Separating children in all subjects

[freeindeed]

Who does this? Will you please share your schedule with me? I'd love to see how you balance individual teaching time for each child. We have always done readalouds, Bible, history, geography, and (often) science together. It is not working for us anymore because:

1. Dd11 is ready for Sonlight Core F, and ds9 is not.

2. Both children (regardless of my attempts to resolve this) interrupt each other when we're having book discussions. This then leads to bickering and I am frankly sick of it.:glare:

3. Often one child wants me to read another chapter, but the other doesn't. This also leads to more bickering between them.:001_huh::confused:

4. I think both of them (my middle two) are in need of having something "all their own."

 

I plan to use SL Core F with my dd11 and use Further Up and Further In (unit study using The Chronicles of Narnia series.) I discussed this plan with them, and they like it. My dd11 especially is eager to be taught separately from her little brother.

 

So, now I am in need of ideas on how to make this work, especially since I'm also taking care of (as well as teaching) my little one with special needs. Thanks for sharing schedules/advice/tips with me!

[Laura Corin]

I pretty much did this. Our day would begin with English and maths. We all sat at one table - I would sit between them and work with each as necessary. After a break I would move on, usually setting the older one up with something to do while I worked with the younger one. Then the younger one would finish his day earlier and go to read/play while I had some concentrated time with the elder.

 

As the older one matured, he would start working from his own weekly list, only coming to find me when he needed help.

 

That was roughly it.

 

Laura

[Spetzi]

This doesn't address your question exactly, but I've BTDT.

 

We used SL G this year with ds 12, dd 9. DD 9 listened to the history and novel read alouds and read some of the readers. I had ds read and let me know if it was OK for his sister. For dd, I added in history pockets and lapbooks (that she and I worked on away from big brother).

 

To prevent the opinion bickering, don't ask. :D *I* decide if we are reading another chapter. It has happened that one child wants to finish the book on his/her own. That's fine by me! Since you use SL, you can read the notes to keep up. I have asked a specific child a question about the book/event. When s/he is done, the other child can chime in. Then I give the second child a chance to answer first for the next question.

 

I've been tempted to split them, but then I'd have to resort to more workbook/notebook style which is fine for me in small quantities, but not for every subject. Of course, you may feel differently. I just can't juggle separate subjects for everyone.

 

I realize I didn't answer your question, I'm encouraging you to re-evaluate in case it would be too much work to handle a SL core and another curric.

 

I hope this helps,

[mrs.m]

My DD does something different than the boys. She's in a different stage and combining them hasn't worked for a couple years. I work with her in the afternoon and the boys in the morning. She is working independently most of the time.

Edited June 8, 2012 by jannylynn

[Chelli]

For all of the reasons you mentioned in your OP is why I have chosen not to combine. We do Circle Time together in the mornings and one thing together (it changes each day) while my little one naps. Other than that we separate for everything, and I like it that way! They like it as well.

 

Here is a blog post I did on how we rotate out time with mom while entertaining the two year old.

 

How I Plan Our Homeschool Day

 

Maybe it will give you some ideas of how to tweak for your family!

[hmschooling]

Who does this? Will you please share your schedule with me? I'd love to see how you balance individual teaching time for each child. We have always done readalouds, Bible, history, geography, and (often) science together. It is not working for us anymore because:

1. Dd11 is ready for Sonlight Core F, and ds9 is not.

2. Both children (regardless of my attempts to resolve this) interrupt each other when we're having book discussions. This then leads to bickering and I am frankly sick of it.:glare:

3. Often one child wants me to read another chapter, but the other doesn't. This also leads to more bickering between them.:001_huh::confused:

4. I think both of them (my middle two) are in need of having something "all their own."

 

I plan to use SL Core F with my dd11 and use Further Up and Further In (unit study using The Chronicles of Narnia series.) I discussed this plan with them, and they like it. My dd11 especially is eager to be taught separately from her little brother.

 

So, now I am in need of ideas on how to make this work, especially since I'm also taking care of (as well as teaching) my little one with special needs. Thanks for sharing schedules/advice/tips with me!

 

I use Heart of Dakota and have 4 kids I split my time between...will have toddler, K, 3rd, 6th this fall. I have my schedule on hslaunch.com ...just search "hod" or "school days gone by"

[Tenaj]

I separated my kids for almost all subjects last year. The only combo I'll have next year is a double up of two boys in Latin for about half of the year. We just rotate all day long. We start with math and I get my 10yo started and into the independent part of his lesson, my 8yo started and going, and then sit with my 6 yo for most of his. Then I start the rotation again with the 10 yo for history and a few other items (probably for about 20-30 minutes) and we just keep going. It rarely works out as neatly as it looks on paper and sometimes they work independently when they really think they need my attention but as long as I keep focused I can usually keep all the balls in the air :)

 

Separating them has forced them all to be accountable in all of the subjects and I've seen great, measurable strides made by each of them this year.

