Homeschooling Multiple Children
While homeschooling one child can sometimes be a difficult job, homeschooling multiple children can be a tremendous task. One of our Calvert moms recently described it as “trying to juggle wet bars of soap”!
As many of our families are planing and preparing for the upcoming school year, one of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I homeschool more than one child?”
Here are some helpful responses recently shared by our families on Calvert Facebook:
“I am teaching 3 different grade levels and have been for the past 3 years. I begin the day with the oldest children’s Math instruction and give them their daily Math assignments. While my older children complete their Math work, I have a large block of time to work with my youngest child. We can complete most of his daily assignments during this block of time. Experiment and find what works for you. And most importantly, give it time. I find that it takes about a month before our school schedule runs most efficiently.”
“I am teaching 4 different grade levels from kinder till 5 th grade. Each child has work they can do independently and work to do with me. While one child is independently working, I work with one of the others. Sometimes my oldest may help the youngest with work while I take care of the 3 rd grader. And yes we also combine some subjects like history geography unit studies science. You find a groove and go with it.”
“Switch off between the two and mix in independent activities with one on one.”
“Combine as many subjects as possible, like science and history.”
“We use work boxes. I order each child’s work so they alternate independent work and what I need to help with. If they get to a box and need help but I am still busy with another sister, they look at or read a book while they wait. I don’t know if I could make it work without work boxes!”
“Unit studies, where they all learn together just at different levels, has worked great for us!”
“Differentiated instruction – just as classroom teachers use. Keep in mind that every child learns differently and at different paces.”
The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is no one magical solution that will work for every family. Be flexible and accept that there WILL be days when you don’t complete everything you had planned. That’s the great thing about “tomorrow” — you always have another chance!
If you’d like more tips on homeschooling multiple children, watch our webinar.
Do you have any additional tips to share on homeschooling multiple children? Be sure to share them in the comments section below.