Large family tread planning 2016/2017

[visitor]

Dear all, I was wondering how your planning is within a large family. Do you avoid curtain curriculums? And which curriculums suited your family best. And what helped you a lot to homeschool all kids in one day. Please share your planning with us with grade level.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

Visitor

[coloradomomof5]

Saxon grammar

Home2teach writing

Math tutor have save our school

[Ms.Ivy]

I personally do best with books that have the lesson material all there in front of the child, but not scripted. I like to be able to pull a book out, open it, and immediately start going over the lesson with my child, without having to think much about it. The exception to this is science, which I teach as a group subject. I learn the lesson myself and then teach it to all the kids together. I am also big on "circle time" so I can do a lot of little things all at once together (Shakespeare, Bible, recitations, etc). I also rarely use materials as written, and do a lot of lessons orally instead of having the kids write answers. It saves time for us to do some things that way.

 

So here are some of the things we are using right now....

 

Rod and Staff English for grammar (4th grade and up)

CAP Writing and Rhetoric for writing (4th grade and up)

Copywork for younger kids, integrated with memory work or reading

McGuffey and AlphaPhonics for reading

Singapore math

Climbing to Good English 2 or 3, as a prep for R&S English and CAP W&R (CTGE is very independent)

BFSU (all kids together)

SOTW (group also)

GSWL (short lessons)

Lively Latin (fairly independent)

Edited May 18, 2016 by Ms.Ivy

[....]

I have 5 kids - aged 14, 13, 11, 8 and 1.

 

Our homeschool is a mess right now and I'm still planning for the fall.  Our plans are all over the place, so I'm not sure how much help I am.

 

I'm not combining kids this year, but that did work out in the past.  In fact, I kicked around the idea of completely combining my teens for high school.  The 14 year-old is using Ambleside Online's high school program (it's free on their website).  The 13 year-old is studying Ancients this year using the Charlotte Mason method (I just kinda threw it together).  The 11 year-old was supposed to use Beyond Five in a Row (and she did part of one volume), but she seems to have made some weirdly-huge academic leap since I purchased/planned for BFIAR.  So, I need to just start over and figure out what to do with her.  8 year-old is using Five in a Row Volume 4 and we're completely happy with that (and it suits her).

 

What curricula have we done well with?

 

the Writing with Skill series

the Writing with Ease books

Sequential Spelling and All About Spelling

Notgrass US History

Story of the World series

Apologia elementary books - botany and anatomy in particular

Positive Action for Christ Bible studies (just awesome, IMO)

two of my kids really like Rod and Staff English - I hate it, but they like it.  In fact, my 8 year-old said that R&S English 3 was her favorite book ever  :ohmy:

Miquon, Singapore math...

any unit study (we love unit studies)

 

Helps for homeschooling several of them?

 

Uhhh...   :glare:  I wish I knew the answer.  It's like a circus in here.  And you would think the older they get the easier or less time-consuming it is, because "supposedly" they work on their own...   *laughing hysterically*  I'm finding the older they get, the longer school drags on throughout the day.  And my older kids are needier than the younger ones for some weird reason.

 

I think if I have to give any advice, it's don't over-plan.  Don't use multiple programs for one subject, for example.  

 

 

 

[mamamoose]

I only have 3, and here are their ages. Dd1--10, ds--8 and severely dyslexic, and dd2--6. I combine ds and dd2 for grammar and writing. Writing with ease level 1 has made this very easy. Dd1 and ds do science and history together--she does the comprehension aloud with him. He's very bright, just doesn't read. Dd1 also teaches dd2 much of her math. Dd1 isn't independent in her own studies necessarily but the combining helps free up time to fill in gaps. I like WWE and FLL because they are open and go and scripted. We do MOH, but next year we will be using Biblioplan, with MOH as an optional spine. Some days it feels like a complete failure, but lately it's been very smooth!

