" who also homeschools.  Aren't you lucky that there's so much curriculum available."

Ugh.

Here we go.

And so begins the question from non-homeschooling people- "what curriculum do you use?"  And then I feel compelled to tell them the truth, which is- we don't.  And of course their eyes bug out just a little bit and they stammer- "wha what? how can you homeschool without curriculum?"  Hmm...well gee- I don't know.  How can you parent without a manual?  It's not rocket science here folks, although if it were I would definitely hire my son a tutor!  Ha!

The reality is that many homeschoolers do NOT use a boxed curriculum.  I talk a bit here about what we use and how we personally save money on homeschooling resources.  But there's other reasons besides money that we have chosen to not buy a curriculum.

• Boredom.  Boo- sometimes those boxed sets are downright boring and tedious.  No thanks!
• Flexibility.  My son is 8.  He is totally focused on one thing for a week or two and then it's on to another.  I have no clue a year in advance what he'll be into.  How could I possibly plan curriculum around this?  You can't.
• To follow a specific method of homeschooling.  We are eclectic homeschoolers who lean towards unschooling.  This can't happen with a boxed curriculum.
• What about the gifted or disabled kids?  A boxed set is designed to do what a traditional public school does- it aims for the middle of the road.  What if your kid is ahead of the game?  What if they have a learning disability?
• This is not the way my son likes to learn.  He is NOT a sit down with paper & pencil learner.  He's a hands on, doing, touching, feeling sort of kid.  So to go against his natural learning style would be a huge detriment to him.
• And of course money.  Holy Buckets are those boxed sets pricey!

See there- lots of excellent reasons.....So if we don't use a formal pre packaged curriculum then what DO we use?  

• Books
• Magazines
• DVD's
• Homeschool classes
• Field trips
• Workbooks
• The outside world- nature
• Participation in sports- soccer, martial arts, swimming
• Workshop classes
• The Internet
• Toys & Games
• Physical tools- magnify glass, projects, microscopes, arts & crafts, etc

So I suppose I shouldn't feel so guilty the next time someone comments on my lack of curriculum.  I think what we use and how we have chosen to homeschool is pretty awesome.  It fits our lifestyle and it fits my son's learning style- which is really all that matters.

What do you use in your homeschooling journey?

Who is the Homeschooled Housewife?

Homeschooled Housewife is growing!  Yay!  You like me, you really, really like me!

We are developing quite the following on our Facebook page.  We just hit 300 likes and see nothing but growth in the future.  Awesome.

So I figured a brief refresher on who Homeschooled Housewife is, might be nice.  No?

My name is Chrissie.  I am 32 years old, been in a committed relationship with my husband for over 13 years and we are soon to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.  Go Us!  We have one son who is 8 years old, William and he is homeschooled.  While William does attend a homeschool program through our local school  district two days per week, the majority of his learning happens at home.  With me.

We are eclectic homeschoolers..  Which simply means that I pull William's curriculum from many different places.  We also embrace the unschooling method of homeschooling and try and relax and encourage unschooling to happen.  Easier said then done sometimes.

Our beloved Rat Terriers are also a HUGE part of our family.  Lucky Dog is 13 and Buddy Boy is almost 2.  We love them very much.  You will often see me posting about "My Boys" or see pictures of all their funny antics.  They are adorable and we love them insanely.

Just as homeschooling is a way of life for us, so is my being a housewife.  My husband and I firmly believe that our traditional marriage is the best one for us and we value a woman's place in the home.  You can check out my series about traditional marriage by clicking here.

Another issue that is very important to us is our food.  We eat mainly organic, non-processed foods.  We also try to keep most our meals vegetarian, made from scratch and are working our ways towards a much healthier lifestyle.  Chemicals and toxins have no place in our food, our bodies or our homes.  I will post about this often.

On a more personal note- I work part time from home.  I have always worked and homeschooled in some capacity.  We have never had the luxury of my being a full time stay at home Mom.  However, my priority has always been to fit my work around my family.  I am NOT a career woman- I work to help pay the bills. If there every comes a time when we no longer need to me help out, you best believe that I'm outta here!

