Does anyone have 5 kids they homeschool at the same time?

Question

Hi. I need any help/ideas/tips for scheduling. I'm going to be homeschooling 5 kids this year from Pre-K to 4th grade. I tried last year with four, and we got off track because we moved. By the time we packed, moved, unpacked - well, that took up some time. And that was after Christmas break. I would like to be really organized this year so I'm getting a head start with scheduling and planning. We will be starting the day after Labor Day. Any advice would be genuinely appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

My mom did four.  She would make up a schedule for each one of us for each week.  It had columns for each day and then the days were divided into subjects.  She coordinated it so when we were working on our own, she could be working with another of us on something that required her attention.  We had a specific time that we had to start school every day and a certain amount that had to be done before lunch.  It was a lot of work for her but she did an amazing job.  Good luck!!

Answer 2

My sister home schools her 5. They range from 11th grade to kindergarten. She uses 3 different Sonlight Cores. For her oldest she is using the high school cores, for her next 2 she is using core 5+6 and the youngest 2 are using Core 1+2. She uses home school tracker and a few other things she's found over the years. If you email me I can forward your questions to her for her to answer.

I have 2 in home school right now and had the same problem. Getting back on track after moving can be just about impossible. We moved into our new home Christmas day and it took quite a while to get back on track.  

Answer 3

You are blessed!

We have friends who have 10 kids.  The oldest 2 have graduated and they have 8 in homeschool this year.

The mom has some help from dad.

She combines grade levels for kids who are close in age.  She has 4 children in 2 grade levels.   That saves her time in planning, tutoring, and checking work.   It also allows those 2 children to help each other.

She allows and encourages the older kids to finish one grade level work and continue to the next grade level within the school year.

They are an awsome family who spend much time outdoors, sports activities,  construction projects, etc.

  

Answer 4

It is good you are making provisions now for how this will look...vision is key!  One positive thing for you is the fact that some of this children will be close in age so you can combine some of the subjects.  For example, someone mentioned Sonlight...which is literature based....lots of reading!  All the kids will enjoy hearing history read to them so you can assign follow up and further challenges for the older ones and even writing assignments...the younger ones may do pictures for the history event...either way everyone is on the same time period which makes it a bit more doable.  

You might set up a resource table which has various art supplies, puzzles, block, etc. and the younger ones can have some "independent" time of drawing and doing from this table while you work one on one with an older one...you could set up various storage tubs of stuff to switch out weekly or monthly so they don't get tired of it.

There are DVD curriculums which you can utilize as well giving you a way to let the older one have some independent learning while you spend a bit of time with the younger ones...it affords you the advantage to watch the DVD ahead of time or later so you know what they are learning and help answer questions.

Enrichment and Co-op programs are also an option where one or two things can be learned outside the home thereby giving you a limited amount to teach at home...maybe the older one is taking a class and you can hang out/read/spend time with the younger ones or vice versus.

Well, here are some ideas to get you going.....