arnold Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Next year I will be homeschooling 3 of my 4 kids. My youngest will be away at preschool 3 mornings a week. My older 3 will be in 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades. I'm feeling like I don't have the time to properly teach everything I need to for each child. Here's what were using now: Horizons - Math (love it and intend to continue with it) R&S - English/Grammer/Phonics R&S - Spelling Apologia - Science SOTW - history BJU - Reading, I've tried doing a "less formal" program and it just doesn't get done The Story of the USA - US history (oldest only) Geography - Road Trip USA Pentime - Handwriting I love the math, and intend on keeping that, but I'm up for suggestions on everything else. I'm starting to look into things like BJU distance learning, Abeka, or LIFEPAC particularly for my oldest. That would take some of the pressure off me. I just feel like some things are slipping through the cracks because of the time that I have to take with each child. I will say, my oldest is not great at independently doing her R&S English or her US history. Were trying to work on that, but honestly, I think it's because she doesn't really care if it gets done or not. (working on that too) I guess I'm just wondering how others of you who have been or are in the same situation make it all work???? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed now, and thinking about next year, I'm really going to have my hands full! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietchapel Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I guess I would say to do history as a read- aloud with your whole family, if possible. You could have each child write one sentence per grade (5 for 5th) for each history reading, and maybe eliminate the hand writing program as you could teach/review handwriting with the sentences they've written. It might be okay to drop the US history and geography for the time being, too. It's hard to figure it all out, but sometimes cutting back is better than changing plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolinagirl1 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 CLE is less teacher intensive after 1st grade. I haven't used 2nd grade, but for my 3rd grader, it is independent. All I do is drill flash cards (for math) and grade her work. Then I will give a little extra help if she needs it (not usually, as the curriculum does a great job of explaining to the student). We use it for Math, Language Arts, and Reading. It is similar to R&S English, but it is workbook based and less teacher intensive. We do SOTW by using the audio CD and listening to it in the car. Then at home we do review questions, mapwork, coloring, and extra literature (sometimes). All I have to do there is guide them through the mapwork and ask the review questions. I love BJU distance learning DVDs for science. It truly does all the teaching. All I have to do is make sure they have materials for projects. Geography - Evan Moor Daily Geography Practice or www.seterra.net Hope that helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Christian Light is designed for students to use independently. It is a very solid curriculum too. It is similar to Rod and Staff but easier to implement with multiple students in different grades. We don't do any formal history or science until 7th grade and my children haven't suffered from it. Simply reading library books and watching educational DVDs goes a long way. Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnold Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thanks for all your suggestions!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 For geography around here, I just have them memorize the countries of the world through Seterra.com. We then use a simple maps geography book that they can do independently. I always had ideas of borrowing travel videos from the library to give them an idea of what these places look like, but I've never gotten around to it. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 You might just try to have all of your kids, regardless of age, doing the same history and science. You can tweak SOTW to work for your oldest (more writing of narrations/outlines etc), and the little ones can color and listen to the story, and all of them can work together on the projects. The SOTW activity guide has a range of recommended books...anywhere from a book for a Kinder to a chapter book for the 5th grader. Especially since you're just starting out, I would simplify history, and make it a family activity. You could do the same with science. If you want to cover some US History as well, The Complete Book of United States History is an easy read. But I wouldn't try to do too much in two different history strands at one time. You could just make geography as simple as using wall maps, a globe, some apps, and maybe a simple workbook. Then you can tailor the math and language arts to each child's skill level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) . Edited July 10, 2022 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Next year I will be homeschooling 3 of my 4 kids. My youngest will be away at preschool 3 mornings a week. My older 3 will be in 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades. I'm feeling like I don't have the time to properly teach everything I need to for each child. Here's what were using now: Horizons - Math (love it and intend to continue with it) R&S - English/Grammer/Phonics R&S - Spelling Apologia - Science SOTW - history BJU - Reading, I've tried doing a "less formal" program and it just doesn't get done The Story of the USA - US history (oldest only) Geography - Road Trip USA Pentime - Handwriting I love the math, and intend on keeping that, but I'm up for suggestions on everything else. I'm starting to look into things like BJU distance learning, Abeka, or LIFEPAC particularly for my oldest. That would take some of the pressure off me. I just feel like some things are slipping through the cracks because of the time that I have to take with each child. I will say, my oldest is not great at independently doing her R&S English or her US history. Were trying to work on that, but honestly, I think it's because she doesn't really care if it gets done or not. (working on that too) I guess I'm just wondering how others of you who have been or are in the same situation make it all work???? