Yesterday I sat down to revise and reprint our regular loop schedule when I decided I needed to change it. Change helps keep things interesting. I can’t tell you how many different schedules and variations we have used. The ones that work best for us are flexible in how long we spend on one subject. I don’t like being boxed in by a time slot for each subject. Schedules like that rarely go as planned, at least for us.
For the mini-loops, I separated the different subject areas into groups that made sense for us.
For instance, here are the groupings for my 4th grader and 6th grader.
- Foreign Language and Guitar practice
- Math and Logic
- Bible and Science
- Language Arts
- History/Geography/Math Lab/Art
I’ve listed assignments in chronological order in each category. I made enough for about 8 full school days, but some of our school days involve activities which will make our list last at least 2 weeks. For each list, I’ve written a number that indicates how many on the list that need to be completed before going to the next list. When our time is up for the day we stop and continue where we left off the next day.
Here is an example of my 6th grader’s mini-loop schedule:
Foreign Language/Guitar x 3 (He needs to do 3 on this list everyday. Some things are quick and some things will take awhile)
- Guitar 20 minutes
- French – Lesson 4 les nombres comprehension lab track 24
- Greek 3B – 3E #1-5
- Mandarin – Lesson 4 workbook Reading and Writing Exercises
- Guitar
- Arabic – pg 80-82
- French – Lesson 4 les nombres pratique lab track 25
- Greek 3B – Comprehension questions 1-5 pg 34
- Guitar
- Mandarin – Conversation and vocabulary chapter 4
- Arabic – pg 83-86
- French – Lesson 4 les nombres pronunciation pg 49 track 26
- Guitar
- Mandarin – Practice characters chapter 4
- Arabic – pg 87-89 with me
- Mandarin – Conversation and vocabulary chapter 4
- Guitar
- Greek Exercise 3ζ #1-4
Math and Logic (1+ logic) For this list, he does one math plus a logic if there is a logic next in the list.
- Philosophy
- Math 5.4 Problems
- Math 5.4 videos and 20 minutes Alcumus
- Math 5.4 exercises
- Math 5.5 Problems
- Logic Grid Perplexors
- Math 5.5 videos and 20 minutes Alcumus
- Logic workbook
- Math 5.5 exercises
- Math 5.6 summary and review problems
Bible and Science (1) He only does one on this list each day.
- Science – Read Chapter 21.3 and do a review of 21.3 with me
- Bible – Finish John Ankerberg debate with Hugh Ross
- Science – Complete chapter 21 assessment
- Science – Watch stream table video and make make-shift stream table with container and sand
- Bible – Watch If We Had No Moon
- Science – Read chapter 22.1 and do oral review with me
- Bible – Read Icons of Evolution pg 1-28
- Science – Investigation 22B
- Science – Read chapter 22.2 and do an oral review with me
Language Arts (1+ handwriting/typing) For this list he does 1 plus handwriting or typing if they are next in the list
- Classical Writing
- Handwriting
- Classical Writing
- Literature
- Classical Writing
- Typing
- Classical Writing
- Handwriting
- Classical Writing
- Literature
- Classical Writing
- Typing
History and Geography, Math Lab or Art (1) Just one on this list too.
- History – Watch Marco Polo
- History – Read Ancient History pg 339-343
- History – Watch Lost Treasures of the Ancient World Japan
- Math Lab or art
- Geography – Read 20 minutes
- History – Read Ancient World History pg 344-349
- History – Watch Angkor Wat from Khmer Empire
Here is an example of my 4th grader’s mini-loop schedule:
Foreign Language/Guitar 3 each time
- Guitar 15 minutes
- Greek – Grammar 4 chart
- Mandarin – Practice characters chapter 1-3
- Arabic – drill 4 pg 71
- Guitar 15 minutes
- Greek 2B Exercise 2E #1-5
- Mandarin – Pronunciation drills chapter 3
- Arabic – drill 5 pg 71
- Guitar – 15 minutes
- Greek 2B 2ζ #1-5
- Mandarin – Conversation practice and practice pg 34-35
- Arabic – Drill 6 pg 71
- Guitar – 15 minutes
- Greek – Grammar 4 chart
- Mandarin vocabulary and conversation practice
- Guitar – 15 minutes
- Arabic – Listening exercise 4 pg 72
- Greek 2B comprehension questions 1-4
Math and Logic (3) each time
- Practicing adding and multiplying fractions
- Divide fractions 5A pg 89
- Math Express
- CWP 5 pg 22 #6
- Visual Logic 5 pages
- 5B Data Analysis pg 128-130
- Math Express
- Math facts
- CWP 5 pg 23 #8
- Math Express
- Verbal Logic 3 pages
- Math 5A Multiply and Divide Fractions pg 90-92
- Math Facts
- Math Express
- Grid Perplexors 2 pages
- CWP 5 pg 24 #10
- 5B Data Analysis pg 131-133
- Math Express
- Math Facts
- Visual Logic 5 pages
- CWP 5 pg 161 #5
- Math Express
- 5A Multiply and Divide Fractions pg 93-94
- Math Facts
Bible and Science (1 each time)
- Bible – War is Over
- Science – Snap Circuits
- Bible – War is Over
- Science – Makey Makey
- Science – Watch stream table video and make make-shift stream table with container and sand
- Bible reading
- Science – Snap Circuits
- Science – Investigation 22B
Language Arts (3 each time)
- Reading
- Classical Writing
- Grammar
- Handwriting
- Excavating English
- Spelling
- Reading
- Classical Writing
- Handwriting
- Visualizing and Verbalizing
- Grammar
- Excavating English
- Reading
- Spelling
- Handwriting
- Classical Writing
- Reading
- Typing
- Visualizing and Verbalizing
- Grammar
- Excavating English
- Classical Writing
- Handwriting
- Spelling
History and Geography, Math Lab or Art (1 each time) He had an extra slot so I put in an extra science time here (Makey Makey) because he does history with his brother.
