Chances are, if you are homeschooling more than one child, your children are at different ages and grade levels. Right now, the grades of our children range from kindergarten up to sixth grade. Obviously, there is a wide range of learning and comprehension that goes along with the ages of our children.

Which brings us to another question I get asked frequently…

How do I teach more than one child?

Does it require a little more work because of the age levels? Yes. Is it possible to teach a range of ages? Absolutely! Will you be able to spend adequate time with each child? Again, yes.

We’re gearing up for our eighth year of homeschooling and while we are tweaking and adjusting our schedule each year, there are few key things that make the process of homeschooling multiple ages and children easier.

Have a Plan in Place

Before you start your school year, it is important to know what subjects and concepts need to be covered during the year for each child. I recently shared some tips on how to plan your homeschool day and believe that being organized in this area first helps tremendously. When you know what needs to be accomplished and have a rough routine outlined before you start your school year, it helps ensure that you aren’t forgetting something.

Don’t be afraid to deviate from the routine and reevaluate during the year either. You may need to put something aside for a bit or add something in – and that’s ok!

Combine Subjects When Possible

One of the core things that has helped our family is working together on multiple subjects. While we don’t do this for every subject in our school day, there are several subjects that we work on together as a family. Our mornings begin with us working together on Bible, history, read-alouds, and calendar time.

Much of this will depend on the ages of your children, but you can always adapt a subject and make it easier or more difficult for other children by incorporating extra assignments. We use the same history text for the entire family, but extend the learning with the older children using books that they can read independently or having the work on short papers based on the topic, etc.

When we did a bird unit for science, our oldest had additional assignment that included choosing a bird that was native to our area and writing an in-depth report on that one bird and working on an art assignment to go along with it. Essentially you can make a subject easier for younger children or more intense for older children and target it toward their age/grade.

Work Around Nap and Feeding Schedules

Admittedly, one of the hardest times for me as a mom was juggling school with all the naps and feeding times of little ones. It took a bit to work into a routine of doing school during some of those coveted nap times and taking advantage of the quiet time to focus on what needed to be done. Life at home was definitely more hectic, and there may have been a few ‘me’ things that needed to be put aside for a season, but working around our family’s natural routine was a big help.

Feeding times became times that we would sit on the couch reading together  {don’t think I didn’t nod off more than once!}. During that stage of our life, quite a bit of our curriculum was literature based and we completed the hands on projects while the little ones napped {or were otherwise occupied}.

Let Older Children Work with Younger Siblings

There are points in our day where one of the older kids has a bit of a lull or can take a moment to help out a younger sibling – maybe reading a short book aloud or listening patiently to a story. The past few years our oldest two have had fun pulling out a puzzle to work with their little brother, playing a game on the iPad with him, or helping another sibling in answering a math question when I was busy with another child.

Help Your Children Learn to Work Independently

There are several subjects that our children eventually begin to work on independently and over the years we have used the weekly workbox grid to help our children visualize what subjects will be covered each day. Subjects that they are able to work on independently are easy to see – and focus on.

Our older three work on their math curriculum independently {Teaching Textbooks}, handwriting, independent reading and book reports, vocabulary, Spanish, typing, etc… There may be times that they need some quick assistance from me, but once they ask a question, they move on and continue their work. If they get to a subject that they need my full attention {and I am not able to give it at that point}, they know to move on to another subject area until I can help. See our full curriculum list here.

At the start of our school year I organize each child’s paperwork by week and subject so that I can easily slide their weekly papers into folders for them to grab and use. Books they need are located in a convenient spot, making it easier for each one to work on their own for specific subjects. You can get a peek at our classroom here.

Meet with Each of Your Children Daily

Each day I  have focused 1:1 time with each child to cover subjects and give instruction in areas they cannot work independently. After we work on our group subjects, each child heads to his/her own area to begin independent work. Typically, the subjects they can work on independently increase as the children get older, so I begin working with our youngest child on subjects first.

To give you an idea of what this looks like, Zachary might be working on handwriting, math, or a hands-on game while I am helping Kaleb with math, science, or reading. As soon as Kaleb and I are done, I move over to Zachary’s area to help him with subjects such as writing, spelling, and reading.

Our joke is that I ‘work my way up the food chain’, meaning I start with the younger kids and work my way up to the oldest. When our younger ones are finished, they can work/play quietly with the many manipulatives we have in the room or pull out toys in their room and play there {usually the younger ones are finished first}. There are times when a few children have to come back a bit later in the day to work on another subject 1:1 with me depending on how much time we had in the morning, but they enjoy a break for a bit after their initial bit of 1:1 time with me is done.