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed now, and thinking about next year, I'm really going to have my hands full! R&S's English and spelling are very independent; I'd stay with that, and work with older dd so she can do it independently. Unless she has some sort of learning issues, she should be able to do it. I am NOT enamored with R&S phonics. It is definitely NOT independent, although I wouldn't expect that for teaching a little 6yo person how to read. Phonics Pathways, AlphaPhonics, ETC, would all be my choices long before R&S. The older dc can be working on English or math while you work with the little one on phonics. I'd pick one history: SOTW, Story of the USA, whatever--and do it with all the dc. I'd either drop Road Trip, or drop SOTW. IMHO, once children know how to read, there doesn't need to be a formal reading course involving basal readers and workbooks and whatnot. Make sure there are good books available, read aloud to everyone from a good book daily, and call it good. I don't really have an opinion about Apologia's science. Its style of writing doesn't appeal to me, but many people like it, so there you go. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'd drop some history stuff - either do SOTW with the maps in the AG and drop the US stuff, or do Story of the USA (or a more interesting spine - those workbooks are boring) and play stack the states for geography. I'd drop BJU reading. Do grammar orally. 1st grader will be dependent, period. Not much you can do about that. I cut down on what my first grader does, so instead of doing R&S Phonics/Reading and Pentime, I dropped Pentime and have him write neatly and properly during Phonics and Reading. I stripped him down to the basics until he is reading better. I have mine all do CLE Math at the same time. My oldest does it independently (it's just review/practice for him), my preK kid does his mostly independently because he can read well, and I sit next to my dependent first grader, bouncing between him and preK kid as needed. They are all at desks in the same room, so I can easily move from kid to kid. I read aloud one history and one science. My 4th grader has history reading to do on his own. Literature is also included in our history curriculum, but if it weren't, I'd assign a good book and call it good. SOTW AG has plenty of ideas for that. The WTM book has some additional literary analysis suggestions for your 5th grader. You don't need heavy literary analysis in 5th grade though. Your math looks fine. Just start with the kid that is likely to take the longest, teach the new lesson, then set them to work while you teach the next kid. I usually start with my youngest and have my oldest do independent work while he waits for me. You just have to analyze what each kid can do and figure out a routine that works. The oldest has the most work, so make sure that child gets started on something right away. The first grader shouldn't take long at all. Keep it simple, and develop useful skills for that child to work toward independence later on. If history and science are bogging you down, simplify them. Library books are FINE at those ages. Have the 5th grader write a narration or do some outlining on occasion. Have the other two give oral narrations on occasion. You don't have to do hefty experiments and lab reports and all that jazz in elementary school. History can be done the same way (though I think SOTW is simple to use). Relax and let the kids learn. If what you're using is really boring, they probably aren't learning. Pick a different resource, or hit that topic another time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuddleJumper1 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I second (or third) the suggestion of Christian Light. CLE really worked for us when I needed dd working more independently due to life circumstances. She liked it much better than LifePacs which we had tried a few years before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I will agree with much of what has been said so far: SOTW for all - include the map work in the Activity Guide, refer to wall maps and or atlases and you have history/geography covered for all. I, too, never used a reading program. They were all just required to read for x amount of time from great books. We briefly discuss character/plot/etc. and it's all good. Phonics Pathways is my top choice for those learning to read. Then it just comes down to juggling and multitasking. I will frequently have a child at each elbow: one working on a math exercise after having gone through the work with me, then the child at the other elbow gets my attention. Then switch. That way you are overseeing and available but able to get through more material. Hope that helps some... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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