Simplest way to combine kids that are 2 years apart?

[snickelfritz]

I'm curious how you made it work and kept shorter days.

 

Younger dd wants to do whatever older does. Ditto for the older. Obviously, math/phonics/handwriting are individualized. I want younger to have some individualized school time that is focused towards her. I don't mind older participating, but I want some things GEARED for the younger. I don't want her to always be a tagalong and just a few years too young for everything else. I also don't want to hold the older back. By age, there is 28 months between them. Because of birthdates, there is 3 years school-wise between them. Not a huge factor, but something I keep in mind.

 

Because they like to do everything, time spent is mostly cumulative....not concurrent.

 

I have some options in mind, involving WTM grade 1, LCC year 1, MFW K, Ambleside year 1....I have many, or all, books for each of these.

 

What do you see as the simplest way to do this?

Edited March 25, 2009 by snickelfritz

[Kidlit]

My girls are 18 months apart (2 school years), so I'm :lurk5:.

[SheWillFly]

My girls are are also 28 months apart but three years apart in regards to grades. We will be doing history, science and literature together. Also done together will be art and music. Of course my expectations will be different and that is something that the girls and I talk about quite a bit.

 

What we do individually is phonics, math, and spelling.

[chiguirre]

Sonlight or Winterpromise. I combine my kids and use a core when my dd is the lower age in the range and ds is the higher age in the range. They're 28 months apart. In Core K, ds got noticeably more out of SL than dd, but now that we're in Core 1/2 (I had 1999 cores with 4 civilizations in 1st and world history in 2nd, so I smooshed them together and made my own loose schedule) dd is getting as much out of it as ds. I'm sure you could use TOG or MFW in a similar way, I just like SL and their age ranges fit our needs well.

[MamaT]

My girls are also 28 months, 3 grade levels apart. We do history, science, art and music together. Everything else is separate.

 

Next year, they will be doing less together, as my older daughter will be 7th grade and starting the Apologia Science series. We will still be doing the same time period for them in history, but their requirements will be different.

[angela&4boys]

I prefer teaching to the younger and beefing it up for the older. I do this by giving the older independent reading extensions and more challenging writing in both history and science,

 

As far as whole programs, I think Heart of Dakota does this best.

 

I used to teach to the older and try to water it down for the younger, but he was lost. It's more enjoyable for all of us the other way around.

[snickelfritz]

Sonlight or Winterpromise. I combine my kids and use a core when my dd is the lower age in the range and ds is the higher age in the range. They're 28 months apart. In Core K, ds got noticeably more out of SL than dd, but now that we're in Core 1/2 (I had 1999 cores with 4 civilizations in 1st and world history in 2nd, so I smooshed them together and made my own loose schedule) dd is getting as much out of it as ds. I'm sure you could use TOG or MFW in a similar way, I just like SL and their age ranges fit our needs well.

 

 

I've considered this, too. Again, I have many of the books. I'm a book nut.:D

 

I had even considered doing Core K(without their science) and Winterpromise RTL at the same time. Catch both kiddos and let the Winterpromise be our science. But, I've considered everything. In the end, what I want is something that WILL catch them both. Even if it's slightly better for one, I want to get double work out of things.

[KS_]

Mine are 2 yrs 4 months apart in age and I have them combined in Ambleside. It has worked out fairly well, although if I could go back, I wouldn't have started as early as I did (we're adding Year 3.5 and spreading it out over 1 1/2 years so we don't end up in Year 4 too early). I ended up combining because the younger (dd) wanted to be included and was sitting in on school even before I started requiring her to be there.

 

If you do decide to go with Ambleside, I'd hold off starting Year 1 until your younger is 6. Otherwise you'll probably end up heading into Year 4 too early and will have to decide to split them up at that point, or do something like we are (adding an extra year or two). But starting too early is the only regret I have with combining my dc. Otherwise, it's worked really well for us.

[Amber in AUS]

It's hard at this age when they always want to do what the other is!

 

I have 18m between my oldest 2, DD will be 5 in July and DS was 3 in Jan. Our day looks like this -

 

After breakfast and chores

 

Circle time in the lounge which includes, reading a poem, singing a song, memory work, weather for the day, signs we know, quick look at our picture study for the week. We all do this and try to keep it short.

