I have been busy working this past weekend on our weekly schedule. I use excel and break down the weekly AO readings for each child and add daily Bible, poetry, penmanship (copywork), phonics and math, and then rotate out the other subjects on different days. I do all 36 weeks this way. This year, since I have a 3rd grader doing Year 2 of Ambleside Online, and a kindergartner doing Year 0, I have a lot more to juggle!

I have been moving and rearranging things for a couple of days and now I think I have a schedule I can work with! Thanks goodness, right? September is really creeping up on me!

Here is a screen shot of my excel schedule (click to enlarge).

The lighter colors correspond with Diva (aka Sydni), my 5 year old. The darker colors are for Super-boy (aka Cole), my 8 year old. Purple blocks are AO readings. Blue is math and so on. For Diva, readings with page numbers are from the book “For the Children’s Hour” and the other readings are Beatrix Potter, or selections from the Year 0 book list. Narration is included with the reading selections as we do it immediately after each reading.

Music is hymns, folk songs and recorder practice, alternating as needed. We fit composer study seamlessly into the day, whether it’s in the car, or while we eat, etc. Circle time, as noted, includes Bible together as a family, poetry and we look at our current art print/artists. Sometimes we read a small part of a book about the artist or composer if one is available.

Once I have the basic layout in place, it is very simple to go in and add the AO readings as needed. I don’t label chapters for math since we move at the kids’ pace. I will probably go in and specify nature study topics at a later date, but this is our bare bones schedule and we stick to it pretty well. Each child has time to work with me one-on-one and also have break time while I work with the other.