s/o - scheduling transitions between subjects - multiple kids

[IsabelC]

If you are planning to do, say, some math (several children each working on their own level) followed by some history (doing this all together) what do you do when one child finishes before the others or one takes longer?

 

Do you let the faster child take a break?

Give her extra work to fill in the time?

Give her another specific activity to do?

 

Do you wait for the slower child to finish?

Let him not finish all the planned work?

Ask him to put it aside and complete it later?

 

Just wondering, because I cannot seem to give my three kids the right amount of stuff so that they all finish at once. Mr 9 mucks about, whines, daydreams and wastes time so that even easy things take ages, whereas Ms 7 plods along steadily until she's done. Hare and tortoise. (Ms 4 flies through her work, but that usually works out OK as she can do reading, writing and math in the time it takes her brother to do one thing, and that fits with her 4yo concentration span).

Edited September 11, 2012 by Hotdrink

[LindaOz]

We have two set 'gathering times' in our day - one at 8:30am and the other at 1:30. We do our all-together things then. The kids know these times are coming and can work around them. Other than that, I have a couple of 'small group' gatherings (might only involve two or three kids) and I pre-warn my kids ahead of time what time we will get together for those things. They start their individual work at 9am so I may tell them for example, that Samantha, Erin and Luke will be doing history with me at 11am. If someone finishes before that then he/she gets free time until then. If they are not finished then they can complete their work later.

 

Another way would be to do the together things at the start of the day before everyone scatters to do their own thing.

 

HTH

Edited September 12, 2012 by LindaOz

[boscopup]

Doing the same subject all together didn't work here. We are doing better with me kick starting my oldest with independent work, then I work with my 3 year old (so he thinks he had done school), then I work with my K'er. By time K'er needs a break, I work with oldest again, then send him back to independent work while I finish up with K'er. Then I'm back to the oldest for anything that needs me.

 

My oldest has so much more work than the K'er that it just didn't make sense to keep them together during school time. We do Bible all together right after breakfast, but then everything else is separated. Oldest understands why he has so much more work, and he's ok with that. He also knows that if he dawdles, he'll be working through his play time, and I'm not waiting around for him. I do all work-with-mom during school time, and anything else is independent work. If he hasn't finished his math when I'm ready to do Latin, he just has to do math later on his own time.

[KAM]

I make each child up a list of inependent work for the week. Readings, memory work, Latin chants, spelling, handwriting, etc.. Any time they finish early, and I am not ready for them, I just tell them to do something from the list. For history and other together subjects, I try to start after a natural break, like after we have stopped for a snack, or after lunch, or first thing in the morning before everyone scatters.

[sagira]

Doing the same subject all together didn't work here. We are doing better with me kick starting my oldest with independent work, then I work with my 3 year old (so he thinks he had done school), then I work with my K'er. By time K'er needs a break, I work with oldest again, then send him back to independent work while I finish up with K'er. Then I'm back to the oldest for anything that needs me.

 

My oldest has so much more work than the K'er that it just didn't make sense to keep them together during school time. We do Bible all together right after breakfast, but then everything else is separated. Oldest understands why he has so much more work, and he's ok with that. He also knows that if he dawdles, he'll be working through his play time, and I'm not waiting around for him. I do all work-with-mom during school time, and anything else is independent work. If he hasn't finished his math when I'm ready to do Latin, he just has to do math later on his own time.

 

My oldest just turned 9, but he needs so much handholding still. He is easily distracted, needs to be told what to do, feels lonely easily, and often gets things wrong because he's trying to speed through his independent work quickly so he can spend time with us. My K'er needs one on one, and today I wasn't able to give her much attention - but I did finish ds' work with him - phew. I'm finding combining two to be quite challenging.

 

It doesn't help that I have a little one destroying everything in her wake!

[Miss Tick]

I give the most "help" to the one who is having the most trouble keeping up (which often means the one who is faster starts day-dreaming). Then I try to have short things for them to do (spelling, finish some phase of unrelated on-going work, do their chore for the day, get dressed, etc.) I do NOT let them leave, I will never get them both back at the same time. :001_smile:

 

Also, I try to schedule work together for just after lunch so we've had time for a reset.

 

None of this works all the time and I only have two, and they are twins so most of our stuff is together. :tongue_smilie:

[petepie2]

We do all of our "together" subjects after lunch.

