Homeschooling with Multiple Ages
Do you have multiple ages of children to homeschool? Have you worried you will not be able to homeschool if you don’t combine all or most of your children? Well, just because you have multiple ages of children to homeschool, that does not mean you have to combine! The truth is combining works well in some instances and not in others. My three sons, for example, are each 3-4 years apart in age. They never did place neatly together in one guide. If I had tried to force this fit, I would have always been overly challenging someone and under challenging someone else. I’m not alone in teaching my multiple ages of homeschool children with multiple guides!
The author of Heart of Dakota, Carrie Austin, has always had a similar situation with her four sons, who are also each 3-4 years apart in age. This has been a blessing, because she wrote the guides while homeschooling her multiple ages of children, from PreK to 12th. This was a constant reminder of how important it was to design the plans so, if need be, multiple guides could be used at once! So by using Heart of Dakota (HOD) you are already on the path to successfully homeschool multiple ages of children! Carrie designed the plans to help you do this! Below you will find other tried and true tips for teaching multiple guides.
Use proper placement in choosing the guides.
This cannot be overstated! Heart of Dakota guides incrementally teach students to be independent. This is in keeping with Charlotte Mason’s thoughts on the matter, but it is also an obvious skill needed as students mature. If kiddos can’t do the work that is meant to be done independently, the parent ends up having longer teaching time that is not intended. So, check out the placement chart, the HOD message board, the HOD catalog, or give HOD a call! But, somehow, be sure you get placement for your multiple ages right!
Make sure to have a routine order to the day, and let everyone know about it!
Write out a schedule, but stick to the routine. In other words, you can plan the best schedule possible, but if something goes awry (and it often does), stick to the routine, and you’ll be fine! Each child can have a copy of the schedule. Olders can read a typed schedule, and youngers can have pictures to follow. Either way, being on the same ‘page’ helps multiples ages of kiddos have a good routine!
Plan blocks of time for teaching, so you know when you are working with each child.
Teaching blocks of time ensure we meet with every child. They keep our teaching time balanced. Likewise, they minimize interruptions. If kiddos know they are meeting with you for a teacher block in 30 minutes, they can wait to ask you their question, knowing it’s their turn in half an hour.
Plan time to correct work in your master schedule.
I check work during my teaching blocks and save only a few things to be corrected at the end of the day. But, no matter how you do it, put time to check your multiple ages of children’s work (this includes listening to oral narrations, editing written narrations, etc.) in your schedule, or it may not happen.
Schedule time for each of your older children to take turns playing with younger children.
We have done this from the very beginning, and our sons are each other’s best friends because of it! Planning time for olders to play with youngers gives you time to work with others independently. Somewhere between 30-45 minutes works at our house! Try scheduling playtimes for your multiple ages of children! I think you’ll love it, and they will too!
Make a plan for what the littles are going to do and stick to it until it becomes a routine!
The littles are often the ones we forget about when making our schedule/routine. But, they are often the ones throwing it off! Planning what they will do with their day really helps keep them happily occupied and gives you needed time to teach!
Train older students to use the HOD guide as a student planner.
It is difficult for multiple ages of students to be successful with independent work if they are waiting for the parent to read the directions. Giving the guide to the student and teaching him/her to read and follow directions keeps them moving forward without you. Students can initial the top corner of each box upon completion, which also helps you know what has been completed when you meet with them.
Choose a set time to start your school day.
Choose a set start time for each of your multiple ages of children. This helps everyone know when to begin and ensures that you are on track with your routine. Be realistic! If you’re not a morning person, then don’t plan a super early start time. Likewise, if one of your older children IS a morning person, let him/her start school earlier! Either way, one set start time for the family or individual set start times for different people gets everyone going on the plan!
Stick to teaching during your teaching blocks.
This is a tough one to stick to, but it is so important! Avoid checking emails, answering phone calls, doing long household chores, etc., during your teaching blocks. You will be thankful when your teaching day has gone well, and you have finished on time!
Avoid bunny trails to maintain balance in your day.
Heart of Dakota’s plans are inspiring! You may be tempted to just run with a theme, discussing it endlessly or looking up more and more information. This is great! It’s just not great for the other multiple ages of children waiting for you to teach them. Or, it’s not great when it’s time for you to make supper, and you didn’t get to teach multiple subjects. Jot the bunny trails down, and enjoy going down them later in the afternoon, at night, on the weekends, or on your free 5th day if you’re in upper HOD guides!
Hopefully, these tips for happily and successfully homeschooling your multiple ages of children are as beneficial to you as they have been to me! We’ve stuck to them these past nearly 20 years homeschooling, and they’ve made the journey a joy!
Julie
