- How We Homeschool: An Overview
- Multi-level Homeschooling: Little Ones Part 1
- How We Do It: Family Worship
- Multi-level Homeschooling: The Homeschool Room
- Multi-level Homeschooling: Little Ones Part 2
- Teaching Reading
- A Child’s World
- Multi-Level Homeschooling with Sonlight
- Memorization System Tutorial
- Why Teach Greek?
- Teaching with Nature Journals
- Daily Bible Reading
- Teaching Handwriting
- Multi-level Homeschooling: Our Schedule
- Homeschooling Multi-grades: Have Questions?
- Sonlight: A More Specific Schedule
You’ve asked about multi-grading and I’ve promised to post about multi-grading, but I’m having a hard time figuring out where to start the discussion. We multi-grade most subjects; history, literature, Bible, memorization, poetry, art, language arts, grammar, writing, some hand writing, spelling, some reading, etc. It’s probably easier to tell you which subjects we don’t multi-grade; math. 
Since our children are all fairly close in age (spaced 14-18 months apart), we’ve been multi-grading from the beginning and we multi-grade a wide range of ages together. However, I think that multi-grading works well even if your children aren’t spaced so closely. For history, literature and Bible we multi-grade all of our children (an 11 year span). For language arts we are currently multi-grading the 4 year old all the way up to the 11 year old.
So here is how you can help me. What are your specific questions about multi-grading? Do you wonder what multi-grading actually means? What it looks like for specific subjects? How it works? Am I driving you crazy with how slow I’ve been posting about homeschooling? Do you want to know which curricula works well with multi-grading? How we make sure the big kids are challenged and the little ones aren’t overwhelmed? What advantages we’ve seen with multi-grading? What do you want to know???
Here is your chance. I want to know what you want to know, so ask away and I will post according to your interests.
Even if you don’t have a specific question, but are just interested in reading more about this topic, please leave a comment, so I can gauge the level of interest. I don’t want to prepare 15 posts about something that only a few of you are interested in.
You may also want to read what I’ve already written about how we homeschool or why we homeschool. And stick around for my thoughts on more homeschooling resources.
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I nominated you for the Sisterhood Award.
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/elcloud/140428/
April
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I have 4 in school this summer, we school year round. We multi grade most things, but not spelling and grammar (and math). How do you do those subjects? By the way what is language arts for you? You listed all of the subjects I think of in that category separately (spelling, lit., reading, grammar, writing).
You don’t need to comment directly to me, but you asked for feed back.
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Yes.. Cirriculum ideas would be awesome.. Maybe an example day or week?
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This really interests me because I am going back to homeschooling and want to make some changes. I thought about multigrading but wasn’t sure how to do it or where to start. All of the questions you put up there are questions I have. Please, if you can, answer some of those and it would be very helpful.
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Hi Kimberly! We live like you are describing as well. However, we call it multi-level teaching as I was taught years ago through our KONOS use. In fact, we don’t really keep up with what GRADE the children are in and I hate it when people ask my children what grade they are in. As my 16 yo son commented to me today after being asked that question at the chiropractor’s office, “It’s hard to know what to say.” Do you want to know where he is in writing, reading, math, life skills, science, history…? They’re all different levels. I will be re-posting about how we multi-level teach on thehomeschoolchannel.tv soon. Sounds like we do much in the same way.
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I am commenting to express an interest in this topic. I am just beginning homeschooling this year with my 4 1/2 year old, but his 2 1/2 year old precocious sister is right behind him. I am just interested in any home schooling topic, to be honest! But especially the more-than-one-kid situation. I mean, I didn’t really think I could cram in ALL of the schooling during her nap, but now she seems commited to giving that up, so she will definitely be a big part of whatever is happening.
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I’m interested! My daughter is 2, and my second daughter is due in October, so we’re not old enough yet, but I’m trying to be as prepared as possible for homeschooling them. We will likely have more kids after this too, so I need to learn more about this subject!
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Although it’s going to ages before I’m homeschooling, I’m interested to see what you do. Even as teacher, you often have kids at different levels. Really anything you say will be helpful!
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Yes, you’re driving me crazy with how slow you’re posting about homeschooling! What do you do all day, anyway? : ) Yes, I want to know which curricula works well with multi-grading. Yes, I want to know how you make sure the older ones are challenged and the little ones are not overwhelmed (or bored, or noisy). I especially want to know how you handle the smaller, busier, noisier kids, as I have a small, busy, noisy boy who wants to be a part of everything (no, I mean he wants to be the CENTER of everything!) Thanks in advance. Waiting by the computer…
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I also teach multiple kids with the same curriculum. But what I want to know is how you have managed having your children all so close together!!! I always say the spacing of my 6 is my secret to sanity! And we didn’t space them, God actually did! And I only have 6, ages 12 months to 16 years.
