Does anyone here NOT teach all their children at the same time?

[Mama2Many4]

Do anyone here find it easier to teach your children separately?

 

I have a 3rd grader, a 1st grader and a preschooler. Everyday I feel that I'm being pulled in three different directions all day, and not one of them really gets the one on one time that they deserve. I can't imagine that public schooled kids are really getting the quality education if I can't even juggle 3!

 

So does anyone here work with one child until they are finished for the day, then move on to another. It wouldn't take any longer for me, because as it is I'm leaving one child hanging to instruct and answer questions for another. I'm exhausted everyday and they are left not being able to tell their father what they learned that day.

 

Help! :confused:

[mama27]

Do anyone here find it easier to teach your children separately?

 

I have a 3rd grader, a 1st grader and a preschooler. Everyday I feel that I'm being pulled in three different directions all day, and not one of them really gets the one on one time that they deserve. I can't imagine that public schooled kids are really getting the quality education if I can't even juggle 3!

 

So does anyone here work with one child until they are finished for the day, then move on to another. It wouldn't take any longer for me, because as it is I'm leaving one child hanging to instruct and answer questions for another. I'm exhausted everyday and they are left not being able to tell their father what they learned that day.

 

Help! :confused:

 

 

I felt the same way till I started teaching them seperatly. Yes, some will be playing while others are working but I can't help that. It made me want to scream trying to teach my 5 youngest math all at the same time, or even give some math and some easier stuff. I finally realized that they won't die if they aren't all doing school at the same time.

Now, for me, it DOES make my day way longer but I don't feel like I'm going to lose my mind this way.

[warneral]

I think it is good to combine them for reading aloud (history, literature). Even though some might be over the little's head they are still gaining from it :)

[lorrainejmc]

I work with one child on one subject, then move on to the next child on the same subject until each child is finished, then we all move to the next subject and start again.

[imhim]

We start in 2 weeks and I will have a3rd, 1st, preK and baby.

What has worked in the past, when I was teaching only 2, was a "round robin" thing - while older did her own handwriting - cursive- I did LA with the K. Then K took a break and I did FLL or WWE with older. Then she took a break and I did math with the K. Then K took a break and I did something with the older. Did history while K and the others took naps. Science was reading for all, only older did copywork or such.

 

This year it will be more complex, but something of the same nature. I will try to group together Science, History, Latin and Spanish. The rest has to be done separately. It takes all day... and I am tired. I do not know when I am going to the cooking or the cleaning of the house...

[johnandtinagilbert]

Grammar school in the morning; middle school in the mid-afternoon; high school in late afternoon.

 

Our range is so wide, there is no way to teach them all at once.

[Mama2Many4]

I absolutely have to teach them separately (except I do combine some science stuff). Mine are 6 and 9.5 (with the 9.5 year old being advanced). They are at extremely different places. I can't fathom how I would combine them.

 

Oh thank God! I'm about to lose my mind.

 

I felt the same way till I started teaching them seperatly. Yes, some will be playing while others are working but I can't help that. It made me want to scream trying to teach my 5 youngest math all at the same time, or even give some math and some easier stuff. I finally realized that they won't die if they aren't all doing school at the same time.

Now, for me, it DOES make my day way longer but I don't feel like I'm going to lose my mind this way.

 

YES! This is just what I needed to hear. I felt like a homeschooling failure if I didn't have the Dugger equivalent gathered 'round the table.

 

I think it is good to combine them for reading aloud (history, literature). Even though some might be over the little's head they are still gaining from it :)

 

Yes, I will still do history and read aloud's with them, but math, spelling, English etc. I'm going to do alone.

[Ellie]

Usually both dc hung out at the kitchen table, one doing stuff while I worked the other.

[Tammy P.]

I have three kiddos going into 7th, 5th and 3rd grades. Typically I will give my 7th and 5th graders work that they can do on their own such as spelling and math, and sometimes Bible, grammar and reading. While they are working on their work, I begin with my 3rd grader (he still needs to be watched closely to make sure he is staying on task. :)) When he cooperates, we can be done with his schoolwork before lunch (we start @ 8:00) and then I can focus on each of the other two for science, history and anything else they made need assistance with. Plus I grade and we go over what they did on their own. We are usually done by 3:00 or 3:30. It's a long day but each child gets individual attention at some point in the day.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

In the fall I'll have a second grader, kindergartener, relaxed preschooler, and toddler and partway through the year we'll have another baby. The K and preschooler will do some stuff together but otherwise everything else will be separate. My oldest needs to be by herself to concentrate on her language arts and math work. We've always done it during nap/quiet time for the other kids.