[MamaTX5]

I will be homeschooling 3 next year (6th, 2nd, and K) with 2 littles running around. For K, we just focus on reading, handwriting, and math. 1st through 4th we combine history with SOTW, and history is independent for 5th and beyond (with afternoon reviews). Science is combined or outsourced and we use Apologia. I like the progression of language arts (and history) that Timberdoodle recommends for 5th and up (except spelling. We've used AAS before but this year we are trying Rod & Staff to see how that works). We are going to try ELTL with audio books for 1st through 4th (it flopped with daily readings). We have quiet time in the afternoons where they have to sit on their bed and free read. We do read aloud in the afternoon while they have a snack or play with legos. Math is different for each kid as they each have different learning styles, so the oldest gets mom for teaching first, then does their independent work and we rotate through to the youngest who doesn't have independent work yet. I also have bins of educational toys or online options like ABC Mouse or Prodigy Math for them to use while they wait for Mom. We are pretty much done with 'seat work' by lunch and just save read alouds and art for the afternoon. It's what works for us!

[LindaOz]

Have a look at Layers of Learning. It can be used with all ages for content studies then you just add stage appropriate math and LA.

www.layers-of-learning.com

(Sorry, can't figure out how to post a link from my new phone...)

Edited May 19, 2016 by LindaOz

[Upennmama]

I have 7 and we use TOG. I love it and my kids learn a ton.

[angelmama1209]

I am only schooling 3 of mine right now (and I combine my dyslexic 8yo and my almost 7yo), but here is how our day works.

 

Gather at the table for group work- devotion, Bible memory verse, character study, sunday school papers, word of the week, handwriting (Evan Moore), science (3x/week, God's design series), logic (1x/week, ctc for oldest, lollipop logic, for middles), poetry (1x/week, just reading)

 

Send 11yo off to work on independent work- math (cle), spelling (r&s, though she hates it), latin (2x/week, lively latin), writing (2x/week, struggling with curriculum), georaphy (2x/week, visit to... series), awana, xtramath.

 

6 and 8yos stay at the table and we do Bible, awana, grammar (fll), and math (math mammoth- different levels at the moment)

 

Then we move to the couch for reading. 6yo reads to me (phonics pathways) while 8yo does her therapy written work. 8yo reads to me her therapy book while 6yo does xtramath. Then I read history to them (sotw) and our group read aloud (including 11yo). When that is done, 6yo is done, 8yo does xtramath, and I go to my bedroom with 11yo to do reading with her. I read her Bible, history (sotw), read aloud book, and grammar (finished fll3, doing random interim grammar right now). She reads to me a story from a reader. We also try to either play rummy roots or review latin vocab at this time. Then she is released to finish any independent work not already completed.

 

During all this time, the babies (4 and 2) play together and/or play educational games on the ipad. Somewhere in there we take an hour lunch break and I put the baby down for a nap.

[MinivanMom]

I'm not sure that my planning is very different from anyone else. I focus on using solid, challenging curriculum. I avoid anything scripted, but that's a personal preference. I do keep preschool and kindergarten focused on the basics (reading, writing, and math). I also combine my elementary age children for literature, history, and science (kindergartners can listen in, but aren't required to). At one point we were using Sonlight, but I spent so much time tweaking that it was just easier to plan everything myself on an Excel spreadsheet. I still follow a Sonlight-inspired rotation of 2 years of world history followed by 2 years of American history. That way each child can be folded in at the beginning of a rotation. I pair world history with 2 years of biology and American history with 2 years of physical science. 

 

I make checklists for my older kids so they know what to do next if I'm busy with someone else. I also plan our day so that I work with the youngest children first. I start with the preschooler right after breakfast, then I spend 2 hrs working with the elementary kids, and then I'm free to work with the middle schoolers. My middle school kids start with work they can do independently so that they're productive until I'm done with the 3 younger ones.

 

Curriculum we are using currently:

Preschool & Kindergarten: Singapore Essential Math, Handwriting without Tears, & Reading Reflex

Elementary: Singapore Math, MCT Lang Arts, Pictures in Cursive, Skoldo French, Artistic Pursuits, & lots of real books for history and science

Middle School: AOPS Math, MCT Lang Arts, Writers Inc, K12 Human Odyssey, TOPS science units, Galore Park SYRWTL French, Latin Alive, Blast off with Logic, & Art of Argument/Argument Builder

[vaquitita]

Next year I'll be teaching three and I'm a little freaked out about it. Lol. We've bounced around a bit, trying different things, but I think I've finally settled into what works for us. Next year I will have 5th, 3rd, kindergarten, plus a toddler. I combine them for history, science, bible. I plan to keep them combined for the next two years, at that point we will have finished SOTW and our science curriculum (RSO) and I will need to figure out where to go from there. The other subjects, the ones taught one on one, I find low fuss, simple materials work best. I get overwhelmed when a curriculum with lots of pieces combines with the chaos of four kids. Lol. Example: AAS never got done, RLTL does. Ive also had to mske sure I am realistic about how much energy I have, and that I don't overload our schedule with the fun stuff (SO many good books!) when I need to save some of my energy for teaching the skill subjects.

