So overwhelmed...large family, new baby, wanting to make changes?

[I.Dup.]

Okay this next fall I will have:

 

6th grader

3rd grader

1st grader

Two pre-K'ers

toddler

newborn

 

I am thinking about eventually trying to combine some that are closer together. Possibly the 3rd and 1st with a Sonlight core, or at least the readings in a Sonlight core (I know, I know, I've been following the recent threads on Sonlight but still love the readings so maybe we should at least do those?) I have really slacked off with requiring the younger boys to read, and we have slacked off this year on read alouds so I really want to get back to that. That's where Sonlight comes in.

 

My 6th grader is very capable of being independent, I think. And I think it would be good for her. I would like her doing more subjects but it is just way too overwhelming for me to piece everything together for everyone. We tried that with TOG at the beginning of the year, it was just too much. I read in another thread about possibly being independent with Sonlight cores in middle school, do you think a 6th grader would be capable of that? I will be having her do R&S 5 for language arts and CLE 600 for math, so what in a Sonlight core would she need exactly if we already have something for language arts and math?

 

I am going back and forth on everything except math and language arts for the older 2. They will be doing CLE math and R&S language arts at their level. Everything else is making me a bit neurotic.

 

So my goals: having my 6th grader be as independent as possible.

 

More reading and read alouds at least with all of the youngers.

 

Possibly combining who we can.

 

As little projects and piecing together as possible, while still giving them a really solid education.

 

What would you recommend? Please keep in mind the ages of my kids. I'm just a bit overwhelmed :blushing:

[Meadowlark]

I have 5 of the 7 ages you listed (1st grade on down) and we are doing HOD loosely. Have you looked at it? I'm thinking if you love literature and want to read aloud more, you would love HOD. Plus. the author of the program and her sister are lovely, Godly people who continue to impress me time and time again on the HOD message boards.

 

I say loosely because we combine the now K and preK and it's going well, but we dont do it exactly as written...shhh! We add, take away, etc. I find its a solid guide and foundation that I can modify for my family. It calms my fears that i have something to build upon if nothing else. So you could combine a few of your little ones for sure.

 

HTH!

[JudoMom]

I wouldn't bother with a core for your younger kids. I would make sure they do math and read every day. and I'd probably try to do WWE everyday. Get SOTW on audio and listen to it; if you're feeling spunky, get the activity book and go through the maps and coloring pages. Send them outside a lot for science. Maybe get the Magic School Bus DVDs and call it done. If you can read to them, just look at the Sonlight book list for ideas.

 

For your 6th grader, you'd need the Instructor's Guide for the core you want to do, plus the books. If your dd likes to read and isn't terribly slow, she should be fine doing all the reading on her own. G is a lot of reading, though it was a fabulous year for us (we only did G & part of H).

 

Really, try not to stress. Slow and steady. Hit the basics consistently as possible with your youngers, and keep your oldest making progress.

 

You can do this :grouphug: !

[mamamindy]

I am sorry, I cannot help you, but I am interested in what others have to say. Thankfully mine are still young, but I am also trying to figure out how in the world the future years will go. I'm having a difficult time getting the 3 Rs covered (to my satisfaction) with my 1st and K'er now. I love hearing how other large families manage.

 

Are you doing doing much "formal" school with the 1st grader? I hear a lot (and it's really all I have time for) that it's okay to just cover the basics at that age, before they can delve deeper into content on their own. I have decided to combine her & her sister with a lot of their language arts work - grammar, similar copy work & narration (with different expectations), poetry, and of course we do our content reading and literature together, nature study (VERY informal) and art (again, very relaxed) together. Really, I'm just focusing on two separate math lessons, but I try to combine for math games here and there when a math lesson doesn't happen. I don't do much at all with my pre-k (he's 3.5) but I want to do more in the fall. He gets a lot by just being near, listening. I have also had the big girls read to him and their little sister, for their (big girls) reading aloud practice and the littles read aloud. If that makes sense.

 

I don't really know if I have any suggestions for you that you haven't already tried. I look forward to what others have to say! Have you had your baby yet? Take it easy on yourself!!

[mamamindy]

I am so glad JudoMom posted! She always has lots of wisdom! :D

[HFClassicalAcademy]

I have about the same age kids as yours. In the fall I will have a 6th grader, 4th/5th grader, 2nd/3rd grader, 1st grader, preschooler, toddler, and a newborn!!

