Kids One Year Apart

[TracieT]

I have two boys who are a year apart. (five days less than a year) So, in October they will turn 5 and 6. My oldest starts Kindergarten this year. My biggest concern is what to do with my youngest. I've been considering just doing the same thing with both of them and see what happens. Am I being naive thinking that could possibly work? Can anyone give me some pros and cons to starting them both at the same time?

 

I'm using the Easy Classical schedule and most of that curriculum.

 

Thanks!

[FO4UR]

My dc are 26mo apart and 14mo apart, respectively.

 

I do (did) a LOT together! Handwriting on the chalkboard...and they can work on paper at their own level. Phonics lessons on the chalkboard...and they read to mommy at their own level. Math games together...and they work on a worksheet at their own level. You get the idea. Yes, double up whatever you can, but balance that with making sure each child is getting individual work with the 3R's.

 

Happy Phonics is good for a 5yo and a 6yo.

 

Science/history/literature would NOT even bring the question to my mind...they are together.

[mom@shiloh]

Three "sets" of my children are a year apart in age, (or less -- one set is five minutes apart :)) It has worked well to combine as much as possible, allowing them to move at their own pace in areas that are more skill specific such as math and LA. In terms of homeschooling, I think that the one-year gap is easier to deal with than the two or three year gaps.

[dcurry]

For some kids, it would work. You could always start them out together in everything, and then if the youngest falls behind or gets overwhelmed you could re-evaluate at that time.

 

If he is interested & wants to participate, I'd just plan on teaching them together. Certainly include him in everything aside from reading, math, and maybe writing. But it's possible he'd keep up with those, too.

[Aubrey]

My oldest 2 are 2yrs apart, boy then girl. Dd has insisted on doing history & science w/ us since she was 3yo & cried if we did anything w/out her during nap time.

 

They've been doing grammar together since she was about 5, writing at the same time, I can't think what else. They hate being separated.

 

My next 2, though, are girl-then-boy, & they're only 13mos apart. I feel your pain. I've been wondering the same thing for years: hold the first back, speed up the 2nd, keep them separate?

 

So far, dd seems like she'll be advanced--she's strong-willed, stubborn, & smart. Ds...will be 3 this summer, so it's really too soon to know anything, but he's got the build & some of the personality of dh's family: football players. GREAT sense of humor. Reading, writing, & math? Well, he's stuck w/ us for parents, so...we'll see.

 

Dd started the phonics book last month-ish. Ds wanted to do it, too! But he kept flipping back to the first page & reading the alphabet. I have a feeling the closeness in age will just be hard at first. Kind-of like diapers. :D (I hate teaching reading & counting!)

[TracieT]

That's what I was wondering...how math and reading would go. Especially reading. I know he's not ready today for reading.

 

I know this is thinking way too far ahead, but if he does keep up how do I handle that next year when I have to notify the school district? I'm in Ohio, so I don't have to notify them until first grade. I guess I should probably find someone here in Ohio to talk to about this. I don't understand if the school district places them in a certain grade level or how that works. Maybe I shouldn't even worry about this right now!

[TracieT]

Aubrey - My oldest is definitely the academic type. Plus, he likes rules. Number 2....couldn't be more opposite. Sitting still, following rules, listening...not his thing. :) Which is why I'm not sure how it will work. If they were reversed it would be no question.

[CandaceC]

My girls are 14 months apart and we have done everything together since the start except for reading instruction!! Now we are using Teaching Textbooks for math so they each take a turn on the computer, but we still do everything else together. They do read to me individually at different times. For us it had been wonderful!!!

[texasmama]

My boys are two years apart, and I have been able to combine them in many subjects, including history, science, Latin, Bible, literature read alouds and readers. This works well for all of us. They do the skill subjects (math and language arts) independently, but younger ds is only one year behind older dh in math, and they began this past year using the same WWE level.

[Aubrey]

That's what I was wondering...how math and reading would go. Especially reading. I know he's not ready today for reading.

 

My little one's not either, but he knows his letters & loves to sit in my lap. So when dd's done, he gets a turn to look a the book. No big deal. (So far!) :lol:

 

I know this is thinking way too far ahead, but if he does keep up how do I handle that next year when I have to notify the school district? I'm in Ohio, so I don't have to notify them until first grade. I guess I should probably find someone here in Ohio to talk to about this. I don't understand if the school district places them in a certain grade level or how that works. Maybe I shouldn't even worry about this right now!

