For the past several years, Agent 004 has had a daily check-in built in to her schedule. Initially it was a time for me verify completion of independent work and to listen to oral narrations of readings. I have always been informal about this, however, and sometimes we would just spend the time talking about one particularly interesting reading.
As a larger percentage of her work is done independently and as her younger siblings’ academic load has begun to encroach upon my attentions, this check-in has become more important. Once we have completed Morning Meeting, she works independently until lunch while I do one-on-one lessons with Agents 007 and 011. Daily check-in offers the opportunity to keep abreast if her progress, as well as spend time with her alone.
This is her time to ask questions, show off her knowledge, and have a real conversation about what she is learning. To make sure that no part of her curriculum is neglected, we have a weekly rotation of subjects to discuss each day. This way, we make sure to talk about everything at least once per week. This is particularly important for historical fiction and Saint biographies that have long-term due dates that might otherwise sneak up on us. It also gives her warning of when I will be looking through each of her binders and written assignments to make sure that all paperwork is in order.
The schedule:
Monday: French & Math
Tuesday: American History & American Historical Fiction
Wednesday: Science & Catechism
Thursday: World History & World Historical Fiction
Friday: Saint Biography & Geography