 

I am in no ways an expert, but we have found a groove that is finally working and we have been having a pretty good year and expect the same from here on out! I agree that your 6th grader needs to be independent as much as possible. This year my older 2 kids have been doing math independently (they do both Saxon and Teaching Textbooks) while I do math with my 7 and 5 year old. I have to stagger the teaching when doing math...I start with my 7 year old and explain the lesson, he then does his worksheets. Then I do the lessons and worksheets with my 5 year old. I allow for my older kids to ask questions when they get stumped on something. If it's complicated, I have them skip the problem and then we get to it when I'm done with the littles. It's worked out well.

 

Grammar, handwriting, and writing are mostly independent for the older two as well.

 

I have been doing Sonlight Core D for the older two for history together as well as AAS, religion, and science. (they each have their own spelling lists to study, however, at the request of my hubby and they do that independently as well).

 

My 7 year old still needs a little more help so I spend more time with him while the older kids are working...I basically have to jump start him with lessons and he does any worksheets on his own.

 

The 5 year old is totally dependent on me. My main focus is reading and math. Everything else is icing.

 

What happens with my little, little kids is that I take out preschool activities for them to do while we work. Sometimes, my almost 2 year old will sit on my lap and color while my 3 year old works on a puzzle. It can be a bit chaotic, but we roll with it.

 

I think schooling with lots of kids has a bit of a learning curve and you are on track with combining kids and getting them to work independently. Subjects I definitely would combine are history and science.

 

HTH! Just reassure yourself that it can be done!!

 

Liz

[Homeschoolmom4981]

I have gone through the new baby thing with less kids- it's tough. I think rod and staff is a good choice and you can get workbooks of Climbing to Good English if you aren't interested in First Language lessons. I enjoy the sonlight readings, but I think if you do read aloud, you could just buy the booklist. The series are usually enjoyable and your read aloud can stem from books you are introduced to and enjoy. Mystery of history and story of the world are both enjoyable history curriculum. I have my kids sit down together at math time and they work on it with me there to assist. I use sequential spelling with my K'er and 2nd grader (would work for 1st and 3rd). Just combine what subjects you can- for sure science and history and try R&S for older. I should have structure this better. Sorry!

[HFClassicalAcademy]

I wanted to add that once your kids can read independently...it makes life so much easier!! My 7 year old is great and can do his spelling workout, grammar, copywork & handwriting all on his own. He can also do the readings from the Sonlight Core B pretty well.

 

We do foreign language together too from baby to 11 year old. I only make the older three kids actually do the work, though!

 

My days are long...we start school at 9am, get a lunch break, and officially finish at 3 or 3:30pm (sometimes sooner!). We are totally flexible, take plenty of breaks, and I often surprise them with games in between subjects ("OK kids! Before we start history, we are doing 1 round of hide and seek...I'm counting to 30...Ready, Set, Go!). They love stuff like that and it makes the days funner.

 

I also force my kids to play outside rain or shine after lunch. Sometimes they hang out on the porch, but mostly they just play.

 

Liz

[AngelBee]

Hug.

 

I have a similar spread...ds 8th, dd 6th, ds 3rd, dd1st, dd preK4, ds2 yrs old and newborn twins coming in July. Still thinking thru how this will work. :::dizzy:::

 

 

[I.Dup.]

No, I have not had baby yet, he is due in about 2 weeks!! It's working out great though because the kids are just now finishing their current year so we will take a nice "baby/summer break" during the nice weather and hopefully be ready to start up again when the weather gets really hot.

 

Are you doing doing much "formal" school with the 1st grader? I hear a lot (and it's really all I have time for) that it's okay to just cover the basics at that age, before they can delve deeper into content on their own.

 

 

He's been in kindergarten this year and other than random worksheets and practicing handwriting here and there I have honestly done nothing with him. We spent 5 weeks in Sacramento with my parents earlier in the year and went to zoos and museums, we've gone on "field trips" and had a vacation or two, they play a ton together, so I've excused it. But I would really like to find a groove with doing more schoolwork......I think. lol I don't normally get too serious until 1st grade anyway, so I'm not too behind. He still doesn't know how to read though because I haven't worked with him! I'm going to work with him on that this summer (he's 6).

 

I wanted to add that once your kids can read independently...it makes life so much easier!! My 7 year old is great and can do his spelling workout, grammar, copywork & handwriting all on his own. He can also do the readings from the Sonlight Core B pretty well.

 

We do foreign language together too from baby to 11 year old. I only make the older three kids actually do the work, though!