[boscopup]

I do a little of both. Right now, I can teach math at the same time. I go over the new material with DS1, then tell him which problems to do. Right next to his desk is DS2 at his desk. We pull out his math and I walk him through everything. If DS1 has a question, I'll answer, then get back to helping DS2.

 

For other things, it's best to just have DS1 go read while I work on reading with DS2. "School" is so short for DS2 that I could do them completely separately with no problem, but since he often asks to do math when DS1 is doing math, we end up doing that one together.

 

By time I have 3 schooling, my oldest should have enough independent work to keep him busy while I work with youngers.

 

We do science together. I don't do history with DS2 yet.

[kandty]

I have a 7 and 10.5 year old boys. I usually get the oldest going on his work by showing him his lesson plans and asking if he has any questions on what he is suppose to do on his own. Then I work with my youngest and then he will do the very few things he can do on his own when I work with my other. We do read alouds, art, music, pe and science together this year. It is nice once they are old enough to read well enough that they can do alot on their own. My youngest will hopefully be doing more math and spelling and LA on his own this year. I also have a list of activities that they can do while I am working with one and the other has a break. This saves a lot of trouble. My system is not perfect but it helps keep my sanity and I also am quick to make changes if something isn't working. I also schedule Friday light or as a make-up day so that if one of my kids needs more time with me I have it worked into the schedule. It looks like you use CHC and they already have that day schedule into their schedule. (I am a CHC fan too!)

[Mommy22alyns]

The girls learned pretty separately last year. They'll be combined for history, science, Bible, and art/music this year. DH is out of work, so he's going to teach Sylvia her LA and math while I teach Becca. So it's about 50/50 this year. Plus Rebecca will have a few subjects that Sylvia won't.

[Mama2Many4]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm going to teach them separately for now, and then combine them as they get older I think. One child would have been a breeze. ;)

[jentancalann]

i've never been able to combine anything. my 13 yo and 10 yo are on total opposite ends of the spectrum where academics are concerned. i haven't even been successful at combining read alouds, but i think that is my issue. i don't have any classroom management skills and i need them with 5 kids in the same room.

we do very little workbook type things so it's difficult for the kid i'm not working with to do very much on his own, but they do what they can until i can get to them. i am determined to do sl 5 with the two older ones this year so we'll see how that goes. this year i should be teaching 4.

[2squared]

I teach mine seperately! I'm a linear thinker, and bopping between them would make me crazy. I divide our time into one-on-one with mom (3Rs), independent work, and group time (content & activities). The dc have staggered starts and stops to their school day, and when they aren't scheduled to do schoolwork, they play with their sibs.

 

I don't have any filler to keep them occupied so we are all working at the same time. FWIW, I treasure my one-on-one school time. I think we make more progress with me giving my full attention than bopping between kids. My reality may change when I add more dc to the rotation, though.

[Sahamamama]

************ROUND ONE*******************

Pip & Squeak (Pre-K Twins) -- Teacher Time

 

 

• Handwriting practice
  
• Spelling workbook page (very simple)
  
• Math workbook page (also simple)
  

 

Sugar Lump (1st grader) -- Independent Work

 

 

• Spend 15 minutes in the "e" section of the dictionary (e.g.) + be ready to discuss your learning
  
• Complete this math drill page OR do a computer math drill OR work through this pack of math fact flash cards OR listen to math fact songs with the headphones
  
• Read pages ____ to _____ in _______________ + be ready to discuss them
  
• Complete the first part of this Horizons math lesson, then you're free. :D She loves her little check-off index card.
  

 

**************ROUND TWO***************

Pip & Squeak -- "Independent Work" ;)

 

 

• A dot-to-dot page (do & color)
  
• A few maze pages
  
• Play with fraction felts OR play with Cuisenaire rods OR play with the abacus OR play with....
  
• Mat Time with Toys (though this is phasing out) :crying: sniff, sniff
  
• Play with dolls in bedroom (Quietly, please!) :toetap05:
  

 

Sugar Lump -- Teacher Time

 

 

• Handwriting (cursive this year, so I have to really pay attention)
  
• Spelling (AAS, teacher intensive, but worth it)
  
• Narration (WWE, easy) + Copywork (WWE, we do both in a day)
  
• Grammar (FLL, mostly oral so it gives her hand a break)
  
• Reading Program (Story Time Treasures, easy for her, somewhat oral & if she's worn out with writing I take dictation) :D
  
• Math Lesson (Horizons and/or Math Mammoth, requires teacher time and oversight, but I still can hop up and down at this point to teach/manage twins, teach/manage twins, teach/make lunch, up-down-up-down. Hmmm, maybe this is why math wears me out?
  
