Those with children close together in age

[KrissiK]

My boys are 9 months apart and I started them with A Beka's K4 curriculum with the oldest was 4 and the youngest was 3 (yikes, what was I thinking). However, DS2 did fine. Now DS1 is a solid first grader both in reading and math, while DH2 is excelling in reading, but he's doing Kinder math again (another publisher). I'm just wondering how those of you with children a year apart school them. Do you keep them together? Do you do like I've been doing - LA and math where they're at, whatever "grade level" they're working at. My reason for asking this is I'm trying to figure out when to start Latin. TWTM says 3-4th grade, VP has them start in 2nd. I'd kind of like them to start together, it's easier to teach that way, but I'm wondering if that's always a good idea.

[Susan in KY]

I keep them together for everything except math, I just expect more of the older than the younger. They don't even realize that I make a distinction, so that works out well. :001_smile:

[Sonshine]

I have several close together in age. Whatever they are able to do together do together unless there is a specific reason not to. Unless you have extra time on your hands and are looking for more to do.

[lotsofpumpkins]

I have mine working at their own levels for math, phonics, etc. We combine for science, history, music, art, etc. We aren't doing any foreign language yet, but I think if I were you I'd wait until they are BOTH ready for Latin and teach them together.

[jujsky]

My boys are 9 months apart and I started them with A Beka's K4 curriculum with the oldest was 4 and the youngest was 3 (yikes, what was I thinking). However, DS2 did fine. Now DS1 is a solid first grader both in reading and math, while DH2 is excelling in reading, but he's doing Kinder math again (another publisher). I'm just wondering how those of you with children a year apart school them. Do you keep them together? Do you do like I've been doing - LA and math where they're at, whatever "grade level" they're working at. My reason for asking this is I'm trying to figure out when to start Latin. TWTM says 3-4th grade, VP has them start in 2nd. I'd kind of like them to start together, it's easier to teach that way, but I'm wondering if that's always a good idea.

 

Mine are 13 months apart, and they are both doing first grade. My oldest struggles more than my youngest -- especially in phonics. I teach them together in everything except phonics. I do have slightly different expectations of them in the subjects they do together. I'll have my daughter do more writing than my son because he struggles with it and will fight me on it. I'll have her try to sound out more words because she has the skills and patience to do that. I'll have my son start by spelling words on his own, but when he struggles I won't push him. He gets frustrated very easily, and it's not worth it for him or for me. DD is working an entire year ahead, and she's excelling. DS is working on the lower end of average in much of his school work. He is a much more creative thinker than DD though. While DD can read a story, DS is much faster at verbally answering questions and analyzing literature. I try to play on their strengths as much as possible.

[missmoe]

I have two 10 year-olds and an 11 year-old at home with me. Keep them together in content areas (science, history, extras) and separate in skill areas (reading, math, ect) My 11 year-old wants to be separate for some of the content areas, so this year he has his own science.

[Rosy]

I have 4 that are <18 mo. apart each (4 years total), and I keep them together for content areas. Skill levels I can do the middle two together pretty easily, they read to me separately but I try to have them listen to each other. They do math and grammar together. Writing they do at the same time but they're not writing the same things. All that to say I think they learn by watching and listening to each other learn even if they're not exactly the same levels, so I would let yours go at their own pace but try to let them learn from each other as much as possible. I would definitely keep them together for Latin and just start when the youngest seems like he's ready. It will save you time and they'll benefit from learning together--it will reinforce what they're learning.

[Peela]

I keep mine together for whatever I can, but for skill stuff, I just cant, so they do their own levels. I often give them the same history writing assignment though, the same books to read...wherever it works, I combine, and wherever it doesn'y, I dont.

With mine, the younger has LDs so its easier and obvious to expect less of him...however sometimes i have to be careful he isnt comparing himself too much. He completely gave up on trying to draw because his sister was so good at it.

[Julie in CA]

I had 5 kids in 7 years.

When they were younger I intended to do things together as a group. What I found in reality is that the youngest boy easily passed up the middle boy, and although I consider them to be in roughly the same "grade", one is very much on a college track, and one is, well....not. In spite of my intentions, they do almost every subject seperately, often using different materials from different publishers in order to suit their various learning styles. Since I think of flexibility and educational tailoring to be one of the best things about homeschooling, I didn't try very hard to pigeonhole the kids into all staying together after it became clear that they were in very different places educationally and in temperament.

 

I dunno...did that answer what you were asking?

[Carrie12345]

My girls are 13 months apart, mostly "doing" 2nd grade. They are on the same level for everything but math and writing. They're two years apart in math and a year apart in writing. It makes my life a LOT simpler, and they handle it very well (most of the time!).

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My daughter in first grade is 13 months older than my twin boy's in K. I taught them phonics together at the beginning of last school year (PreK & K) using Abeka and it worked GREAT.

 

We are doing our phonics lessons, HOD bible, history, science and storytime together. I seperate them for math and writing skills. She does CLE 1st grade math and they do Singapore Earlybird. My boy's are still practicing letter formation & tracing but she is doing copywork this year.

[elfgivas]

do you think they are both ready to start latin? if so, then i'd start and see what happens. if not, then you can choose to start the one who is ready in your opinion, or wait until they are both ready.

 

i'm discovering that at different ages, it works differently. at 10 & 11, they are doing far more separately than they were at 6 & 7. i can see that changing back in a couple of years, too.

 

hth,

ann

[RoughCollie]

I don't think it matters when you start Latin, so I'd wait until both kids are ready for it.

 

I taught my kids every subject at the same time, except for math, if they are at different levels. When I taught them to read, I did that individually as well.

 

My DD is 18 months younger than the boys, and when she was 5, she paid attention during our school time while she played. She learned the material more quickly than the boys did, so I figured I'd just lump her in with them. It worked out well.

Edited January 18, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Lolly]

Keep them together. It is only a problem when the younger one starts really outperforming the older who in turn gets terribly upset. Then, I have found it best to separate. Fortunately, as they got even older, the competition and jealousy have calmed and I have been able to put them back together again for high school subjects.

[Caribbean Queen]

My children are close in age but I my oldest is mature for his age and my youngest is the most babyish of the three, so their abilities are farther apart than you might expect.

[2cents]

I keep them grade level for ABeka math but they both do Life of Fred together. For history, science and LA I keep them together at the older child's level. For online classes it depends, they do Spanish together and are doing geography together. With the exception of math, I try not to duplicate since they are so close together in age.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Mine are 15 months apart, and I keep them together for memorization stuff and history (even though my youngest just tunes out and colors:D). On the rare occasion we have a science experiment we do it together. When it comes time for a language, I'll wait until they can both do it. Math and LA will probably always be separate.

[Quiver0f10]

It really depends on the child. My oldest kids are really close and yes, I mostly grouped them together except for english and math. However a few have been grouped together in math such as my current 8th and 9th graders. It really depends on the child's ability level.