Need help planning waaaaaay ahead for 2 children that are 6 years apart

[JRmommy]

Ok, please don't laugh at me. I am deciding on curricula to use with my son next year. He is 5.5 years old now, and I am pregnant with #2. Of course, I realize that there is some trial and error in selecting which curriculum to use. But, I wonder if there are certain curricula that are geared to multi-age children, especially with a big age gap. I am thinking more about history than anything else as I plan to do a 4 year history cycle. I was considering MFW or MOH to combine my children when they are older. The thing is I really don't want to start next fall with something and fall in love with it only to find out that it doesn't work well down the road with 2 children with a 6 year age difference.

 

So, for those that have multiple children with an age gap, please give me your suggestions/advice. Or you can tell me just to take a :chillpill:! :lol:

[boscopup]

:lol:

 

Um... :chillpill: :D

 

Ok, here's the thing... You can't predict what your children will be like 6 years from now. YOU will also grow and change, so while you may love a curriculum now and for the next couple years, you may end up needing/wanting something else (or you might just be bored and not want to use the same thing forevermore!). For now, I'd concentrate on teaching the school age child. Worry about combining the kids (if you even can with that age spread) later when you're getting ready to have 2 kids in school.

 

My kids are 2.5 years apart. Right now, I just focus on DS1's history. DS2 will tag along when he's ready (he's not yet). We'll start the 4-year cycle again when DS2 is 2nd grade and DS3 is K. I will choose the appropriate curriculum for us at that point. It might be WTM-recs, MFW Ancients, TOG Y1, or any number of other things. It's far enough away that I'm not concerned with it now. How I school now is likely going to be different from how I school then, and I can't at all predict what we'll want or need 2 or 3 years from now.

 

And I mentioned above your age difference... So you'll have a K'er and a 6th grader? Then a 1st grader and a 7th grader? They are going to need completely different texts. You can use the same time period for your own sanity, but I highly doubt they'd be sharing anything. Even my older two that are 2.5 years apart are so vastly different in ability and understanding that they probably won't use the same materials.

 

So yeah, just :chillpill: for now (and I know that's hard when you're pregnant and get in planning mode!!! You're homeschool nesting! :lol:). Teach the oldest with whatever materials strike your fancy. See what you like, and enjoy this time of being able to try stuff without worrying about whether you can combine!

[redsquirrel]

my kids are 5 years apart. I now have what the state would call 6th grader and a 1st grader.

 

The firsty is at the grammar stage and the 6th year is in the logic stage. I do have them on the same history and science cycles. That is a life saver! I have been able to reuse just about all my materials from the elder boy for the younger, but YMMV with that one.

 

Other than that, they are at very different places academically. I don't really worry about having them do stuff together. The younger tags along a whole lot and sees his big brother doing science, but the elder has very little interest in doing 1st grade science, lol. Oh, the elder does join in for each and every SOTW activity, even though he has done them all before.

[hsmomma]

There are several curriculums that you could use for Multilevel teaching but if I were starting out again I would go with Tapestry of Grace and get the paper units. Good resale price, excellent curriculum and fun:) MFW is great but you dont really combine until 2nd grade. Kindergarten and 1st grade a separate. I have used and enjoy both. We have also done Sonlight mulit age format and I didnt think it worked well without lots of tweeking.

One of the best speakers I have heard on multi level teaching is Heidi St. John. She talks about teaching Bible, History and Science together and teaching to each childs level. You start everyone together on the bus and as you reach that childs destination you let them off the bus. So your kindergartener would get off after the reading and color, the 3rd grader would listen and do copywork, the 6th grader would listen read an additional book and write a summary etc.

HTH

[alisoncooks]

I have no suggestions, but only wanted to let you know that you certainly aren't alone in the planning ahead. I have a K'er and a 3 yr. old and I have their curric. mapped out until 8th/6th grade. :D **That said, the minor details of my plan change weekly...but I think it's great to look ahead. I don't want to be jumping all over the place; I like to know that we are on a relatively set course.

[onaclairadeluna]

My kids are 6 1/2 years apart. Here's the thing. You don't really need to plan for two. The wonderful thing about that age group is by the time #2 comes around you know what your doing so it's all really easy. Just plan for #1 for now. There's no special 6 year apart curriculum.

 

At this point DS (in 8th grade) is really independent. I spend most of my time with my second grader and check in on him periodically. In the beginning you will mostly be looking for ways to keep your baby occupied so you can get things done. Focus on teaching reading while you have plenty of one on one time. If you have a reader it will be much easier when the baby comes.

 

I would spend your energy trying to put together an awesome curriculum for your 5 year old. The rest will fall in to place.

