Scheduling Tip

When there is a whole day of subjects to touch on, how do you combat the feeling that you are trudging slowly toward the finish line?  Parents and students, alike, have trouble staying motivated without wasting time when it seems that the tasks don't end.

Here is the tip that has helped me the most:

Establish time frames to work within, and do not go over the time limit.  If I allot 15 minutes for handwriting practice and my son finishes early, I give him the extra minutes to goof off.  Conversely, if he is still not done at the end of 15 minutes, then I consider it "home work".  Truly it's all "homework" when you homeschool, but this designation means that when we are done with everything for the day, he still has to go back and complete the unfinished assignments.  I believe it benefits my kids to know that there will be an end to the job and that there is also a reward for staying focused and finishing early.  

A timer or a clock is helpful, depending on your child's ability to tell time.  Talking about the why behind these time limits with our children helps them understand scheduling and budgeting of time ("if I stay on task now, I'll have more play time later and no homework").

Of course, if you consistently find that your child has "homework", you will want to address whether your time frame estimates are realistic, or if there are roadblocks to success in that particular subject (ie. if math takes a long time, does the child need to bone up on basic facts again?).