Does anyone fold their children in together for most subjects (except math)?

[HappyGrace]

I know a woman who does this with her different level children-combines most subjects except math and grammar. If they play a geog game, they all play the game and grasp it at different levels. She does their spelling in a spelling bee style, etc. The idea was so intriguing to me, and this yr just didn't work well for us, trying to do separate ages separately- dd10 (4th grade) and ds7 (1st grade)- at the same time. It felt really disjointed and I felt pulled. Of course, we do use (and LIKE) teacher intensive curric, plus first grade is always intensive.

 

Next yr we're doing TOG, so that should help. I like *teaching* them, not just handing them their work, but doing it that way separately, it's turning out there isn't enough time in the day for that! I just wanted to hear from anyone else who is combining kids from different levels, and how it is going?!

 

I guess I'm really worried about this way holding my older back too much (she's advanced) and being too hard for my younger (he's average). I'm picturing doing it Marva Collins style-like a one room schoolhouse-and shooting pretty high and expecting my younger can rise to the level, like Marva does. (You can google Marva Collins if you're not familiar, and I highly recommend her books! LOVE her methods!)

[5LittleMonkeys]

My two oldest, who will be going into 6th and 7th, will be doing grammar, spelling, vocab, writing, Latin, literature and history together. My 6th and 2nd will do Science together. Right now this is working pretty good for us but I will definitely check out Marva Collins because after this coming year I will have another to fold in and it would be great to teach them all at once. Thanks for the FYI.:001_smile:

[HappyGrace]

The problem with Marva is that she is inspiring as a teacher, but there is nowhere to find HOW she does what she does! I think she used to do teacher seminars, etc.

[cyndyinohio]

I would like to do this more...I don't like separating every one like they are in separate classrooms or whatnot.

[MerryAtHope]

My kids are 2 years apart. In the past I have done together:

 

Bible, history, science, lit together.

 

Using Sonlight, they also both do the same readers, though my oldest reads faster & gets to more of them.

 

One year I combined them on LA, that went fairly well too--it was SL LA 3 and was mainly about writing so they could each write as they were able. We use Steck Vaughn Core Skills now, and I find that they both have the same concept most days, just more in depth for the older. I think they probably could combine for LA with the right program, or with something like Winston Grammar. I have long done the same copywork for both, or have both journal on the same day etc...

 

Spelling I have done together--the year we did SL LA, I used copywork & dictation for spelling for half the year. They did a passage as copywork first, they each identified 5 words to work on during the week, then I did the passage as dictation on Friday. That worked fairly well actually, but I realized they needed something more & we ended up with AAS. We started doing AAS together, but eventually I split them.

 

Right now we mainly do Bible, History, and Lit together. They are doing their own science, spelling, LA, and math this year.

 

There's lots of ways to do things, try something out and ammend later as needed!

 

Merry :-)

[Melissa B]

We are. In the beginning, I had always put my older two together. Two years ago when I was just starting to mix my third daughter into the day, I separated everyone. We did that for a year and a half. It did not work well for us. Earlier this year I put everyone back together and it is so much better.

 

We block schedule our mornings so that everyone is doing the same subject even if they aren't working together.

 

6:30 - 8:30 math (everyone has his/her own work)

8:30 - 10:00 English (dd12 & dd10 work together, little ones individually)

10:15-12:15 Latin (everyone has his/her own work)

12:15 - 1:00 Geography/French (dd12 & dd10 work together) I work with the younger two on whatever needs focused work.

 

After lunch, we school from 3:30-6:30 with everyone together for science or history or else the littles play while the elder two work on literature.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I just wrote a post about this on my blog.

[crimsonkelley]

I have a 2nd and 5th grader. We sit together for spelling and math. They each do their own work. However, my 2nd grader is in the room when my 5th grader watcher the MUS video - and he often answers the questions - which makes her mad!

 

I read history and science to them both. If we are doing an experiment or game we all play it. For example, they both dissected an earthworm. However, I give them different books to read. They both sit and listen to the read alouds, but do their own summaries or narrations/outlines. I also gave the 5th grader the job of doing the time line - knowing that my 2nd grader would eventually get a turn doing his own.

 

My 5th grader does Latin - and my 2nd grader often chooses to sit and watch the video. He is not doing Latin now, but I know he has picked up on a few things...not much, but a few.

 

My 5th grader does Logic on her own, but my 2nd grader can't stand that and begs to do the Logic Mind Benders.

 

So, we're together all throughout the day. This is the way we've always done it and it works for us. Definitely would be harder with a larger age gap I think.

[tricia]

We have 12 children. The older 5 have "graduated" and I have 6 school age and 1 that is 4. I combine ALL the time. Mostly lately with the 5 younger girls. Everything except math. It works great.

[texasmama]

My boys, two years apart, are combined for history, science, Bible, Mindbenders logic puzzles (we take turns), health, geography, spelling, and literature readalouds. They each have their own level of grammar, writing, readers and math, though there is overlap and they tend to listen in on the other sib's lesson. It works very well for all of us.

[chadzwife]

My kids that were only 2 yrs apart, yes--they did everything 2gether but math; even spelling & composition as the younger was above "grade level" once she got past phonics. They drilled each other in math facts too if possible and played math games 2gether--with me usually. The next child was 4 yrs from her next sib so she was always kinda the tag-along. Did stuff with the olders but needed it at her level still too. Although I got really good at combining everybody in alooooot of stuff--natural level-learning going on, kinda a la Marva lol.

btw I saw a movie on Marva Collins and her beginnings. Started her school in her HOME with her two kids as only students at first lol. She was a remarkable, very truly-educated person. Besides being filled with compassion and headstrong as mule! I know a woman very much like her who teaches dance (and homeschools too--used to be a Christian school teacher also). Whole-hearted at her passions and very intelligent.

So there is alot more going on with the "Marva Collins Way" than surface stuff. I certainly couldn't attain it, not in this lifetime anyway :)