Consider Using Curriculum That Doesn’t Require a Lot of Prep

There are many subject areas that I can spend a lot of time planning and prepping, but sometimes my sanity stays a bit more intact when I do not have to come up with detailed lesson plans, scour the internet for craft ideas and experiments, and invent worksheets to go along with a subject.

Over the years there have been several pieces of curriculum that our family has started to use, and one of the key components is ease of use. Having lesson plans laid out with all of the materials ready to go can be a huge time saver for me {and our kids}. Our spelling program and science curriculum are two areas that have benefitted greatly from this. All of our supplies and books are in a box and I simply have to open up the book and begin teaching the next lesson {phew}.

There are still areas that I like to pull things together on my own, but it is not a weakness to use a program that has already put things together for you. Yes, the programs may be a little more of an investment on the front end, but typically the time and stress you save are worth the extra – and you can most likely resell and/or reuse it with another child.

Keep Little Ones Busy

When your younger ones are awake more often, they may want to be included in your school time. They may not be able to participate to quite the level of the older ones though.

While we were in the thick of toddlers and preschoolers, I pulled out special toys each day for the younger ones to play with and rotated through them so they were ‘fresh’ and fun – not just the same old toys. During the summer months I worked on ‘busy bags’ that had simple activities for toddlers and were fun to swap with other families. Keep it simple and uncomplicated.

Avoid Interruptions

Let’s face it – we get distracted {I’m not the only one, right?}. Over the years I’ve had discover and learn my limits during our school time. With caller ID is easy to not answer the phone when my mom calls {don’t get me wrong…I love my mom, but she can ramble and seems to forget that we’re doing school}.

Limit things that you know are time stealers for you and will distract you from what you should be doing. My laptop typically does not come into the classroom with me because it is too easy for me to hop off on a bunny trail with email…or Facebook…or start this ‘one little idea’ for a printable. Our iPad has helped quite a bit – we can watch videos on YouTube or use educational apps, but it is much harder for me to get sidetracked {just keeping it real here!}.

Stay Organized

Our house is far from perfect and there are piles that grow from time to time, but I do try to keep things organized in a way that makes sense to me. For me that means having a homeschool binder to keep my mommy brain on track.

Another thing that has helped me over the years is color coding our kids {each child has a different color that is theirs}. I am able to quickly pull any papers needed from the shelves from their folders or identify what belongs to which kiddo {we even go as far as putting color dots on their markers so there is no arguing about clean up!}. Our Weekly Workbox System is also color coded and the visual schedule helps the kids and I stay on track each day.

The same organizational system won’t work for everyone {and that’s ok}, but find one that works for you and stick with it.

Enjoy the Time You Have Together!

Each year has brought different challenges and changes to our day, but as our children have gotten older, balancing the teaching has also become easier. Part of that may be due to our past experience, but as our children grow and mature they are also able to work more independently {most days} and have developed patience to wait their turns {again…most days!}.

For you moms with little ones, those early years can be rough and there are days that seem so very overwhelming. Hang in there.

Trust me – it will get better. You CAN do it and homeschool multiple children together. Give yourself and your kids some grace. It won’t likely happen overnight – all good things take time, but your family will find a groove that works.

Most importantly, this time you have together is a blessing – be sure to take the time to enjoy each other. There will always be one more thing that you ‘could’ do, just make sure that you are focusing on the things that are most important – each other.

What has helped you in teaching multiples ages and stages? Is there a tip that you would give a family new to homeschooling? Share it in the comments!

This post is a part of the Homeschool Basics series. Be sure to read the other posts if you are just joining in. For the record, I am not an expert. I’m a homeschool mom who is sharing what she’s learned so far along the way with her own family.

The following is a guest post from Jamerrill, author of Free Homeschool Deals. Jamerrill is frugal homeschooling mom and is passionate about sharing deals and helping other families save money while homeschooling.

How to homeschool with a limited budget is a question that I receive often. Homeschool moms are always looking for ways to cut costs and stretch resources.

The year that my husband lost his job mid-year we ended up homeschooling for under $50. We were already on a tight budget before his job loss. I had felt challenged the summer before to not purchase the must-have items on my curriculum want list. I wanted to see just how far I could get without making any big purchases.

The main resources we used that year were the Bible, library card, internet, paper, and our cheap printer. I even learned how to refill our printer ink cartridges that year.

