teaching multiple ages

[bphomeschoolmom]

I am new this year this year to Heart of Dakota. I love the content and approach, however, I am wondering how to teach kids in different books at the same time My younger boy can't do much without my involvement yet (he is newly 6) and my daughter is able to be independent, but I want to be involved and do the teacher recommended stuff with her. I am looking for suggestions on how to balance different ages and abilities and maybe a schedule (if that is what I am missing?) of how others make it work within their families. Thanks ! It is much appreciated!

[arstephia]

We are juggling 3 guides (see my siggy) and it is working great. I do the stuff with the youngest (Beyond) while the others start their independent reading things. When they need to come talk with me to do an oral narration or something, the younger one takes a break and does a puzzle, plays a memory game, lacing cards, etc. I have several things that I can direct her to do by herself while I work with an older child. If I didn't have a plan like that I could see that I would "lose" the younger one, but because I can say "go pick a puzzle and work on that for awhile" with some authority, she just thinks it is part of her school day. If I say "go play" she struggles more and I tend to have trouble getting her back to me to continue. I also have a snack ready for her so that is something else she will go do if I am spending time with an older child. She will go eat a cheese stick, fruit or a yogurt, etc. I get done with the younger one before lunch most days so the older ones know to hold off on the bigger "projects" until after lunch so I can do it with them. It seemed overwhelming to think about but once we got going it has been great.

[Sue G in PA]

I am running 3 (possibly 4) guides this year (Beyond, Bigger, RtR and possibly LHTH) as well as guiding my 10th grader through MFW WHL. I am overwhelmed just typing that and I haven't even gotten started! A good place to begin would be skimming through the "Let's Share our Schedules" thread. Julie as well as many others have successfully run 3+ guides at once. The key is scheduling. And, alas, I am not very good at that. Take a look through the schedules thread and I think you will find some good ideas. Running 2 guides is not difficult. Welcome to HOD!

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board, bphomeschoolmom! The ladies already gave some good answers here. Could you share the ages of your dc, and the guides that you'll be using with them? I could try to link you to some schedules that fit those guides then, or we could give you some tips more specific to the ages of your dc and the guides you'd be using. I really love teaching our different guides. It makes me a more balanced person. I feel like each child is getting enough of me in the areas he needs me in the most. I also like that not everyone is doing school the same amount of time - something I think is an incredible bonus of homeschooling. Very young dc should not be doing school the same amount of time as older dc - their attention span just does not fit that well, and retention (and enjoyment) is lost. I like to use teaching blocks of time within my day, and that seems to work well in keeping that balance intact. If you get a chance to share the guides you'll be using, we'll all chime in with some more specific advice. Or, if you are still considering proper placement and would like help with that, be sure and check out the first page of the placement chart at the link below and share about each of your dc so we can help...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

In Christ,
Julie

[bphomeschoolmom]

Thank you ladies for suggestions! I have 4 kiddos who are 9,6,4,2 and a baby due in Jan. We are using Beyond Little Hearts and Preparing Hearts. I am finding it difficult to know how to structure my day. My 6 yr old doesn't take as long, but I am not getting in a rhythm of ordering the day. Plus, with my littler ones, it can be difficult to keep them busy and also play/interact with them too. Those are more specific details than my original post. Thank you in advance for your help!

[my3sons]

Thanks for sharing about your family - that really does help! Well, placement sounds like it's going well - so hooray for that! To successfully teach multiple ages with multiple guides, a good schedule goes a long way. There are many ways to schedule a homeschooling day, and each family has its own best way to do so, but this thread showcases a lot of different styles of scheduling that work for different families' needs...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2093

A schedule becomes a routine more and more as the year goes on, as long as it is done consistently. That is my favorite time of year - when the schedule becomes a routine. For us, this is maybe 4-8 weeks into a school year. On years we have had a baby, it helps to start with the baby's schedule (when they begin to have one ). The toddler is also an important consideration. It helped me to have around 30 minute increments of things planned for the toddler to do, and variety was important. So, penciling in a schedule for these 2 little precious ones will really help in the day to day. Blessedly, you have older dc, and we have found it a wonderful bonding opportunity for each older child to take a turn playing with the younger dc. So, one little tip would be to write out what the baby and toddler can be doing, where they can be, and who can be with them. Carrie has an excellent post on this that I will cut and paste here, as I think it summarizes a lot of different effective ideas to put to use with little ones...