• Wrap up any loose ends with Sugar Lump's work for the day
  

 

**************ROUND THREE***************

Group

 

 

• Lunch/Break/Clean Up
  
• Play/Outside/Free Time
  
• Read Aloud -- Bible Stories, Chapter Books, Literature, Geography, Science, Art, Composers
  
• Nap/Quiet Time/WTM Board Time :lol:
  

 

Like I said, this is on a good day.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Sahamamama

[twoxcell]

I teach all my children separately for the most part. I do not go through all the work of one child at a time though I do a rotation. First everyone together does Spanish and Exercise. Next I do one segment with my 3rd grader(Bible, Math, Handwriting), and then my K/1st grader(Bible, math, Handwriting, phonics). I then do Grammar, and Spelling with the 3rd grader. Everyone has lunch. After that I do preschool with my 3 year old while the older two play computer learning games. Once the 3 year old is done I do read alouds with my 3rd grader(History, storytime, science,poetry) He goes to do his reading while I do read alouds with my K/1st grader(Storytime, History, Science, poetry). After read alouds the kids take turns doing their projects, experiments, notebooking etc. At the end of each day we do some Latin, and rotate art/artist studies, composer studies, drawing, state/president study, and nature study. All of the kids join together for that. Whoever I'm not working with goes and plays. Hopefully that makes sense.;)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Jenny in GA]

It is nice once they are old enough to read well enough that they can do alot on their own. My youngest will hopefully be doing more math and spelling and LA on his own this year. I also have a list of activities that they can do while I am working with one and the other has a break. This saves a lot of trouble.

 

 

Could you please share that list?

[dakarimom5]

Two words...round robin! I rotate every 30 minutes. While I'm teaching one, the other 3 are doing one of 3 things...xbox, tv or computer. This means no one ever fights over these things because they all have a specific time to be on. After snack we do the combined subjects, SOTW, Latin and science.

 

I tried this scheduling over the summer and it worked out well. Everyone gets one on one time and they get the electronics over with so they have the rest of the day for something constructive.

[sbgrace]

I've got two (very different) seven year old boys who will be in 2nd grade. I always do the academic subjects individually and then we do history, art, science, music, and bible together for the most part.

 

So today I did Boy A math; Boy B math; Boy A spelling, handwriting, and composition; and Boy A the same. Then we did history, bible, and read alouds together after lunch. This trade off works well here because my child with the short attention span sort of recharges a bit while his brother works. I could see how some kids would do better with all the subjects one after another.

Edited July 26, 2011 by sbgrace

[hmschooling]

I teach mine separately and thankfully, I found Heart of Dakota that let's me do it and keep my sanity! I might combine some this year b/c now I'm working part time, but generally, not at all combined.

[Mommee & Baba]

The only subjects we teach together are History, Geography, Science and Art. The rest are seperate! Now I've put them at the table together and have taught their levels of a certain subject and they handled that fine. However I can't do that with Math or Reading..those have to be completely apart from one another in order to even teach those subjects. I also have a 2.5yr old who needs some interaction so I focus on him without the older ones doing their studies so no one is distracted.

[PenKase]

Funny running into this post. I've been playing with my schedule to streamline our day for this year. I've been toying with the idea of teaching to my older dd while the younger tags along. We will work together within our core subjects and I will toggle between two for skill subjects. Together we will work on: Literature, Spanish, History, Geography, Poetry Study, Art Study, Drawing, Music Study, Science, Oral Composition, Nature Study, and Handicrafts. We will begin our skill subjects with math (just works best if we do it first thing in the morning), getting the younger one started (guided work) before the older (while I'm with younger, she will work on word problems, review, or drill). Next, I will work with younger dd while the older does her independent work. Then I will switch and work with the older while the younger does independent work. Their guided work entails: math lesson, english/grammar, and writing instruction. The younger's independent work will be memory work, copy work, spelling, and structured reading. The older's independent work will be grammar practice, typing, logic, writing (narrations), and structured reading.