- History – Watch Marco Polo
- History – Read Ancient History pg 339-343
- History – Watch Lost Treasures of the Ancient World Japan
- Math Lab
- History – Read Ancient World History pg 344-349
- History – Watch Angkor Wat from Khmer Empire
- Makey Makey
I also have a Kindergartner and I switched up her schedule into mini-loops as well. She does reading, Bible, and read alouds at night with me so I haven’t included them in her loops.
Kindergartner’s Mini Loop Schedule:
Foreign Language/Music (2 each time)
- Greek alphabet song and Hey Andrew page
- Mandarin conversation practice with toys
- Arabic alphabet song with Abjad letters
- Quinton Quarter Rest practice pages pg 26
- Greek alphabet son with Hey Andrew page
- Mandarin pinyin song
- Arabic alphabet with Arabiah app
- Quinton Quarter Rest coloring page
- Greek alphabet song and Hey Andrew page
- Mandarin conversation practice with toys
- Arabic Watch My Little Pony in Arabic
- Willie Whole Note intro and story pg 29-30
- Greek alphabet song with Hey Andrew
- Mandarin Watch My Little Pony in Mandarin
- Arabic – practice writing letters
- Willie Whole Note Song pg 31-32
Language Arts (2 each time)
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Spelling
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Writing
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Spelling
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Writing
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Spelling
- Phonics
Math and Logic (2 each time)
- 1a workbook pg 71-80
- 2 mazes
- 1A workbook pg 81-88
- 1A text pg 62-64
- 1A workbook pg 89-93
- 2 dot to dots
- 1A text pg 65-66
- 1A workbook pg 94-95
- 2 mazes
- 1A text pg 66-67
- 1A workbook pg 96-97
- 2 dot to dots
- 1A text pg 68-69
- 1A workbook pg 98-100
- 2 mazes
- Math apps
Science and History/Geography(1-2 each time depending on the length)
- Science – Chapter 6
- History – Read Day 2 in Storybook Bible
- History – Day 2 Collage
- History – Ocean in a Jar
- History – Day 3 Read account in Bible
- History – Day 3 coloring page
- Science – Experiment 6
- History – Day 3 in Jesus Storybook Bible
- History – Day 3 Creation collage
- Science – Magnet Kit activity card 6
We had our first day using our mini-loops today and I think it will work quite well. We should stick with this for a few months until I get bored and change it up once again. It takes a little more time to set up than our regular loop schedule since I had to mesh our lesson plans into the loop, but everything is pretty much open and go from here. This is important for me as an eclectic homeschooler because I use a mesh of different materials to craft an education that suits my kids.
Thank you thank you thank you! For all the detail you put into your posts. They are a wealth for me, who is so up in the air and confused about how to schedule out my kids. I have looked at this mini loop lots of times, wondering how I could do our own….but always come back to my 2 year old Toddler Conundrum!….he throws lots of upheaval into our school day. Maybe I need to do an activity loop for him?? But how to slot his loops into our day with my other 3 kids?
ANyway, I have enjoyed reading your blog. I have had much fodder for thought thrown my way.
I’ve been there! Homeschooling with a toddler is challenging for sure. Rotating toy boxes (http://eclectic-homeschool.com/homeschooling-with-a-toddler-rotating-toy-boxes/ ) were how we made it work for our family. If you wanted to slot an activity loop for your toddler, I might just go to it when the other kids are working without your help. It isn’t predictable, but that is how we started adding my youngest into the mix.
I’m wondering if your children work independently on these lists. Is there instruction from you? Or do they choose what they want from the list and you teach them? I’m curious because, as a homeschool mom to 4 with one on the way, I am searching for a way to make my life a bit less stressful, yet still give my kids the education they deserve.
It is a mix of independent and working with me. The older the kid the more independent the work is. If someone needs me for something and I’m working with someone else, they do something independent until I am available. HTH
Yes that helps a lot. Thank you!
Now that I’ve read a bunch of your various scheduling options that you tried, have you settled on one you like the best? Or do you purposely change it up for the variety and not stick to one type of scheduling?
I like to change things up every little bit to keep things fresh. It really seems to help with motivation if the day is organized differently. I like to have every day different and really don’t like schedules that box me into certain subjects on a certain day of the week or certain time of day.
I changed things up again about 10 days ago. I’m writing down the assignments on the white board and they cross them off as they are completed. I am using the mini-loop organization to determine what I write down each day though. I’m pretty sure we will change things again before the school year is out. I play it by ear and when it seems like kids are less motivated or sluggish in getting things done, I sit down and try to think of a new way to arrange our days.
What a cool way to schedule! I can’t wait to read more of your blog. Sorry to commenting so much, but I love these posts I’m reading! Since I’m so new to homeschooling, I’ve been struggling with trying to figure out how to schedule. We have a packaged curriculum, but often I just don’t want to follow it, and some days it takes so long to do the things that are planned, and some days it’s done really quickly. Anyway, I will probably make up my own schedule next year, and I like this mini-loop idea! I never even heard of it before, but it makes sense!