This is good advice. I'm not sure how this looks in 8's home, but in our home the younger ones pick up an astonishing amount by voluntarily hanging around with the older ones as they're learning with me throughout the day. For example, I haven't begun Latin with 9yo, but he knows all the paradigms and vocabulary my middle schoolers know because he thinks it's fun to practice flashcards with them. At 6/7yo he could narrate Dickens as well as the rest of them simply because he was used to hearing that kind of language. You just can't overestimate how much younger kids pick up when they're living in a learning environment.

I don't know if you started another thread or not, Keri. I didn't see it. I agree with Kelly that this a fantastic survival strategy, but I have one little caveat below. Our most intense year was the year I was teaching nine kids in K-12 and had a baby and a toddler. We had sent our eldest dd off to college and had quickly realized that she had been a major impetus keeping us afloat (a humbling realization!) I started out that year with some newer, more interesting curriculum and before long realized we were sinking like the Titanic. I had to go back to what I knew we could do, not what we wanted to do, for the basics (like Kelly, that was Rod and Staff and IEW -- also Apologia for science.) However, I almost lost all joy in homeschooling that year, and finding joy in it is one of the main things that has kept me going. So my one caveat to running with this plan is: Pick one subject that you love and follow your whims in that one subject. Homeschooling a multitude is intense and exhausting. If I can have just one subject that sparks my fancy, I am better able to handle the long haul. (For me, that's literature; my degree is in English Lit.) It keeps me interested and inspired and gives the kids a chance to see the joy of lifelong education.

I have 12 children, 9-27 years old. All were homeschooled all the way through. Eight have graduated and are thriving, every one of them, by God's grace. I do know it's difficult. Some years felt crazy, but I have wonderful memories from them and wouldn't have done it differently for the world. Hang in there! I'm just going to list my favorite encouraging resources for homeschooling a large family. Managers of Their Homes was a lifesaver for us. If you decide to get that book, don't be tempted to go straight to the back to look at the schedules. Take the time to read through the beginning in which she explains the philosophy behind the schedules. The schedules are not meant to be your taskmaster, but rather a tool that facilitates structure, routine, and stability. If ever we tried functioning without a schedule, my older children would beg me to make a new one. Anything you can find by Cindy Rollins is exceedingly worthwhile, including her new book Mere Motherhood and her podcast "The Mason Jar" on the Circe website. One of the best things we did was something similar to her morning time idea. (This was years before I had heard of Cindy, but she explains the idea better and fleshes it out better than I ever could have.) I laughed and cried through her book as I gulped the whole thing down within hours of its arrival in my mailbox. The podcasts and articles at Center for Lit are encouraging and inspiring. The Pelican Society is worth joining for the Office Hours talks with Missy and Adam Andrews. I especially like the one about Multi-Age Teaching. They really understand the challenges of homeschooling a large family and address them with grace. This is not a resource, but a piece of advice I got years ago from a cassette tape by Joyce Swann. I doubt it's even available anymore, and I listened to it so many years ago that this is only my loose paraphrase from what I remember and what I took away from it. When you homeschool a large family, you have to consider that your vocation (your calling, from the Latin vocare - to call.) You have to treat it as a full-time job with regular, non-negotiable hours that you get up for every morning and get to on time. Decide what your school hours are and don't let other things interfere (including appointments, outside ministries, daytime ladies' Bible studies, phone calls, hobbies, super tidy house, co-ops, play dates, etc.) It's only for a season and you won't regret it.

I don't know if this is the type of online course you're looking for, but ds did really well with Thinkwell. He got a 5 on the Calc BC AP exam and went on to a B.S. in computer science, graduating with a 4.0. He's in graduate school now, but a few weeks ago he mentioned yet again how fond he was of the Thinkwell course and what a good foundation it laid for him. (We were discussing his younger brother's math options, and I have no doubt that I will use it again for this younger son as elder ds so highly recommends it.)

I've been using Singapore Math for a long time (as in - the first kid I used it with is in graduate school now) but this is my first year with SingaporeMathLive and I am absolutely smitten. Oh where oh where has this been all my life? It's like having a master math teacher holding my hand every day. We are loving Science in the Beginning too. I have never (in 23 yrs of homeschooling) enjoyed teaching science, but this is making it truly enjoyable.