 

That's it, I think. I'm still fidgeting with the schedule, but I like how it looks on paper so far, so I don't expect much more tweaking until we implement it in September. Fingers crossed.

[Thia]

An excellent thread. This year was our first year. I ran my two oldest through Abeka K. The 2 year old tagged along with blank notebooks and a dry erase set up. The baby hung out in the backpack. Mid-way through the year, it became too much for my 4year old. So I would start my older with her work, teach my 4yr old, then switch. If they finished, they were free to play until I was ready again. I don't think it will be as simple next year. Lots of good ideas here though, thanks.

[EKS]

I only have two children, but they are six years apart in age and I have never taught them together. This past year I taught the younger one in the morning and the older one in the afternoon and it worked wonderfully. In previous years I bounced between them, and while I finished teaching earlier in the day, it was exhausting for me. Actually, both ways are exhausting, but I like the morning/afternoon split better because I can focus on one kid at a time.

[Tarreymere]

I have two pre-K and a second grader right now. This is pretty much how our day goes:

I start with all of them and we talk about the news, the date, the weather, ect. We all sing the alphabet song together and count together. I have a ten month old in a high chair smashing cheerios at this point as well.

Next the pre-Ks get their homemade letter of the day coloring sheets and color while I do the math lesson with the second grader. I give the baby more cheerios or a banana so she can give herself a facial.

Then the second grader works on a page of math problems independently (or as independently as she can while attached to my hip) while I count manipulatives or cheerios smashed or unsmashed or something with the pre-ks. We may bark letter sounds at each other, which makes the baby laugh like crazy.

Then I read aloud a story to everyone. Some of them even pay attention.

Then I get the second grader started with language arts while the pre-Ks play. The second grader works independently while I do 'nature study' with the boys looking by at the Usborne First book of Nature and exclaiming over the cool pictures.

Then we have a snack, and if I am lucky the baby will fall asleep while the second grader reads aloud to us another story.

Then the pre-k's are off to play legos or draw on the huge white board or cut up construction paper and glue tiny pieces of it everywhere or something along those lines while the second grader and I do latin or science. If we are doing art or music they are included, not that they pay much attention, and they get to dance to the music or make a mess with whatever art supplies get pulled out.

Next I read history aloud while the pre-ks play with clay or draw. The second grader is currently into making paper dolls of historical people and re-enacting the stories, which is cool. I ask the boys to make historical things out of clay but they like to make dinosaurs or fire trucks instead.

After this the second grader does her independent reading or works on other language arts things independently while sitting as close to me as physically possible in case she needs help while I sing songs with the boys about bugs playing in a spider's web one day or while we do what ever else I think we need to do that day.

Then the baby wakes up and wants to eat the paper scraps and clay and legos, so we have to take a break and clean that stuff all up.

 

Does that make any sense? I can't work just with one until that one is done or I would never have the energy to get the next one going. None of them want to work independently, it takes a lot of encouragement. When the second grader is independent she is still stuck to me like glue, just in case she will need immediate assistance but I do make her let me give the boys my attention while she works. I am hoping that by next summer she may be comfortable concentrating on her work with at least five or six feet of distance between us.

[Critterfixer]

The only subjects we teach together are History, Geography, Science and Art. The rest are seperate! Now I've put them at the table together and have taught their levels of a certain subject and they handled that fine. However I can't do that with Math or Reading..those have to be completely apart from one another in order to even teach those subjects.

 

This is exactly what I do with my ds7 twins.

[kandty]

Could you please share that list?

 

Here is my list. I have this printed out on my boys chore list and I hang it on the frig. :001_smile:

Free time activities during school time:

free reading

free writing

puzzles

educational games/toys (ask mom if uncertain)

playdough (with permission and clean up)

outside play

free craft time (and clean up)

extra chores to earn points for extra screen time

nature study in the yard (take your nature notebook & camera)

activity books

[Mommy to monkeys]

I have 2 toddlers, so no. . .I can't work with both big kids at the same time. Atleast not while both littles are awake.

 

We have morning school HOUR in which I take turns working with each big kid while the other plays with the littles ie. keeps them from being mean to each other.

 

Then we do everything else during naptime. I know many hate using naptime, but it's sooooooooo much less stressful and quiet for us this way.

[zenjenn]

I do a mix. Math, writing, penmanship - separate.

 

Science, history, together, but I don't have the same expectations for the 6 yr old, and I will do some reading selections where if the 6 yr old gets bored and wanders off that's OK.

