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As a homeschooling mom of 4, I get this question a lot...
How do you manage to teach so many children in different grades at once?
I used to see moms homeschooling multiple children and thought they must be "superwoman" to be able to do that! There's no way I can ever do that!
What I realised is it's not as hard as you (or I) may think. So how in the world can an ordinary mom with mulitiple children and limited energy and time possibly homeschool all of them?
I would like to share what I have learned (mostly the hard way) over the past 8 years of homeschooling my 4 kids (now ages 14, 13, 9, and 8). I will also share some ideas of how to make it affordable. Remember I am still learning every year and I'm sure many of you could add to this list.
Have a PLAN
Benjamin Franklin once said, ""If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." Even if you are not naturally a person who knows how to plan, you need to learn for your own sanity. It may require more effort and help from a friend who is good at planning, but you need to learn this skill if you are going to homeschool multiple children. Without a plan, you will feel constantly overwhelmed. It doesn't have to be strict but there should be a certain routine to your day, and you need to plan what you are going to teach them and what curriculum/books you will use. Schedule a day at the beginning of the school year to plan what books you will use and what your daily routine will be. Use a planner just like our "Homeschool Planner for Parents" to write down all your ideas and plans for the year. If you start off with a good plan it will be a huge help for the rest of the year.
I have learned that I can arrange my schedule according to what my children can do independently and then work with the child(ren) who need help. For example, I work with my oldest two during Math and provide them with one on one help while my youngest two do independent work in English and typing. Strategize if you have toddlers and do the hardest work or what your older children need the most help with during your baby's nap time.
After that, plan one day a week (or one evening) when you can sit down for a couple hours and write down a plan for the school week ahead. Prep all the materials, videos, books, and extras you will need for each subject for each child. I use Lesedi's "Homeschool Planner for Kids" to write what each child needs to do per subject per day. I have trained my children to look at their planners, and check off what they finish each day. I then use each box as a reward. For each subject completed they get a prize like 2 min of computer time at the end of the week, or for reading they get a prize after reading a certain number of chapters or books.
Learn as a FAMILY Whenever you can, learn together as a family. Our family does this with History, Science, Art, Music, etc.
I give each child work based on what we are learning at their different level, but we learn the same subject together. An example may be that we all learn about the Solar System. My grade 2 and 3 children will then cut and paste the names of the planets onto a picture in order, while my grade 7 children will write the names of the planets and write a short description of their favourite planet or what it would be like to live on that planet.
We do a lot of fun trips together as a family and learn as we enjoy visiting museums, historical places, and other experiences that stimulate our children's learning and encourage a broad view of the world around them.
Embrace the CHAOS It will be chaotic. There is no way around that. I struggle with this particular point because I am a person who likes peace and quiet and order. I have learned that chaos is inevitable. Having a plan does help with this, but you have to be alright with needing to take a lot of time giving direction, reminding the children of the routine, embracing their unique styles and capacities, loving them in the moment, and remembering that they are children and they are still learning. Learning is a life-long adventure.
Be FLEXIBLE Multiple children means a variety of learning styles, challenges, abilities, and needs. This is maybe where the "superpower" of a mom has to come in. The blessing of homeschooling is you know your students better than any other teacher could. The hardest part is you know your children better than anyone else. Finding the balance is often hard between adapting your teaching to their style and needs, while also challenging them to keep moving forward and reach all the potential you see in them. Be flexible, be aware of each day and each moment. You always have tomorrow to re-teach or remind or try again a different way. If it is a particularly difficult day emotionally for a child, you can consider that and maybe save some work for the next day and help them get the rest or mental break they need. Remember that learning can happen in all of life. Get creative and find ways to help them learn best and enjoy it in the process (if possible).
Get CREATIVE One of the biggest challenges with homeschooling multiple children besides needing to adapt to different styles and struggles, is making it affordable. If you are someone who can afford your favourite program and everything is ready for you and all you have to do is get it out each day, enjoy it and be thankful! If you are someone who would like to homeschool but funds are tight and you have multiple children, we would love to point you in the direction of helpful resources to make it possible. Not only does Lesedi Educational Materials seek to keep resources affordable for parents, we also love to point you to awesome resources we love and have used. Check out our Recommended Resources for toddlers through grade 3.
What I have learned:
Check your countries standards/requirements for each grade
Make a list of free online resources or videos you can use for different topics or subjects
Check out your nearest Library for books related to what you'll be teaching
Buy PDF when possible (print for multiple children, over several years)
Subscribe to an audiobook app to listen to books as a family or for school
Ask for stationary or books for Christmas from family members (give them a wishlist of what you actually will use)
Find subscriptions that allow for multiple children under one dashboard (we have done this with Reading Eggs for reading and phonics, and also EdClub for typing)
Shop for curriculum when there are sales (save up in the meantime - Black Friday often has good deals)
Subscribe to a website like Twinkl to download resources for multiple grades
Think through what skills you or your husband can teach them or maybe a friend can help with.
This is not an exhaustive list but I do hope it is helpful.
Feel free to pop me an email if you have specific questions or would like some guidance. hello@lesedieducation.com
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