History Rotation (with multiple kids) Question

[babysparkler]

I basically have two sets of kids (ages 9&7) and (ages 4&2). We are currently in the Medieval-Early Renaissance Period with ds9 & dd7. I have a Kindergartener starting in the fall (and little one two years later) and I am beginning to think long term. I plan to keep my older two together in their history cycle, should I start new with my younger two, or add them into the existing cycle when they start Kinder/First/Second? Does anyone have experience with this that could share what you do? I've only ever homeschooled from second grade on, so Kinder and First are new territory for me.

 

ETA: We use CHOW and are about to add in VP cards as soon as they arrive :)

Edited January 11, 2010 by babysparkler

[patchfire]

I don't have a 7 year old, but I do have a 9 yo & a 4 yo. I decided not to keep them together for history. The level at which they'd be studying it would be so widely different that I was afraid I'd still feel like I'd be teaching two different things anyway, yk?

 

Another part of my consideration was that my little guy would hit 20th century history at age 8, and I really want each of my kids to be at least 9/4th grade before we tackle some of these subjects.

 

I should say we aren't as history-centric as many, though - we spend about an hour on history on Wednesdays, another 30-60 minutes on Fridays, and dd reads biographies & nonfiction books throughout the week. It's not permeating everyday of school, though, as it might would with some curricula, and if it did, I might make a different decision. :)

[babysparkler]

...my little guy would hit 20th century history at age 8, and I really want each of my kids to be at least 9/4th grade before we tackle some of these subjects.

 

Good thought! If I was to wait to introduce my younger boys into the cycle until the youngest two are in K/2nd, then it looks like we may be back into the ancients by then since I think I will be taking at least two more years to finish up the rest of the cycle. Then they could start with ancients and I can modify to their levels (ie. Kinder listen to stories but no more expected until first?) Does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something in my thinking?

[Pam in MA]

I think with four kids you'd be really making things difficult for yourself if they are in different history years. I would just use different resources, different expectations, different reading lists, for each age. That's what we've done, but I only have two, and they are three years apart.

[momto4girls]

I currently have my older two in SOTW3 and my younger two (K&1) in SOTW1. I haven't found it too much. I don't do them on the same day. It's been fine for us. HTH!

[Veritaserum]

I do them all together. My kids are 9.5, 7.5, 5, 3, and 1.5. The older three participate in our history sessions. We are doing SOTW 4 and are just about to hit WWI. They have handled the topics very well. We do a lot of talking about why people might have done things and what we can learn.

[Jodi-FL]

we have 7, ages 18-4. when the bigs were younger it wouldn't have been too much to do different programs, but as they got older, it would have been too much. i wasn't crazy about my littles doing some of the 20th century stuff either, but we focused on presidents, state history, fun stuff like that. it's fun to all be on the same basic time period because everyone shares stuff that the others don't necessarily cover.

[SilverMoon]

Put the littles into your existing cycle. Your sanity will thank you. :)

[Oakblossoms]

Just roll the next ones in. It isn't worth it. My youngest is in 1st grade and he doesn't sit for long. I order library books at different levels. He just listens to a picture book on the subject and does a narration with a pic for his notebook. Sometimes he colors a notebook page from the AG while I read SOTW.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Good thought! If I was to wait to introduce my younger boys into the cycle until the youngest two are in K/2nd, then it looks like we may be back into the ancients by then since I think I will be taking at least two more years to finish up the rest of the cycle. Then they could start with ancients and I can modify to their levels (ie. Kinder listen to stories but no more expected until first?) Does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something in my thinking?

 

I think waiting until k/2nd to start them in history with ancients is an excellent idea. Instead of history the first year, you could do geography with the youngers like Galloping the Globe or something along those lines. HTH

[MamaT]

I think with four kids you'd be really making things difficult for yourself if they are in different history years. I would just use different resources, different expectations, different reading lists, for each age. That's what we've done, but I only have two, and they are three years apart.

 

I would keep them together in the cycle. This is the way we have done it for all six of ours and it has worked well.

[Chris in VA]

What's the difference in the amount of work you have to do if you keep them together vs separating them?

It may seem easier to be in the same period, but don't you still have to get different resources and do different assignments? Read Alouds for the eldest will not be appropriate for the youngest, writing assignments and projects will be different (and with differing purposes, perhaps?) and assigned reading and notebooking will also differ. So why is it considered any harder to do two time periods?

THis is meant as an honest question, not a snarky one.

 

I would do two periods because the work doesn't seem to be any more than doing one period.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

One thing to consider is how/where you'll be using the VP cards. I think that they work out to a five year vice four year cycle, with OT/Egypt as the extra year.

 

I'm doing ancients this year with a 2nd grader, and high performing 5th and 6th graders (meaning that their reading level is very high). Even if I'm doing history on two separate levels, at least I only have to have one set of history books out at a time.

[Veritaserum]

What's the difference in the amount of work you have to do if you keep them together vs separating them?

It may seem easier to be in the same period, but don't you still have to get different resources and do different assignments? Read Alouds for the eldest will not be appropriate for the youngest, writing assignments and projects will be different (and with differing purposes, perhaps?) and assigned reading and notebooking will also differ. So why is it considered any harder to do two time periods?

THis is meant as an honest question, not a snarky one.

