using the CM as a checklist for the student

[Kgreen]

Hi, we are heading into our second year of using all MP, last year i spent a lot of time each Sunday night creating a custom checklist for each child for the week. This year, since we are all more familiar with MP, I'm considering having the kids (4th and 6th) work from the CM as their checklist. The only substitutions will be a different spelling and cursive for the 4th grader, and for the 6th grader: a different Christian Studies, a different science, and both latin and composition will be with MPOA. I'm thinking about shrinking the digital lesson plans a bit and printing that on sticker paper and sticking them into the CM (for the spelling/cursive and CS/science).

Any advice about how to have the kids use the CM? sticky tabs? big binder clips? other threads about this i should read?

Also, for the 6th grader in mpoa for 2 classes, should i get him a blank planner to keep up with those 2 classes? or could he use the CM for those classes as well? or maybe put blank stickers over those 2 in the CM and have him write his assignments with checkboxes there?

[momgineer]

Commenting mostly to bump this up. I always just got a student planner for my kids 4th and up. I met with them daily to go over their previous day work in each subject and as we finished a subject, I “assigned” the next day’s work and wrote it in their planner (or they did as they got older). MP is so predictable that my kids pretty much knew exactly what to do each day even without a planner.

[Kgreen]

Thank you Debbie! Looking back at my post, it looks complicated and maybe just filling out a blank student planner would be simpler...

[Kgreen]

Does anyone know if the HLS planners are available to purchase?

[pickandgrin]

For the MPOA classes you might be able to simply print out and 3 hole punch the syllabus which contains all of the classwork. Pop that into a three-ring binder or a folder and you will be good to go for the year.

I would recommend figuring out a system which requires as little prep as possible, both this summer and then ongoing weekly for you. It sounds like both your kids would be able to work out of the curriculum manual no problem. For the things you are augmenting, consider just marking out what is there and writing beneath it whatever you need. If you're spelling is basically "Lesson one," then just write that in underneath the other. It might even be that you can use the same lesson numbers as whatever is assigned in Spelling Workout!

It took me about 3 years to stop trying to make my planner and plans so easy for the kids. Once I realized we were in this curriculum for the long haul, I wanted to invest my prep time in reading their material and learning Latin and not working on the plans. Haha!

I think middle school is a good time to transition to them taking more ownership of the weekly work and then by high school they should be able to handle spreading out all of their assignments in their own blank planner. Often by that point they are not in a curriculum grade per se but are using a wide variety of materials based on their placement and trajectory.

HTH!

[Kgreen]

Thank you! This is exactly what I’ve been thinking but you articulate it so well - I am realizing that I need to take my focus from creating plans that are crystal clear and detailed enough to serve as thorough record-keeping and scale that back and shift to spending some of that effort engaging more deeply myself with their material - making it slightly more “our material”

[Kgreen]

I think you’re right that I need to let go of “making the checklist look perfect” which is about having them as clear records later in addition to helping ensure the communication with the kids is super clear. I’m excited to let go a little and embrace just seeing if we can get by with just crossing out and writing below in the already printed CM
and maybe just expect the kids manage their own flashcard rings instead of me loading and adjusting them every week..

[pickandgrin]

Kgreen Do keep us posted. I hope your adjustments make this a much more fruitful and less hectic year for you!

[sfhargett]

A number of people have used sticker paper to cover up subjects they aren't using in the CM and then writing in what they are using. It's a bunch of work up front, but then simple once it's written in.