 

I have a 6 yr old 1st grader and an almost 9 3rd grader. The 1st grader is advanced and the 3rd grader is a mix of advanced and behind depending on subject area.

[Alphabetika]

I always have, because of the age and intellect difference between mine (the oldest two, I mean - 4.5 years apart.) It just never made sense to try to combine them. The very few times I did try it was very unsuccessful. Next year I will be teaching my middle one (named Piper, like your littlest - don't you love that name!) alone, because my eldest graduated early and my littlest is only almost-2.

[divajess]

I have had the same issues, but we are just now starting to get into a groove. I have a 2nd grader, pre-K and a 2 year old. Schooltime at our house feels like a fairly successful game of Whack-a-Mole; I'm working with different kids at different times but somehow it all gets done. We gather around the coffeetable with our school stuff, plus blocks, Potato Heads, books, and whatever else. For the most part, our protocol is that whoever is not working is playing with the little one: building with blocks, reading her stories, showing her flashcards (she wanted them, I did not insist!!), etcetera.

 

Once a kid is working on something independently, I pull another one over and we start the next assignment. In general, I let the kids choose the order of their assignments, and we "ping-pong" back and forth until everything gets finished. We punctuate this with reading all together, and lots of dance breaks (its a great way to have a 3 minute stretch). This is our format for the core, and then we do music, art, science, and social studies altogether, usually in the afternoon.

 

It's a little crazy, but it seems to be working!

[boscopup]

Then we do everything else during naptime. I know many hate using naptime, but it's sooooooooo much less stressful and quiet for us this way.

 

This is what we did last year. It had to be done, since littlest was in the 18mo-2yo range. We did math, indepedent reading, and grammar in the morning after breakfast, then everything else was done during nap time.

 

This year, I've been easing more subjects into the morning slot so we have less during nap time. Yesterday, we got everything done, including most of the work from the day before (since we were slackers and only did 2 subjects that day), all before lunch - except science. We were to make bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls, string, peanut butter, and bird seed. Definitely doing that during nap time!!! To do WWE yesterday, DS1 and I ran into my bedroom and closed the door while the littles were playing in the den across the house. We sat on the bed and did two lessons in peace. :D Later, I did use the TV babysitter to distract the littles so we could get everything done. A friend was coming over in the afternoon.

 

Eventually, when I don't have a 2 year old running amok, I'll get school done all in the morning, and have a house-wide "quiet time" in some manner, though they're all going to be sharing a room at that point, so not sure how we'll do it logistically. Maybe the oldest can have quiet time in the school room. I would like a loveseat in there for us to snuggle on.

[Another Lynn]

I have two pre-K and a second grader right now. This is pretty much how our day goes:

I start with all of them and we talk about the news, the date, the weather, ect. We all sing the alphabet song together and count together. I have a ten month old in a high chair smashing cheerios at this point as well.

Next the pre-Ks get their homemade letter of the day coloring sheets and color while I do the math lesson with the second grader. I give the baby more cheerios or a banana so she can give herself a facial.

Then the second grader works on a page of math problems independently (or as independently as she can while attached to my hip) while I count manipulatives or cheerios smashed or unsmashed or something with the pre-ks. We may bark letter sounds at each other, which makes the baby laugh like crazy.

Then I read aloud a story to everyone. Some of them even pay attention.

Then I get the second grader started with language arts while the pre-Ks play. The second grader works independently while I do 'nature study' with the boys looking by at the Usborne First book of Nature and exclaiming over the cool pictures.

Then we have a snack, and if I am lucky the baby will fall asleep while the second grader reads aloud to us another story.

Then the pre-k's are off to play legos or draw on the huge white board or cut up construction paper and glue tiny pieces of it everywhere or something along those lines while the second grader and I do latin or science. If we are doing art or music they are included, not that they pay much attention, and they get to dance to the music or make a mess with whatever art supplies get pulled out.

Next I read history aloud while the pre-ks play with clay or draw. The second grader is currently into making paper dolls of historical people and re-enacting the stories, which is cool. I ask the boys to make historical things out of clay but they like to make dinosaurs or fire trucks instead.

After this the second grader does her independent reading or works on other language arts things independently while sitting as close to me as physically possible in case she needs help while I sing songs with the boys about bugs playing in a spider's web one day or while we do what ever else I think we need to do that day.

Then the baby wakes up and wants to eat the paper scraps and clay and legos, so we have to take a break and clean that stuff all up.

