What Life is Like NOW at Chestnut Grove Academy–A Day in the Life of Post

Our Homeschool is constantly changing, kids get older, their interests change, what curriculum we use changes, reviews, new things that work, old things that no longer work, etc…  So, it’s fun to post updates. 

This is part of a TOS Blog Cruise, that will go live on Friday at 9am EST.  You will find their links to older “Day in the life of” posts from us linked there as well!

So here is what life looked like for us TODAY (Tuesday 2/16) -

This is not a typical Tuesday, though the only days that are fairly typical from week to week are Monday, Wednesday and Fridays….though at any given time they can change too!

Today is a great example of how things just change!  Currently Tuesday is the day that my oldest has Art History Class through the local Parks and Rec.  However, today it was rainy/icy and since the county closed schools, class was cancelled!  (2nd week in a row!).  We would have most likely just taken a light day, but since we had Monday off for President’s Day (hubby was off), I decided to have a school day!  While he is at Art, we generally go to the library and I do ‘school’ with my 6.5yo there. 

Hubby also had a delay at work, didn’t have to be in until 9, so that threw our morning off a bit as well. (Which means I got an uninterrupted shower to start my morning, always a BONUS!)

The day generally is suppose to start with C (my 9 yo) doing his computer school work.  He is the first one awake most mornings, and this keeps him busy and quiet (and I might add, out of trouble).  It’s not fool proof, most days he doesn’t do what he is ‘suppose to do’, but regardless of when he starts it, computer school work is first on his school agenda.  The day typically starts with C getting spoken too about not having done his school work yet.  He has a check list, and this worked really well for a while, but lately… not so much.   I feel like as soon I think I have found what works, it doesn’t work any more… anyone else in that boat???  I think there are some underlying issues (ADHD inattentive) and we are addressing those currently.

His computer school works consists of CTC Math and Rosetta Chinese daily, Veritas Press History 3 days a week.  It doesn’t take him very long to finish it… 30-45mins depending on the day, and most days it’s usually less time.

At 9 o’clock (after everyone has eaten, including myself), we do family devotional/scripture study.  This is followed by individual scripture study for the two oldest (9 and 6.5yo). 

Then Z (6.5yo) does his computer school work, while C heads downstairs to start on his other work. Z’s computer work alternates between Reading Eggs/Math Seeds and CTC Math/Reading Kingdom, then he typically does ABC Mouse as well.

The littlest one typically hangs out with Z, and I allow it as long as she isn’t bothering him (too much). 

My 5yo (c) typically gets on the kindle and does his ABC Mouse, or some days I have stuff to offer him to do, he will also work on handwriting on the iPad, or just play with his sister.  It varies from day to day, and I never force him to do anything.  His interest levels vary.  Today he had some supplemental worksheets from co-op last week that he worked on, he also had some color pages from scripture study that he cut out and turned into puppets (He wants to help teach FHE (Family Home Evening) next week). 

I usually am all over the house in the morning, checking in on each person.  Tuesday is laundry day, so I’m throwing loads into the washer and dryer throughout the day, offering assistance when needed, and today I even made lunch!  Chicken Zucchini poppers and pumpkin bread! (Most days it’s just PBJ for the crew, and they are perfectly happy with that!)

After lunch Baby Girl went down for a nap.   C finished up what had not been done before lunch (most days he gets down before lunch, really it depends on how efficient he works, on a good day he is down well BEFORE lunch.  He had one subject left to do after lunch).  Z came down stairs to do some writing and reading.  Then we all gathered for History and Science.  We do this 2 afternoons a week, typically Tuesday afternoon and Friday afternoons, but it varies.  We only do morning schoolwork 3 days a week (typically Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, and Wednesday). 

For History today I did a lot of reading from The Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia, the 2 younger boys colored some color pages that corresponded, and C looked up a few words and wrote their definitions.  Then we watched Building the Great Cathedrals, Season 6, Episode 5 of NOVA on Amazon Prime. 

Afterwards the kids were inspired to build their own pointed arches, like those of the Gothic Cathedrals

Then for science we listened to the Periodic Table of Elements song, and watched the watched one video each about two elements from Periodic Videos channel:  Hydrogen and Helium.

This was followed by piano practice for the two oldest

They played around with their dad for a bit, then on to dinner!

A little more play time, then C was off to Cub Scouts, and Z tagged along with hubby for their date night to Rita’s.

I stayed home with the littles, and we played a game, got into jammies, brushed teeth, had stories in my room and then they went off to bed.  I did some blogging and still have some kitchen clean up and laundry folding to do! (Yeah, that laundry will probably not get folded)  Phew!   But I did manage to get the special blankets dry before bed time and get the kids beds made!  SCORE!  However, I just realized as c is asleep in my bed, that I DID FORGET to send him to the bathroom before bed!  As luck would have it, I may be washing sheets again tomorrow :/  UGH!  (He usually is good, but we always send him before bed!).   I will DEFINETELY be moving him to his bed and SOON!  Just in Case! 

A Typical Week currently consists of:

Monday and Wednesday:  MMA

Tuesday:  Art History class (but only for a few more weeks)

Thursday: Co-op (but only every other week)

Friday: Piano and Swimming (We start back up this week after a small break).

MMA is a great time for me to run errands with only ONE kid in tow, as long as it’s right around town.  I generally make my post office, grocery store and other runs like that during the hour they are there.  It is a BIG perk for me!  We also do our Costco runs on co-op days since we drive right by on the way home!  We schedule Field Trips on Tuesday or Thursday (non-co-op days) typically, though Swimming runs in sessions, so on off weeks we do field trips on Fridays as well.  I like to get one in a week, but it’s not always possible.  The local library offers great classes and things too, that are typically in the afternoons.  We try to hit those as often as we can, FREE is always great! 