 

Teach them what & when you teach them. Notify the school when appropriate. If one's already done school for a year when you notify the district of him for the first time, who cares? Now, if it's the other way around...:leaving: ;)

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

My oldest two kids are 18 months apart, and as much as I had wanted to teach them together I don't think it's going to work. They are both very smart, but dd picks up on things quickly and usually early, whereas ds gets easily frustrated when he doesn't understand something immediately and usually ends up waiting until he is absolutely sure he can do it almost perfectly before he'll even try. I let ds tag along when I'm reading stories to dd and occasionally for other subjects, but they will just end up needing to be taught separately. Younger dd, 22.5 months younger than ds, might be a better candidate for pairing, but we'll just have to see how it goes.

 

In your situation, it would probably work to teach subjects like history and science together, but unless the youngest is ahead language arts and math will probably have to be separate.

[sassenach]

Mine are a little short of 2 years apart, the older is a boy. He really needed an extra year of K, so they turned out to be just 1 grade apart. The younger one is quite precocious, so I started off doing a lot of stuff together. Some subjects are a no brainer; history and science are made for combining. Other subjects I started them together and they naturally fell apart. The younger just could keep pace in language arts (writing, spelling, grammar) with the older. Reading (learning to) and math were always done separately.

[Susan in KY]

Mine are 17 months apart. Once they were both reading, I combined them for everything except math.

[alpidarkomama]

I also have two kids 369 days apart (they love being the same age for 4 days!). I started them both on the same materials, and from there they just go at their own pace. A lot of our studies (history, readaloud, science, art, some of our Hebrew and torah studies, etc.) are everyone all together anyway. :)

[NancyNellen]

My oldest 2 (16 mos apart) have always done everything except reading and math together. I do those individually at their own pace (although my younger caught up to her brother in reading rather quickly). History, writing, grammar, science and foreign language have always been done together and I would HIGHLY recommend it!

[Ester Maria]

I hate this question, it is such a practical vs. fair issue.

 

To be fair, each of them has a right to their OWN grade, to their own materials, to their own schooling independent of the other one's schooling, and each of them has to be treated as an individual.

To be practical, it would be the best just to pair them up together, which nearly always means a type of an emotional sacrifice of the older sibling and it can really bother some kids, especially if younger ones are precocious.

 

I get people who opt for both, or who (as most cases) attempt to somehow bridge the two. I attempted to bridge a little, then gave up and completely separated them, then with time ventured to combine them some more if they clicked on a particular area, but for the most part, they are completely separated. It was a huge ego issue for the older kid, as much as they adore each other as sisters. I allow each of them to procede on her own pace, but I have stopped trying to put them together if they happen to be on the same level. If it occurs naturally, great, if not, they each have her "own" grade, level, materials, everything.

[BlsdMama]

I have two boys who are a year apart. (five days less than a year) So, in October they will turn 5 and 6. My oldest starts Kindergarten this year. My biggest concern is what to do with my youngest. I've been considering just doing the same thing with both of them and see what happens. Am I being naive thinking that could possibly work? Can anyone give me some pros and cons to starting them both at the same time?

 

I'm using the Easy Classical schedule and most of that curriculum.

 

Thanks!

 

It really COMPLETELY depends on the two children as individuals.

I have two DC that are less than 12 months apart and I could never combine them. It would be the equivalent of combing a 3rd grader with a K4.

 

However, the youngest of the two combines beautifully with my current 4yo. :) They are almost two years apart. They combine for read alouds and structured table work. They can both do oral narrations, memorization, etc. together. I do phonics work with each separately just because, as with any children, they advance at different levels.

 

Combine wherever you can and do what works for the two of them.

[TracieT]

The fair thing is amazingly not an issue with my boys. I really don't understand it as for my sister and I, who are 2 years apart, it was a HUGE issue. My boys seriously share everything. They get their own gifts, toys, books, etc., but NEVER say "No, that's mine." Got them their own twin beds, they both slept in one. Went to bunk beds, they sleep together.

I do purposefully separate them at times....like make them go in separate classes at church...because I feel like they need that time apart. They wouldn't do it on their own, though. My youngest wants to always be doing what my oldest is and my oldest doesn't mind a bit...he makes sure it happens. Neither of them want a piece of candy or a cookie without taking one for their brother. It all seems so unnatural to me, but I just roll with it!

