Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments What does your homeschooling look like?

I could use some help. Can you share how long you spend a day on homeschooling. DD is 6 and right now we do about 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours a day, but it is starting to feel like not enough time to cover everything at the level she is working on. I know a lot of homeschooling families of normal development kids only do a few hours a day in early elementary school....and I want dd to have lots of time to play, but now here academics is that of upper elementary and early middle school, so to get them all done we would need to spend more time, which makes since, but she is still 6, so do I keep the time the same, and drop extras like history etc, or expand the time, or try something totally different. I just am not feeling like we have enough time but am not sure if I want her to have to not have as much time to play and be creative. Thoughts? How does it work in your home?

What does your daily schedule look like now? Is your daughter happy with the amount of time you spend on each subject or is she always left wanting more? One thing you could do is try to integrate language arts and writing with history and science- then you wouldn't have to increase the time you spend but wouldn't have to dump any "extras".

Thanks W'sMAma. Right now, we start with spelling, then do grammar and vocab, then math, and alternate science and history. Reading is combined with science and history and then lots of free read times or books assigned to the history period. DD reads all the time, so we don't really cover that. I would like to add a foreign language and typing. DD has been asking to learn french....and she wants to start learning cursive. I guess we do need to move into a little long periods of time. I mean she would be in first next year and our school goes from 8:00-2:45. So she would still be getting more time to play and no homework. LOL. I guess I am just not sure how to schedual it all and transition her to more time doing things. She wants more time at the moment of doing it, we end up sometimes doing more grammar pages which she loves or more math work, and then we don't have time for other things.

For us (ds5), it looks like three times a week, maybe an hour a day. And that is just math and handwriting. Everything else he just absorbs through tons of reading- which if you count reading time, would up it to 3-4 hours a day. It is not what I had envisioned our schedule looking like...but for now it is what works.
If you plan to work through the summer, you don't need to worry so much about fitting all the interests in.

Personally, at this age I think I'd make history just a matter of fun readings...but not a specific study.

One way to look at it is that you really have all the time in the world--if she is years ahead, why not take detours, put math and other basics on hold while you do a history excursion, or whatever you don't have time for. Not going years ahead in math won't hurt. I can't see that more than three hours of essentially one on one time is needed for hg+ kids, especially at six.

But take this all with a grain of salt, as I'm really still struggling to find out how to do this too!!

Good luck!

Thanks phey. Trying to figure all this out is tough. So much on homeschooling is written not for hg+ kids, so it is hard to figure this out. Maybe one day we will huh? LOL.

We find it is inefficient (and very distracting) to switch between so many subjects in one day. Instead we'll usually do one or two weeks worth of lessons on just one subject on any given day. We don't follow any kind of schedule at all, but it all gets covered in the end.

This is rather what we did, too. DD also needed no specific instruction on some things-- spelling, for example, and grammar (up through middle school, she watched a few SchoolHouse Rock videos and we called it a day).

So our homeschooling curriculum at this age (5-6) was highly eclectic. Math was three or four times a week, usually.

My list for her was a daily thing, and on it, I included everything that I considered "school" work for the day.

A typical day included:

1. Math
2. a workbook selection-- some days it was handwriting, some days another workbook (Spanish, US History, Science topics, etc.)
3. reading-- assigned short non-fiction books, usually 35-50 pages, so maybe 2 books or three depending upon the topic(s).

4. other-- physical activities, games, 'box' studies with the current topic box (basically a "center" but for my homeschooler)-- one was "paper" another time it was "fairy tales" or "magnets."

We, too, didn't really switch between different subjects. DD always happily engaged in free reading, so we used to that to our advantage-- a LOT-- in our homeschooling. She read hundreds of pages a month. I think that the month before we enrolled her in a virtual school, my records indicate that she read about 4600 pages of material with a reading level of grade 6 or higher... and she was 6. So it was never a problem to get her to learn about anything we chose--I just went to the library and was careful not to strain my back. LOL.

