Plan your first week
Step 6 of 6. A gentle first week: a simple rhythm, short lessons, and records from day one.
Keep the first week small
The first week is for finding a rhythm, not for covering a lot. A few short lessons a day, a read-aloud, time outside and an early finish is a good first week. Add more in the second and third weeks as the routine settles.
- Choose a start time and a finish time, and keep them all week.
- Plan two or three short lessons a day, such as reading and math, plus a read-aloud.
- Put something your child enjoys in every day: a project, a game, a walk, a library trip.
- Write down what you did each day, even in a few words. It is the start of your records.
- At the end of the week, ask your child what worked and what didn't, and adjust.
Records from day one
Whatever your state asks, a simple record of the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject is worth keeping from the start. It helps if you move, return to school or apply to college, and it shows you how far you have come.