 

Next is LA at the table both work a 2 page spread, DD in ETC and DS in Before the Code. Then DD does some words from Websters and DS draws on his white board. No reading lessons for DD as she is already reading at a 4th grade level but DS will be starting reading lessons soon in this time too.

 

Morning tea break or if we are zooming then math, otherwise math after break.

 

Math with DD, counting with DS, he will sometimes watch or do his own thing, puzzle etc.

 

After this we will do something from history, geography, fine arts or science. I usually let the kids pick this one, so far geography has been a big hit so is asked for a lot. I just let their interest dictate and accommodate DS. After me reading some info to them they might colour the flag, find the country and flag in the Atlas, DD may then do some copywork on the country info.

 

Normally that takes us through to lunch. After lunch is for the informal, handicrafts, nature walks, playing, cooking, etc.

 

We do a family read aloud at bedtime also.

[AudreyTN]

Have you seen the Weaver Interlock program? It's geared for exactly the ages you have. I used it when my oldest two were in K and K4. It's a year long study of Genesis 1-10. I plan to use it again when my ds2 is ready for K, since the baby will be about 3 years.

[Matryoshka]

My kids are 30 mos. apart, but only 2 grade levels. You'd think I'd have been more clever combining them, but we really only combine history. Science we have a coop for, so they're in separate classes.

 

I have independent work set up for them so that they can work alone while the other(s) are with me. (I have two at the older grade level).

 

My youngest does benefit a lot from listening in - I'm not doing any formal grammar with her per se, but she listens to the whole EG lesson and will even ask questions. This has also happened with math - she whizzes thorough stuff after having heard it explained for two years before she gets there.

[kindermommy]

Mine are 15 months apart, so it's *really* challenging. They truly do not understand that one is going to be able to do a little more than the other. I deal with lots of frustration (from them) and jealousy! DS *thinks* he can do what DD is doing, so I let him try, but when he gets frustrated (esp in Math) and I finally dismiss him to another activity because he is struggling, DD then thinks what he is doing is "more fun" than what she is doing.

 

I am hoping in a year or two the differences will be smaller - I think DS needs a little more time to mature before he can keep up with her. But we'll see.

 

Sometimes I think it would be easier if they were at least 3 years apart even though that means I would definitely have to plan 2 curriculums...

[TxMama]

You will easily be able to combine them in history/science/elective type studies without it holding the older back or the younger being to young. I will keep my youngers together when my 3yo reaches school age and they are 38 months apart.

 

I am picked resources that will work well for this. For example, we are using SOTW for history. When my 3yo reaches school age she will just join us with SOTW. I suspect that she will slowly over the next few years join us a little at a time. When I complete SOTW with the oldest we will just restart the series from the beginning for my youngest. My oldest will benefit from reading a second time and get more out of it then he has at age 6 but he will also have some additional work to do independently in history.

 

It'll work out. You don't have to have all the answers at this time. Pick a resource that will work best for you this year and take it a year at a time.

[WTMindy]

I have kept my kids together (18 months apart) on almost everything all the way through. I just make adjustments for ability levels. The younger might not have to write as much or something like that. It has been great. However, as my oldest starts jr high next year, I'm going to separate them back out a bit.

 

I'm a big believer on simplifying and doing as much together as possible. Especially if they both like it.

[Wee Pip]

My girls are 25 mo apart. I'm trying to remember what we did at that age...I think I focused on the 5yo while the 3yo was short-changed and ignored:( My dh even commented: "why aren't you spending as much time with the 2nd one as you did with the 1st one at that age?" Poor thing. But she learned anyway. Did lots of playdo at the table, or alphabet magnets, or pattern blocks, etc. She also loved coloring pages, so sometimes did fun-only coloring pages, othertimes with an educational theme (alphabet). I tried, but it wasn't easy! The 2nd dd was much more driven to learn. She learned a lot from her sister, a lot from listening in on our lessons, and a lot on her own. Her learning was much more effortless than the 1st dd (who had so many struggles!) This seems to be a common theme with the 2nd-born: sadly neglected, but exceling beyond expectation, LOL.

