Homeschooling 3 Kids with 1 Curriculum?

[sparkprincess]

I have a 4 year old who I'd like to start doing some more "formal" schooling with. We've been doing workbooks and such for at least a year and he's learning to read. Loves art. Talks about "school" all of the time.

My 2 sisters are also staying with us and are going to be homeschooled. 1 is almost 12, the other is almost 15. What can I do with all three of them? I looked into Classical Conversations, but decided it was too expensive and too much memory work. Otherwise I love the idea that all the kids study the same thing, just suited to their age.

Any ideas?

[theretohere]

Unschooling>?

[sparkprincess]

Well, the girl's dad wants a strict curriculum with tests and all that business. I'm thinking we can get away from that, but he def. will NOT go for unschooling. The only way he agreed to homeschooling at all is because my youngest sister flunked a grade. :

I read about The Weaver Curriculum. Anyone heard of it?

[Lillian J]

I can understand your enthusiasm about the idea of them all studying the same thing, but a 15 year old is beginning to turn a corner into things that she will probably want to own with without the restraint of younger ones having to be involved in them - her individual needs will be very different from that of the younger two.

And the middle one would also be held back from her own needs by trying to include a 4 or 5 year old, even if they're dealing with different levels of the same studies. I'd arrange the things that individually support the needs of the older two, and then just find a few simple things that your little boy can do to feel he's learning something about what one or the other of the older two might be learning from time to time. There are even wonderful picture books about a wide variety of things - he could learn a lot that way: Children's Picture Books.

I think it would be well worthwhile to try to gently help your husband learn more about the possibilities within homeschooling with some good reading and meeting other homeschoolers - because the limitations he wants to impose can potentially have a negative effect on everyone. But if this isn't possible, I'd still make sure they all have their own unique programs customized to their individual needs. Lillian

[sparkprincess]

THanks Lillian! I appreciate your input (and love all your homeschooling resources)!

Just to clarify: It's the girl's dad (my mom's ex-husband, my ex-stepdad) who isn't into homeschooling. So nothing I can do there to educate or persuade him. Unfortunately!

Since my original post I've come across the Weaver Curriculum. It sounds interesting and what I want, but not sure how that will work out in real life.

Originally Posted by Lillian J

I can understand your enthusiasm about the idea of them all studying the same thing, but a 15 year old is beginning to turn a corner into things that she will probably want to own with without the restraint of younger ones having to be involved in them - her individual needs will be very different from that of the younger two.

And the middle one would also be held back from her own needs by trying to include a 4 or 5 year old, even if they're dealing with different levels of the same studies. I'd arrange the things that individually support the needs of the older two, and then just find a few simple things that your little boy can do to feel he's learning something about what one or the other of the older two might be learning from time to time. There are even wonderful picture books about a wide variety of things - he could learn a lot that way: Children's Picture Books.

I think it would be well worthwhile to try to gently help your husband learn more about the possibilities within homeschooling with some good reading and meeting other homeschoolers - because the limitations he wants to impose can potentially have a negative effect on everyone. But if this isn't possible, I'd still make sure they all have their own unique programs customized to their individual needs. Lillian

[moominmamma]

My kids range in age from 5 to 14 and I can't imagine trying to homeschool them all using the same type of curriculum. Believe me, I've tried things like this, and I think I'm pretty good at it, but it has serious limitations. I run a violin class that has kids from 4-16, and last year I ran a science co-op for approximately the same kind of age range (3-15). It can be done. But what I find is that there are ongoing sacrifices and compromises that mount up, especially with the older kids. The younger ones need tons of direction and help with hands-on stuff, and to have things read aloud to them, and simplified background information given ... while the older ones are often killing time, waiting for direction, or doing activities just to be sociable and helpful, rather than because they're actually learning anything. If you differentiate the teaching at the upper and lower levels as best you can, you'll be doing so much differentiation that you might as well just be teaching different subject matter more in keeping with their differing interests and ambitions. Eventually keeping to common themes across the ages feels constraining rather than simplifying.

I think you'll find that older kids can be very independent in their learning, especially if they feel like they have a lot of ownership over it, and that optimizing that independence will end up being your best strategy for multi-age homeschooling.

Hope that helps!

Miranda

[elizawill]

i think finding something you can do with the two older children simultaneously is very doable! however, i don't think you can (or should) find a curriculum for your 4 year old that is even comparable to that of the older kids. your 4 year old's curriculum should be completely different, as his academic needs, social needs, emotional needs, etc. are all vastly different from the other children's ages. just my opinion.

[Mallory]

I agree that you aren't really going to be able to combine them all together. There is such a big difference between a 4yo who should just be enjoying learning, and a 15 yo who is trying to prepare for college, that it just isn't very feasable.

But there are few things that they can all do together.
--Memorize a poem to recite together for the family at Thanksgiving.
--Share a read aloud.
--Get picture books of things the olders are studing. Especially for Science and History this shouldn't be too difficult. Not as a formal curriculm for the younger, just as a way they can read the same story. For next year my sis 12yo will be reading Gullivers Travels and we found a picture book of it for the other 3 to listen to (and a few other books on her list). The 12yo will be studing chem, and again we have some picture books on atoms and the periodic table.
--Pick one day a month to all write letters to family (we try to do birthday cards).
--If your 4yo enjoys it, mine like to pick an area and learn all the captals and countries there (usually 10-15 countries). It is one of those things that a younger kid can sometimes learn quicker then an older, and they can quiz each other.
--Cooking is another thing that many ages can enjoy together, especially if the older two are incharge of planning and shopping, and the younger helps with stirring and tasting.

[Panthira]

I have a 16 yr old and a 4.5 yr old, and will be mixing some "studies" much like the PP mentioned. (Also subbing for more ideas).

[NaturalFamiLEA]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Tapestry of Grace: http://www.tapestryofgrace.com