 

My days are long...we start school at 9am, get a lunch break, and officially finish at 3 or 3:30pm (sometimes sooner!). We are totally flexible, take plenty of breaks, and I often surprise them with games in between subjects ("OK kids! Before we start history, we are doing 1 round of hide and seek...I'm counting to 30...Ready, Set, Go!). They love stuff like that and it makes the days funner.

 

I also force my kids to play outside rain or shine after lunch. Sometimes they hang out on the porch, but mostly they just play.

 

Liz

 

 

ITA with the bolded. My ultimate goal is for my children to be autodidacts so of course the biggest part of that is learning to read. I want to get them independent as early as possible...not because I don't enjoy working with them but because I don't want them to be dependent on me for everything and I want them to learn to love learning and researching and being responsible for their own education.

 

Regarding your long days, how do YOU find the motivation to stick with it for all of those hours, all day, every day? That is my problem but I have issues like pretty severe ADD, I get over stimulated very easily, etc.

[I.Dup.]

If I were just to do the books from Sonlight instead of anything else, how would that compare to doing the whole shebang? Are the books cohesive enough to at least teach what the year says it will (world history, American history, etc) or does a lot of that have to do with the activities in the IG?

[HFClassicalAcademy]

 

Regarding your long days, how do YOU find the motivation to stick with it for all of those hours, all day, every day? That is my problem but I have issues like pretty severe ADD, I get over stimulated very easily, etc.

 

 

 

Those are long days...and some days definitely feel longer than others. But afternoons are easier for us. By then I'm usually done with my K'er, so he goes and plays with the 3 year old. My 2 year old is also usually napping, so I have a good solid 2 hours of quiet time with the kids. This is our Sonlight time followed by MP's Christian Studies, and then science or foreign language (we alternate). That means I put my feet up and we do school in bed, outside, on the floor, or wherever *I* feel like being!! Honestly, I think my husband is my motivator. He works very hard and has very long hours, so just knowing that he is doing that for our family makes me want to work just as hard.

 

I won't lie. I have days where I'm exhausted and we close the doors to the school room early. I try not to put too much pressure on myself. We school year-round and that helps me because I'm able to take days off a little bit more flexibly than if I did the September to May thing. :)

 

Liz

[hsmom27]

I was feeling similarly last year. This past year I had a 5th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, (2) 2yos and a baby. I've found that the only way we get to our read alouds is during meals. The kids eat and I read. I do very little kid friendly reading over breakfast and then we all do our memorization. At lunch I hit the history/science reading for the 3rd-1st graders. At or after dinner (depending on if dad is home) I hit reading/discussion time with my fairly advanced 5th grader.

 

I also do what I saw suggested by another poster. I do the 3Rs every day of the week, but only with some kids on some days. That means I never get a day off, but each kid gets plenty of mom time 4 days a week and gets 3 days off. Our days never drag on too long and I really feel like we're accomplishing more this way. I also really got my tot trays in order, so my toddlers had plenty of quiet activities to do at the table. Good luck.

[ForeverFamily]

I am really enjoying reading through this thread. I am finding it tough to balance things with my kiddos even though they are younger. Things have been a bit hectic and crazy around here lately. It is nice to read through everyone's advice, thank you!

[kristi26]

I have a free History plan for the Middle Ages and for Early American History on my blog that uses lots of good books and easy-to-find books. It combines many of the kids as I want mine combined for those things as well. You can see Middle Ages here: http://themommywriter.blogspot.com/2013/04/free-charlotte-masonliving-bookshands_23.html and Early American here: http://themommywriter.blogspot.com/2013/04/free-charlotte-masonliving-bookshands.html

 

Have you checked out Simply Charlotte Mason yet? They have a free guide to help you combine your kids as often as possible as well. What about getting an older kid to read to a younger kid? We do that around here a lot.

 

Hope some of that helps!

[M&M]

I would take a different approach. I would look at each child individually and decide what skill is this child weakest in? Reading? Math? Spelling? Make a plan for that weakness, then make sure you have the 3'r's covered for your older children. I would not be afraid to do it less structured... Be creative.

 

Create a reading list for independent readers and choose wonderful books to read aloud to everyone. Purchase, download, librivox.org, lots of stories.

Put together activities for little ones to do with older children. Print up folder activities and find highchair activities that preschoolers can do at table while you're teaching.

 

Keep quiet time. Rest. Don't stress. Keep everyone safe and fed. Next year will be easier.