[redsquirrel]

I do, but I can't imagine I would be much help to you. My two are 5 years apart in age. A first grader and a 6th grader don't have any natural overlap. The older one does his work while I work with the younger. The younger is done pretty quickly and that frees up the rest of the afternoon to do one on one work with the elder.

 

Well, they do tag along with each other science experiments and history projects. But, that is always fun.

[freeindeed]

For all of the reasons you mentioned in your OP is why I have chosen not to combine. We do Circle Time together in the mornings and one thing together (it changes each day) while my little one naps. Other than that we separate for everything, and I like it that way! They like it as well.

 

Here is a blog post I did on how we rotate out time with mom while entertaining the two year old.

 

How I Plan Our Homeschool Day

 

Maybe it will give you some ideas of how to tweak for your family!

 

Thank you! I am in the midst of copying your ideas now.:) Also, I am following your blog, too. I am known as "redkitchen" in the blogging world.

 

Thanks to everyone else for your thoughts and ideas, too. You all have given me peace and confirmation in my decision. I think I will actually have more peace and more time with separate schooling because (hopefully) I will be settling fewer disagreements between my children.:tongue_smilie:

[sagira]

For all of the reasons you mentioned in your OP is why I have chosen not to combine. We do Circle Time together in the mornings and one thing together (it changes each day) while my little one naps. Other than that we separate for everything, and I like it that way! They like it as well.

 

Here is a blog post I did on how we rotate out time with mom while entertaining the two year old.

 

How I Plan Our Homeschool Day

 

Maybe it will give you some ideas of how to tweak for your family!

 

Wow! I am definitely going to use that idea of cutting up papers with subjects on them - I am visual too. Thanks!

[woolybear]

I have pretty much come to the point of separating for all subjects. I'm a bit in denial though, because I still plan some subjects to do jointly.

 

My dc are 9 and 11 also and we have similar issues. At this point, ds (age 11) does quite a bit of work independently. We don't have a set schedule to our day currently, but this is how today went.

 

Ds, 11, did some chores, playing, etc till about 10:00. Then he started school. He worked mostly independently except for some help needed with math, discussion on israel and palestinians, and questions on geography.

When he finished I got him some lunch. Then he went outside to help his dad.

 

Ds, 9, was listening to an audio book, playing outside, etc. while his brother did school. After lunch, he got started on his workboxes. He asked questions about what to do. He needed a little help. Then we sat down together to do read aloud time. We were done around 2 ish.

 

I'm not sure this is helpful at all or answers your questions.

[Murphy101]

I come pretty close to it. I literally have a schedule at this point. But it's got names and places and so forth, so I won't put a picture up of it.

 

Hmmm.

 

It helps that we all work in the same room, so as long as I keep working the room - we make considerable progress.

[RegularMom]

Our day would begin with English and maths. We all sat at one table - I would sit between them and work with each as necessary. After a break I would move on, usually setting the older one up with something to do while I worked with the younger one. Then the younger one would finish his day earlier and go to read/play while I had some concentrated time with the elder.

 

As the older one matured, he would start working from his own weekly list, only coming to find me when he needed help.

 

This very much describes our day here too. I separated my girls in science and history about two years ago, for reasons very similar to the OP's.

 

What's been tricky to manage is making sure I get enough time with my older dd. Much of her work has become independent, and she's good about that, but I need to make sure I check her work more thoroughly, and that I check with her that she doesn't have any questions or problems.

 

Next year, my younger dd will move into more independent math and history, which will free up more time for me to work with my older dd. I plan to increase the amount of discussion time with her. I'm hoping to create a schedule where each dd has a private hour with me every day, for discussions, tests and quizzes, review of papers, etc.

 

I ask them each year if they want to continue working separately, and they both consistently say "yes", so we'll keep on doing it.

 

HTH.

[Murphy101]

I start with my oldest. I quickly review what I expect them to do, answer their initial questions, and get them started.

 

Then I start with memory lessons, math, then Latin and Spanish (that's the plan anyways, those are new this fall) copy work, and science or history or art.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We ended up doing everything separately this past year. I created a MOTH schedule and rotated between the kids every half hour or so. When they were not working with me, they were either working independently or playing with the youngest. HTH

[smgwynn]

Have you thought about switching to tog? Your kids would still be studying the same subject matter but at their ages would be at different levels and some work of their own.

[freeindeed]

Have you thought about switching to tog? Your kids would still be studying the same subject matter but at their ages would be at different levels and some work of their own.

 

I looked at TOG a few years ago, but it looked overwhelming to me. Now, due to budget constraints, I couldn't afford it. Thankfully I have all the SL Core F materials and the FUFI materials on hand now.:)