Thanks yall. I think that is the problem, switching between so many subjects when DD gets so into one thing at a time. And then she reads so much, that maybe I don' really need to cover so much. She complains that she already knows this, so why do we have to do it. I have been thinking, and maybe we will just do spelling and math everyday, and then focus several weeks on a subject of her interest. That would give us more time to focus in depth and not be distracted by moving between one thing and another. Thanks yall!

We haven't homeschooled, but we did a ton of research to make sure we were comfortable with that option if it was necessary. I was very impressed with The Unschooling Handbook as framing out how a child can be largely self-directed. I don't think I'd advocate it 100%, but we would follow a soft-structure. You have a lot of flexibility when your kid is naturally on fire to learn.

I'm about to post more details over in another forum, but when my kids were that age, we did almost no formal anything. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes a day four times a week. We took a lot of trips to museums, and we did a lot of projects. For example, when we learned about ancient Egypt, we mummified a chicken. We read a lot of Egyptian mythology, and we watched documentaries about the pyramids on Netflix. We practiced writing our names in heiroglyphics. When we studied the Vikings, we read a lot of Norse mythology, and we brewed our own mead. We also did science experiments, spent lots of time at the library, and listened to a ton of audio books. Neither of mine were reading at that age.

Neither of my EG/PG kids have ever been very on fire about academics. My daughter loves to read science fiction and fantasy, and she has read a ton. My son likes to draw, design video games, and make animated movies. We have done the bare minimum of formal academics, and my daughter met or exceeded the DYS cuts on the EXPLORE this year on 4 out of the 5. I just offer that because I think that PG kids can learn really, really well with a minimum of structure.

Our DD8's homeschool day takes 3-4 hours, mostly because she tends to expand certain topics for the day, based on her interests. DW plans a number of activities for DD to complete at a minimum for the day, and then follows DD's lead for where it goes beyond that.

Wednesday is "fun day." They do art and science projects, or field trips. DD loooooves Wednesdays.

On another note, it's probably worth making a distinction between homeschooling and just general conversation. For example, DW has punted social studies to me (she's an immigrant), and I'd spend about 1.5 - 2 hours a week with DD on the material that the state says she needs to know as a 3rd grader. That was our "homeschool" time. At other times, when DD would go look at her chart of US presidents, and start asking me random questions about them, that wasn't homeschooling, that was just us chatting. The distinction being, she didn't need to know any of that stuff about presidents just yet.

I'm going to post a link to gabalyn's super-informative post in the other forum, just to make sure that people can find it.

Thank you ElizabethN for the link and Gabalyn for the post

Dude (and others!), in your experience, how important is creating a prepared environment that invites discussion/child-led exploration to a homeschooling (even after schooling) family? Your comment about the US presidents chart stood of because that is exactly the sort of media I'm beginning to incorporate informally into our home. I don't draw attention to it, but I do engage in discussion when interest is piqued.

I think that most of the families with HG kiddos probably already sort of have an "immersion" environment in their homes by the time that they have kids 3-6yo. Just self-defense, really...

So in that sense, using what you have just sort of makes sense and seems quite natural. The "preparation" is mostly about the interpersonal environment, I'd say. If you allow/encourage your child(ren) to ask questions and speak their minds openly, and you take them seriously when they do, then the rest just seems to follow.

In fact, I'd argue the other side of it-- that you'd have to go to considerable trouble and modification to STOP that kind of thing with a HG+ kid. Don't they all pretty much talk-talk-talk about everything that draws their interest all. the. time??

(Or is it just my kid?)

We did MOST of our social science and science using the informal Socratic model when we homeschooled. It is very natural and organic feeling to my DH and I both, but then again, both of us are naturally teachers. We answer questions with questions, just naturally opening a dialogue.