[snickelfritz]

But, I wonder how much a young 4 will really get out of it. She is around for our chapter books, but she doesn't really listen to them. I already plan on re-reading "Charlottes Web", "My Father's Dragon", "Little House in the Big Woods", etc... in a few years. They've been perfect for my older, but I don't want to miss doing them with my younger.

 

I'm wistful for the fun little farm/pond/zoo/community helper/etc... studies that I did with my older and I wonder if my younger dd is missing out on all that good/age appropriate stuff.

 

I know I can't keep them exactly the same, nor should I. But, I am trying to keep things fair and not get to the end and realize that my younger was always the afterthought.

[momtolgd]

My older two are 26 months apart, and 2 grade levels apart. Right now they do history, science, latin, and health together. My youngest listens in on oldest's grammar and WWE even though she is doing her own levels (she loves to answer questions that the oldest has to think about first!) Right now we are working through MUS Alpha together also, but that's because I took the oldest back so he could get a better grasp on the facts....it won't remain this way for long.

[Matryoshka]

She learned a lot from her sister, a lot from listening in on our lessons, and a lot on her own. Her learning was much more effortless than the 1st dd (who had so many struggles!) This seems to be a common theme with the 2nd-born: sadly neglected, but exceling beyond expectation, LOL.

 

LOL - this is so how it worked here. I was so focused on the older two dds, especially as they hit "real" school age, that the younger one got precious little attention (at least compared to what the older two had gotten at that age) - but she kept working a grade level above her age, so it was hard to pull my attention away from the two who were just at grade level to focus on the little one who seemed to be thriving!

 

That's one reason I have her in a separate class at science coop - I think it's good for her to have something that's really focused on her, and her level, rather than having her be just an afterthought all the time. She loves "her" science class.

 

My youngest is now 8, and her sisters will be in 6th grade next year. I'm kind of hoping that the older two will be able to do more independently so that I can give the younger one more focused attention - she really needs a bit more especially in writing and spelling. Still whizzing right along in math, though...

[Woodland_Mom]

My boys are 2 years apart. I do math, spelling, and reading with them individually. With individual work, we're still sitting together, but I will give my older son something he can do independently and then begin the math lesson with my younger. This way we're all together and I am still available for my older son if he needs help. Then, by the time my younger son is ready to start his independent math lesson work, I am able to begin a "lesson" with time devoted to my older child. I alos try to devote a little time to both boys when they're reading.

 

I do Latin with my 3rd grader only.

 

Togeter: We come together for science, Bible, and History. Sometimes that means paring things down for my younger, i.e. copywork instead of dictation with history.

 

They love playing games together - Math bingo, jeopardy style games with memory work, etc. Also: when my older needs to study something and my younger wants to be involved, I will let him quiz his brother with flashcards. This works VERY well because they both get an opportunity to learn, but younger fella doesn't feel left out.

[TxMama]

But, I wonder how much a young 4 will really get out of it. She is around for our chapter books, but she doesn't really listen to them. I already plan on re-reading "Charlottes Web", "My Father's Dragon", "Little House in the Big Woods", etc... in a few years. They've been perfect for my older, but I don't want to miss doing them with my younger.

 

I'm wistful for the fun little farm/pond/zoo/community helper/etc... studies that I did with my older and I wonder if my younger dd is missing out on all that good/age appropriate stuff.

.

 

Ohhhhhhh. Get it now.

 

No, a 4yo isn't probably going to get much out of SOTW even if she listens in. Keep in mind though whatever you choose to use for your 6yo isn't going to take up a large amount of time.....1-2 hours max. We spend about an hour per day on my 6yos core work and then another hour per day on the extras depending on his interest. My 3yo easily joins us on our nature studies, science experiments, art, literature reading as she wants and able. For your sanity when they are both school age it is much easier to have them doing the same history/etc instead of trying to have them do their own individual cycles.

 

You can still do the little farm/pond/zoo/etc studies with your younger and let your older join in as she wants. Any book you don't get to read aloud to her she can still enjoy as a chapter book when she is reading so don't fret too much over your reading list. Choose titles that complement them both.

 

Your younger's education isn't going to be exactly like your older but when you step back you will see that it is far richer because she was exposed to far more at an earlier age.

