How to Finish Lessons by Lunch

Can you really finish formal school lessons by lunch? Sonya shares some sample schedules to show how it's possible.
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[@Ameisenigel222]

This seems so natural to me. In Germany the lower grades are all finished before lunch and the students return home. (Today many children go to aftercare but formal lessons still stop at 11:15 for first grade for example)

[@ciannacoleman5125]

I think what most people get hung up on with this concept is that you don’t have to “finish” the lessons before moving on. When I was about 6th grade we had an ill-fated 3month experience with a form of online school and some of the subjects were so dense that they took 1-2hrs! I quickly “fell behind” and was miserable. In homeschooling you don’t have to sit on a subject or project until it is finished, in fact it is physically impossible to stay completely focused on learning for more than about 20-30min, so set a timer and (unless you are really enjoying it) move on when your time is up. Homeschooling is at the student’s pace and you will never “fall behind” just because a subject is taking you a bit longer to grasp or master.

[@jenniferbtoo9344]

I’m so thankful for the Charlotte Mason Method and the way you all at SCM communicate with and educate me about this wonderful method! I have a freshman girl in high school and twin girls who are 3 1/2! May God richly bless you all!

[@minamartinez8131]

So helpful! I was trying to cram every subject into every day! I just trimmed down our daily schedule from five and a half hours to three hours a day :)

[@ShayShayChardonnay]

Please keep telling me I'm not doing every subject every day, because a tiny drop of panic goes away every time you say it 🤣🤣🤣

[@jeaniecolleen1739]

Please relax and enjoy. You don't need to do every subject every day. Bible,Math and Language Arts should be done 4-5 days a week. I have been homeschool for over 14 years with much learning and changing in how I teach depending on the needs and interests of each of my four children.

[@nylerigor]

😂😂😂

[@prisillaspace]

Thank you soooooo much!! I attempted CM Method with my boys when they were middle school age and although I was unable to continue .... the short time we implemented CM's Methods, they did make a notable difference, for the better!!!! I'm attempting to begin with my daughter who is newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she is 11 now. So far, she loves it! Still working on a better schedule, but this video certainly helps!

[@levioneill9677]

I have three children and I have the older teach some subjects to the young ones. It benefits both, reinforcing the subject to the older child and teaching the younger ones the new subject. I, of course, work one on one with the younger kids along with this method.

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Thanks for sharing what you have found to work well in your homeschool!

[@julieannemooreedwards9909]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@virginiatomlinson1639]

These are very helpful!!! Thank you!!

[@saajidahachma6028]

You are such a pleasure to listen too. Thank you, your videos are very informative 🙂👍🏻

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@MikeKendrickMusic]

Very encouraging! Any thoughts on afternoons and mornings switched? I’ve heard of some moms in our homeschool group say their family seems to work better mid morning or early afternoons so early mornings are slow going and they do music, independent reading, cleaning, art then. The mind seems fresher to me in the mornings but curious about this. Thanks!

[@tm660]

This is helpful! Thank you!

[@keeperofmyhome]

Very Helpful!

[@1Gibson]

Ty for this.

[@petagayejolly7577]

This was very helpful. Thank you ❤

[@mama.marquez]

so what are the other kids doing when the schedule has 1 child in the time block?

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Hi Ambrosia. For some of the time slots, an older student's independent studies may flow into the following timeslot and it is not noted. When a particular kiddo(s) is not scheduled for a time block, is not working on independent work, or is done with a subject, we recommend having the student interact with a preschool kiddo, work on chores, or quiet free time. For a visual that may be easier to focus on (rather than hitting pause), please visit our blog: simplycharlottemason.com/blog/how-to-finish-lessons-by-lunch/

[@aishayusuf9819]

❤️

[@familacv9203]

What are the 3Rs?

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

The 3 R's are the traditional core school subjects of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.

[@user-li6hd7is8x]

Sonya, what would You advice if working with short lessons for us doesn't give the result that would be enough for the school?

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Do you mean, you need to fill a certain number of hours for government requirements and you're concerned that short lessons won't give you enough hours to report?

[@amandabrown4895]

Thank you! I am loving your videos. I so appreciate the podcasts being filmed. Question: My child is 13 and studies Algebra 1. We find it difficult to complete her daily lesson and practice problems in under an hour and 15 minutes. How would you suggest fitting her math in? I so wish we could do it for just 30 minutes but she would fall behind. She is highly intelligent and does not struggle with math itself; it is just that that time it takes often seems overwhelming.

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Two ideas come to mind: 1) Since your daughter is not struggling with math, you might try assigning only half of the practice problems and see if that causes any issues. Perhaps do only the odd numbers or only the evens. If you or she notices that the reduction is causing her to struggle a bit, then switch back to doing them all. But you might try the reduction as an experiment for a week or two and see what happens. Different people need different amounts of practice to help a concept to stick. She might not need the full amount written into the book. 2) You could split up the math lesson into two smaller time segments and do them at different times of the day. Perhaps she could do part of the lesson in the morning, then do other subjects before coming back to complete the math lesson. That switch might give her brain a rest from math, plus help her feel more refreshed and able to think quicker during the two shorter lessons.

[@amandabrown4895]

@@SimplyCharlotteMason Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind and thorough response. We will give it a go! I appreciate your time so much.

[@fairwhether1]

On the sample schedules, is "Habit Reading" referring to habit study or something else?

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

The term “habit reading” refers to once or twice a week reading to the children a lesson on your selected habit from Laying Down the Rails for Children. The two-volume set contains stories, Bible verses, poems, quotations, and family activities that relate to each of the 60 habits Charlotte Mason encouraged us to cultivate in our children. If you focus on one habit for two months, as recommended, the set gives you about ten years of character training material to use alongside the children’s practicing the habits.

[@fairwhether1]

@@SimplyCharlotteMason Thank you for clarifying that for me!

[@PinkinPA]

Where are Thursday and Friday? I must have missed something.

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Sonya explains in the video that she's only showing Monday through Wednesday because these are sample schedules. She doesn't want you to feel like you're locked into these ideas-they are to inspire you to create your own schedule that works best for your family.

[@popehj]

Quick question, Sonya may have covered it, but I think I missed it. On the schedule during the individual work time, when it is written Math (2) but nothing is in the same block for the (4), are they on break?

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

At that point in the day, children in those grades or ages need to work with you on their individual subjects, so the schedule after family work has you working with each child one at a time. So yes, the 4th grader would be on break, but maybe doing one of the things on this list: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ2scomvnseCars

[@itzhomeschool4059]

What to do with a kid who woke up at 9 am😢

[@SimplyCharlotteMason]

Hi, This is a great question! One of the flexibilities we have as homeschoolers is to start our day a little later if we choose. In that case, we will have to shift and adjust that schedule so lessons will probably not be finished by lunch depending on how quickly your student gets to work after waking up and when you have your lunch time. This post can still be applied, you can still get your lessons done efficiently in the time you have once you are all awake, however if you have a slower start to your day, you will most likely need some time after lunch to finish up lessons. That is ok! It is your homeschool, do what works best for your family! Here is another post on tips for a smooth morning that you may enjoy, especially if you are looking for ideas on how to get your kids up and moving with the routine in the mornings. simplycharlottemason.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-smooth-morning/

[@itzhomeschool4059]

@@SimplyCharlotteMason Thanks a lot for your lovely suggestion.