Back to back grade levels...what are you sharing?

[Tess in the Burbs]

I know I am not the only one teaching back to back grades here and wanted to see what you are really able to combine and what isn't working.

 

Right now we are doing history, science, art, bible. I would like to dream and think that in another two years I could combine Language Arts(writing, spelling, grammar) but am I crazy to think it's possible? Or will it always be one grade apart making me go gray year after year repeating myself for the younger student ;)

 

I already waited a year to begin History so I could have them combined in that area. The older one will be doing more narration and the younger copywork. Science has been fun to combine but I wonder in the higher grades if mental maturity will be an issue?

 

What is working for you in the back to back grade children?

[Pongo]

I combine ALL in History, Bible, Science, Art, and Composer Study. My middle and oldest do Spanish, Shurley English and IEW. My middle and youngest do Latin together.

[Tweed]

I am teaching 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. We combine our memory work, geography, history, science and Latin. This is our 2nd year of Latin and the kids are starting to move off at their own pace now. I feel like I am holding back my 3rd grader too much so I am going to have to seperate them. I'm not sure how teaching three different Latin classes a day is going to work out for me, though.:001_huh: Anyway, I am also considering combining my soon to be 3rd and 4th grader in first year classical writing.

[jail warden]

It may take another year or two before you can. I will be combining even more next year. My dd is advanced for her age, and has been gaining on ds. The only major thing I see separate is their independent R&S Bible, RightStart Math, and the rest looks like it will combine. I will be trying Grammar, SWR, and possibly WritingTales together. We already do History, Science, Latin, Memory, Bible together and it works well. But at your dc age, I couldn't I tried, they just needed a bit more time and maturity.

[DarcyM]

This year for 1st and 2nd we did science, history, lit and our Grammar/Punctuation book together.

 

They are on different levels of math, independent reading and phonics.

 

I would love to eventually combine them on everything but math. Not sure if that will happen for awhile with writing.

 

My younger one will always have his own thing. Somehow teaching 2 separate things seems less daunting than 3, right?

[Beth in Central TX]

I teach Latin, Greek, and CW together, but everything else is separate. When they were younger, and I read aloud more, I did combine science and history. Once my older boys started doing more of their work independently, it became easier to separate their subjects. I know I'm in the minority here, but it works well for all of us. I found that the more I kept them together, the more competitive they became--who would finished their worksheet or narration first, who answered more questions, who answered more questions correctly, etc. It's actually easier to keep them on their own (less competitive) path.

[farmwife]

I have back-to-back kiddos too. I have been thinking a lot about this very thing!

 

This next year (08-09) for my 1st & 2nd graders I am going to combine History, Science, Art, and Bible. When they go into 2 & 3 I am going to try to combine all subjects except for Math. I am looking seriously at doing MFW 'Adventures' which covers alot of subjects, possibly using CQLA Red Pre-A with them both (I just saw this in the timberdoodles catalog, it looks perfect!) also SWR and Latin, and that should leave just Math. I think it's exciting to have two children work together. I think it can make learning so much more fun! I have already noticed the older one 'coaching' the younger one on phonics and things, it's really cute!

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

My kids are: 13, 11 (almost 12 - 13 months younger than older sis), 9, 7, and 4.

 

I combine all kids for:

Bible, History, Science

 

I combine the 2 oldest for:

Math, Language Arts

 

I am also, believe it or not, able to combine my 9 and 7 in most math. He is quite advanced, while she is behind in this subject.

 

For now, it works! :001_smile:

[Sarah CB]

Mine are two years apart (grades K and 2) and I combine for quite a few things already. We combine the easy things (history, literature read alouds, science, Bible, memorization, geography), but we also combine spelling and I'm very, very tempted to combine math next year.

 

My K student is a little quicker and my grade 2 student needs a little more time with things. They both just finished All About Spelling level 1 and it was lovely to sit and do it with both of them togther. I really wouldn't want to be teaching two levels of it on top of everything else. My Ker used the letter tiles to spell his words and my older ds wrote his words down in a notebook. They both have the same level of mastery with the rules and the phonograms and they're both using what they've learned in their everyday writing.

 

My ds (gr 2) is really intrigued by younger ds' math program. Younger ds is working through Right Start B and loving every minute of it. Older ds is just starting Singapore 3A. I've been toying with the idea of doing level C with both of them in September and then having older ds continue to work through Singapore. They already play the RS games together.

 

Actually, that's another really nice thing about having kids close together...they play all of their educational game together and that frees me up to go and do other things.

 

I plan to start First Language Lessons 3 with them both in September. If my younger one isn't quite ready for it then I can always pick it up again with him in a couple of years, but I have a feeling that he'll do just fine.

[MerryAtHope]

My kids are 2 years apart. We use Sonlight & combine in the subjects you listed. And this year, when they were 5th & 3rd, they used the same readers and the same SL LA! What a dream! Next year I'm going to still combine them using Bravewriter's Arrow along with SL readers, some of my own stuff (copywork & dictation), and Grammar Ace.

 

We're using All About Spelling right now & so far I'm combining them. The older may progress more quickly & I might split them, but it's good review for the oldest & reinforcement for both. And with Dictation, they can both be challenged--the younger can do a sentence, and the older can do more, depending on how many challenging words there were in the passage we used. That makes it easy to do the same passage but more of it for the older & keep them together.