Other than that, we keep books and a supply cabinet that has some basic 'stuff' in it, and an open mind re: the use of household chemicals and kitchen staples.

This made me laugh! We beg DS4.5 for 5 minutes of quiet, which he never seems to give us! My only real concern with starting to possibly homeschool is that I will lose those 3 hours of quiet I get when he's in preschool! The questions and comments never stop! He even admits that he is unable to stop the thoughts and the talking! lol

Oh, does this ever resonate!


Goodness, yes! I have a little theory that the arrival rate of questions/comments increases as an exponential function of parental exhaustion.

Oh man can I ever relate to begging DD to be quiet. She is constantly talking and asking questions. Today I had a migraine come on and was begging for quiet..so she sat down to finish number 5 in How to Train a Dragon, but ended up talking to me about it every 5 seconds. Then she started in on Pippi Goes on Board and had to read a whole section out loud to me that she just found so hilarious. My poor head, but I love to see DD so enthused even if my head was killing me.

I have to do this in the summer. The hour after lunch is quiet hour. You have to be on your bed (sometimes you can get permission for the living room couch but only one of the two can do that at a time) for an entire hour. The only approved activities are reading, writing in a journal, coloring, napping if you so desire, thinking, and sometimes younger ds will take a few toys (legos or figurines) into the bed with him but he is not allowed to make sound effects. No music (unless headphones), TV, computers, or hand held games. It is quiet hour and I mean quiet.

It is the best thing EVER. I learned it from a homeschooling mom. And everyone comes back from that hour rested, ready to be nice to each other, and ready to tackle the second half of the day. Many times my boys will leave their beds after quiet hour but continue to read their books together in the same room and then eventually do an activity together.

When I started homeschooling DS7 this year, I was advised to follow a general curriculum series.

DS had been in two private gifted schools for part of pre-k and k. At the first gifted school, it was more a traditional, structured environment. DS was 5 and he rapidly accelerated through the pre-k, k, and 1st grade curriculum within 2 1/2 months. I was told that he was possibly 2e pg and that the school couldn't accommodate or accelerate him. Last year I had DS tested but he didn't entirely cooperate (I was on the other side of a divider and overheard) and therefore didn't get the test scores required for DYS. As a result, there are many reasons why I've been following a general curriculum series (Grades 1- 6) this year - for DYS, confidence, self-esteem, 2e issues, appease school district, alleviate my anxiety, etc.

We've been using the Learn at Home series (Grades 1-6); it's a general curriculum series and has a full school year of weekly/daily lesson plans for each grade. DS7 spends maybe a hour or more each day doing the worksheets (usually math and writing) and some spelling words for each grade. Though many days, I haven't been able to get him to do anything. Until a couple of weeks ago, we also spent each day reading from a book together (DS reads a page, then I read a page); I got fed up nagging DS to do his reading each day and decided to take a temporary hiatus, mainly for my sanity.

Rest of the time, DS7 is in his room reading books, watching videos, playing, going to playground, etc. DS has been learning considerably more history on his own this year. It's self-directed and often at a college/adult level. DS is a bit of control freak and introvert so he resists me "teaching" him anything! I said that I cannot sign him off on say 5th Grade until he completes the assignments in the Learn at Home Grade 5th and this has somewhat motivated him to finish it. He loathes the boring, rote stuff and wants to get it done asap.

To be honest, I think what really separates PG kids is the rate and speed of knowledge acquisition; at some point it's like a switch with them. They just rapidly leapfrog or go through material like the old video game Pac Man. They don't need the same amount of repetition that other NT kids need; and this is one reason why I find a general curriculum series has worked for us this year. DS7 has been able to skip around and accelerate rapidly. I've made sure he's mastered math facts and spelling, for instance, so I'm confident he'll be able to progress further.


FYI - We applied to DYS earlier in the year, but DS's test scores from last year disqualified him. I'm now in the process of trying to get him re-tested asap. I know we'd have the portfolio samples for DYS now and plan to reapply once we have DS re-tested and get qualifying scores.

