The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Teaching Multiple Ages
October 1, 2008
Dear Victoria,
People often wonder how homeschool parents can teach so many different ages at once. Society has been conditioned by the public school experience of different ages being segregated. It makes what should be a normal part of family life seem like a daunting task.
I love having my boys (16, 12, & 7) all working together at the table. Even though my youngest might not be able to fully comprehend all that we're discussing, he definitely gets the benefit of repeated exposure to new concepts. Plus my older boys get the benefit of repeated practice on the basics by helping him.
It might take some juggling to find what best works for YOUR family when you're schooling kids at different levels, but remember that grade levels are a very arbitrary thing and they don't have to rule your homeschool.
You decide what you want your children to learn and just dig in. I'm sure that there will be something for everyone - from oldest to youngest.
Teaching multiple ages. My first thoughts went something like what Todd Wilson's might be:
Babies - put them in the swing with a good dose of sleep inducing music.
Toddlers - send them to the backyard with a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and a big spoon.
Elementary kids - Buckle them to their little school desks making sure their hands are free to write down the answer to every problem in every workbook - correctly.
Older kids - Banish them to their separate rooms to mope until their work is done with threats of having to baby-sit the others if they don't.
Okay, I am totally not serious, but some days we just wonder how we can teach all these ages all at the same time. Well, the beauty of home educating is that you don't have to do either-you get to do them:
You don't have to teach: A lot of learning is done without you specifically setting time aside to instruct. Learning happens in living life together. What kind of learning? Older kids learn how to interact with younger ones; young ones hold conversations with adults; everyone learns how to be on the same team working toward the same goals, and they all learn to serve and love each other. You get to teach whatever you choose as a family to learn.
You don't have to teach all at the same time: While I am working with Caleb & Mercy on phonics, Hannah is working with Joshua on science, Christopher is reading to Hope, and Jonathon is working with his computer math tutor. And then we can switch subjects and partners. Other days, Mom is doing her computer work right next to the table where all the independent students are gathered around doing their assignments while the younger ones are playing games nearby. You get to teach all at the same time as you gather together to study the Bible or history, or read aloud their favorite books.
Multiple ages can mean multiple challenges. It can also bring multiple blessings as we multiply our time in prayer. Then, we certainly see God multiply our creativity. (I think I am finally learning my multiplication tables). Okay, I'll stop now.
No matter how you multiply it, you can do it. What Johnny doesn't get today because you are working with Susie, he will get tomorrow when you are working with him. Do as much as you can all together. Being together as a family reading and talking and laughing and learning-it can't get much better than that!
The Martyr's Victory, by Emma Leslie, begins by introducing us to Egbert, a young frail Saxon living in the country of Mercia. He is continually scorned and laughed at by his family and the world. Resolving to run away and die in the woods, he meets an elderly monk who invites Egbert into the church's realm of safety. Forsaking all he has ever known, Egbert follows the monk, Osric, to a new life at the monastery. There he learns to read, write, and copy the scriptures.
But danger arises as the savage Danes of the north threaten to destroy the monastery and all of Mercia. A meeting is held in the church and it is decided that six monks shall venture to the Danish lands bringing not only the seed of grain, but also the seed of truth found in the Word of God. Egbert wishes to come along but cannot, because he is too weak. Told that he, and several others, may join the party of six in about a year's time, he is content to remain.
Upon arriving in Ea, an island in East Anglia, the six monks meet a young girl named Elswitha. They soon find out that she has just escaped from being sacrificed to Odin, their false god. Later in the village, Osric encounters a Danish warrior who has been drastically wounded in a single-combat battle and now believes that he is destined to die. As he is a skillful leech, Osric uses all in his power to work to cure the unfortunate Dane. Will he succeed? If he does succeed, will it help in saving Mercia from the warlike Danes? Will Osric's faith impact the Danish people? And what will happen to Egbert? Find out in The Martyr's Victory!
Congratulations to our September winner, Jennifer Sikora from Kentucky!
Have You Seen This Gift?
Lorrie Flem, a homeschool mom to 8, married 23 years, and the publisher of TEACH Magazine wants to share her secrets with you. She has a special gift for TOS Fall Special subscribers. She will give you a fresh new look at scheduling everything from cleaning to homeschooling, and hubby too! Get more done! Control your time and love doing it.
Gift includes:
1. Staying Sane with Noah and a Schedule, 60 minute video
2. Staying Sane Listening Guide
3. Sample of TEACH Magazine
You get your choice: an Mp3 download, or have them mailed to your mailbox. What a deal! Worth $21.94, but FREE just for subscribing with our TOS Fall Special!
Now is the time to subscribe to TOS! With your order you will receive six wonderful gifts and you definitely don't want to miss out on this one!
Schoolhouse Spotlight Angela Quigley, Director of the Schoolhouse Store
Do you have preschoolers you need to keep happy while you are teaching your older kids? Preschool Activities in a Bag are just what you need!