 

I would do two periods because the work doesn't seem to be any more than doing one period.

 

Well, doing two periods would be more work because I'd have to read an entirely different set of chapters/books and would be doing different timeline figures, different maps, and different projects. With all of my kids in one period, I read them all the same chapter from SOTW at the same time. They all answer those same review questions and give me a narration on the same topic. They all do the same map and timeline activies. They all do the same fun project. The only difference is in the library books. I might pull 1-2 that only my oldest will read and then grab 1-2 for all of us to read together (that will work for the younger set/all of the kids).

 

I (very briefly) tried more than one history period and it didn't work well for us at all.

[SkateLeft]

In 9 years of homeschooling, I've never been able to combine my kids in any subjects, because they differ too much in age, interests and ability.

 

I know some people think it's crazy, but it really hasn't been that big a deal. I actually feel like not combining them is easier on me. I've found it's more work to keep everyone in the same period/topic and yet individualize it to my kids diverse abilities/interests.

 

For me, doing multiple periods is particularly necessary as they get older and can work independently, and often want to pursue their own rabbit trails. If I had them all together, they'd all have to move at the same pace through history, which honestly would frustrate my kids to no end. Even if I'd started my girls together when they were in K and 2nd, they'd still be in completely different places now because of their individual pacing and interests.

 

I have more trouble when I've tried to combine, because the younger ones compare themselves to the older ones, or someone answers for someone else, or someone is unhappy because his mapwork doesn't look as neat as his sisters', or someone wants to go do more research on one topic while everyone else is ready to move on, etc. :lol:

 

So if combining works for you, that's great. But not combining them is totally workable too... and a better fit for some of us. :)

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

In 9 years of homeschooling, I've never been able to combine my kids in any subjects, because they differ too much in age, interests and ability.

 

I know some people think it's crazy, but it really hasn't been that big a deal. I actually feel like not combining them is easier on me. I've found it's more work to keep everyone in the same period/topic and yet individualize it to my kids diverse abilities/interests.

 

For me, doing multiple periods is particularly necessary as they get older and can work independently, and often want to pursue their own rabbit trails. If I had them all together, they'd all have to move at the same pace through history, which honestly would frustrate my kids to no end. Even if I'd started my girls together when they were in K and 2nd, they'd still be in completely different places now because of their individual pacing and interests.

 

I have more trouble when I've tried to combine, because the younger ones compare themselves to the older ones, or someone answers for someone else, or someone is unhappy because his mapwork doesn't look as neat as his sisters', or someone wants to go do more research on one topic while everyone else is ready to move on, etc. :lol:

 

So if combining works for you, that's great. But not combining them is totally workable too... and a better fit for some of us. :)

 

:iagree:

 

I'm going to have a verrrrrry long day homeschooling four, no matter how I arrange it. That long day is more pleasant for us all if each child is doing work that is tailor-made and chosen just for him.

[Guest 9ofusnow]

Can I ask what you two are using for curriculum (the last two who are NOT trying to keep everyone on one time period), if you don't mind? I'm fairly new to HSing, and I have a wide range of ages (11, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 2). I'm trying to find something that my oldest can do to challenge her - she LOVES to read and to do school, something that I can keep the middle 3 doing that can already read, then focus on the 6 yr old new reader and the 4yr old want to be reader.

 

My brain is spinning after looking at curriculum. I have done so many surveys and questionnaires about what I want, etc, and I STILL don't have an answer! I decided the best thing was to find a family doing something that looked like what I wanted as an end result, and then ASK what they were doing :)

 

So, if you don't mind sharing, I'd love to know!

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

9ofusnow, I've been very happy with WTM as written for my oldest. It sounds like your daughter might enjoy it, too! Very challenging.

 

My second son is using Charlotte Mason's methods. Ambleside Online is a CM curriculum.

 

My younger two are using Sonlight. My 5yo is doing Core K, and my 9yo is doing Core 3. (I've used Cores P3/4 through 7, and I think they are all good.)

 

Really, if you need to get going with something tried and true while you explore your options, then IMO you can't go wrong with Sonlight for your middle group.

 

I would recommend Core 1 for all of them together, including your 6yo. Core 1 is designed for ages 6 to 9, and covers the first year of the 4 year cycle, which will be useful if you decide to switch to Tapestry of Grace or WTM later on.

 

If your 11 yo. also starts with Ancients (whether with WTM or something else), your whole family can be on the same time period for the first year.

 

I would also combine the 7 to 8 year olds for Science. Do you have any favorites for Science curriculum yet? If they are strong readers, Apologia Astronomy would be lots of fun for a first year all together. Your 6yo could listen in, and join in the activities.

 

Your 6yo would learn so much, tagging along for Core 1 and Astronomy, and then you could use your one-on-one time with him to work on reading and math at his level.

[AngelBee]

I currently have my older two in SOTW3 and my younger two (K&1) in SOTW1. I haven't found it too much. I don't do them on the same day. It's been fine for us. HTH!

 

You know...I NEVER thought about doing the 2 different rotations on different days! :lol:

 

I too have "sets" of kids. My 8yr and 10 yr are on same rotation. i have been debating what to do with the 5yr and 3 yr old. :) (Plus an 8mth old and more to come God willing)

 

This may actually be doable! :D