I wouldn't say it's at all important in our household, just because an 8yo doesn't really need to know too much about the presidents. And if it wasn't that chart, it would be something else capturing her interest. You can't stop this kid from being curious about something.

Now that you're making me think about this, I suppose if there was something that I wanted her to be curious about, putting up some media would be a good way to go about it.

I'll add that prior to Kindergarten age we don't do any kind of schooling. Our kids can just play and do what they want, but they learn anyway, e.g. teaching themselves to read. But starting at Kindergarten age we are using a (free, public) virtual school using the k12.com curriculum. So we can go at our own pace and schedule, but we can be sure that the standard material is being covered.

We tried that exact same series-- the grade 1 through 4 versions, anyway. I kind of have some PTSD over that series. LOL.

It was maddening, because she would be in the sweet spot, where it felt (to me, anyway) like she was learning and engaged and I'd think; Great! I finally found the right level!! Yay, me!!


But then within a few more weeks (or really, days) things would.... er... change. She'd begin refusing to do ANY of it. I think I've noted just how superhuman her refusal skills can be. Let's just say that I tried arguing on the basis of "but if you know it, then showing me ought to be simple" and "you just HAVE to" and even restricting pretty much everything else until she gave us compliance... all this did was turn my home into a war zone.

THEN, finally (I'm slow this way) I'd offer the end of course evaluation to her, which she'd ace. At light speed.

I don't know HOW she was making those kinds of jumps... but she certainly was. We'd go from fine-fine-fine to "DONE" overnight-- she'd be months ahead of where she had apparently been happy enough doing work.

As far as I've ever been able to tell, there are no gaps from this practice. Was she skimming ahead in the curriculum? Possible-- she has always read her textbooks cover-to-cover within a few weeks.

Anyway. That's my story with packaged curriculum. It drove my DH nearly round the bend, because about ever 4 months (when you include the month and a half of DD being "punished" for her refusal to cooperate with ANY school-based directives, I mean) we'd be buying "new school stuff" for homeschooling. Rinse and repeat.

Actually, the Learn at Home series was the best of those experiences. At least these weren't hideously expensive, unlike the Cuisinaire rods and math curriculum that she barely touched...

Any general curriculum was a disaster, because DD's literacy was so out of synch with her readiness in some areas, and certainly with what curriculum designers intend. You know you're in trouble when your 5yo is reading the directions on the worksheet-- upside down-- before you even hand it over to her, and frostily inquiring about the need to "waste my time coloring that thing when I already KNOW my letter sounds/math facts/parts of speech."


Anyway. Thought I'd add that anecdote since a general curriculum did NOT work for us, ironically, for the same basic reasons that someone else has liked it.


RE: how to get kids steered into that informal learning process, we've discovered a couple of things that seem to work for my DD, but they may not work for other kids. We've found that for HER, conversation and access to print materials is the key to anything we want her to think/learn about. This is because that is her natural/preferred learning mode. So if we want her to learn about, say, gun control? We talk about it. Leave TIME on the coffee table, mention a Bill in committee. She'll jump on board in no time... because she loves to participate and she actually loves contentious/hot issues.

Print media like the chart technique Dude's family uses isn't as effective-- for her. Make it funny, make it emotionally charged, make it a current trending topic on SNL/Jon Stewart, though, and she's all over it.

Science topics, we had to be more deliberate about-- but again, that was just sort of the scientific method in action: a) observation, b) curiosity (Why... what... I wonder if...) c) I wonder how I could see if... d) experimental design, and e) reflection/analysis. You can explore a LOT with that process. But be prepared for things to get burned, broken, scuffed, dirty, and basically for your home to turn into the Mythbusters set.

This kind of learning is about knowing your child(ren)'s learning style and playing to those strengths.

What I found the single coolest thing about having an HG+ preschooler?

