Teaching the whole elementary school 😳

[Condessa]

So I have two more foster kids coming in two weeks, the sisters of my girls that are already with us.  The foster girls and my oldest two were going to be in public school this year, and I was going to homeschool my two boys and have the littlest in her special therapy preschool two mornings a week and at home the rest of the time.  Our governor just made an announcement that schools cannot open for in-person instruction until counties reach certain benchmarks that we are not going to be seeing anytime soon.  So I will have all eight at home with me.  We did one month of the public school’s distance learning with my foster dd8 at the end of the year, and it was terrible, so I am seeking permission to homeschool them through my other kids’ charter.  I am also looking for a mother’s helper a couple of times a week, and hopefully I will find someone who can come in the morning and help during school time.  But basically, I have a month to prepare for homeschooling seven kids (plus a preschooler underfoot).

 I will have one each in 6th, 5th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st, and two in 3rd.  My bio kids are experienced homeschoolers, and are advanced in some subjects.  My foster dd8 is a smart kid who was completely missing certain fundamentals that I have been working on remedying since she came to us in April.  I don’t know where the other two are at.  Logistics-wise I will need to combine kids for subjects wherever possible.

I love MCT language arts, and really want to work it out to keep using them.  My 4th and 3rd graders are already mostly combined, and are ready to start Town level.  I was planning on starting my 1st grader with Island level this year.  I am tentatively  thinking of having the 5th grader do Town level and the 3rd and 2nd graders do Island, but I’m worried about the foster girls being upset at being combined with younger kids.

 I have really leaned towards teacher-intensive materials in the past, but I need to consider some changes.  I especially need some kind of science that will be laid out for us.  (BFSU was great, but a major struggle even with four kids.  Last year I finally gave up and we just did science kit “experiments” for the rest of the year.)  I think SOTW will still work for us for all but the sixth grader, but I’m not sure how narrations can work with six kids doing them?  

BA Online has been working great for us, and dd8 started it when she came to our home and enjoys it, though she finds it very challenging.  I just started her at the beginning, since what she really needed was practice with place value.  I wonder if BA has assessments to know where to start with the 5th grader and whether the 2nd grader is ready for it or not?  

Anyways, just trying to figure this out.  Suggestions are welcome.

[Emily ZL]

Just my two cents, but I personally wouldn't do BA unless the kids were definitely advanced. My son is bright but the year we did BA was a lost math year; there were too many gaps and not enough review. It works great for some kids, but they need to be puzzle-lovers. Math mammoth is written directly to the student, so that might help. Or teaching textbooks?

[ktgrok]

Teaching Textbooks for math for all who can. 

Blossom and Root has science designed to be flexible for ages 5-12. So does The Good and The Beautiful. If there are attention issues I'd go with Blossom and Root over The Good and The Beautiful though...more flexibility I think. And the nature study that goes with it would be good for everyone as well. 

[Terabith]

Honestly, I would keep BA for those for whom it is working, but it certainly wouldn't be my go to for brand new foster children whose academic background you don't know.  I think I'd do something like CLE.  

For history, I'd probably include the 6th grader with SOTW (or have them to something totally on their own, like buy a K12 history class privately).  For narrations, I would just pick one kid to narrate each section and not worry about not everyone narrating every day.  I'd do science through library books and have a "documentary time" for school.  (Or possibly have bigs and littles, maybe while you work with the other group for MCT).  

But academics would be at the bottom of my list of priorities with new foster children you're just getting to know, in the middle of a pandemic, in a household that suddenly has eight kids.  Like, waaaaaaay down at the bottom of my priority list.  

[Condessa]

3 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

You need to page the "Lots of" mammas!

I would think that I'd start with math, get that going. Then add in LA. Get that + Math going without anyone crying (including yourself). Throw in maybe a read aloud.

History and Science would honestly be dead last on my priority list- like only if you have a little bit of extra sanity and want to throw it in. You definitely have the whole one room school house going. With that many even TT might be hard unless you have multiple computers going? 

