Homeschooling more than one . . .

[OhMeOhMy]

How do you do it? I have a third grader, a second grader, a kindergartener and one not old enough for "school" yet (2 yo). We just started hs'ing wednesday and I know it will take a while to find our groove, but I wonder if I am insane doing this. How do you help/educate kids at different grade levels all at once? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!

[Simply Nurtured]

You are not insane, mama.

There is so much I could tell you, having homeschooled/unschooled for 14 years, and mine vary in age by a lot! Now 20, 15, and 6.

They have learned and do learn from each other, and are naturally learning all the time.

We do a lot of informal and interest-drected learning.

PM me and I will give you more info and interesting website.

The main thing is to relax, don't make it stressful or a big chore.


~Wanda

[USAmma]

I have no personal experience with this yet, but a mama I know that has many kids, says that it's best to get them used to independent study. She sets them each up with their work or a project, and then just supervises and helps as needed. While some are doing their work by themselves, she will sit down one-on-one with one of them at a time and introduce a new topic or help them more intensely. She switches off whose turn it is to get the one-on-one attention.

I think it's great to encourage kids to self-teach. It will help them in college when there's no one standing over them making sure they get their work done. Self-motivation is a wonderful skill. My dd is 4 (on Friday) and I'm already starting to set her up with a project and then I kinda hang around in the area and do housework while she completes it on her own. Today she was cutting pictures out of a magazine that started with letter "s" and making a collage.

Darshani

[Linda KS]

I only have 2, but I try to do lots of things that they can both be learning from at the same time. History, science, etc. are so easy to approach from a multi-level point of view. Kids of different ages can even learn math together by using manipulatives or playing games. Have you checked into Five in a Row? It was designed to by used with kids of different ages at the same time. (My kids really like it, but nothing is right for everybody).

[UnschoolnMa]

I sometimes feel like I am the best to respond in these kinds of questions, but oh well lol. You are not insane for wanting to homeschool your kids In fact there is a family that has 14 kids, and they homeschool. Feeling better yet? lol. It will take time to settle into the groove that feels right for everyone. I totally agree with the previous poster on the best thing to do is relax, relax, relax.

We unschool so I never worry about teaching them at their different levels (we don't do alot of teaching or caring about levels lol). We do a lot of learning though...and playing, and cooking, and coloring, and building and reading. I hope things settle for you and you can start enjoying this time.

[moominmamma]

I totally agree with UnschoolnMa. Relax, and give it time.

We too have found our groove in discarding the whole idea of grade levels and 'homeschooling instruction'. My kids find things that interest and challenge them, have lots of autonomy and independence in their learning, basically just by living interesting lives, and education is the end result of all that. I spend an average of about 30 minutes a day focused on each child's pursuits/activities (eg. helping dd10 with music harmony, working with ds8 on piano sight-reading or mastering multi-digit multiplication, doing some math exploration and violin practising with dd6). Anything else is just life... and/or is inclusive of all the kids.

You'll find your groove. Remember, home-based education doesn't have to look like school. At all.

Miranda

[teachinmaof3]

We do school when my 2yo is napping.

The girls and I sit down together and go thru their school work. While I work with my 4yo, my 6yo does some of her things on her own. Then when the 4yo is done she goes to play and I help my 6yo if she needs it. There are a few things we all do together (history, science, art).

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by OhMeOhMy

How do you help/educate kids at different grade levels all at once?

Let me ask this: Before you began homeschooling, were your kids all at different levels? Did you answer their questions, play with them, help them, etc.?

Of course they were, and of course you did. It doesn't need to be any different now that you're homeschooling.

[Amy in NH]

Combine subjects whenever you can, esp with history, science, art, music, languages, etc. The only thing my kids (4th & 2nd grades) do separately is math and writing. Reading goes along with history and science (biographies and historical fiction) at their own reading level a la The Well Trained Mind. If you try to do a different subject for each kid for history and science, you'd go crazy. "Fold" them all in to whatever you are studying. You will cover it all again (probably a couple of times) before they graduate, so they won't be missing anything by starting with something that is not usually covered at a certain grade level in the public schools. HTH!

[Marsupialmom]

I agree with Amy.