My main question right now is how many of you teach multiple kids with 1 program, and how do you make it work. I was reading on sonlights website that many people do that. My daughters are all 2 years apart, My youngest will be 5 in March, and my other two are 7 and 9.
You have GREAT ages for schooling together! My boys are 2 years apart in school, my oldest is 4 years ahead of oldest son. She has gone into school in a nearby district this year and life has gotten easier having the boys together and not having to worry about middle school challenge, though a LOT of moms do it and do it well.
If you have looked at Sonlight, you know that they have a lot of suggestions on how to mix ages. My Fathers World is also a good one for that. Somewhat similar to Sonlight, but with a 5 year cyclical approach and more hands on as well as a few books that are more textbook-y than Sonlight uses. Their website is
www.mfwbooks.com and they also have a message board you can link from there.
For math, reading, writing and those types of "Three Rs" classes, I have always taught my kids seperately. For science, history, geography, music and art I teach them together. Different expectation as Nuzmom said for my older one, slightly different for the younger two. For instance, we did Apologia Astronomy year before last. After each chapter, we had a notebook that each of them were putting together. DD had to write a paragraph including at least 3 facts about the planet and make an illustration that demonstrated at least one of the facts. DS who was 6 at the time had to make a drawing about something we had read and dictate to me including two facts and I would write his paragraph for him. DS who was 4 drew a picture about the planet--his often included space men and rocket ships--and tell me what he remembered so I could write it down.
Last year we studied US Geography. DD used a book called The Trailblazers Guide to US Geography and had a lot of written work in her notebook. The boys did activities from a book called Little Hands Across America. (DD did most of those activities too.) We all cooked recipes together. DD also did much more advanced map work than the boys did. And so on.
This year I am using Exploring Countries and Cultures from My Father's World. It is working really well for my boys but I am leaving out quite a bit as it is designed for 3-6th grade and my boys are 1st and 3rd.
For your first year, what I often recommend to people is to get your math and reading/writing picked out as far as what you think will fit your kids learning styles. Don't be surprised to be wrong. I have been a LOT! Then, choose a time in history that YOU want to know more about. Or somewhere in the world you want to learn more about. Get books--both fiction and activity ones. Rainbow Resources is a good place to look for those as is your local library. Get a basic science book like Science With Water, Science in the Kitchen by Usborne or a Janice Van Cleave book such as her ".....For Every Kid" series. (Human Body, Astronomy, and many others.) And go from there.
My
most important mantra for new homeschoolers is--kids do not remember everything they learned in school each year. From second grade I remember that i hated my reading teacher and we learned about money. I suppose I must have learned some social studies but I have no idea what. And the
second thing to remember is that RARELY do they finish the book in public school.
I will stop now as I don't want to write a book. Keep asking questions!
I do have the support of mine now, but I've heard some interesting stories from others!
But we'll be at the county fair with a bunch of kids from a robotics based 4-H club. Pray that Hanna goes out to sea, OK?
