.... Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 My two oldest kids are very close in age - they're 13 months apart. I've always just worked with those two together...almost like they're in the same grade. This has been the easiest thing for me. They don't like to be separated and grouping them together has helped free up time to work with my younger two kids (I have 4 kids total). OK, now for the problem... This fall, the oldest kid starts the logic stage. :001_unsure: I am seriously considering pulling Kid #2 into the logic stage with her. This would allow them both to work thru the WTM history/science/art history/literature/writing together. He would do his own math, because she flew past him in math this year (ironically :glare: - she used to cry during math). Does this sound like too much for a 4th grade boy? I can see disaster looming next year as I try to teach 5th grade, 4th grade, 2nd grade and K. I'm having a really hard time planning. I've thrown my logic stage plans to the wind 600 times now. Ideas? Anyone else have this situation? What did you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I don't have this problem yet, but I will at some point. I have three children born in a 3 year span (21 months/16 months) so I'm sure we will combine and split off at least a few times. What I would ask myself is if they are ready for logic stage work. I'd ask the same question for each child. Are they ready to work with this material at that level? Is child #1 ready to work through history with a logic level understanding? Is child #2? What about science? What about writing? I would just look at each subject for each child, and then ask myself if it was an appropriate level and amount of work. Am I going to be holding one child back or pushing the other too hard if we combine here? Or is this a good place to stay together while we separate other subjects? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 That's why we do Tapestry of Grace. It has made it so much easier to do history, lit, Bible together. We are also all working through Artistic Pursuits and GDFL Science together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I would say it all depends on the abilities of the younger child... My kids are 26 months apart, but the 5yo is only 1 year behind in all his schoolwork. I foresee a year where, in some subjects, the 5yo will be at (or possibly above??) the 7yo. I plan to just take it all as it comes!! :D I don't want to push anyone to far and I don't want to hold anyone back... so I think it will be a balancing act (time to teach vs skills to be taught vs abilities) as I go forward. If the younger child is ABLE to do that work without it being a huge push, then go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Keep in mind that you would have kids with as much or more age and ability spread in the standard ps classroom, so I don't think that you shouldn't be able to keep them combined, except in math. Most subjects like LA, history, science are better "accelerated" by going deeper, rather than faster. Math is the exception (though depth is also good, there's just only so deep you can do with addition, for example, compared to history where you could spend all year on WW2 and still not cover everything). I agree with PP that logic stage is more an issue of readiness than grade or age. Personally, I would just keep both in grammar stage work until the younger one is ready for logic (could be now). The older child can do extra writing or add some more challenging books for her to read, if you like. Then move both to logic when both are ready. Your older child will not be harmed by spending an extra 6mo or year doing grammar stage work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I don't know how much help I'll be as I don't use "grammar/logic" type stages for classifying my kids or coursework. However, I do combine kids at times, even those not even close in age. For example, last yr my then 3rd and 6th grade daughters spent the yr studying the Chronicles of Narnia together. Their assignments were simply different and level appropriate. In a few weeks I am combining my 7th and 10th grader for a Shakespeare study. I already had it scheduled for my 10th grader, but my 7th grader has developed a real love for Shakespeare, so I am going to pull her into the study. My expectations for my 7th grader's essays/insights will be different than for the 10th. But, as far as materials, they will use the same things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Personally, I would just keep both in grammar stage work until the younger one is ready for logic (could be now). The older child can do extra writing or add some more challenging books for her to read, if you like. Then move both to logic when both are ready. Your older child will not be harmed by spending an extra 6mo or year doing grammar stage work. I have daughters who are 11 months apart and this has never worked with them because of the oldest. They figure out if they are being slowed down to help the sibling catch up with them and then they start resenting it, in my experience. I have almost never been able to combine my daughters, in spite of an extremely small age difference (there is a short period each year when they are SAME age!) and both being academically precocious, the younger one perhaps in some aspects more drastically so. It just did not work. The older child was able to articulate quite early on that she felt neglected and "sacrificed" and that she wanted her own grade level, materials, criteria, everything, not tied with the sister. You know your child the best and you know how they would take it, but I think slowing the older one down is a potentially bad option. If you really want to keep them together, I would rather try putting the younger on the older's level than the other way round and see if it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 They