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I have three children in one guide this year. I think I am separating them out next year, 2 in one guide, the older in another. I am making sure they each have their own guide. Although it works sharing, I do feel like I have to make a bullet-point assignment sheet each day to keep all three on track. I also think they will read the key points and directions better and be more independent (hopefully). You can talk me down if you think I am making a mistake. Since I have posted about how we share, I thought I should update since we may not be sharing next year. We are still sharing books though. I will share a comment by my oldest girl that may make you chuckle. When I told her that she may be doing a separate program from her brothers next year for high school, she said, "I think I will like that. I thought it would be fun to do the same program with them, but they keep losing the books!" (Unfortunately, this is true, but we are making progress.)

What programs are you going to put them in? Are you saying that you will buy multiple guides (the big books Carrie wrote) so each has their own "assignment" book? That sounds like a good idea. I put a checkmark by each box after we complete it. I don't know if you have them do that, but that would sure help to see what they've done at a glance.

Yes, I am referring to the guides that Carrie writes. They are currently all three in RTR. I am considering putting the two boys back in CTC for a year while my oldest daughter does REV to REV for 9th grade. They next year the boys would bump up to REV to REV since they have already done RTR. Everyone is doing alright, but I would like to cement some skills and leave enough guides for the boys to do in high school. My daughter is definately ahead of her brothers (of course she is older). I also have one graduating this year and one graduating next year, so I will be freeing up some time to be able to separate them. I didn't feel I had that time this year trying to navigate the high school waters to get one graduated this year and on his way to college. Note also: I do have two younger girls that will graduate to Beyond sometime next year. I am not buying multiple guides for that age range. I am thinking CTC and up. I know some ladies on the board already do this. It just seems like the right time to try it.

That is what I would do if I were in that situation. I think you have a good plan!

If you wanted to have only one guide for the boys. What we have done is the first time I went through a manual with my son I used checkmarks, when my daughter goes through it, we use stars. When the youngest uses them we will use hearts. Your boys could do it with different marks and keep the manual somewhere accessible by both. Might be easier to have two manuals if you can afford it though.

I think you are going to be so glad you did, 8arrows! At those older ages, I think it will really help make independent work flow more easily. Just the logistics of sharing materials can be tricky, though I know you have handled that very well. I like changes that make an impact every day, because those are the ones that really make us feel the change in the flow of our day as homeschool moms. I think this will be one of those changes, and I hope it works out well. Thanks so much for sharing this!

In Christ,
Julie