[Walking-Iris]

My oldest just turned 9, but he needs so much handholding still. He is easily distracted, needs to be told what to do, feels lonely easily, and often gets things wrong because he's trying to speed through his independent work quickly so he can spend time with us. My K'er needs one on one, and today I wasn't able to give her much attention - but I did finish ds' work with him - phew. I'm finding combining two to be quite challenging.

 

It doesn't help that I have a little one destroying everything in her wake!

 

 

This is my age range of kids as well. 4th grade 9 year old, 5 year old Kinder and 2 year old. So far it's working out that I give my 9 year old something he can do completely on his own. A few pages in cursive while I do some quick handwriting/ETC or math pages with my 5 year old. I try to give my little one attention first because he's more attentive in the morning after we eat and would rather be off having some adventure in the back yard or with his toys in the afternoon. Which is fine for a young 5 year old. My oldest is slower to get going and he would rather read a few chapters of his book or work on his cursive first thing. It only takes an hour usually to fill my 5 year old's cup and then I focus on the things we do daily with my 9 year old (spelling and math or some grammar/writing etc).

 

I combine most everything else. If my 5 year old will color a SOTW coloring sheet while I read and talk with my 9 year old. I don't *make* him but he's welcome to. He also listens in on our chapter book read aloud and I also make a time for his read aloud too. Art and music (extras like that) and any science or history activity I let the younger ones participate in any way they can. My Kinder does have his own science. So science is separated somewhat.

 

I've made a type of workbox system for my 2 year old. Drawers with busy bag type of activities in them. Colored teddy pairs to sort into colored cups, attribute blocks, HWT wooden letters, beads to string, little felt pieces to stick over and over, sticker books, easy puzzles, nesting blocks etc. I try to take a little time to pull one out and set it up on a tray and do a little of the activity with her. Or I try to sing a song and do some fingerplays or read a little story to give her some attention before moving on to something else. usually my 5 year old is good about playing with her and I try to have audiobooks or Classical Kids playing for them. If nothing else I plop her down on the kitchen floor with play dough or a big tub of dry beans with plastic animals to fish out and never mind the mess.

 

My oldest does need a lot of hand holding still, so I try to spread things out so we aren't doing every program every day. My 5 year old needs reading instruction and that's a high priority for me this year so I try not to get too distracted that I don't have time to sit with him for some kinder lang arts.

 

It's definitely a challenge this year, but I just tell myself to keep going. I'm tricking myself this year. Instead of looking at a week's worth of plans and moaning over what we didn't do, I'm filling in a planner *after* and celebrating what we did do.

[melmichigan]

We only do history/geography and memory work together. They are done first thing in the morning or first after lunch while I still have everyone at the table captive.

[Mrs Twain]

If one child gets done with work, it is good quality, and the errors are corrected, then that child gets to have a break (early if he/she finishes early).

 

If one child dawdles, then that child will either be working during the break or doing the work for "homework" after school. For some reason "homework" is one of the most feared consequences in our house, and this has helped to get my kids to focus and work hard.

 

In the morning, I start teaching my eldest child first and let my others do some "fun" work (American Girl workbooks, color by number, etc.) or a self explanatory assignment in the meantime. Then I teach my next oldest child, and so on. This helps to space out the timing since the older children have assignments which usually take longer for them to complete.

[mamamindy]

This is my age range of kids as well. 4th grade 9 year old, 5 year old Kinder and 2 year old. So far it's working out that I give my 9 year old something he can do completely on his own. A few pages in cursive while I do some quick handwriting/ETC or math pages with my 5 year old. I try to give my little one attention first because he's more attentive in the morning after we eat and would rather be off having some adventure in the back yard or with his toys in the afternoon. Which is fine for a young 5 year old. My oldest is slower to get going and he would rather read a few chapters of his book or work on his cursive first thing. It only takes an hour usually to fill my 5 year old's cup and then I focus on the things we do daily with my 9 year old (spelling and math or some grammar/writing etc).

 

I combine most everything else. If my 5 year old will color a SOTW coloring sheet while I read and talk with my 9 year old. I don't *make* him but he's welcome to. He also listens in on our chapter book read aloud and I also make a time for his read aloud too. Art and music (extras like that) and any science or history activity I let the younger ones participate in any way they can. My Kinder does have his own science. So science is separated somewhat.

