Help! Combining When 1 Child Has Already Completed a Guide?

[stawnasalas]

I am really wanting to somehow combine my 7 and 9 yo for History at least, maybe science, since I will now have 4 I am homeschooling, plus 2 little ones. My 7 yo will start Bigger this year, but my 9 yo has already completed Bigger, 2 years ago. Would it be very wrong to have my 9 yo do the History again, with my 7 yo? I am just looking for ways to make things a bit more streamlined. I will combine Bible for all my children, but will have a Kindergartner that I will spend the first hour of the day with. I am thinking Bigger is a bit beyond my 7 yo's level right now, but he has just finished Beyond. Ugh, I am stressing. Thank you for any input, and sorry this is kind of all over the place .

[MelInKansas]

If you think your 7YO isn't well placed in Bigger, or you think it will be too challenging for him, then I would consider doing Bigger 1/2 speed for a while. I did that with my DD because it was just too much too quickly for her.

What has the 9YO been doing since Bigger? Honestly I don't think you would want to repeat a guide. And if you keep going, the 9YO will become more independent and require a lot less of your time. Yes, you would still be teaching that one separately and reading to them separately but the time you have to commit to it will be much less. Combining is good, especially for kids who are close in age or ability, but it can also be harder because you have to add on to make it challenging enough for the older one. I think keeping them all separate is a good way to go.

I will be in this boat too. Pretty soon (by October I think) I will be doing Preparing, Bigger, and LHFHG. Somehow we will balance it all out and try to keep my 2YO occupied too. I have a schedule and try to rotate the 2YO with the other siblings, give them a little time on computer games and things to keep them happy and occupied. But I do hope you figure something out.

[stawnasalas]

Thank you for your reply Melissa. I have been considering doing 1/2 speed with Bigger, and I think that's just what I may do. Thank you for that suggestion. I always wish I could somehow combine, but I think that may make it harder in the long run. I wish I had started my 7 and 9 yo's together in the beginning, but there is really no way to do that when they've both started out in their own guides from the beginning. Oh, my 9 yo has been doing the guides in order and this year will start CTC, which I may start 1/2 speed as well, as I think it will be a challenge for her.

[Nealewill]

Realistically, as long as your 9 year old places in CTC, it won't really save you much time at all to combine your 7 year old and 9 year old. You will already be completing grammar, writing, math and spelling separately. All of other subjects except the Story Time box and the Geography would be completed independently. So in that sense, I am not sure how much easier it would be for the 9 year old. However, if they 9 year old doesn't seem ready to move into CTC, then I would definitely combine that child with the 7 year old in Bigger.

[Tidbits of Learning]

Here is the thing. Most people think doing 1 guide instead of 2 with 2 kids will go quicker and be easier. It isn't always. Especially if there are 2+ years/grades between the kids. I had my dd's combined for quite a while through the years and it manifested in other problems such as one feeling she was horrid at maths and one feeling science wasn't her go to subject. You always have one kid that will shine in something that the other will not. If you have a child that is more outgoing and talkative then the more quiet sibling often will not try as hard and let the outspoken sibling take the lead.
I would think with a 7 and 9 yr old that combining would be hard due to the differences in abilities and knowledge at that point. Second and Fourth grade are very far apart on what one would expect from a student and if you are constantly adjusting your expectations for one or the other child then you are never fully in the moment with your teaching. To me, in your situation having them in their own guides would be the least work and both kids would be getting what they needed.