[King Alfred Academy]

My girls are are also 28 months apart but three years apart in regards to grades. We will be doing history, science and literature together. Also done together will be art and music. Of course my expectations will be different and that is something that the girls and I talk about quite a bit.

 

What we do individually is phonics, math, and spelling.

 

Pretty much the same situation except my boys are 27 months apart...2 years school but their strengths are in different areas.

 

We use TOG so keeping them together in history is pretty simple even though I have a LG and an UG level. Science is also done together.

 

My youngest likes to sit in on my oldest's math lesson, he understands it (better than my oldest sometimes!), and is therefore moving right along in that area.

[chiguirre]

I had even considered doing Core K(without their science) and Winterpromise RTL at the same time. Catch both kiddos and let the Winterpromise be our science. But, I've considered everything. In the end, what I want is something that WILL catch them both. Even if it's slightly better for one, I want to get double work out of things.

 

I would hold off on Core K until they're 7 and 5 (the beginning age range listed in the SL catalog). That's the ages that we did it and there was plenty of meat for a 7yo and there were a few books over my 5yos head. I would choose PK 3/4 to go along with RTL and then do PK 4/5 when your youngest is 4. This way you'll do K at the low and high end of the age range and you can move up the cores with both kids "in range". For example, Core 1 is recommended for 6-8 yos at the start of the school year (roughly, 1-3 grade). Similarly, WP lists Animal Worlds for K-2+, American Story for 1-3, etc. If you do these when your oldest is the youngest age in the range, it will be a bit advanced for them and your younger will get nothing out of it. If you wait 2 years, everyone will be much happier.

[Sheila in OK]

This is my ongoing dilemma. *sigh* My two are 2 years and 7 months apart--3 full grade levels. We've done several years of SL but this year Core 3 just didn't work out--my 2nd grade ds got nothing out of it. I feel like he is always just the tagalong. So this year I'm doing a sort of combination of Biblioplan with SOTW (year 3) and adding in Truthquest. It's actually working out really well. Both dc enjoy SOTW, and TQ adds in the lower-level picture books that ds needs. I'm also adding in some of the coloring pages and mapwork from the SOTW AG (no activities so far). I wish there was a program out there I wouldn't have to tweak so much, but I'm starting to think it doesn't exist! :tongue_smilie:

[Melinda]

I was just going to post something like this...haha

 

My older two are 1 day over 14 months apart. All three kids want my full attention *all* the time, and I am overstretched. I am trying to do reading, writing, grammar, and math alone with the 5yo, reading and math alone with the 4yo, everything else together, and remember to look at or hug the 2yo once in a while. My house is a disaster, and I am finding it hard to keep up.

 

I will definitely be watching this thread!

[Emmy]

I kind of like how My Father's World has kids doing their own separate program for K and 1st, then they jump into the history cycle with their olders sibs starting in 2nd grade. I haven't used MFW (yet?) but that does appeal to me.

 

 

My #1 and #2 are 20 months apart in age. I had #2 doing SOTW with his older brother and it's been "ok" - but in many ways I wish I had done his kinder separately and did the fun kind of stuff. Logistically though - that would have been impossible because I also had a 3/4 year old and a 1 yo.

 

I'm looking at fall 2009 now and my #3 will be kinder (with my #1 doing 4th grade work and my #2 doing 2nd grade work) and I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep him separate from the older 2 for a couple years, so he can do the fun younger kid stuff.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Mine are almost 2 years apart....would be back to back grades if in the ps due to birthdays...

 

My first year was preschool with my son. My second year was repeat for his sister and the next level for him(chapter books, more handwriting, next math book).

 

THIS YEAR: FUN! And next year: Almost all together!!!

 

We did History, Science and Latin together this year. They did their own grammar, handwriting and math. They loved the together time the most!

 

Next year they are working on the same level for everything except their ETC books(son is done and dd has 2 left) and Math. Everything else is together!!!! We are very excited.

 

It was a process though...and there are times I ask my older child to do more writing/thinking in science or read something outloud. Not every day, but some days I do require more b/c he is older and should be capable.

 

I am so glad they are close....although repeating the basics in phonics and math back to back was torture for me, lol!!!