Here's a link to another thread discussing this topic. I explained there why my MD husband, who trains both PAs and NPs, encouraged our son to go the NP route.

Do you know which text the college uses? I wonder if she might do better just starting slowly with that and getting familiar with the layout and vocabulary.

Well, definitely not LCI. It's very slow-paced and very elementary. It's perfect for the child in 3rd-6th grade, but I wouldn't use it for a student beyond that. First Form is a good option. Another option, if she's not rock-solid on her English grammar, would be the Latin Road to English Grammar. A thorough grasp of grammar makes all the difference for a Latin student.

For unabridged, non-dramatized versions, I could only ever find one reader -- Rob Inglis. We do like him as a reader though.

Some we've enjoyed: The Indian in the Cupboard (some mild language) Arabel's Raven Lawn Boy

Look for some good paleo cookbooks at your library, like Well Fed and Well Fed 2 or the Whole30 cookbook. You don't have to be paleo to enjoy all those wheat and dairy free recipes and ideas.

Apologia's new American Literature ties writing and literature together. The writing instruction in it is excellent. I really love this course.

Take a look at Apologia's new American Literature course. It would go perfectly with a U.S. Government course because it covers several key American documents. I've used this with my kids, and it was our favorite year of literature ever. Most of the literature selections are in the book and each has questions that go way beyond just comprehension. Everything you need as the parent is there (answers to questions, guidance for helping with writing assignments and grading, etc.) so it's very simple to use. http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/065443 http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/065442 Full disclosure: I know the author of this book, but I receive nothing for my honest review. The version I used was a pre-publication version. I have the published text now and plan to use it with another child this year. It's beautiful.

I'm sorry you're encountering this everywhere. I'm not. If I was, I'm sure I'd have a knee-jerk reaction every time I sensed it. However, in a discussion regarding this book (or even the op's comments on it), it's only a straw man. And as for the concerns that the book is focused on parents-these-days-are-messing-things-up: I think most people who have read the book, including the op who felt he should have been harsher, would agree that that's not the overall tone of the book.

I don't know where you're getting this. Neither the original poster nor the author of the book talked like this. In fact, I'm sure the author would soundly disagree. His advice is along the lines of: enjoy your kids more, spend more time together, eat dinner together, have fun, don't focus too much on accomplishments . . . It's practical, sane advice. Nothing about hitting your kids! eta: Never mind. I just saw the Slate piece. You all are basing your opinion of the book on one negative review you found on the internet. Lovely.

No kidding! I read the book back in January. It was easily my favorite book on parenting ever. It's the book dh, a family physician for 24 years, would have written if he had the time and gumption. I thought Sax was spot on with his assessment of the issues, and I appreciated the real solutions he offered in the final chapters.

I use these lesson plans which are $6.15 at Rainbow Resource. The text is scheduled into 160 days.

Apologia's new American Literature is beautiful.

I highly recommend Managers of Their Homes. I've graduated eight kids from our homeschool and am down to my last four kids at home this coming year, but we had many, many years of the kind of busyness you are describing. (One year I had nine K-12 homeschool students, along with a toddler and a baby.) MOTH helped me figure out how to have individual time with my kids during those years. My grown kids often mention how thankful they are for the structure and peace that schedule gave our homeschool while they were growing up.

I was leaning that way until I got their response to my questions about how they were handling the plagiarism. When they included the link to the blog post as part of their response, I decided then and there that I was done with them. I will not purchase from them again. Not ever.

Exactly so. The blogger who brought the plagiarism to light is, I believe, a member of a PCA church which is a reformed denomination.

Thanks for the clarification, ElizaG. I always enjoy your synopses on the history of education.

If you're trying to work toward independence, choose the lower level. This way your child isn't trying to learn the format and structure of a new textbook while trying to learn brand new content and material.

Go to the CC Bookstore and type "Wilson" in the search box for a full list.

I've been making mine in Excel for years, but this looks great. Thanks for posting.