Can you combine math or reading for younger kids?

[4KookieKids]

 

I hear a lot about combining subjects for kids close in age, and I'm wondering what that actually looks like. I get that they can listen to the same books and watch the same TV shows and all, and that probably takes care of stuff like nature/science and history but is there actually a way to combine kids on stuff like math and/or reading? The younger two are desperate to do more actual school. My preschooler was in tears today because I didn't want to do real math with her. They both really want to learn how to read, and I've  been putting them off. I'm not super excited about doing real school with my younger two, mostly because I'd rather they just play dress-up and pretend or build things with blocks or do puzzles or something, but also because it's hard for me to juggle what everyone needs and/or wants to be doing with regards to academics.  I'm hoping to figure out a way to combine them so that I don't have to spend much more time doing school, and they can all feel like their learning what they want to be learning. But it’s hard for me to figure things out when one is still learning letter sounds and another can already blend. Or when one can only count and one is still doing counting and patterns and another can already add and subtract.

 

 I guess I just need some help coming up with creative ideas of how I can work with more than one kid at a time. I'm sure there are parents smarter or more creative than me who can make this work without expecting too much of a younger child or dumbing things down for an older child, so I'd love to hear what you would suggest for us!

[ElizabethB]

When I teach multi age classes, I do that with my syllable program and Webster.  They all do the basics together, older/more advanced students do more.  If you print out all of Webster, there is years worth of work in there.

So, they all do a few simple syllables in turn, the younger ones do mostly that, then maybe try some of the easier words from Webster table 26, easy 2 syllable words.  The older children do the advanced 3+ syllable words and sentences.  Someone in the middle may be working through a review of basics and a few 2 and 3 syllable words, alternating between work that is easy and hard for them.

With greek, the younger students work on ph as f and reading just the 1 syllable roots, the older children read and make 2+ syllable greek words, then they all play bingo, my older students help read definitions and help younger children find the roots on their bingo card.  You learn a lot by teaching, too, they can help teach.

[Gil]

Yes, you can combine math and reading for young kids. I could say that I combined both of my kids for everything when they were toddlers but honestly, it just never occurred to me to teach them separately. It was easier for me to teach them as a pair or "class" so that's what I've always done. My kids are 10 and 11 years old and are still combined for every subject except for composition (writing essays/reports/speeches).

Over 5 years of home educating and composition is literally the only subject where I teach/coach them separately, but they started out doing the same composition for about a year. I separated them when their skills diverged too much for me to teach them together.

I'm not a word-smith and on my own I'm a poor writing teacher so it's too difficult for me to teach composition period, but I couldn't wing it in a group setting. We still have a group workshop for their compositions, but that's secondary to the majority of their writing lessons, which I learned to conduct via Treasured Conversations.

[Sarah0000]

I combine them with time but not task.

So when we're doing seatwork (which my preschooler only does if he asks) I sit between them and simply go back and forth while they do whatever they're working on. I do not attempt to combine in programs or even subject but I am careful about the supplies being used because if one is using craft supplies, math manipulatives, or science utensils then the other wants to as well. If I want to work on something new or difficult with one child that requires more of my focus then I give something to the other child that is more independent or routine.

If we're doing read alouds I'll usually read a picture book or two aimed more towards the preschooler first then move onto books geared towards my older. Literature works well for this since the preschooler will still somewhat listen to the older's book. If I'm asking questions based on the picture I'll direct questions to each boy specifically that are at his level. It took a little bit of training to stop my older from gleefully answering the easier questions but now it works out well. However, books that will be completely over my preschooler's head or books where we stop to narrate or do written or oral extension activities don't work out well while my preschooler is in any way involved. I either wait on these until he is involved in playing or give him a quiet independent activity to do.

Anything hands on or in motion is fairly easy to combine, even if the preschooler doesn't really understand what's going on. Science in particular the preschooler often doesn't grasp the principles but can still have fun, and I figure he's still learning how to follow rules, be careful with supplies, and work as a partner(ish). Things like reciting poetry, calendar work, picture studies, or nature studies again get questions/discussions addressed to each boy at their level.

Editing to add that sometimes it does get overwhelming when I'm going back and forth every two minutes and I can usually only do that for one or two sessions a day, certainly not with every subject each day. When my preschooler wants to "do school" but I just don't have the mental capacity to accommodate him at the time I pull from a supply of independent but still schoolish resources. Mep Reception is his favorite for this (I have the printable sheets in a binder with sheet protectors and dry erase markers) and others that work well independently after an initial learning curve are Building Thinking Skills by CTC, Visual Perception Skill Building also by CTC, Kumon tracing books, word wheels and flip charts, and any kind of manipulative based learning set especially if activity cards or activity books are involved like geoboards, pattern blocks, magnetic letters or word building puzzles, c rods, etc.

[ElizabethB]

When I work with my group classes, we have 3-4 students for every volunteer.  Children read ahead or divide words ahead, we spend 30 seconds to a minute listening to each child read, while the other children work on their own.  With 2 students, it is actually 90% as efficient as working one at a time, with 3 it drops to maybe 70%, with 4 it drops a lot more but still more effective overall than one at a time.

With math, you could teach and work in longer increments, have a variety of tasks they are working on; easy review to do while not being worked with, and harder new stuff while you are working with them.  I find math much more efficient working one on one but I only have 2 students at home and have not done group remedial math classes.

[Ellie]

It would help if we knew their ages, not their "grades." :-)

Some things you can do together with your littles, such as Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons. It's true phonics, and doesn't require writing, which is good for younger children who don't yet have the hand-to-eye coordination that many phonics methods use.

Your 7yo might benefit from something like Spalding. It's parent-intensive, so maybe your littles can play with the oldest while you work with the 7yo.

[Holly]

I've briefly combined my kids for math--for example, I had two learn their multiplication tables at the same time.  Then I split them back up.  My experience is that they do best at their own level for math and reading.  As they've gotten older, we have used our Bible time for reading aloud practice with everyone taking a verse or two. 

We just started adding projects from the Family Math books on Fridays.  In addition to our regular math lesson, I pick a project or two for them to work on as a group or in pairs.  I think some people could make this work as their main curriculum, but I'm not organized enough.