...I agree that schooling with a 2 year old (or any toddler) can be very interesting! It will be even more important to figure out a routine for that particular child than it is to schedule your older two. This is because a 2 year old can make the best laid schedule come apart at the seams very quickly.

So, with that in mind, I would begin the schedule thinking of how to keep the 2-3 year old moving from thing to thing every 20-30 min. I would take time to truly train that child with his/her schedule, as this will make your school day go so much better! This can be done in stages, so don't get overwhelmed with my post below as it just full of ideas that you can gradually consider doing whichever ones might work for you! Just think that anything you do for your 2-3 year old will really pay off! I'll combine some of my previous posts below of things we've done with our schedule for our little ones at that age, and you can see what might work for you.

A few things that we've done that may be of help to you as you ponder your 2-3 year old's day are as follows:
We usually let our little ones sleep later in the morning and get up when they wake up. This means we do two shifts for breakfast as the older boys do get up and get started on time. The little ones eat when they come down. We make oatmeal and leave it on warm on the stove, as it can be eaten easily anytime. Our other breakfast is eggs in the microwave that the boys make on their own. Just crack one-two eggs in a microwave safe cereal bowl, stir, microwave and add a touch of salt or shredded cheese when they're done. We add yogurt and peanut butter toast and breakfast is a quick affair. This allows us to eat in shifts as needed. Our meals where we typically sit down together to eat as more as family are lunch and dinner.

Another thing that helps is for us to start the 2 or 3 year old early on his/her lunch. The little ones are usually hungry earlier than the older ones, so having them begin eating early is helpful. It buys me about 20 min. more work time with my other children. We usually work right at the table where the little one is eating, so that child feels a part of what we're doing, but is happily engaged. Once the little one finishes eating, he/she is happier as we read aloud with the others at lunch and is more willing to either go play or play with cupboard toys while the rest of the kiddos are eating.

I often read aloud at lunch to my kiddos when they are all eating, as full mouths are quiet mouths (and their minds are listening)!

Another wonderful thing that is well worth doing is to clear out a lower cabinet in your kitchen and stock it with just your 2-3 year old's toys. I only allowed my 2-3 year old to have one toy at a time out of the cupboard. We placed child protectors on the cabinet doors to enforce this. Then, I filled the cabinet with all sorts of quiet items that the 2-5 year old could get out (one at a time) and play with quietly at the table or on the floor by the cabinet. Often my boys spent much time just getting one thing out and putting away, so they could get the next thing out of the cabinet. The rule was only one item out at a time, and it must be put away prior to getting out the next item. This easily took 25-30 min. and can be used anytime you need it. Many days my son just spent a lot of time taking out one toy, scattering it on the floor, picking it up, putting it away, and getting out another one (which is great for fine motor muscle building and for practicing the skill of picking up)! We did put child protectors on the cupboard doors, which my son could open, but it slowed him down and kept him from just unloading the cabinet. We tried to put the toys in the cabinet that had many pieces in storage boxes WITH LIDS. This kept my son busy every morning, again in the afternoon, and in the evening. It is still the first thing he heads for when he comes downstairs, as he knows it is his. We also have a playroom with his toys, but for years he often only ever wanted what was in the cabinet.

Some examples of inexpensive things to place in the cabinet for a 2 year old that you may already have on hand would be a bucket of cars, a lidded container with macaroni noodles and a measuring cup, play food that he can cut or put together, a can of tennis balls with a lid, a container with a tweezers and small objects to pick up with the tweezers (like small pieces of yarn), a Cheerio book if you have one (where kiddos put the Cheerios on the openings in each page, if no Cheerio book make your own using coloring book pages and drawing circles where your kiddo should place the Cheerios (and then eat them), a container with trains and a track in it, a magnadoodle, anything he can pound like a ball pounder, an empty egg carton with a big button or other object in each slot (make sure they're not a choking hazard though), colored cups with a small container of legos chosen to be the same color as the cups (sort the colored legos into the matching cup), a lidded tub filled with stuffed toys, a container of megablocks, possibly some tractors or other vehicles, etc.

Toys for a 3 or 4 year old could have smaller parts and more involved steps like simple puzzles, possibly playdough or moon dough, large gears, objects for sorting, alphabet letters, foam blocks, large tangram shapes, a dry erase marker board and low odor marker (only when supervised , stacking cups, nesting boxes or other things that nest, large lacing beads, snap cubes, patterning cards,etc.

