Homeschooling Multiple Grades
One question I hear often about homeschooling is ” How do you go about homeschooling multiple grades?” or “how do you keep up with homeschooling four kids?” So I thought I would Share what I’ve learned so far.
It took some time, trial and error, and reaching out to other homeschool mamas for their experienced tips and tricks but I have learned a few things I can’t wait to share with you, mama.
8 Simple Tips For Homeschooling Multiple Grades
1. Have Independent Subjects Ready For Older Kids
My oldest girls have their own box of independent work. Let me tell you how much I LOVE this system! It really helps me stay on track during our busy mornings. If I am running behind or working with one of their younger sisters they know to grab their box and go ahead and begin. Right now they are enjoying handwriting, word searches, personal reading books and even math review sheets!
2. Be Prepared When It Comes To Toddlers
Have a small box or brown paper bad ready with a few safe objects that aren’t often played with for little ones with busy hands. When my daughters where younger, I would put a few things such as plastic measuring spoons, silicone muffin cups, stickers, playdough and maybe some paper. It would buy me about a 45 minutes with a happy busy toddler!
3. Pair Up Reading buddies
Another awesome tip for homeschooling multiple grades is to pair them up into reading buddies! A trick as old as time in the learning world but still just as effective. I will pair one of my oldest daughters with one of my younger girls for 15-20 minutes of reading. This not only gives me some time to work with another child but also helps grow their sibling relationships that will last forever!
4. Unit Studies Are Great For Teaching Different Grade Levels
Family Subjects are awesome to come together as a group for. They are usually designed for multiple grades which is awesome when homeschooling all different ages! Some cover levels k-3 and others k-8. I have tweaked a few unit studies myself to help them best suit our family such as science units, bible lessons, nature studies etc.
5. Enjoy Read Alouds Together
I am a big book lover! I love picking out science books, story books, history books, novels, new releases and beloved classics. We visit our local library every week and enjoy our morning read aloud time together. It’s our favorite start to start our homeschool day and a super creative way to teach important morals and lessons that will never get old!
6. Create Morning Charts
A simple step to help homeschool mornings run smoothly with multiple grades is to hang up a “Morning Chart” for each child. Around 9 a.m. I will call out to my girls that it’s time for their charts. Then on their own with a dry erase marker they will complete and check off their morning tasks one by one. Right now they have daily tasks such as getting dressed, cleaning their rooms and brushing their hair and teeth. ( It’s also a good opportunity to incorporate a morning chore!)
7. Delegate
Being a homeschool mom doesn’t mean you have to do everything. Delegate where you can! If grandma wants to teach reading or sewing lessons, let her. If you turn to youtube for art lessons, awesome! Sometimes, we will swap out school days to spend a couple hours at the library where my girls have so much fun playing board games, computer games, finding books and making friends! Other times we have taken advantage of our YMCA membership where they spent some time learning how to become stronger swimmers. Outsourcing our homeschool always has a way of helping me balance everything while also connecting to our community in a beautiful way!
8. Give Grace
Homeschooling is hard. Homeschooling multiple grades can be even harder. Remember to give yourself and your kiddos the grace and time that you ALL need. Part of the reason to homeschool is to slow down and enjoy the moments without rushing through full of expectations. So, be patient with yourself because this is a learning curve worth taking the time to master. It took us a couple of years to find what style and rhythm was right for us and that’s okay!
Love the idea of creating rhythms and routines as well as the read-aloud together! It’s so important to establish a rhythm that is flexible, meets the needs of your kiddos and, especially where you give yourself some grace.
This brings back sweet memories! Wish I had this resource when we homeschooled!😁
Yea! Reading buddies and family read out loud books are some of my favorite things in our school day. Thank you for the toddler inspiration and ideas for older kids activities.
Saving for later! I can use all the tips! 🙂