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Help picking curriculum for a house full of littles!


Guest Houjen
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Guest Houjen

I have 5 children. 3rd grade, 1st grade, preK, 2 years and 3 months. I love all of the well trained mind's curriculum especially the oral one on one instruction. But I am very worried that I won't be able to do that much 1 on 1 teaching this year because of my house full of littles. I wish I could combine my oldest 2 kids but they are really too far apart in age, ability and academically.Do you have any suggestions of what to do? Any different curriculum you would suggest that is similar but more independent in form.

 

Here's a list of my direct instruction "load" this year:

 

1at grader:

All about spelling

First language lessons

Petersons directed handwriting

 

3rd grader:

Same as above but add writing with ease

 

Thank you for you help!!!!

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I think the WTM suggestions are awesome.

 

If you want something to unify your children, you could do Five in a Row. We used FIAR one year. This year I'm using Wee Folk Art's "kindergarten" curriculum with all the children. It is just two picture books and some art activities to go with it. These aren't really full curricula. It is just an idea of how to do "something" with all the children.

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If it is too teacher-intensive you could drop FLL for the 1st grader and wait until 3rd. I know there are less time intensive spelling programs than AAS. But really, those ages are tough and they usually need a lot of your time. Just be flexible, patient, and consistent. You can do it!

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We do a lot of the WTM suggestions. I only have three but my oldest two were those grades last year, one thing that helped was after AAS 4, my oldest moved to R&S spelling 4. She was able to do that independently, and that freed me up to do AAS with my first grader. My oldest doesn't use WWE, but CAP. We do Bible, science, and history together.

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I agree with the above that you can use WTM suggestions.  The lessons can be short and some can be double-duty.  For example, you can get some handwriting practice in while also doing copy work or spelling.  I did not use AAS because it's teacher intensive.  I've used Rod & Staff spelling, but now I use Reading Lessons through Literature with my girls combined.  Some other suggestions:

 

Combine as much as you can.  I combined all my kids in FLL - use the lower level - grammar programs repeat and this won't harm anyone.  Even my 2 & 4yos memorized poetry along with the others. :)  I also combined for read alouds, science, and history, nature study, pretty much everything.  I agree that FIAR is a really fun thing to do all together.

 

Utilize nap/quiet afternoon time.  Your preK, 2yo, and 3mo can all lay down in the afternoon giving you some time for direct instruction with your others.  I was sad to see the end of "my" time in the middle of the day, but, at least for a portion of that quiet time, it is just so much easier to do those things requiring your undivided attention (math lessons!) while the smallest ones are tucked away.

 

And lastly, audio books.  They've just really saved my sanity this past year. :D

 

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Perhaps do AAS at the same time? For example, get another magnetic white board and another set of tiles and put it side by side. So one could spell pig while the other one spells .....whatever a 3rd grader is spelling. :)

 

Also while your little ones nap you can easily do FLL1. I don't know about FLL3.

 

Hth

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