 

I've made a type of workbox system for my 2 year old. Drawers with busy bag type of activities in them. Colored teddy pairs to sort into colored cups, attribute blocks, HWT wooden letters, beads to string, little felt pieces to stick over and over, sticker books, easy puzzles, nesting blocks etc. I try to take a little time to pull one out and set it up on a tray and do a little of the activity with her. Or I try to sing a song and do some fingerplays or read a little story to give her some attention before moving on to something else. usually my 5 year old is good about playing with her and I try to have audiobooks or Classical Kids playing for them. If nothing else I plop her down on the kitchen floor with play dough or a big tub of dry beans with plastic animals to fish out and never mind the mess.

 

My oldest does need a lot of hand holding still, so I try to spread things out so we aren't doing every program every day. My 5 year old needs reading instruction and that's a high priority for me this year so I try not to get too distracted that I don't have time to sit with him for some kinder lang arts.

 

It's definitely a challenge this year, but I just tell myself to keep going. I'm tricking myself this year. Instead of looking at a week's worth of plans and moaning over what we didn't do, I'm filling in a planner *after* and celebrating what we did do.

 

:hurray: I just want to say thank you so much for sharing your experiences as they were immensely encouraging to me! My children aren't the same ages as yours, but I imagine I'm having some of the same difficulties. At least in the preschooler/toddler area. Thanks again! And to the OP for posting. :)

[momto2blessings]

We also do our together subjects right after lunch. I planned to do it right after breakfast this year, but I'm usually not ready. And my 7th grader is often getting up early on her own and it's just too difficult to break for together time...I don't want one to have to fill in time waiting for the other. They both end up wanting to finish what they're working on and it's never completed at the same time:) Gina

[Mommy22alyns]

I keep all the morning work at hand. There are some things I have to do with each girl, and a few independent things. When one girl needs me, I hand the other independent work. It's still a juggling act! Then Sylvia finishes first, and she goes and does book basket. She's generally free until Rebecca finishes lunch, then we do together work.

[sagira]

This is my age range of kids as well. 4th grade 9 year old, 5 year old Kinder and 2 year old. So far it's working out that I give my 9 year old something he can do completely on his own. A few pages in cursive while I do some quick handwriting/ETC or math pages with my 5 year old. I try to give my little one attention first because he's more attentive in the morning after we eat and would rather be off having some adventure in the back yard or with his toys in the afternoon. Which is fine for a young 5 year old. My oldest is slower to get going and he would rather read a few chapters of his book or work on his cursive first thing. It only takes an hour usually to fill my 5 year old's cup and then I focus on the things we do daily with my 9 year old (spelling and math or some grammar/writing etc).

 

I combine most everything else. If my 5 year old will color a SOTW coloring sheet while I read and talk with my 9 year old. I don't *make* him but he's welcome to. He also listens in on our chapter book read aloud and I also make a time for his read aloud too. Art and music (extras like that) and any science or history activity I let the younger ones participate in any way they can. My Kinder does have his own science. So science is separated somewhat.

 

I've made a type of workbox system for my 2 year old. Drawers with busy bag type of activities in them. Colored teddy pairs to sort into colored cups, attribute blocks, HWT wooden letters, beads to string, little felt pieces to stick over and over, sticker books, easy puzzles, nesting blocks etc. I try to take a little time to pull one out and set it up on a tray and do a little of the activity with her. Or I try to sing a song and do some fingerplays or read a little story to give her some attention before moving on to something else. usually my 5 year old is good about playing with her and I try to have audiobooks or Classical Kids playing for them. If nothing else I plop her down on the kitchen floor with play dough or a big tub of dry beans with plastic animals to fish out and never mind the mess.

 

My oldest does need a lot of hand holding still, so I try to spread things out so we aren't doing every program every day. My 5 year old needs reading instruction and that's a high priority for me this year so I try not to get too distracted that I don't have time to sit with him for some kinder lang arts.

 

It's definitely a challenge this year, but I just tell myself to keep going. I'm tricking myself this year. Instead of looking at a week's worth of plans and moaning over what we didn't do, I'm filling in a planner *after* and celebrating what we did do.

 

Thank you so much for this post. My little dd is such a busy body - and she loves to throw things. The house looks like a tornado went through it - and it was her.

 

I will try some of the ideas you mentioned. Maybe at 19 months she is outgrowing those baby toys.