This book contains detailed instructions for making preschool activities that:
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At one time the public schools believed in mixing ages in one classroom, and many schools tried it out. The idea did not catch on universally, mainly because teachers needed retraining to handle the new kinds of groups. Many educators still believed in the advantages of mixed age groups. It was more like real life, younger can learn from older, and older grow more sympathetic and helpful to younger. But they could not manage it efficiently in the public schools.
Homeschool parents are trained in mixed ages year-by-year as their families grow. They don't need to switch over from handling a class of thirty age-mates. And they are reaping the advantages, possibly without even realizing it. Their children do treat the younger more kindly and talk with adults more naturally. The younger do learn from the older. These and other real-life skills develop even while many parents try to imitate the artificial life of school age-segregation.
Teaching the whole family feels like a struggle. Parents try everybody on one history or science topic, try some independent studies for independent students, try different curricula, and search for new kinds of curriculum. But the struggle pays off. You're always doing the best you can at the current time.
The age mix in your home is exactly right. Even if you have only one child he is better off with parents and friends and relatives than he would be with a herd of thirty age-mates at school.
From my wife's point of view, teaching multiple ages is probably one of the hardest things about homeschooling; especially when you have a truckload of kids. I know she often feels like she doesn't have enough time to devote to each individual child. From what I can gather from some of the phone calls that she receives from other stressed out moms, apparently she's not alone.
BUT from my perspective, the one that sits in a nice, quiet office in the basement, that's the BEST part of homeschooling. In fact, I think it's the best way to learn. . .being surrounded by a bunch of other family members. Why? Because your children are learning a whole bunch more skills than math and English.
They are learning how to function as a family, that life doesn't revolve around them, that sometimes they have to wait or help others, and that they have to work as a team to accomplish anything.
Those are vital skills that need to be mastered. By teaching a bunch of children at the same time under the same roof, they will master those skills.
So, I'm not going to give you any advice on how to devote time to each individual child...because you may not be able to do a lot of that. But let me say, that's OK.
So keep up the good work. . .while I go back to my nice, quiet office.
This is a topic I can easily relate to! This year I have one in preschool, one in grade school and one in high school. Yes, I know a little about teaching multiple ages! Here are a few things that have worked for us.
Since my oldest and youngest are 10 years apart we obviously can't do everything together. But, I do like us to start our school day as a family. So each morning we begin the day by reading from the Bible together. Here is a site where you can read the Bible for free.
After our Bible time, my oldest heads off to work independently and I work with my 2 little ones. One great thing I have found helpful while working with 2 children at different learning levels are file folder games. These are folders you can put together that are filled with projects that even a preschooler can do alone. These allow me to keep my kids happy and busy while I work with my other child. Here are some great free file folder games to print and make for your kids.
Another thing that works great for us are lapbooks. Whether we are all working on the same topic, or 3 different lapbooks, this is something the kids can all enjoy doing together. Here are our favorite places to get free lapbooks.
Lastly, we like to take frequent breaks and do simple things together, like take the dog on a walk or make cookies. This keeps us all connected and allows us to enjoy the best part of homeschooling, being a family!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
While every effort is made to ensure that the recommended sites are family-friendly, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and its writers do not own the sites recommended. Content and advertising can change without notice. Please exercise caution when viewing websites and review all websites before allowing your children to visit them.
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Help Wanted
A Note from Paul & Gena Suarez
History has shown us that when we turn to our own readers as it's time to expand our staff, we are successful in filling a myriad of positions. TOS and THM readers, particularly those who have been interactive with us presently or in the past, are best suited to understand the personnel needs we have as a company. It really does make sense, if you think about it. Why place an ad outside of our own immediate community? YOU are who we look to for insight, suggestions, and friendship. So, a need has come to mind...read on if you like to learn and have some spare time to make a little bit of cash.
During the month of October, we are going to conduct a "correspondence style" marketing "class", if you will. There are a total of 25 openings, and you will need to dedicate about ten hours per week to research, reading, and writing practice. This won't be work that you will be doing for TOS for free, just a chance to learn more about marketing. Up to three of you will be selected at the end of October for a part-time marketing assistant or writer role as an independent contractor. Those who are offered a contract (whether temporary or permament) have the option of turning it down - we still want you in the class. Two of our current (highly esteemed!) directors at the magazine (Dena Wood and Nancy Carter) started off in a class just like this several years ago. The cream surely rises to the top. While we're not looking for future directors in any way, we are hoping to gain up to three helpers who are interested in earning some part-time Christmas money for at least a couple of months or more, working from home. If you want to join this free class - which will be primarily conducted via email - please contact Gena Suarez at publisher@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.
We'll get started on October 8th and end on November 6th. On November 7th, up to three of our top participants will each be offered an independent contract for half of November and all of December with a possible option to continue in 2009.
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