Where do I start??

[CrunchyMand]

I have been homeschooling two since Jan this year but our days were not structured and laid out and we just didn't get enough done. I was not happy with this neither was hubby.

 

So this fall I am structuring our time so we know what we are doing when. I am following CM and guidance from Ambleside Online.

 

Firstly how do I manage to teach two different levels? What do I get my nearly 6 yr old doing when I am working with his 10 yr old sister? It is not like he can read so be left self directed activities.

 

How do I start structuring our day? I have no idea where to start on this. It feels like I am having to blend two timetables into one. What do people do with more than one grade to teach?

[Mynyel]

First?

 

Breathe...in and out. There ya go :)

 

Now, It isn't as difficult as it may seem. It just seems overwhelming so you can't function (Lord above knows I have done that, many times).

 

Now, I have 2 grades right now and will be adding a third in a couple years.

 

The 6yo is old enough to be left alone for a bit doing some sort of simple project. For instance, coloring pages, puzzles... Give him things to put in abc order or 123 order. Just tell him, I am not going to help you do it in the order you think it is.

I have several puzzle, fun books for my kids, dot to dot, mazes, hidden picture, removable sticker books things of that ilk to fill in time.

Let him paint, water color, make his own book.

Let him play outside, in his room or wherever.

Make him clean windows, walls, cupboards or anything else that will give you 15 minutes! :)

 

At 6 he can occupy himself for a bi while you work with your older. My older two are the same age difference and that was what worked for us.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest CarolineUK]

Hi Amanda

 

It's good to see someone else from the UK! You sound as though you're in a similar situation to the one I found myself in earlier this year - I've been homeschooling DS9 and DS5 since September last year, but only started introducing more structure from around January time this year. It's good to remember that a 5 year old doesn't need a lot of structured education, I probably did about an hour and a half to two hours a day of actually 'teaching' my DS5, mainly reading/writing and maths, with a little bit of history/science which he kind of tagged along with DS9. For the rest of the time the pp's suggestions are brilliant - also, I have a 3 yo ds who is great chums with DS5, so they often keep each other entertained while I'm working with DS9.

 

I have also found that starting with the basics - reading/writing and maths, then adding on the rest a subject at a time as you get more organised really helped - I started adding in history, then Latin, and have only now managed to get around to fitting in science. Music and sports are, of course, outsourced!

 

Wishing you the very best of luck and looking forward to hearing about your homeschooling journey on these boards in the future.