I've updated and refined our Loop schedule. The basic idea is working out really well (we've done more History chapters already this year than we did all of last year), but I needed to fix a few glitches.
We start each day with Memory Work review and Special Topics (right now we're learning the Presidents and as we approach the election we'll study that some). We're also going to try Spelling Power again, and I'll alternate giving L & Z spelling tests (L will get a test on Monday & Wednesday, Z will get a test on Tuesday & Thursday--the days they don't get a test they'll copy their spelling rules). This is also the time I go over any letter formations for copywork or give any dictation (this isn't everyday).
The above takes about 1/2 an hour. We still school from 9:00-12:00, so we start in on the Loop on 9:30, and work until 12:00 and then we stop for the day. The next day we pick up where we left off. I've found we hit all the subjects 3-4 times per week. Right now we're in a co-op, so we don't do any regular school on Fridays, so we're hitting everything 3-4 times per week going through the Loop only four days a week.
The other tweak I needed to make to the Loop was assigning specific independent work to each day. The boys still have quiet time from 12:30-1:30, and they work on any unfinished work from the morning and their assigned independent work during this time.