Being able to teach a child statistics and graphical methods of analysis using a handmade "journal" and a bunch of dollar-store ladybug stickers... and walks around our neighborhood playing "spot the item."

That kind of thing just isn't possible for most kids who would be excited by how many "blue cars" they saw... or enthralled by carefully stopping to put a ladybug sticker into a journal as "data." Or repeating the "experience" as a means of increasing the "N" for those data sets.

Yes, I talked about what error bars mean, and about the 'best' graphical model for a particular set of data-- with my 4-6yo.

So while I have found it very challenging to use intentional materials created by others while teaching HG+ kids at their level... if you let go of what you "should" teach them, and go with their interests and enthusiasm and what seems okay for them at the moment, some of what happens is MAGICAL.

I know that what I experienced in those moments was truly a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

HowlerKarma - I had to laugh with what happened with the general curriculum series as I definitely can relate. Well, DS will be done with the series within a month or so. We're definitely not using it next year .

I just mentioned it because a parent may need to document for DYS or for some school district and may not want to go through the expense or ordeal with other curriculums. I wouldn't rely solely on these curriculums; use them for a means to an end and then be done with them.

I also have to laugh about the talk and then print part. This may be somewhat an assumption, but I think the desire to talk is due: 1) your daughter being a girl and 2) the fact that some girls prefer to process information by talking. Some girls like to talk; it's just their MO. Generally speaking, boys, on the other hand, are different species or planet, I think. They just don't seem to talk things out like some girls do. I really wish they did some days; it would make life so much easier.

I do think the overall argument about curriculum materials created by others for PG kids is true. Curriculums and textbooks are written for the norm and this means NT kids. Our kids aren't NT though. This is one of the reasons PG kids tend to start eyeing up college material so soon. It seems the only way for them to delve into more content and come close to satisfying their insatiable curiosity and need for intellectual stimulation.

HK, I love the stats journal!! I can see that being a great way to occupy time on road trips, too. I'm tucking that idea away.

We have a total mix here although I think we lean towards an unschooling approach on the scale.

Monday and Friday we have an unschooling group that meets together. We have activity areas set up and we have a fabulous young lady who runs organised activities and topics for those who want to join in. This is on average 11 kids aged 2 - 11yrs.

Tuesday Aiden (6) attends a very small local homeschool group for HG+ kids. There are 3 boys in the group and they do a mixture of activities in reading, maths, English, art and an assortment of other fun things.

While he is out Nathan (4.5 yrs) and Dylan (2yrs)do loads of fun play games. Nathan usually chooses to bake something, do some maths and write an essay of some sort.

Wednesday is our quiet at home day. We have work times scattered throughout the day and we play games, and do some stuff related to our theme. Never more than 20 minutes at a time followed by at least an hour of playing. Sometimes we go out on Wed too - to a park or museum or to do the shopping if we need to.

Thursday we do some stuff in the morning and SEMAS maths late morning for all three boys with more at home stuff - mostly continuation of anything they want to work on - in the afternoon.

Tues and Thurs evenings they go to tae kwon do.

Each day they practice music (violin and Nathan does Piano as well) and have PC time - Dreambox learning, Reading Eggs, Timez Attack, Wizard 101, typing games etc.

I am rambling a bit I guess. For us the big thing is that we do some work at their own levels and then loads of happy time activities to build self esteem, work on life skills and emotional stuff, spend time together as a family and lots of chill and kids play time. They are always climbing trees, jumping on the trampoline or in their club house or jungle gym.

If I have to average it I'd say that that we do at most 1.5 hours of "work" where I am guiding them with set learning directives, and this is always always based on their expressed desires and interests. It's normally around 40 - 60 minutes actually. We get through so much stuff and I keep trying to cut back, esp for Nathan... He is so little and flies through stuff so we do a lot of meandering and discovering things that interest him.

If my thoughts are hazy my apologies. Its 2am here now.