 

We will be able to get more technology with charter school funds, though internet bandwidth will still be an issue.  I wonder if the charter school would let us use some of the funds for better internet?  We are rural here, and the only option better than what we have now is satellite internet.

I’m definitely keeping dd9, ds8, and ds6 on BA Online—it’s their favorite part of school, and they can do it semi independently.  Dd11 has been working on AOPS Prealgebra with me.  I think AOPS’s independently paced option for the second half of Prealgebra might be good for her.  Dd8 asked to do BA Online, too, after seeing the others enjoying it so much.  She was at the end of her 2nd grade and I started her at the beginning of level 2.  Her progress has been slow, but sticking well.  I think staying with it will probably work for her, though I am open to other options, and for the other two girls as well.

[Condessa]

3 hours ago, Terabith said:

Honestly, I would keep BA for those for whom it is working, but it certainly wouldn't be my go to for brand new foster children whose academic background you don't know.  I think I'd do something like CLE.  

For history, I'd probably include the 6th grader with SOTW (or have them to something totally on their own, like buy a K12 history class privately).  For narrations, I would just pick one kid to narrate each section and not worry about not everyone narrating every day.  I'd do science through library books and have a "documentary time" for school.  (Or possibly have bigs and littles, maybe while you work with the other group for MCT).  

But academics would be at the bottom of my list of priorities with new foster children you're just getting to know, in the middle of a pandemic, in a household that suddenly has eight kids.  Like, waaaaaaay down at the bottom of my priority list.  

 

Dd11 has been doing the Oxford University Press World in Ancient Times.  Maybe she could just read the books and discuss them with me?  Library books and documentary time sounds doable.  I am definitely up for trying to make academics as simple as possible while we are dealing with all this, but we don’t have the option to not do school.  It has to be either distance public school or the homeschool charter, and of the two, I definitely prefer the charter, but it does require that we do something for Language Arts, Math, History, and Science.

[JessinTX]

I really have no suggestions for you. I think the Mother's Helper is a fabulous idea. And as a former foster mama I'm just sending you blessings and strength. It will be hard but what you are doing to keep those sisters together is important and will be life changing for them. Good luck! 

[Junie]

7 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

 

Dd11 has been doing the Oxford University Press World in Ancient Times.  Maybe she could just read the books and discuss them with me?  Library books and documentary time sounds doable.  I am definitely up for trying to make academics as simple as possible while we are dealing with all this, but we don’t have the option to not do school.  It has to be either distance public school or the homeschool charter, and of the two, I definitely prefer the charter, but it does require that we do something for Language Arts, Math, History, and Science.

It seems like you have a plan for Language Arts and Math.  And for those skill subjects, I suggest that you use what works for you.

For History and Science, I would probably buy a level or two of the SOTW and Apologia books and audiobooks and let everyone read/listen together.  And possibly buy multiple copies of the textbooks for the older kids to read so that they don't all have to share.

[Clemsondana]

If you're not philosophically opposed to workbooks, the Critical Thinking Company's Science Detective is good. The books are labeled for 2 grades, I think 3-4 and 5-6 (I'm not sure what their K-2 offerings are) so you could have multiple kids doing the same book.  They also have experiment books that are really straightforward, take few supplies, and only take 15-20 minutes at the most.  We used a physical science one last year for some experiments and my kid liked it.  It was for grades 4-8, but younger kids would enjoy participating and understand basics so you could maybe do just one thing, experiment-wise.  I think they have others that might have grades that line up better for you.  I hadn't planned on science workbooks, but ended up doing them with one kid for *reasons* and was pleased, so this might fill that gap for you. They also have some shorter workbooks about things like inferences and their language mechanic and editing workbooks are good.  I used few workbooks with my older but my younger needed discrete assignments...these sorts of books might help fill some of the education gaps without being too teacher-intensive, and all have at least 2, if not more, grades so you could combine kids.  

If your 3rd graders the type to be convinced by labels, show them the place on the MCT website where it shows a big range of ages/grades for each book...or, would it be plausible for them to think of it as you teaching them at their level and the youngers participating with them?  

