Figuring out a workable schedule is a never ending work in progress when you homeschool. I don’t know about anyone else but we have never nailed down a schedule that works all of the time. Some years we couldn’t figure one out that worked at least half the time. We managed to muddle through it somehow. Schedules are also beneficial for children with autism. They transition better when they know what to to expect as well as when.
This really hits home as I look at the end of Logan’s high school career as well as ramp up for Madison to enter high school. I mean this is it. If I screw up high school then it affects their entire future. There are no more chances after that. You are expected to finish well.
I was visiting a dear friend of mine recently who was ill. I casually asked if she was still homeschooling or were they taking some time off. She answered that they homeschool year round on a schedule of three weeks on with one week off. Her child with autism liked that schedule a lot. In addition , it gave her a bit of a break. It was revolutionary for me to say the least. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Not so much time that we can’t catch up if needed but no so little time that it would be pointless. It seemed to be doable for us.
Our new school year now starts in August. The goal is to have a week to catch up on individual work or together lessons should we fall behind. Sort of a buffer week for everyone. If you remain on schedule then you get the week off. A mini vacation if you will. You can watch tv and play games all day except you don’t get a break from chores. There is never a break from chores, is there?
Logan loves the idea of having a week off to lay around and be lazy. He is a workhorse. Knowing the expectations in advance plus what he needs to get done exactly to get his phone and tv privileges everyday speaks his language. This is common in children with autism. They like to have the rules and expectations set out for them. There are no surprises or decisions to make. This enables them to keep their attention on what is needed to get the lessons completed.
Please tell me I’m not the only homeschooling mama struggling with figuring out a workable schedule. What do you do in your homeschool to make sure your plans stay on track?
Last year (my son’s Junior year and our 6th year of homeschooling) was our first year that I felt like we stayed on track. We needed something to keep us on track because we are at the end of high school, and there isn’t any wiggle room to shift things. I used Google Calendar and the task list to lay out daily plans for my son. This worked for him. He liked the ability to check something off every day, and it was easy for us to move work if we needed to shift it. It was time on my part to type everything in; however, it was worth it. It was also very visual for him to see what was coming up for work, so he could work ahead if he chose based upon appointments or activities. This year I am encouraging him to type his work into Google Calendar himself to prepare him for college. Slowly but surely….
Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!