5 ways to Homeschool kids of different ages
When people find out we home school there is often a mixed reaction. When they realise we have 4 kids they are mostly in shock and then it is all followed by the question how do you do it? So I thought I’d list out 5 ways that have helped us do this thing that we do…
- UNIT STUDIES!!! Can’t stress this one enough. Pick a topic. Do it for an amount of time you want to do and then five each child different work around that topic. What does this look like in real life I here you ask?
-Right now we are doing Space. We do a topic for a month and generally move onto our next planned topic- I’ll come back to this) We were learning about the planets of the solar system. We all watched Youtube videos about it and learnt a song to help us remember the order of the planets. Then:
8 Year old:- Blank diagram of the solar system and was given a word bank.
6 year old: Given semi- blank diagram . Each planet had the first letter written in, he also had a word bank
4 year old: given the same diagram BUT had to cut out the words which had a colour coded dot to correspond to the correct planet which had the same colour next to it. This helped him with his small motor skills and colour recognition. I also reminded him of the name of the planet as he stuck down each one.
2 year old: She had a similar set up to the 4 year old. She just wanted to stick and join in. So I gave her something to do so.
2. Use nap times.
If your panicking at the idea of doing math with your older ones when your baby or toddler is awake well then do it when they are having their nap.
3. Plan trips.
As a rule we try to plan in 1 or 2 big trips a month to go along side our topics. Or in some cases we may take a whole week. For example, in March we will be dong the Vikings and so will be visiting Lindisfarne- the place they first raded in England.
Planning your trips in advance can keep costs down and if you know they are going to come up you can ask grandparents or family members to come with you so your not alone with all the ruffians.
4. Designated areas for each of their work
Weather you have it colour coded, with pretty labels or just each kids knows what one is theres, make sure you keep each child’s work separately. Not only will it save your sanity but it’ll help teach the kids responsibly and shows you care for each of them individually. This goes for the littlest monster in your group too. Our 2 year old is very proud of her “works” and often shows them off to Granny and Grandad.
5. Work together
If I’m honest I would really struggle to do this whole Homeschooling thing without my other half. While I do all the teaching and curriculum planning etc. Before we started we had a real honest talk and I told him he will need to do more house work as Homeschooling your kids can work out to a full time job too. And fair play to the guy he has done just that. While I spend an hour or so doing prep work for the next day in the evening he will do the dishes and a load of washing and maybe another odd job.
Whoever you are partnering with, be it a spouse or your own parent or your going alone, don’t feel you have to do everything all of the time. Don’t stress if that washing in sitting there from yesterday and you need to put it away. It can wait.
Things will get messy. Don’t worry about it… too much… 🙂