Another help for a two year old is highchair time. This usually buys about 15 min. We tried to have a highchair time each day for our kiddos when they were that age. We also attempted a playpen time and a play at the table time each day. Here's just a few ideas we used in the past for our highchair time for our busy, busy boys at that age:

1. Save the plastic eggs that snap together from Easter and place a Cheerio or other edible object inside each one. Then, have the child open and eat them, or if possible have the child put the object in and then take it out.

2. Do paint with water books in the high chair. Tear one page out of the book and tape it to the high chair tray. Give the child a small plastic container of water (flatter is better than taller, so it doesn't tip) and a paintbrush to paint on the water, and watch the colors appear on the paint with water page. Often the paper ended up so saturated, you couldn't see the picture but the time it gave me was worth it!

3. Cheerio books you can get at almost any book store. These have an indented spot to place a Cheerio in on each page creating a scene. We bought them for our first son (who is now a freshman) and have had them for each child ever since. These work great in the high chair as well. Simply give the child a small cup of Cheerios to place on each page, reusing the Cheerios as they go. Then at the end they can eat them (or eat as they go sometimes too.)

4. Tape a white piece of paper to the highchair tray and sprinkle a bit of kool-aid or Crystal light powder on the page. Then give the child a paintbrush and some water and let them paint the powder.

5. Give the child a singing book to look at while in the highchair. Ours have the buttons you can push down the side and sing different songs or make noises.

6. Try having the child look at a pile of lift-the-flap books with very large flaps while in the high chair. Some of my boys liked this better than others!

7. Use dot paint markers. These markers have paint inside them and make paint dots on paper when pressed down. Just tape a paper to the high chair and let them dot away! Make sure the paint is washable though, as they often dot the tray and themselves!

8. Magnetic train cars to push around on the highchair tray work well if you happen to have any of those. Each of our boys have loved these.

9. Sometimes a combination works too. Start with one highchair item and when the child is finished do another one. We tried for 15-20 min. in the highchair at a time mid-morning.

Playpen/Crib/or Room Time is another great help. When the toddler is doing this is typically when I do the left side of LHFHG or Beyond all in one sitting (as it takes about 30 min. to do the left side). One idea from Managers of Their Homes that I really liked and used was the Mommy Tape or CD. I recorded myself reading short Bible stories, nursery rhymes, counting, saying the names of family members, singing short little songs like "Jesus Loves Me" etc. to last 1/2 hour. I said my little one's name over and over all throughout the tape, like I was talking to him. I played it every day while my little one had time in his room with his toys (we do that time in his crib for safety reasons). When the tape ends, the child knows the time is up. We also used this during playpen time when he was younger. Playpen time amounted to a singing tape/CD with toys in the playpen. My boys were required to stay in the playpen for 20-30 min. at that age. When they outgrew the playpen, we moved it to time in the child's crib. Then, later we began assigning an older child to play with the younger one during that time instead. Once the child was not such a danger to himself, we switched this time to being playtime alone in his room. This happens around age 4 at our house.

Another thing to consider is having an older child play with the younger child. We required the kiddos to play in one room for that time. I rotated the room by day, once the older child was responsible enough to be out of my sight with the younger one. For time with another child at this age, we had the older child have an assigned card with an order in which to do things with the younger child. The card for each day usually included some of the following:
1. Read two board books to the child.
2. Do 1 or more fingerplays with the child. ( I had a list and taught the older child how to do them.)
3. Walk around with the child in the house and point to and name 10 objects, having the younger child repeat back the name of each object.
4. Count from 1 on up to... (whatever is most appropriate) with the child, having the child repeat each number after the older one says it.
5. Sit on the floor and roll a soft air-filled ball back and forth. Then, stand and bounce it back and forth. Last, gently throw the ball back and forth.
6. Stand back and toss beanbags or rolled up socks into a laundry basket.
7. Follow along in a book with an audio book while having the younger child sit next to the older child or on his/her lap.
8. Play with an assigned toy. (I assigned a different toy to each day, so the older child knew what to play and where to play it.)
I also have assigned an older child to sit and do educational computer time with my kiddos aged 3 or 4 and help and guide them, so this is an option as your toddler gets older.

