A Classical Homeschooling Day

A few months ago, I posted an example of an "unschool" day. Yesterday was typical of one of my more structured homeschool days.

I woke up around 7 am. I read my email and online news for about a half an hour. During this time, my 11 year old daughter got up and made herself breakfast and started her piano practicing. My 5 year old came into the office and asked for help with breakfast. I spent the next 30 minutes making pancakes. We ate breakfast as a family. The 11 year old came in to join us even though she had eaten earlier. I took a shower while my 9 year old loaded the dishwasher. The 11 year old was off somewhere reading.

After the shower, I started the dishwasher and finished the pots and pans. The 9 year old started her piano practicing. I spent a few minutes helping her with a piece she was struggling to remember. By 9:30 am, every one was dressed and ready to go. For the older girls, this included writing in their journal and reading the comics. Somewhere in all of this Henry left for work.

The girls got their crocheting and we sat down for family scripture study. We spent the next half hour reading and discussing a chapter. When we finished, the girls asked to crochet longer while listening to music. I put on CD of Baroque music. The 5 year old went to play in the back porch. Around 10:30 am, I reminded them about the school work they had waiting.

On Monday, I had given the older two girls a list of their assignments for that week. The list included the following:

Saxon Math
Daily Grams and Easy Grammar
Oral Language Exercises
McGuffy Reader
Phonics Pathway
Peterson Handwriting "We Write to Read"
Mavis Beacon Typing
Prima Latina / Latina Christiana
Student Writing Intensive by IEW
Spelling Power
Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World

My 11 year old also has three distance learning classes (English, Science, and History).


While the girls worked on their lists, I folded laundry, helped out when they get stuck, corrected the assignments and talked to my sister on the phone. My 5 year old rode her bike in the back yard while her sisters worked. Around noon, the 5 year old helped me make lunch.

The 9 and 11 year old periodically snuck off to read. When it got too quiet, I went looking for them and directed them back to their school work. After lunch the 11 year old unloaded the dishwasher and the 5 year old put the silverware away. I ate my lunch while playing Scrabble on my computer. The 9 year old then loaded the lunch dishes.

After lunch, the next door neighbor boy came over to play with my 5 year old. I made jam tarts while the older girls worked on their math. About an hour later the neighbor boy went home. I spent a few minutes talking with my neighbor. The 9 and 5 year old played in the back porch some more.

After I cleaned up in the kitchen, I sat down with the 9 year old and she read to me from the McGuffy Reader and Phonics Pathway. After watching her sister, the 5 year old wanted to do it too. She read a few pages in Phonics Pathway and Victory Drill. The two younger ones returned to playing. The 11 year old corrected a test for her distance learning class. We talked about the questions she missed.

Various times during the day, the 5 year old asked to play on the computer. I sent her to pick up 5 things in the playroom every time she asked before I allowed her to on the computer for a few minutes. During breaks, I sent the girls to put their own laundry away and to tidy their rooms.

Around 3:30 pm, I laid down for a nap. The girls were free to play and read. At 4 pm I was awakened by a phone call. A few minutes later, another neighbor called to ask if I was available to go for a walk. The two younger girls wanted to come along with their bikes. I left the 11 year old home. She finished putting away her laundry and cleaning up her room.

Around 5 pm, we returned from our walk/bike ride. I started dinner while the kids watched a segment of "My Fair Lady." Henry got home from work at 6 pm and we ate together as a family. He left for a church meeting at 7 pm. The kids had a DVD that was due at the library tomorrow, so I let them watch it before they went to bed at 8 pm. I read and played more Scrabble while the kids watched the movie. After the movie, the kids put themselves to bed. I realized that I hadn't done piano with the 5 year old. Oh well.

Henry came home around 9 pm and we watched a little TV together. Henry did a few things on the computer while I got ready for bed. We went to bed a little before 11 pm. Henry mentioned that he hoped it would rain so that he doesn't have to get up and go jogging in the morning.

So this is what a typical Classical or "un-unschool day" looks like at our house. I guess I'm still "unschooling" with my 5 year old. We only do academics when she brings it up. Because she watches her older sisters and wants to be like them, she asks frequently.