I also enjoy reading, coffee, couponing, baking and cooking.  I am happiest with a steamy romance novel and a cup of strong coffee.  Oh- and I like Disney.  I'm kind of a freak about it but don't tell anyone....

Summer Homeschooling

Schools Out for Summer!!!  Oh wait- we homeschool year round.  Ack!  You do what?!?  Seems like even in the homeschool community we are freaks.  Oh well, what else is new?

We are currently in our week long "detox" from school.  William is pretty much doing whatever he wants while I am finishing up my first week at my new job.  Thankfully it's a work from home thing (yes, there are a very small amount of legit ones!) so I can be home with William while he explores his FREEDOM!  This week he and Buddy Dog have been digging holes all over my backyard. 


The start of the cavern

Which has only succeeded in making the hubby extremely pissed.  An angry husband battling the "man-cold" is not fun.  Pray for me folks!  So with that, William & Buddy Dog have decided to focus their digging efforts on one large dirt pile.  Currently we have the mini cavern, complete with kiddie pool roof.  Excellent creativity my child, excellent!

In addition to starting my new jobby-job, I have been putting together our summer schedule.  Let me first just say that I love schedules.  I love everything about them!  Writing them down on paper, crossing things off when I've done them, highlighting the most important items, making a to-do list and so on and so forth.  Weird, huh.  Oh well, I'm over it.

We are eclectic homeschoolers which simply means that I pull William's curriculum from many different places.  During the school year he attends Edmonds Heights a couple days per week.  This year his classes included metal arts, pottery, marital arts, science, math, musical theater and a drop in open lego lab.  Fun, fun and fun!  William also participated in the Homeschool Swim & Gym class at our local YMCA, he loved it!  And let's not forget soccer and the weekly trips to the library.  For his bookwork at home, we use Scholastic grade level workbooks that I bought from Costco.  Yep, Costco.  I freakin' love Costco for workbooks!

$6.99 at Costco!!!!

Buddy Dog loves helping William with his workbooks

                                                                                       I keep several workbooks in a cute basket on my kitchen bar and he spends 40 minutes per day in the workbook of his choice.  Sometimes he likes to do all math problems, other times it's reading comprehension- but the point is that William picks what he wants to learn.  Finally, each day William is required to spend 40 minutes reading quietly.  He is currently working his way through the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and has been known to spend an entire afternoon finishing a whole book.  Yay for a child that enjoys reading!!!
So that's just a bit of what our "normal" school schedule looks like.  How does our summer schedule differ from our school year schedule?  Well....I'll tell you!

William is still required to complete his 40 minutes of workbook time and his 40 minutes of daily quiet reading.  But that's pretty much where the strict schedule ends.  This year I've found a wonderful schedule plan from Pinterist.  Ah, how I love me some Pinterist!  I'm currently working on figuring out how to adapt this great summer plan to our homeschooling life.

• Monday is Make Something Monday.  Think crafts, recipes, homemade playdoh etc.
• Tuesday is Take a Trip Tuesday.  Anything from taking a trip to the farmer's market, going to the movies or even down the street to the park.  
• Wednesday is Wet & Wild Wednesday.  The water park, local pool, or even your backyard kiddie pool and sprinkler.
• Thursday is Thinking Thursday.  This day is for science experiments, fun projects, math games or even trips to museums or the library.
• Friday is Free Day Friday.  Freedom, freedom, freedom to do whatever you please.

In addition to this schedule, I want to take advantage of some great summer programs offered in my area.  Do you know about the $1 movies at Regal Cinemas?  How about the fun summer programs offered through your local library?  And let's not forget that many museums offer free days.  FREE days!!!  Whew! This summer is shaping up to be BUSY and I still have to find time to actually work.

What will you be doing this summer?  Lazy days poolside? Summer camps, vacations?  If you're a homeschooler or even if you're not- I encourage you to use this summer break to your fullest advantage.  Summer is a time for creative play, imaginative learning and fun, summer activities.  Watch out summer- here we come!