 

My kids each have a list of their work that they do independently, and a lot of times they get started on that while I'm clearing up breakfast, or tending to the toddler, or getting school stuff ready. I've had to learn to stick to *my* school to do list and not let their dawdling interfere with me getting my work done. I was finding myself waiting for a kid to finish, so my day dragged out. I have to not let that happen. If they want to dawdle and drag out their day, fine. But I need to not let it interfer with the school parts I need to do. So when I'm ready, they have to stop what they're doing for our group subjects. Afterwards, I move on to teaching one on one lessons. They are expected to work on their list until I call them. And NO interrupting others one on one lessons. I had to have enforce a 'horrible' consequence for awhile, interrupting meant they had to do an extra page in a English workbook. Lol. But I have to be disciplined with myself, answering one kids interrupting question makes everybody think it's ok to talk to me.

 

Curriculum we currently use: AAR, RLTL, ELTL, HWOT, MUS, Miquon, Beast Academy, SOTW, RSO

[hollyhock]

I have four in school plus a 3yo. My general plan is to get everyone their own English and math, and do science and history together (to a point). By about 5th grade, they can do most things independently with me just checking their work. For extra subjects, like cursive, geography and logic, I use inexpensive workbooks, so they are also independent. I use only one curriculum per subject and don't do many extras. My 5th and up kids have their own planners with all their assignments written in so they can begin school without me if needed.

 

We do group subjects first (science as a group until about 6th grade, history as a group until 9th), then I work with the youngest kids first while the olders work independently. When the youngers are done, I can work with the olders.

 

I use Math Mammoth for elementary and I'm still trying to find the right fit for English. Next year we're trying LLATL but I've used R&S and Climbing to Good English in the past. R&S for spelling, WWE for writing. I use God's Design for science and SOTW and R&S for history. Extra workbook subjects are things like Logic Countdown and Canada Map Books (we're Cdn).

 

I do tend to avoid programs that are teacher intensive or require a lot of prep. WWE is my exception to that rule because it's so effective and doesn't take a lot of time.

[SnMomof7]

We have 7, from 1-13. CLE and ACE have worked very well for us. Mom intensive things don't.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Jennifer Bogart

[happypamama]

I'll be schooling three officially next year, plus I'll have a kindergartener and a preschooler.

 

I don't combine much for the older kids.  There are three and four year gaps between children one and two and children two and three, so they're at very different levels.  We'll be studying the same time period, and the older kids and I will have a separate book discussion apart from the younger kids, and they will do some science labs together.

 

My small ones can combine for a lot of stuff, like history, and science.  Bible too.  They'll get math, handwriting, and reading at their own levels though.  

I use a bunch of different materials, but for me, it's most important that I plan the year out in advance.  I couldn't tell you what we'll be doing on day 17 or 85 or whatever of the year, but I get each subject to "do the next thing."  Some of that's easy, like when I used Saxon math; even Singapore math is pretty easy that way.  Just open the book and go.  (If I weren't strong in math, I'd want to spend some time the night before, reviewing each upcoming lesson.)  SWB's Writing With Skill, Writing With Ease, Story of the World, and The Creative Writer are very open and go.  Handwriting Without Tears has been great for us too.  It looks to me like Pandia Press's REAL Science Odyssey will be a very easy to use program for elementary, although I'll need to do a little prep work ahead of time.

 

For subjects that aren't so obvious, I plan them into little chunks that should be about a day's worth of work.  I either put that in a OneNote list for the kids, or I mark it on the program's pages.  But having that stuff all planned out ahead of time makes things much easier for me.  I can look at the upcoming lessons and lists over the weekend and order library books, gather supplies, etc. if I've got it all marked out ahead of time.