See what other Homeschool Days look like for Crew Members by clicking below!  Link goes live on Friday 2/19 at 9am EST.

A Typical Day at Chestnut Grove Academy

Everyone in this house is an early bird (except for me), so most days are up between 6-7am, though typically closer to 6 (unfortunate for me).
We eat breakfast around 7-730a
And then school begins sometime between 8-9am,depending on what I need to accomplish in the AM chore wise, and how well I get moving.  If we have some place to be later that day, we try to get going by 8 so we can get most of school done before we have co-op, or science class, doctor’s appts or field trips.
At the start of school we have a prayer, then we read scriptures…either from a scripture story book, or directly from the Book of Mormon or Bible.  Most days we do calendar and the Pledge of Allegiance as well.  If there is something we need extra work on (right now it’s skip counting by 5’s) we review that too. 
After group time, they start their workboxes.  Z’s (2yo) are never really in any particular order, not that it would matter b/c he pulls them down in the order he wants to anyway; But C’s(K) are typically in this order:
#1 Reading/Phonics
#2 Reading/Phonics
#3 Spelling
#4 Handwriting
#5 Chinese
#6 Read Aloud with Snack
#7 Math
#8 Science
#9 Geography, Art or Music
#10 Something extra or fun

We typically get through them in about 2hrs, Sometimes it can take up to 3 hours.
Depending on what time we started and how long it took, we typically have lunch shortly after we finish school, free play and then naps for the little ones.  C still has rest time most days, but if not he is allowed to play games on the computer. 
After naps Q gets  home and he plays with the kids, while I get dinner ready. 
We eat dinner between 5-6p, depending on if it’s karate night or not. 
Baths at about 7p and to bed at 8p.
After the kids are in bed, I pick up the house some, and get the workboxes set up for the next day.  (I plan them out each week before hand). 

Work boxes Part 3 and Spelling Curriculum

So as everyone else gets out of school for the year, we prepare to begin the new school year on MONDAY!  Yikes!!  It's hard to believe, I can no longer be in denial, my baby is in KINDERGARTEN!!

So....Here is the update on the work boxes.  I begged my mom to go to Ikea and mail me some more shallow drawers!  hahaha, hopefully shipping is not to much.  For now I have put 8 shallow drawers and 2 deep ones on Cole's side (for 10 total) and then 6 deep ones on Zane's side.  I figure he will do a lot of activities with us anyhow.  So this is how it looks now.  I need to get some more Velcro.   (until we get the new boxes!!) :D (if you've been following my workbox journey, you can see how it's been changing...trial and error!  lol)

I updated Cole's workbox plan to have 10 boxes (with the option of 12).  I divided the reading and phonics activities up, and I added a spelling box.   (spelling is another post I need to make).
Here is what the boxes look like inside: (minus the 2 new boxes I added)


Reading and Phonics (will be separated now), I also have his worksheet pages in cover sheets so they can use dry erase makers and then they are reusable. 



Handwriting without tears

Science (this month he has science class still, so we are just supplementing, they are studying reptiles and amphibians)

Read Aloud

Saxon Math K

Chinese

Geography/Social Studies

Read Aloud

and so far Zane only has one box:

Here is Cole's new work box schedule , I have not really done a schedule for Zane yet since he will mostly just be going along with us.  I do have plans for him in the future, I need to work on getting C a little more independent on some subjects first and I'm also waiting for some things to get here I ordered online.

Here are the schedule tags on the side of their desks

Before they start their work boxes, we have group/circle time. We read the scriptures, then we do calender and The Pledge of Allegiance.

Now onto Spelling -
I wasn't going to do spelling, mostly because it consists of writing words to show you can spell them correctly, and well Cole does not write much (he can write his name and a few other letters).  We started with Handwriting without Tears last year, but with the baby and the move, we didn't pick it up again...but then I got to thinking and did some more research and there are so many ways to spell words without having to write them.  So I made up a list...with links to other sites I found ideas on.  You can get the list here, it would also work well for learning to recognize letters and sounds too!  And since my mom is going to be mailing us some more 'boxes', I asked her to also clean out her scrap booking stuff and send us any letters (stickers, chipboard, etc) that she won't be needing and also any letter stamps (if she has them and is not using them).    We'll be using Spelling Workout: Level A, Student Edition
 as a base (for now) to see how it goes, I'd like to line up his spelling lessons with his reading and phonics lessons too...but I don't want to bore him.  The boy is reading better and better every day, but I don't want to cheat him from the basic rules, I figure that will hurt him later, so we are reviewing what we started last year (should be a quick through) to make sure he gets it before we move on.

I have also looked at using Spelling Power, Fourth Edition, but for now I think I'm just going to use some of their ideas for making it fun as well.  Some things they suggest are (not listed on my spelling ideas document):
1.  Dial -a-word - dial your words on a telephone.  Say each letter as you dial it.
2.  Yarn Words - glue yarn on pieces of heavy paper so that it spells each of your words.  Close your eyes and have a friend hand you the cards one at a time.  Feel the yarn spelling on each card.  Say the word and spell it.
3.  Cut up Words - write each word with a thick crayon, cut out the letters, mix them up and then rearrange them in the correct order to spell each word.  Paste them onto a piece of paper.

MAKING SPELLING FUN TOOLS!