figure out if they are being slowed down to help the sibling catch up with them and then they start resenting it, in my experience. Ah! I understand what you're saying. No, the oldest two are so used to being together that I don't think either of them would think twice about it. Also, they're very competitive...I mean, really competitive...:svengo: They're even talking about going into the same career field. Sheesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 Keep in mind that you would have kids with as much or more age and ability spread in the standard ps classroom, so I don't think that you shouldn't be able to keep them combined, except in math. OK, you are absolutely right. I'm just thinking too much into this. Those teachers are able to teach 30 kids with a range of abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 :bigear: Mine are 26mo and 14mo apart. My middle child is on par with my oldest in LA (the 2 yr age gap!). I combine them for spelling and grammar. They do their own copywork/narrations (even if they are fairly similar) and reading. There is no way she could combine with him for math. I'm actually considering combining my younger two in math. It really depends upon how well my little guy does this spring. I am interested in hearing how you work this out...seeing my future before me and all.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabinfl Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I am very interested in this topic! I am starting K level next year with my b/g twins, who turn 5 next June. My plan is to teach their little sister, 10.5 months younger, right along with them. So far she keeps up with them in most everything, and in fact picks up some things earlier than my son (one of the twins). I figure that a school classroom has kids who are 1 day shy of a year apart, and if my kids' birthdays were in different months (Aug & Sept instead of May & June), they would be assignd to the same grade in traditional school, so why not? In addition, both my sister and I started school at a private school a full year ahead of when we would have in public school due to different birthday/age cutoffs. I already see more difference between my children individually than between the twins and little sis, so I'm pretty comfident I can make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 :bigear:I am interested in hearing how you work this out...seeing my future before me and all.:001_smile: We've been finishing school around 4 or 5 pm lately and I'm not real happy with that. I'm not sure why everything is taking so long. I only have 4 kids. Maybe we should do a big "how to combine kids" reading binge this week. I think the WTM website has a few articles about it. We moved away from a lot of curriculum and box-checking curriculum this year (which has probably lowered the stress level), but I still feel like things could run smoother. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 I am very interested in this topic! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to look around for some articles about combining kids. I'll try to post back tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I have twins and then a little guy 23 months later; the twins do EVERYTHING together, and my little guy (K-5-ish this year) does most stuff with them. He's alone in reading and in math, but everything else is together (at this stage). Some days I do consider splitting up the twins, for THEIR sake, but haven't yet, for MY sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 My four are 3 1/2 years apart from oldest to youngest. (11 months, 16 months and then 13 months). My oldest is a wee bit slower to learn things (possibly dyslexic) and my second born is a bit advanced. I'm anticipating a problem when my daughter is old enough to realize that he is surpassing her. I'm hoping that by keeping grade level labels out of our classroom, nobody will have hurt feelings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 I'm hoping that by keeping grade level labels out of our classroom, nobody will have hurt feelings. Yeah, this is hard. My two kids who started off in public school, they think of everything in terms of grade levels. My two kids who never went to school, they don't even notice grade levels. They think learning is a normal part of their day. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 I did my planning yesterday and I decided to combine as much as humanly possible. Everybody is combined for Read-Alouds, History and Science. The 5th grader and 4th grader are going to do the same thing for Lit, US History (we run a US History thread separate from our world history), Religion, Art, Latin and Logic. The 2nd grader will just have her own Reading, LA, Religion and Math. The K-er will do MFW K (I guess I'll teach this again :tongue_smilie:). :svengo: Thank-you, Everybody, for all the help/support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 My daughters are 13 months apart. While we use the same materials and group instruction for many subjects (history, science, spelling, grammar, Spanish), I have always had to tailor the output expectations for each child. They've always necessitated separate writing and math programs and instruction. I don't anticipate needing to change our system. I get the ability to limit the number of programs we have running, and they get the appropriate amount of challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I'd love to find a way to make this work. I have a similar gap, except that the way their birthdays fall puts them 2 grades apart. Even for subjects where they're working on the same material, at the same level, I have to do it twice over with them separately. Even when we do the maps in SOTW they manage to have problems over one waiting for the other.:banghead::banghead::banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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