give_me_a_latte Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 My son will be in third and my daughter in first this year. They don't get along. At all. Ever. So I'm thinking it might be best to NOT combine them. But then, the thought of running two science lessons make me...aaarrgh! I'm planning on Chemistry with him. If I do her science separately, I'd do Biology....I did it the WTM way for him, but I may go easy and get ES Biology or something a little more grab and go this time. So has anyone NOT combined and lived to tell the tale? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I didn't combine my boys for science. I didn't follow the WTM cycle though. When either of my boys did science, the other is welcome to tag along. However they each pick what they want to learn. So DS9 is learning electronics for the summer while DS10 tags along when he wants to. I find it easier not combining because their interest in science are in different areas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I didn't combine my kids for anything, but they are 5.5 years apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curlymom Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I don't combine. Mine are two years apart and they have different learning styles so it was just easiest to do them separately. My younger one will tag along when my older one has an experiment, because he loves experiments, but other than that they work separately. My oldest is able to work on her own so that helps. We've used Elemental Science, RSO, and a couple of Memoria press science/nature study books (insects and birds). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutheart Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 My 5th grader is doing astronomy and chemistry this year, but my 1st grader just finished a unit in astronomy, so there was no way to combine them. We're going to do biology with the first grader instead. I'm going to make up my lost time by combining history as well as some art and Spanish. The few weeks where SOTW4 is not appropriate for a 6yo, we'll read geography/social studies books from the library, rather than historical. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 My kids don't get along terribly well either. I was hoping to combine them for science this year since most everything else is done separately but I am second guessing that decision. Personalities are just not compatible. Honestly, with the ages you are dealing with, not combining them might be better since science at that age shouldn't be as time consuming as Middle School or High School. I do wonder if you would be better off still using the same subject, though, for ease of prep. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I have never combined my students in science nor in history, because one is going into fifth grade the other is going into eighth grade and the three year swing in ability and expectations is quite large. The each just do their own thing. Work to get them independent and it is manageable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 My kids are 2 years apart, and I never combined them for anything. I did not homeschool elementary, only 5th-12th grades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) . Edited May 23, 2023 by SilverMoon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I also have a rising 3rd and rising 1st. Our science is not particularly structured, and some things they do together, some things apart. We just have a "science friendly" home environment, rather than a set program- I'm a former physicist, and my husband is an amateur geologist. Together- - watch documentaries, watch brain pop videos, listen to science read-alouds (some are aimed more at the younger, some more at the older) - visit museums Done separately - chemistry experiments - independent reading and written narrations (3rd grader) - indépendant exploration 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I don't really combine anything. My kids are about 3.5 years apart. In the rare case I use the same resources, I do adapt a lot of it for each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 And as far as "lived to tell", they are now 10 and 13. It's a lot of work for me. I won't lie about that part. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Last year we were combining science, and science never got done. This year, I have split it up into my 6th grader doing his own science and my 1st and 3rd graders working together on a separate science. Even there, the little ones are really doing it on their own instead of working together. We're using task cards for them, and they just read the encyclopedias and library books and do whatever the card says to do. My 1st grader is often done with his other work long before my 3rd grader, so he just goes on and finishes science too. He's a real go-getter, while the 3rd grader is... not. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I don't think you need anything structured at those ages. There's plenty of time to get serious about science closer to middle school. If they can't work together can you just find books that they can read on their own? I use BFSU loosely as a spine. On occasion I will do a hands on activity but I use the sequence in the book to select topics for books for them to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I can't really combine - never have been able to (too much of an age gap). My oldest will be in 9th grade this fall; my middle in 1st and my youngest will be preschool. I've lived to tell the tale, although I can't promise it hasn't been without tears and lots of coffee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'll have a 4th and and 8th grader this year. We've never been able to combine, although I always fantasize about it . . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 My son will be in third and my daughter in first this year. They don't get along. At all. Ever. So I'm thinking it might be best to NOT combine them. But then, the thought of running two science lessons make me...aaarrgh! I'm planning on Chemistry with him. If I do her science separately, I'd do Biology....I did it the WTM way for him, but I may go easy and get ES Biology or something a little more grab and go this time. So has anyone NOT combined and lived to tell the tale? ;-) Honestly -- and I know you're not asking this -- but rather than focus my attention on Science at those young ages, I would focus my efforts and thoughts on resolving this. Otherwise, you are in for a long haul. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkateLeft Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 All of my kids get along really well, but I was still never able to combine them in anything. Despite being only 22 months apart, my girls were too far apart in both interest and ability to making combining effective. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I consider science to be a very low priority at your kids ages. However, I never combined. The younger tagged along for some experiments and hands on stuff, but they always did separate science curriculum. The only subject we regularly combined was history. My kids learn SO differently. It just wasn't good to combine them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
give_me_a_latte Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 Yeah, I think not combining them might be best. My youngest has always tagged along for any videos or experiments, so I imagine that won't change. But I think we'll probably get more accomplished if I give them each their own science time with me. Honestly -- and I know you're not asking this -- but rather than focus my attention on Science at those young ages, I would focus my efforts and thoughts on resolving this. Otherwise, you are in for a long haul. We do work on resolving this. And we do science. They aren't mutually exclusive endeavors ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 :bigear: I might be splitting my two kids up for science this next year, at their request. To date they studied science together, but one is almost to high school and both are getting on each other's nerves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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