How to combine 3rd and 6th graders?

[JumpyTheFrog]

I need strategies to combining subjects for my 6th and 3rd graders. Math and spelling will remain separate. I can combine some (but not all) for Spanish. Science and history are mostly combined already. What I need the most ideas for are grammar and writing. Also, since I already own part of CLE Bible 4, I was thinking of combining them there, too.

 

Advice is appreciated.

[HomeAgain]

Are they both currently working on grade level?

[JumpyTheFrog]

The 6th grader is bright but a little behind on grammar because we haven’t spent much time on it. He was very writing resistant when younger, so he is making good progress now, but is also behind on that. Both are ahead in math and content subjects.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I have these ages, and we work as a family for Bible, History and Science with age appropriate spinoff assignments.  But I think it would be pretty hard for language arts because it's mostly a skills subject.  One thing you can do is combine literature and each do harder assignments from the literature or history texts.  Perhaps copy work and narration for the younger and summaries, etc. for the older.  If they aren't completely on grade level, there's maybe some open ended resources like MCT, CAP and grammar books they could share, but the sixth grader should be moving toward more writing, and the third grader is just beginning.  Perhaps an ungraded grammar curriculum would work if the third grader is ready for it and the sixth grader hasn't studied much of this.  Writing assignments can be on the same subjects, but the level expected should be different.  

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, for grammar you could use Fix-it grammar with both students.  Buy the Teacher's Manual through IEW and you get access to the PDF version of the Student workbook at no additional cost.  You could print out a book for each student.  Since your older one has some struggles with writing this might be a really good fit.  Lessons last 15 min or less, and only 4 days a week.  Easy to accelerate or slow down, very gentle introduction that ramps up slowly over time, and takes VERY little prep time once the notebooks for the students are set up.  

 

http://iew.com/fix

 

Same with writing.  You could use the IEW primary writing program (TWSS) or a themed writing book or SWI-A with both students.  Or if your 3rd grader is a bit advanced in content you could use SWI-B (same basic lessons as SWI-A but uses a bit more advanced source material).  

http://iew.com/shop/products/student-writing-intensive-level

 

IEW has a 100% money back guarantee so if you don't feel the systems are working you can return them.

Edited November 5, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[Ellie]

I can see the children learning together in history and science and Bible, but I don't know how to teach them together for something like writing or grammar.

[rebbyribs]

I'm combining 3rd and 6th graders for English by using the Classical House of Learning Literature (Modern period, Grammar Stage level 2) for all of them.  Basically we're all reading and discussing the same books, and each kid is writing their own narrations.  For my 3rd graders, I'm looking for two good sentences about the section we just read, whereas I'm expecting a decent paragraph from my 6th grader.  I read the narrations with each kid and help them find and fix mistakes, and sometimes we talk about how to improve what they've written.  We kind of go back and forth on writing though - some years I do a lot more writing instruction, but this year is more a time to practice what they have learned.

 

I agree that Fix-It could work well to combine them for grammar.  

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with the previous posters, that combining 2 students who are 3 grades apart in Writing and Grammar would be super tough, unless the younger one was advanced and the older one delayed so that they were working at virtually the same level.

 

Instead, can you have a "writing period" (and then, "grammar period") where both are doing the subject of writing at the same time (and then grammar at the same time), but each has their own program at their own level? Especially if you're using a program that can be done largely solo, this could work well, as you would be more there to answer questions as needed, and to help keep students on track and not distracting themselves from working. ;)

 

Ideas:

- Growing with Grammar + Winning with Writing -- workbook-based, fairly solo-working, and by grade level

- Rod & Staff English (grammar + writing) -- by grade level; not sure how solo-working this is

- Spectrum Language Arts, grade 3, grade 6 (grammar + writing)

- Essentials in Writing -- by grade level; video lessons; somewhat solo-working

   + Easy Grammar -- workbook-based, fairly solo-working; by grade level

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited November 5, 2017 by Lori D.