 

We don't combine math. And my oldest reads more books. We're combining about everything else! Oh, they each do their own instrument.

 

I am thinking that when my oldest goes into 7th grade, I'll split them for science.

 

Merry :-)

[sweetbaby]

Just like the previous posters, we combine all subjects except Math and Handwriting.

[Tess in the Burbs]

thanks for sharing what you 'share' :-) I know I will have to see how it goes to make sure each child is able to work on their own level but I see how I can combine things...even spelling :-)

 

thank you again!

[Nestof3]

Hi Tess! :001_smile:

 

My boys will be 2nd and 3rd. We combine:

 

history

science

read alouds

poetry

art study

music study

handwriting (Italic Book C)

 

They will use the same spelling book: Natural Speller. I will start them both out on the first grade list and they will work on their own pace.

 

They will use the same Language Arts curricula by the time they're in 3rd & 4th, but one will be one book behind the other (Daily Grams, Easy Grammar, Writing Strands). I have contemplated using the same Daily Grams and Easy Grammar levels with each, but I'm not sure how I would do it. I know the original series was labeled "3rd/4th" so I may be able to but them both in the 4th grade one when Ben's 3rd and Nathan's 4th. I would have to look at the two books to see how they vary.

 

They'll both use Saxon Math, but one level apart.

 

So eventhough we won't be able to work through identical work all day long, at least we will be able to use the same books again and I will be all the more familiar with each one. :001_smile:

 

They have their own series which they read aloud to me, which is great because then they will not be reading me the same thing. :lol: [One does Pathway Readers, the other CLP Nature Readers].

 

Nathan is a more academically gifted child than Ben, so it makes the age spread a little more distant, if that makes sense.

[NancyNellen]

They do History, Science, Classical Writing, Poetry Memorization, and Latin together. It makes things much easier!

[Annie Laurie]

My two that are back to back will be 2nd and 1st. They'll combine everything except math and LA.

[RoughCollie]

My kids are 14 and 12.5. I always combined everything except math for one of the boys. When they were learning to read, I taught each child individually.

[LisaKinVA]

I have a 4th grader, 1st grader, K and a pre-schooler. The only things we combine all of our children in are Music and Bible. The two younger join in Latin, but aren't required to "do" it. I combine the 1st grader and K in history, science and art -- right now they are only one level apart in math and reading.

 

I can't hold back my oldest -- he needs more, and I'm not good at taking one curriculum and making it fit two very different age groups. I'll try to keep the middle two together as much as possible, but if one of them wants to "fly" -- I'm not going to hold them back either.

[LanaTron]

I teach Latin, Greek, and CW together, but everything else is separate. When they were younger, and I read aloud more, I did combine science and history. Once my older boys started doing more of their work independently, it became easier to separate their subjects. I know I'm in the minority here, but it works well for all of us. I found that the more I kept them together, the more competitive they became--who would finished their worksheet or narration first, who answered more questions, who answered more questions correctly, etc. It's actually easier to keep them on their own (less competitive) path.

 

I tried to keep my eldest two together on just about everything, but they are nearly two years apart in age...#2 dc just can't keep up with him...her skill level in math and writing just isn't where #1 dc's is, and he certainly isn't advanced. And in the past year or so, the competetiveness really started coming out, too, and making #2 feel "stupid" if she didn't do as well as #1 on assignments.

 

Anyway, I combine all four of my kids in science, history, Bible, and art, expecting appropriate amounts and levels of work depending on their current skill level and their age. The elder two are combined in spelling, and I am going to try to continue to combine them in Literature, as #2's reading level is quite high. I can see that in the next year or two, I may have to let #1 dc do even more of his own thing, though, as he is entering middle school, and then high school.

[Peela]

My kids are 17 months apart but the older is a bright student and the younger has learning difficulties. I have always combined them in history, sometimes in Science, and always with our read alouds, Logic, poetry etc.

 

I havent until recently combined them for LA. And I haven't intended to, but yesterday I was about to start working with my older on essays...discussing the structure etc more formally that in the past...as I had been planning to for some weeks....and suddenly I realised that there was no reason my younger couldn't also learn about essays, and begin to write them and learn about the structure, within his own capacity. So I just included him in the lesson and he was more enthusiastic than his sister! So, it looks like I may be able to combine them for "writing" now as well, even though the older will probably catch on quicker.

 

I have a friend whose daughters are two years apart though and she delibertely keeps them separate for everything because it is the younger who is the more advanced student for her age, and the older has some learning difficulties and felt bad that the younger was understanding things that she didnt.

 

So I think personality issues need to be taken into consideration.

[Marie in Oh]

when my oldest was in K I had my dd (then 4.5 dd) doing phonics with him. They did two years and finished in 1st and K respectively, reading at the same level. After I got them reading, we started the rest of Language Arts (spelling, grammar, etc) and they do that all together. We started Latin this last year in 3rd/4th.

 

The only subject they do that is a different level is Math, though my younger could easily keep up with him-- I just think it is good for the older to be ahead in something. They also have different reading lists- mostly becasue of interest.

 

It definitely makes it easier if you can keep most things together. Now, my oldest is a bright boy-- meaning he is less interested in school, and my younger one is a bright, diligent girl. She is able to keep a grade ahead. Not all second borns can, so you would have to access what you know thus far about your kids, but it is possible.