Are you preparing to homeschool your children and will be homeschooling multiple grades? I can say, without hesitation, that the benefits of homeschooling are tremendous. That said, when you’re homeschooling multiple levels of learning, it has the potential to overwhelm. You might worry about losing your sanity homeschooling several children, especially if you’re new at it. It does require effort and a bit of a routine, but homeschooling multiple grades without losing your sanity IS possible. Trust me. This last year, I felt like a ping pong ball at times with teaching an early reader, upper elementary, and high school!
Homeschooling Multiple Grades
There are a few simple things you need to know, and should do, to have the most success with homeschooling multiple grades.
Encourage Independent Learning
While you want your children to know that you are available to help them when they need it, you should also make sure to encourage independent learning. As your children get older, they should have no problem completing specific school tasks on their own, such as writing in their journal, reading a book, or even completing math equations.
You may not be able to get your youngest children to engage in independent learning just yet, but your older children can spend time learning independently, which gives you time to help the other children.
Work Together
Work together as a family and a team to complete various school activities. Establishing a morning basket routine, where you are all together, is a great way to complete some tasks together.
Remember, just because you’re homeschooling different levels doesn’t mean your kids can’t work together. For example, if you have an older child who can read, have them read to the youngest during story time. This is a great way for young children to use their imagination while they learn to read. It is also helps older children with speech and learning to pronounce words correctly. And it keeps them from rushing through the story. You can turn most school-related tasks into family activities to get everyone involved in the learning experience.
Work in Groups Based on Age
Try to work in groups, based on the age of your children, when possible. Children who are close in age can work in groups to learn different skills, including writing, reading, and math. Older children can work together on memorization and grammar. Working in groups tends to make things easier for parents when they are homeschooling. The older children can do a lot on their own while assisting their younger siblings with some of their workloads.
It is true that different aged children have different learning needs. While you look forward to homeschooling your kids, their varying needs may give you pause. It may even cause you to question your ability, or sanity. But it doesn’t have to. One of the beauties of homeschooling is that you get to do what works for you and your family. By encouraging independent work, learning together as a family, and working in groups by age, you can homeschool multiple grades without losing your sanity.
Setting a daily routine that consists of working with different children at different times of the day is also helpful. Help your little one’s with math while the older children do their math independently, etc.
It’s Back to (Home) School time!!
I’ve never been more thankful for the freedom to homeschool my kids as I am this year. Especially because if we weren’t homeschooling multiple grades at home, we’d be attending three different schools. The stress of the uncertainties that surround schooling decisions is overwhelming many people. Not knowing what the upcoming school year will look like is daunting. It has many wondering is homeschooling right for you and your family?
Fortunately, as homeschoolers, our plans for the upcoming school year have not been disrupted as much. The two co-ops we attended last year, which quit meeting in March, did get cancelled for the coming year. That said, schooling will still take place in our home as it has for 8 years.
For many, plans may have changed as jobs and financial situations may have changed; so many families, homeschoolers or not, are feeling the strain of the economy’s decline. Perhaps you don’t have the funds to get your favorite or usual curriculum this year. Maybe you don’t have the budget to buy any at all. Maybe you’re homeschooling multiple levels, and aren’t sure you can get what you need for them all. Or you are brand new to homeschooling and don’t have anything stashed. Or, you had to cut back your work hours or quit altogether to do just this.
Well, I’ve teamed up with a great group of homeschool bloggers that want to bless a few homeschool families this year. We wish we could bless more, but we will be able to give THREE families $200 to spend at Rainbow Resource Center to buy curriculum, resources, and supplies for their homeschools, whether you homeschool one kiddo or homechool multiple children.
To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Now I know this is quite a few entries. BUT each of these bloggers has generously chipped in their own money to make this giveaway possible. So I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries. And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are of winning!
Giveaway ends July 31, 2020 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada to enter. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers (see the Terms & Conditions on the Rafflecopter form for the complete list).