 

Does that make any sense? I can't work just with one until that one is done or I would never have the energy to get the next one going. None of them want to work independently, it takes a lot of encouragement. When the second grader is independent she is still stuck to me like glue, just in case she will need immediate assistance but I do make her let me give the boys my attention while she works. I am hoping that by next summer she may be comfortable concentrating on her work with at least five or six feet of distance between us.

 

:lol: Yes, it makes perfect sense. At those ages, it's basically a game of Whac-a-mole.

 

To OP, I'm leaning towards less combining this year than in the past. I think at this point my 3rd and 4th grader will be combined for history, with the 1st grader in on most of it. Everything else is looking like it will be more one-on-one.

[8filltheheart]

I didn't read the other responses, so someone else may use a similar approach.

 

I teach my youngest school age child 1st. We work together until we finish everything. While I am working with that child, my older kids are working on something they can complete on their own. For example, my 3rd grader would be reading silently while I was working with my 1st grader.

 

I don't teach pre-school. My primary grade kids only work for short time periods (k/1st is about an hr and 2nd is about 2 hrs). My days with 3 kids your kids' ages would be no more than 4 hrs long (1 hr for 1st and 3 hrs for 3rd). That would leave afternoons free for music, games, park time, nature study, art, cooking, etc.

[Ester Maria]

I have been rather unsuccessful at combining my older girls, who are not even a full year apart. We did manage to go through entire periods in which they would do math or Bible together, and then there were some readings we went through together or things of the kind, but for the most part, they have always prefered to be separate and, actually, I have always prefered it too.

 

Since I have such a small age difference, it was usually not a problem for me to assign something to one child while I work with the other one, and thus I would "rotate" between them - an hour with the eldest child, an hour with the middle child, than some free time while they both complete their independent work, then back to the eldest, then back to the middle, etc. When they were older, the sessions with each child became longer so that we can work without interruptions. Now they are mostly independent, but we still have a few weekly sessions that are several hours long where we discuss things and go over their materials I had corrected previously.

 

The highest quality instruction, in my experience, is definitely one-on-one. I think a big part of our homeschool quality lies in hours upon hours upon hours of one-on-one time my children were getting from me every week since they were small.

 

I am noticing a trend to work together now, though, when they are older, for some things, some of the time. I still have them separately talk to me.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

In all the years I have homeschooled I have never taught my kids together. Even when it was 4 students. I plan the school day so some are working independently while I work with another. This year I have only 2, a 6 yr old and a high schooler. The 6 yr old does school in spurts and the high schooler works independently knowing when the youngest is on a break I am there for him if needed.

[Matryoshka]

I think a better question is there a person who does teach all their kids together. Unless you only have two that are really close in age...

 

I used to teach my twins everything together, but now I've even separated them for math. We still do LA, science and history together - although since science is at coop and history is in the evenings, during school time it's just LA together.

 

But my younger dd I teach completely separately except for history, and then she still gets different reading assignments.

 

I do try to split my time between them, but even with two mostly together, it's been a challenge. I am in awe of those with large families with more than 2-3 levels to teach. I do have "with mom" work and "independent" work so that they have work to keep them focused when I'm working with the other kids.

[Guest]

I work with one child on one subject, then move on to the next child on the same subject until each child is finished, then we all move to the next subject and start again.

 

This is what I do with my children. This way, they are usually both working at the same time, but I am not pulling my hair out.

 

I highly suggest this... just get one started, then move on to the next, and so on. Repeat until all subjects are done.

 

Honestly, I don't see how you could teach all them at once, unless they are using the same material/grade level.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I combine science only. Everything else is seperate. We switch back and forth, I work with DD in the morning Tues/Thurs and DS Mon/Wed. Then the other one in the afternoon. We do science during the changeover. It works well for us. Prior to this I was running around like a chicken with its head removed. I spend a little more time doing school but there's less whining from the kids.

[robsiew]

I teach my kids separately, but everyone is working on different things at different times. I value them working independently, so this is what we strive for. Each child needs me to varying degrees. I pretty much start with whoever is ready to go in the morning and work through each child. I spend whatever time with them that they need that day. Some days some need me more than others. I usually start with the younger children so the older kids have time to get their work completed so we have things to go over.

[SilverMoon]

Well, mine do sit around the table together, but I stagger their mom dependent lessons so I'm usually only focusing on one at a time. The other kids are doing something independent while they wait, such as the work to a lesson I've already taught, writing, or reading their current assigned book if nothing else.