For our younger boys, we also have had table time, which is similar to the cabinet idea but gives another thing for a 2 year old to do each day. This is where we have used 5 different tubs (that slid under my bed for storage when not in use). We numbered the tubs Day 1, Day 2, Day , Day 4, and Day 5. Each day we took out a different tub and the boys had to play with the items in the tub. I just placed things in each tub that we already had on hand. By placing them in the tub to only come out once each week, the items seemed new and exciting. Then, if anyone ever gave us something new, I placed it in a tub. Tub items included puzzles, books, toys, short books on tape/CD, etc. We set the timer and required the boys to play with the items in the tub for 20 min. at this age.

Once the younger child is 3 or 4, I have scheduled an older one to do computer with the younger one, sitting by to aid and talk through the preschool type educational computer CD's (like Jump Start or Reader Rabbit toddler or preschool).

Last, I've found that if I schedule some time to be one-on-one for 10-15 min. with my little one, early on or mid-way through the morning, then he is more willing to go play on his own. Even reading a book or singing a couple of songs with him will give him that one on one time.

You can see that as much planning goes into the 2-3 year old's day as goes into any part of HOD! There is also much training there too! But it pays off big dividends in your year all year!

Blessings,
Carrie

I think I'll make another post below this one, as I know it's getting long.
In Christ,
Julie

[my3sons]

I just typed a long post and lost it! Okay, well, here goes. Using teaching blocks of time really helps me balance my time nicely among my dc. With the guides you are doing, it could look something like this...

Teaching block with 9 yo (work up to 45 minutes)
6 yo plays with 2 yo and 4 yo

Teaching block with 2 and 4 yo, half-speed LHTH (15-20 minutes)
6 yo does independent Beyond activity (poetry copywork)
9 yo does independent PHFHG activity

Teaching block with 6 yo, do half of Beyond (work up to 45 minutes)
9 yo does independent PHFHG
2 and 4 yo watch an educational video away from other dc or do something independent off your list

Teaching block with 9 yo (30 minutes or so)
2, 4, 6 yo have snack and listen to book on tape, color, puzzles, something off your list

Teaching block with 6 yo to finish Beyond (45 minutes)
9 yo plays with 2 and 4 yo

Oversee 9 yo finishing out PHFHG
6 yo plays with 2 and 4 yo or all do something off list

Here is a copy of our schedule back when we did PHFHG and LHFHG, in case it is helpful...


Here is a copy of our schedule from last year, doing RTR, half-speed Bigger, and half-speed LHTH...


I hope something here can help, but in general, the 5 best tips I have for teaching multiple guides are to have a set start time each day, to plan for the littles, to use teaching blocks of time, to have your olders learn to play well with your littles, and to use the same routine each day so dc know what is expected. Keep asking questions until you are set, but in my experience teaching multiple guides is not hard to do with some planning ahead and a good routine! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[bphomeschoolmom]

Thank you, Julie. You gave me a lot of helpful suggestions! I am going to work hard this week to nail down a block schedule. I think this will help me. I needed a jump start from someone experienced with HOD. Also, about how long should Beyond and Preparing take each day? I appreciate the help and you taking time to reply! I have a good routine with starting and scheduling most of my day, but for whatever reason, scheduling out and being more detailed in the school part of my day has been a challenge! I am excited to have something to work with! Thanks

[bphomeschoolmom]

Never mind about how long the guides should take daily, I found that info!!

[my3sons]

Sorry - I missed your question about times - but I'm glad you found them!

In Christ,
Julie

[MomtoJGJE]

I just wanted to say that once you get in your groove and figure it out, the times really chop down a bit. Like we did full speed (plus a little bit with each one) Bigger, LHFHG, and LHTH in just a little over 2 hours today

For me, what works best, is to start my oldest with her independent work (explain anything or read anything or hands on anything) and hand her the guide. Then I read either the history or story time and science for my 6yo (LHFHG) then get her started with her handwriting or fine motor skills. At that point I have two working independently, I do LHTH with my 4yo. All of it. All of them are typically done at this point, or only have a little bit left (Bigger)... We do the finger play and rhymes in motion with all of them. I send my two littles upstairs to play or watch tv, and send the oldest to finish her ind work and give her something to read on days she doesn't do DITHOR and I finish up LHFHG. Then I do the reading for Bigger. We generally start around 8-8:30 or so, and finish around 10:30-11.