[Condessa]

55 minutes ago, ClemsonDana said:

If your 3rd graders the type to be convinced by labels, show them the place on the MCT website where it shows a big range of ages/grades for each book...or, would it be plausible for them to think of it as you teaching them at their level and the youngers participating with them?  

 

I think they would probably see right through a ‘younger kids are tagging along with you’ line if the youngers are taking to the work more easily, which seems likely as they have had more preparation.  I’m thinking maybe I can pitch it as, these aren’t grade level books, they just go in order, this is the first book, and those kids have already done this book—except that I am not planning on starting the 5th grader at the beginning.  I like the idea of showing them the website age recommendations if they protest.

[Condessa]

I appreciate all the ideas for science and for math for my newer students.  I’m planning on working my way down the thread checking out all the recommendations.

[Condessa]

I figured out how to add tags.

[Condessa]

I am really liking how easy Math Mammoth makes it to target gaps.  That would probably be really valuable with my foster girls.

[Jentrovert]

For science, maybe consider Mystery Science. You'd have access to all levels and topics, it's quick and easy but interesting, and plenty for elementary.

They have lessons up to a recommended age of 12 or 14, I think. I don't know if it's sufficient for middle school, I have little ones, but perhaps that along with books would cover most of your students easily.

[Jentrovert]

Sorry, double post.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Jentrovert

[Momto6inIN]

I agree with PP's: focus on getting math in place and making sure everyone is progressing with their reading. Otherwise it's completely appropriate to de-prioritize academics in favor of creating a new peaceful loving family culture.

Math Mammoth is great for gaps and it's relatively cheap to get the whole elementary curriculum. Feel free to skip the geometry sections after about 3rd or 4th grade, they're not all that great.

Combine the 6th and 5th and 4th graders for writing, maybe with IEW? You could all watch the videos together and then they could do their own assignments at their own level. Depending on the 3rd graders reading levels, they maybe could do the same one with the older kids and just expect a lot less in output. 2nd and 1st graders can just do copywork

Read SoTW together and do some of the fun activities (but only if it doesn't stress you out). For science I would seriously just get books from the library and read them together. Maybe some experiment books (again, only if doesn't stress you out).

[NataliaMusk]

From one foster mom to another, you got this. Audiobooks are your best friends. Let the kids color or play with legos while they listen to Story of the World or A History of US by Joy Hakin (if you want to do American History).  Playdoh for the younger ones work wonders (we use silicone mats for playdoh or paint so it keeps it mostly mess free. The kids learned to keep it on their mats). Any book read by Jim Weiss is a favorite at our house, especially the Greek Mythology ones. Percy Jackon or Harry Potter audiobooks will keep my older kiddos busy for a long time while they play quietly, so I can teach the younger ones. 

My foster daughter had a lot of gaps in her learning so I took it back to just the basics (maths and language). We're working on a grade below her age to make sure everything's covered. If I feel like she's ready we can always do a summer intensive and get her back to her original grade but I'm not worried about it. Bonding with your new kiddos during this period of welcoming them home is so important and it should come first, education can be second for now.

[cougarmom4]

Wow. You are amazing.

I think the key will be to simplify at first and then you can always expand later if possible. Stick with what you are doing for math and choose something basic and straight forward for others. As far as LA, I’d find a workbook type of thing for each. Zaner-bloser has one on Grammar, Usage & Mechanics that would cover a lot of bases, imo. Give each a basket of books at their reading level and have independent reading time, where you listen/read with 2-3 of them each day. Have the older ones do a vocabulary workbook independently (I like word wisdom, again by zaner-bloser) and/or add in a handwriting book. Some of this may be “busy work” but would serve the purpose of working independently and allowing you to work with one or two at a time.

As you must cover history and science, I think you could do those all together by either read-aloud or audiobooks and have each child create a notebook page on the topic. Compile these in a binder for each and it’s a great record (if you need to show it). The younger students may be asked to write a sentence and draw a picture about what they learned. Maybe you give a sentence to copy or a sentence stem to start them off. The older ones could write a paragraph or draw a diagram to label or whatever. Evan-moor has some great science workbooks that present content, have a few assignment pages and a hands on activity. You could definitely combine levels on these.