{"id":1725,"date":"2014-12-09T21:26:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-10T04:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/\/?p=1725"},"modified":"2015-05-20T11:19:29","modified_gmt":"2015-05-20T17:19:29","slug":"simplify-your-homeschool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/simplify-your-homeschool\/","title":{"rendered":"Simplify Your Homeschool: Subject of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ammon_mesaverde\"

Ammon at Mesa Verde<\/p><\/div>\n

Does homeschooling feel overwhelming to you? <\/strong>So many subjects to teach . . . so many different age levels . . . such a frantic rush to get it all in?<\/p>\n

If you are feeling this way, you may want to try the \u201cSubject of the Day\u201d. This plan is simply to choose one subject per day of the school week. I like to alternate fun subjects with more intense subjects, ending with a social activity or field trip on Friday. Plan it however you like, but post it on your fridge or wall, so that everyone has a sense of order.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s one plan to give you an idea:<\/p>\n

Monday: History
\nTuesday: Literature Discussion
\nWednesday: Science
\nThursday: Fine Arts (music appreciation, art appreciation, drama)
\nFriday: field trips, or socializing with other homeschoolers<\/p>\n

Each day, you know where you are headed, and that alone is a huge accomplishment.<\/strong>Teach all your children the same \u201cSubject of the Day\u201d as a group lesson, varying assignment difficulty according to each child\u2019s abilities.<\/p>\n

There will still be studies that are done daily like phonics, math, music practice, and journal writing. But, all-in-all, just having one teaching topic for mom to focus on each day reduces the overload feeling quickly! This group time can last from 45 minutes to a few hours and can include discussion of reading assignments, giving reports, looking at pictures in books together, watching a video clip, reading aloud, and doing projects, or experiments. Having just one subject allows in-depth study, and time to really absorb and explore the topic together and enjoy!<\/p>\n

Recently, in my homeschool, we studied the topic of Weathering on our Science Day. We are following an Earth Science course. You can teach the same topic to all age levels at the same time with just a little modification. We read about and discussed the effects of the elements on the earth: how wind and water wear away and crack rocks, and reduce rock eventually into sand and soil. We studied pictures in textbooks and library books. We saw photos on the internet of how statues have had their details worn down by weathering. We talked about the Delicate Arch formation created by weathering. We searched for examples around our own neighborhood: flaking bricks, cracks where plants have grown in a sidewalk, potholes in a road, root pry from a tree breaking up a fence. We could visit the cemetery and look at the details on old graves, how their engraving is being worn away by the weather. This is fun!<\/p>\n

It takes just the same amount of teacher preparation to teach all the kids as it does one child. <\/strong>Older children can be assigned more in-depth reading and reports. Young ones can do easy projects. The whole family can learn together and it really does take the pressure off mom with the \u201cSubject of the Day\u201d!
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"ammondive\"
\nStudy Schedule
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"watch-519629_1280\"
\nWorn Out from Teaching
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"7280\"
\nMusical Notebooks
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Does homeschooling feel overwhelming to you? So many subjects to teach . . . so many different age levels . . . such a frantic rush to get it all in? If you are feeling this way, you may want to try the \u201cSubject of the Day\u201d. This plan is simply to choose one subject […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[101],"class_list":["post-1725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-homeschool","category-homeschooling-method","tag-schedule","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/ammon_mesaverde.jpg?fit=437%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-rP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1256,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/the-subject-of-the-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":0},"title":"The \u201cSubject of the Day\u201d Approach","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Studying the same subject together as a family, unit studies, has many advantages. It is much easier for mother to teach just one topic, rather than trying to explain several different subjects to several different children each day. The whole family can enjoy discussions together on the same subject. Enrichment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/ammoncoverDS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6790,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/plan-b-difficult-pregnancy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":1},"title":"Plan B: Difficult Pregnancy","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am going through a difficult pregnancy and cannot manage all the subjects, preparing lesson plans, trying to get them to do their schoolwork\u2014I\u2019m just so tired. Any help? Answer: Pregnancy and birth: can there be any more pertinent lessons that these?! There is some real life educating going\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hands-105455_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C870&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hands-105455_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C870&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hands-105455_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C870&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hands-105455_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C870&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hands-105455_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C870&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1244,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/study-schedule-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":2},"title":"Study Schedule","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"As homeschoolers, when do find or make the time to study? Having a study schedule helps immeasurably \u00a0when you are writing up assignments and determining what work needs to be done. \u00a0Get a piece of paper and jot out what works for your family. Then post it on the wall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ammondive","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/ammondive.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7808,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/gearing-up-for-school-%e2%80%8e\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":3},"title":"Gearing Up for School","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Looks like it\u2019s that time again. In spite of the fact that it is the dead heat of summer, you can\u2019t miss the school supplies sales in the stores and the shut down of the local swimming pool. I wish summer lasted a little longer! Since all the neighbor children\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rebekah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rebekah072010-283x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":685,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/making-friends\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":4},"title":"Making Friends","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We joined a homeschool coop which is great and I love it. They only meet for \u000b2 hours or so on Friday mornings, though, and then for field trips once a \u000bmonth. Of course, there is no guarantee that the kids in my daughter's class will be at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"holdinghands","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/holdinghands.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1531,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/homeschooling-you-can-do-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":1725,"position":5},"title":"Homeschooling: You Can Do It!","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed with the thought of homeschooling? Are you considering this lifestyle change? Have you just made the decision to homeschool and wonder how to jump in to this adventure? I think we all struggle to juggle all our duties\u00a0as\u00a0mom, wife, homeschool teacher, good neighbor,church member,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New to Homeschooling"","block_context":{"text":"New to Homeschooling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/new-to-homeschooling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Getting eaten by a dinosaur, my daughters Emily and Louisa at a science museum field trip.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/LouisaEmilydinosaur2-300x288.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1725"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7354,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions\/7354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}