[tjlcc]

I combined my 3rd and 6th graders last year in grammar. We used The Sentence Family. My 6th grader had no prior grammar instruction -- we attempted a few lessons, but he was not ready. The Sentence Family worked very well. This year we've moved on to Maxwell's series, but still use what we learned from The Sentence Family.

[Crimson Wife]

For writing, I would use EPS' The Paragraph Book series for both. It's designed to be remedial middle school but I use it with bright elementary school students. So it sounds like it would work for both your kids.

[homemommy83]

English From the Roots Up is vocabulary for that age range.

 

If your 3rd grader is a strong writer they could both do Intermediate Language Lessons (this is more writing/usage focused) or Rod and Staff Grammar 4 (this is grammar heavy).  I also like the book Grammar Mechanic, but it is better for next year when they are about another year older.

 

Spelling actually can be done together using copywork/ group practice of patterns in the book Natural Speller.  It may be an easier year for the 6th grader, but review never hurts anyone-lol.  The 3rd list is very easy, so you could work through levels 4-6 in one year using it as copywork practice/ oral competition quizzing.

 

I like the idea above The Paragraph Book series.

 

 

[SilverMoon]

I wouldn't combine those ages in math or language arts at all. History, science, sure. But not math and language arts.

 

Frankly 6th grade can be a bit prickly to combine with younger siblings in anything skill related, unless they're very obviously at the same level. That's the age mine really started needing to break out on their own. They acted out and didn't do as well as they could, until I woke up to what was going on and gave them a big kid course instead.

Edited August 31, 2023 by SilverMoon

[luuknam]

Agreeing with the previous posters, that combining 2 students who are 3 grades apart in Writing and Grammar would be super tough, unless the younger one was advanced and the older one delayed so that they were working at virtually the same level.

 

 

And even then, older might not really appreciate it when it's so obvious that they're at roughly the same level. 

[silver]

I think that it's easy enough to combine for grammar. Yes, it's a skill subject, but if you haven't covered much grammar with the older child, they'll likely be at a similar skill level. You may wind up having to wait on the younger sometimes, as the older one will likely catch on to new topics more easily. 

 

For writing, you could, theoretically, combine them. It'd be easiest if you are comfortable teaching writing on your own (without a curriculum). Then you can assign writing across the curriculum and have different expectations for the final result. So the younger may do a written narration/summary of a history reading and the older might instead practice outlining the same reading. Or you might give the same prompt/assignment, but expect the younger one to do a single paragraph and the older one to do a multiparagraph report. You can even give the exact same assignment with the younger one focusing on getting words to paper and the older one focusing on editing/revising/refining what he's written. In that case, the younger would be expected to use complete sentences and proper mechanics, but the older one would be expected to edit the result to improve word choice, sentence structure, etc. 

[ondreeuh]

I tried combining my 10th and 4th grader for French, because they are both starting from scratch, and it was too contentious. The 10th grader felt like the 4th grader was boasting any time he said anything. The younger one learns easily while the older has LDs, and he was sensitive to being overtaken. I quickly split them up.

Edited November 23, 2017 by ondreeuh

[TrustAndLove]

I am currently having a grade 3 and a grade 5 doing NaNoWriMo together. The grade 5 is below grade level for language art. But I can still see she puts together more complicated plot and characters than the grade 3. So have a topic kids can deliver different levels of result would be your best bet.

[LMD]

What about something like wordsmith apprentice?

[LMD]

Basically, you can combine over a spine text and then set more specific skill level output.

[JumpyTheFrog]

What I have ended up doing for grammar is this:

 

My 6th grader is doing Easy Grammar 5 (because I already owned it). The 3rd grader is doing Easy Grammar 3. About two or three times per week they see how many prepositions or helping verbs they can remember. They shout them out while I write them down. Then I count them up and see if they beat their old record. We also chant the entire list, with special attention paid to what they missed. They love, love doing this and it has helped them immensely when they sit to do their worksheets because they have most of the prepositions and helping verbs memorized. Originally I was only having the older one work on helping verbs, but my 3rd grader kept overhearing us recite the list and wanted to join in.