[Ester Maria]

The fair thing is amazingly not an issue with my boys. I really don't understand it as for my sister and I, who are 2 years apart, it was a HUGE issue. My boys seriously share everything. They get their own gifts, toys, books, etc., but NEVER say "No, that's mine." Got them their own twin beds, they both slept in one. Went to bunk beds, they sleep together.

I do purposefully separate them at times....like make them go in separate classes at church...because I feel like they need that time apart. They wouldn't do it on their own, though. My youngest wants to always be doing what my oldest is and my oldest doesn't mind a bit...he makes sure it happens. Neither of them want a piece of candy or a cookie without taking one for their brother. It all seems so unnatural to me, but I just roll with it!

But they are 5 and 4, right? (If I read your signature correctly.)

 

It becomes an issue around 7-8, in my experience... Not to scare you :tongue_smilie:, but be prepared that these things might change. Mine were INSEPARABLE as toddlers and preschoolers, constantly played together (every mother's dream, I could really get a lot of peace that way LOL), shared everything... and then at some point, with school and all, the "competition" (in lack of a better expression) kicked in, as much as we tried to discourage it and promote learning and growing together, it just was not working so smoothly anymore - not personality-wise, not interests-wise, not even level-wise. They just went in the opposite directions.

[TracieT]

Oh yeah...I know it could all change in the blink of an eye and probably will!

[texasmama]

So many variables exist, but my two boys operate in many ways like twins. They are now 8 1/2 and 10 1/2. It has always been this way (since the younger one was about 18 months). I'm sure they will separate some as they get older, but I anticipate that they will always do some subjects "together", even if that means doing their own work using the same materials and discussing them. They have a unique and wonderful relationship (most of the time;)).

[NancyNellen]

The fair thing is amazingly not an issue with my boys. I really don't understand it as for my sister and I, who are 2 years apart, it was a HUGE issue. My boys seriously share everything. They get their own gifts, toys, books, etc., but NEVER say "No, that's mine." Got them their own twin beds, they both slept in one. Went to bunk beds, they sleep together.

I do purposefully separate them at times....like make them go in separate classes at church...because I feel like they need that time apart. They wouldn't do it on their own, though. My youngest wants to always be doing what my oldest is and my oldest doesn't mind a bit...he makes sure it happens. Neither of them want a piece of candy or a cookie without taking one for their brother. It all seems so unnatural to me, but I just roll with it!

 

This is exactly how my oldest two are, and have always been, which is why combining has always worked beautifully here. They are currently 14 and almost 13. They actually enjoy working with each other and get bummed if they are assigned separate tasks. So I guess I will just encourage you...they may stay that way!

Edited May 27, 2011 by Nancy in SoCal

[KrissiK]

Mine are 9 months apart (They're adopted, they are biological brothers, though, and I know this is OT, but why do I always feel the need to explain this? I know I don't even need to say they're 9 months apart, I could say "less than a year", but.... oh, nevermind!:001_smile:) and I started them on A Beka's K4 curriculum when they were 3 & 4 years old. They both did great through the K4 & K5 curriculum. I noticed separation when DS1 was in 1st grade and he easily did the 1st grade math curriculum but DS2 didn't get it, so I just had DS2 repeat K math with another publisher. Now, that they are 7 & 8 I'm having to put DS2 down a year in grammar. He really struggles with narrations, too. However, I don't think he suffered because I started him early. His reading is great. I was just very careful to monitor his progress and when I felt things were too much for him I backed off. At this point I will have in the fall a solid 3rd grader and a fairly solid 2nd grader who does very well in reading.

[TracieT]

Nancy - I'm so glad to hear yours are still so close! I do hope my boys stay this close!

 

Krissi - My boys are adopted, biological brothers too! :) I guess that's the key...just be tuned into how they are doing and adjust accordingly!

[Quiver0f10]

Three "sets" of my children are a year apart in age, (or less -- one set is five minutes apart :)) It has worked well to combine as much as possible, allowing them to move at their own pace in areas that are more skill specific such as math and LA. In terms of homeschooling, I think that the one-year gap is easier to deal with than the two or three year gaps.

 

 

This is how we do it too.

[Punks in Ontario]

Oddly enough I combine more for my 18 mos apart guys than for my 14 mos apart guys. It all depends on the individuals. By the way, I don't expect the same maturity of work from the youngers, although they tend to give it. Math and LA tend to be separate.