Normally what tends to happen to most of us when we want to organise our home school, we assign different lessons to different days. So maybe for example everyday you do maths and literacy, but Mondays are for science, Tuesday history, Wednesday Geography etc etc. you get the drift.
But what happens if Tuesday some one is sick, or Wednesday you want to meet your friends at the park or Friday you have your inlaws dropping by from out of town....now what!? You miss a day or two and immediately you feel behind!
This is where loop scheduling saves the day! While it won't help you get more done, it will remove the burden and stress from doing it inshallah, and stop you feeling like you got behind or feeling guilty that appointment or play date messed up your week.
Instead of assigning subjects to days, you simply list them all out and work your way through them. If something unexpected comes up, that's okay, you pick up and continue exactly where you left off the next day you get back to it.
So for example:
Lets say you would typically assign science, geography, history, cooking, and project time on different days Monday to Friday (this schedule is totally made up by the way). Instead of assigning days, you just list them out, and each day you do "school" just work through them.
Science
Geography
History
Cooking
Project time.
One week you have might have got through science and geography Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday its snows so everyone wants to go out and play. Everyone grabs their woolly hats and run out to explore the white icey blanket that covers the garden. That's absolutely okay, because on Thursday you will pick up right where you left off and continue with History. You don't miss a thing!
Once you reach the end of your list, just loop back to the top and start again, easy!
No more having to worry about weeks going by missing something because you never seem to be available on a particular day you schedule something in.
You can take this down further, and within a particular subject, schedule different areas of study you want to incorporate. I think this example lends well to literacy because it has so many different components.
You might break it down into a loop schedule like this (again, totally made up):
Free-writing
Copy work
Grammar
Free-writing
dictation
comprehension
Free-writing
Dictation
Grammar
If you want to cover one or two things more frequently than others, then just list them out more. Once you have worked through your list, just loop right back to the top and start again!
There is a tonne of information about this online if you feel you want to understand it better. I thought I'd just post a brief introduction. It really is as simple as it sounds, and when I heard about it, to me it seemed to make so much sense!
What kind of scheduling or organisation works for you? Please feel free to write in the comments below!
ASA. My son and I are just getting ready to start our homeschooling journey this Monday. I didn't want to use a "public homeschooling" options because it would hold me down schedule wise and strap him to a computer. But I could not see how to have the free schedule I needed {because I am an Independent Contractor, I make my own schedule} to allow me to take care of other things as well as be able to educate where and when we feel like it. This Loop Scheduling sounds absolutely wonderful!!! Inshallah, I can learn how to make it for us because this really is a great option. Thank you so much for sharing. Jazakallah
ReplyDeleteBarakAllahu feeki. I'm only just getting ready to try it out, but when I first read about it, it seems an easy and simple way to get through everything you actually want to get done inshallah!
DeleteAssalaam alaykum.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea. But could you suggest a way to plan this out? Would you make a monthly plan of stuff you need to get through and just tick off as you work through it. Or maybe a page for each subject and then tick off as you go?
Assalamualaikum, what a great idea! Iwould like to try this out.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much..Barakallah