I have been reading your blog for awhile, but never comment. I enjoy your blog!
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Hi Kimberly, I have been lurking with google reader for a while now and am loving your blog. Anyway, I think I would like to know about everything you just mentioned. I only have 2 children (ages 6 & 2 1/2) and I already have concerns about how I will do it once the little one gets into a formal school schedule. Thanks!
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“Yes” to all of your sample ideas for posts. I’m starting my 4th year homeschooling and my school-age kids will be 6th, 4th, and 3rd grades. I’m not going to go into all of the ways that I have done “school” over the years so far but will just say that every year looks different by the end than how it looked when it began.
I love the IDEA of multi-grading and I do it somewhat but I’m considering it for more of our day starting this year. Sonlight is great for multiple levels and I used it last year and will continue somewhat but its a little too structured for me and I want to try some different approaches this year. (Loving the run-on sentence from the homeschool mom?) Anyway….surely Bible, science, history, literature read-alouds, writing, some language, some reading, and even some math can be taught together. I’m curious about the whys, whens, and hows of your system. God’s rich blessings on you, Whitney btw…I also have a 4, 3, and 1 yr old.
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You know all my questions since I have bugged you for…has it been 14 years? No way!! I am starting next year multi-grade-teaching and we have been trying out some of the routine already this summer. So please be patient with all my upcoming questions if they don’t get answered here!!
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Aloha,
I am starting Homeschool this year with my 1st grader. But I have 3 other children, 1 will be at preschool but I have a 2 year old and a 1 yr old. My questions about homeschooling are:
1)How do you keep your young ones focused while you run to help the smaller children & also clean?
and
2)How do you motivate if your child is NOT interested in the topic, doing handwriting skills, or doing any subject which you feel is important..but they dislike. HOw do you motivate that?
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I am interested…trying to find ways to simplify my homeschooling, yet be sure everyone gets what they need!
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My question is how to keep the littler ones occupied. I am guessing that they do not sit through as many of hours of school as the older ones? I am also guessing that the older ones can do more independently, BUT, I have had trouble this last year (which was my first year “officially” homeschooling), with the variety of ages in my home. I have a unique situation being that I have four of my own children and then four neices and nephews living in our home as well who are in public school by their moms choice. My children were 6, 4, 2 and newborn this last school year and I watched my 2 year old neice all day as well as her Kindergarten brother for the second half of the day, and the rest after they arrived home from school. There ages were 8, 7, 5 and 2. I just had such trouble with all of the different schedules finding ways to get focused time with each child for one-on-one learning, mostly math. We would do as much multi-age subjects as possible but I couldn’t come up with enough to meet all of their attention spans many days and then I couldn’t come up with enough activities (that kept the two year olds especially out of trouble) during the follow up times with the older kids. Sorry for rambling, hopefully I am making sense. I understand that most people do not have 8 kids in such close proximaty and with so many different school schedules but if anyone has any ideas to try I would greatly appreciate it!
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I’m interested as well! I have a 6 year old (close to 7) and a 9 year old. We’re also expecting a baby in October. This school year we’re teaching both the same as far as most subjects go, but each has their own level of math and language arts (English, spelling, writing, handwriting). I’m very curious how you teach those to many levels. Most places I read say to teach to the oldest, but I often find myself settling for “middle ground”. I don’t honestly know what’s best there. Would love to hear what you think.
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I have enjoyed so many of your posts on homeschooling and many other topics. This subject specifically is at the top of my list as I am beginning my oldest’s third grade year while ‘doing kindergarten’ with my second plus a two-year old. Any and all related posts are very welcome. Thank you for all you have shared!
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Raising Olives Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Thanks for all of the questions and interest! I will attempt to address all of these things in upcoming posts.
Slowly of course.
Nicki,
I have a lot of soap operas that I MUST keep up with.
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Yes, please post tips! I’ve only got 5 children so far (age 5 mos to 8 yrs) and I’m interested in tips for language arts. We multi-grade science and history pretty easily, and art and p.e.(ha!), but how can I work with them all on spelling and grammar and writing at once?
Loving the blog BTW!
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Raising Olives Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 11:25 am
Since it seems that their is some interest in multi-level teaching
, I will be posting specific posts on each subject and how we combine and how I adapt to work with the bigs and the littles, at least that is the plan. My next post will hopefully be next week and I’ll talk about homeschooling with little ones around.
Tristan,
Thanks, and no need to use the word “only” in regards to 5 children. I’m just older than you!
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Okay, I have absolutely no idea what multi-grading even means. *blush* Okay I think I might kind of get the general idea… sort of. Maybe.
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