[A.Balaban]

I have some stuff planned out through eighth grade. I only did one plan- because I will be adjusting as I get closer. I am still working on pieces of the curriculum map but I like having everything laid out. :-)

 

I agree that I would just make one plan for two kids six years apart. I would not worry about history cycles or things like that yet. My kids will be 2 years apart and I haven't figured it out yet :-P I still have plenty of time though. Good luck

[nd293]

Ok, I have two children 6yrs apart, and my advice is to forget working with them together. It might work if you have others in between, but if those are your only two - no. Ds is now 5yrs old, and dd is 11 - preprimary and Year 6 in Australian terms. They essentially have nothing in common in terms of their interests and how their brains work at those ages. While you could certainly synchronise their programmes so that the picture books you read to the younger one are covering the same subjects that the older one is doing, how they will be covering the material, and what they should be tackling in terms of level of understanding is simply too far apart. Even in terms of board games which support learning, what is really useful to dd11 is beyond the grasp of ds5. Just choose the best possible programmes for the older one, and hold onto those you love to use with your younger one when the time comes.

 

The tricky issue with the big gap for me was really that dd was starting to need more academically challenging work at the time that ds was at his most energetic and noisy. Keep the baby napping for as long as possible!

[bearnpurple]

You could plan your 1st child's curriculum (with few consumables) that way they can be used again IF needed. If not, more than likely you can resell them.

 

I have 3 children 15, 9, and 7.......they are no where near the same....I have one very independent who wants NO technology if it can be helped and very little reading (when possible). Another wants reading and technology with very little writing (when possible) and the least amount of math she can get away with. The last one is the go-getter....wants as many workbooks as you can dish out, loves math, loves to read, and is already quite proficient in manuscript and cursive writing......

 

Yes, I have LOTS of books (and workbooks) on the same subjects of the same year because they all learn the differently but the same subjects but it has been worth it to add and deleted as needed.

 

Just remember, flexibility is the key.....it is one of the reasons we homeschool, right? None of the "this is the textbook" and just deal with it issues! :)

 

Have fun planning but remember there is a LOT of good stuff out there but not all of it will fit.....test the waters and having fun learning!

[mhg]

Did I read somewhere that Veritas Press history/bible was good for that age gap?

 

i think so.

[cschnee]

In 6 years there will be a whole new load of great stuff!

[MrsBear]

I have two that are six years apart too, but realized it's next to impossible to do much with them together as they'll be in different places academically when my younger starts with formal curriculum.

 

What I do though:

 

1 - when we use a program that is really good and it has consumables, I do buy a fresh set of consumable workbooks and then put the text and workbooks away together for my younger to use. For example, with Singapore Math, this year I bought the workbooks for the levels DS completed and put them away with the texts he's used already.

 

2 - Where it makes sense, I have DS use paper instead of writing in some workbooks. For example, the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problem books for Singapore, I have DS do the work on paper. Once we're done with the book, I put it away with the other books I have for that grade level for when my younger is ready to use them.

 

3. Once we're done with some things, I pack up the living books that go along with it for use later. For example, when we finished Story of the World Ancients, I packed the reader, CD's, a new activity pages book and the "best of..." the living books I'd purchased to read through the curriculum. This way I know the books are with it and that they will not be lost in years to come.

 

4. I file away my lessons plans we did in the year, where I tweaked and what I added, along with my side notes of things to remember. I'm hoping this will save me time in the future when it comes to planning things for the younger!

 

I keep one large tote per subject completed for my younger DS, so when we're ready, I can just grab and get started. I thought about doing it by grade, but realized that my older DS is all over the place for grade, so store things by subject so that I don't have to go to multiple bins if I need some things.

 

All that said, I do realize that in four years there might be even better stuff available and I may be tempted to use something else. To me, that's okay and a risk I'll take. I'd rather keep things that are solid and work well now and have them for our use later, then not have them and have to start all over again in four years! I also keep a selection of things I've gotten that didn't work with my older DS, but are still good options, just in case they'll be useful for my younger one!

[Hedgehogs4]

:001_smile: :chillpill:

 

Have fun teaching your 5 - 6 yo. Don't worry too much about THE curriculum for your children's lives. Experience proves that you will probably try many before you settle on one, to your husband's dismay. :001_huh:

[chepyl]

I am not even planning for dd to join in our studies yet and they will be three school years apart. She will be K and he will be 3rd. We will be on SOTW 3, I will probably have her do that with us, but, I may change my mind. She is very different from her brother! She listens in and participates in science labs, and does her coloring book for now.

 

Plus,there is new curriculum out all the time...in six years, you might find something better.

[SkateLeft]

:001_smile: :chillpill:

 

Have fun teaching your 5 - 6 yo. Don't worry too much about THE curriculum for your children's lives. Experience proves that you will probably try many before you settle on one, to your husband's dismay. :001_huh:

 

:iagree:

 

:lol: