What do you do when you have older children who need your help, while the younger ones need your attention too. How do you get it all done and keep your sanity? The key is finding what works for your family and doing it.
This list is to encourage and support those who homeschool many children. How many? To some 3 is a lot! If you have a large family (whether natural, adopted, foster or blended) and homeschool, you know that there are a lot of unique challenges ranging from orchestrating family harmony, dealing with multiple ages, trying to homeschool in a sometimes chaotic environment, keeping up with the never-ending laundry, transportation, cooking, chores, and more. This is a Christian list.
This group is for large families using the K-12 curriculum created by Dr. William Bennett. Both homeschooling families and Virtual School families are welcome. It is particularly intended for families with more than 3 children in K-12 as well as additional teens, toddlers and babies. Discussions include both the curriculum and the challenges of implementing it in a large family.
For any family seeking a private Christian education in the home, money quickly becomes an issue. While programs like K12 and other public-school umbrellas exist, they do not offer the freedom of choice so many homeschoolers are looking for. Nor do they offer a Christian education. Most homeschooling families opt to buy their own curriculum so they can truly be in charge of their child’s education. When a homeschooling family has many children, curriculum buying becomes an exercise in creative frugality. Here are a few ways you can save and stretch money in your homeschool.
Do you homeschool children of multiple ages? Discover tips, ideas, and strategies from experienced homeschool moms who teach a variety of ages in their own homes. Panelists include Amy Roberts (Raising Arrows), Connie Hughes (Smockity Frocks), Judy Hoch (Contented at Home), and Tricia Hodges (Hodgepodge.me). Moderator for this weekly event is Lauren Hill of Mama's Learning Corner.
Follow Amber and her children as they enjoy large family learning.
In a large family, it is inevitable that the older children will help guide the younger ones. Here are ideas on how to capitalize on that system.
A homeschooling mom of seven children shares her approach to successfully home educating in a large family. She emphasizes routine over schedules, taking advantage of teachable moments, and resisting the temptation to over-control.
Tips for teaching language arts (writing, grammar, handwriting) in a large family.
This series includes a look at schedules, schooling year round, busy bags, teamwork, and surrendering to God.
Take a look at a day in the life of a large homeschooling family. Alison and Paul have seven children and share what a typical day is like at their house.
A look at a tag team approach to teaching math in a large homeschool family.
This blog follows Cindy and her family as she talks about homeschooling, large families, and parenting.
How do you switch to a discipleship homeschool way of life? Theresa, mother of ten asked such a question – here is her letter and a reply. Theresa has given permission for this to be shared in the hope that other families will be encouraged too.
Homeschooling can reveal many things. This article shares some insight into the thoughts of a homeschooling mom.
How do you structure a homeschool day with four children? Do you teach each subject separately with each child? If not, what do you do together? This mom shares her strategies as she shows a day in her life.
Homeschooling is no joke. It’s commitment and dedication, it’s trial and error. Homeschooling many is a whole different creature. There are different learning styles, interests, strengths and weaknesses. We are going to talk about what is most important when homeschooling many children, and some tips for special situations.
Sometimes, raising and homeschooling 8 kids (ages 21 to 2) seems totally manageable--even easy--especially when compared to other, larger families made up primarily of younger kids. At other times, homeschooling our brood proves to be the hardest thing ever.
This group offers a discussion of Kim Brenneman's book Large Family Logistics.
Sherry writes her blog and shares her experiences as a mom of 15 homeschooled children.