Since that time we’ve continued to homeschool for free and extremely frugal. This has led to my site, FreeHomeschoolDeals.com, which daily shares the best homeschool freebies, deals, and resources to help families afford the homeschool life. Below are some of my best tips for homeschooling on a limited budget. You can also receive a free copy of my eBook, Homeschooling for Free and Frugal.

Wait on Buying Curriculum

Go ahead and circle up all of your favorite curriculum catalogs. Then on a sheet of paper make two columns. Under one column write a list of everything you want. Then under the other column write a list of your needs.

There is a difference between your wants vs. needs. Are there any items that you have to have for your children? When really assessing your list, what items do you think look like a lot of fun, but may not be what you really need?

Read Curriculum Reviews

Of the items that you feel you will definitely need for your children a good place to start is by looking for curriculum reviews online. Google the name of the curriculum that you’re looking for and the word “review.” As an example “All About Spelling Review.” You may find reviews like Jolanthe’s All About Spelling review.

Read reviews from other homeschool moms to learn from their experience. Also, read curriculum review sites, like the Curriculum Choice. The Curriculum Choice offers a variety of reviews and many types of curriculum. The Happy Housewife has a growing page of homeschool curriculum reviews from preschool through high school.

Try Before You Buy

Another smart idea is to ask your homeschool friends if they have the curriculum that you’re looking for. If they do, you could possibly borrow it for a week. Try it out and make sure it’s a good fit.

Use Resources You Have

If I only used all the resources on my bookshelves and home we’d have a full homeschool year. You can always take a challenge to use what you have already. You may discover treasure tucked away on your bookshelves!

Websites to Help You Save on Homeschool:

eBay – I have bought two curriculum packages that I felt I simply must have off of eBay. I have also bought lots of Newberry Award winning books and books from reading packages. Search for the curriculum that is on your list on eBay before you look to buy it new. Many times families use curriculum for a short season and then list it for resell.

• Homeschool Buyers Co-op offers curriculum at deep discounts. It’s a community that is free to join.
• Currclick.com offers deals on digital curriculum and online classes.
• CurriculumShare.com is a site where you can list curriculum that you’d like to give away, and you can get free homeschool curriculum there too.
• Homeschool Creations hosts an annual Curriculum Clean-out where you could possibly get your favorite curriculum for free. This is a good way to clean off your shelves as well.
• Homeschool Classifieds on this site you can find listings of homeschool curriculum for sale.
• Yellow House Book Rental this site is run by a homeschooling mother who gathers curriculum and offers it for rental or inexpensive purchase. Here’s a post with more information about Homeschool book rental.
• Educents is a new daily deal site that was created and owned by homeschool siblings and graduates. They are just getting started and grow and continue offering discount curriculum.

Websites to help you homeschool for free and frugal

Some families homeschool exclusively by piecing together curriculum resources online. There are many families who also supplement their favorite curriculum from these sites. These are just the tip of the iceberg of helpful resource sites. Please share your favorite sites in the comments!

•  HomeschoolShare.com is a site that offers free lapbooks and free unit studies. It’s a gold mine of homeschool treasure!
• MoneySavingMom.com offers many educational deals and freebies throughout the week. Every Friday she features a HUGE list of free homeschool curriculum and resources.
• Homeschool Freebie of the Day features one item, most days, that is a special homeschool freebie.
• Bible Based Homeschooling {on a budget} offers several homeschool freebies each week that are Bible based. She also shares how her family homeschools using the Bible as their main text.
• Gricefully Homeschooling shares a weekly homeschool Freebie Friday. Jen picks a theme and finds freebies based on this theme. She also hosts a link-up where you can share any great freebies that you find too!
• HomeschoolGiveaways.com hosts a weekly giveaway of homeschool curriculum. Entering giveaways for curriculum is a great way to win your favorite curriculum.
• Lapbook Lessons offers free homeschool lapbooks and a community forum that you can join for answers to lapbooking questions.
• NotebookingPages.com offers a free members area with many free samples and resources.

Free Online Homeschool Curriculum

If you are looking for free curriculum online, be sure to visit the following sites to find out more of what they offer:

• All in One Homeschool
• Ambleside Online
• Khan Academy
• CK-12
• Old Fashioned Education
• HippoCampus.org

Homeschool families are some of the most resourceful people that I’ve ever met! Please share your tips for homeschooling on a limited budget in the comments.

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Jamerrill is a Christian frugal homeschooling mom of six children who has been homeschooling for the last ten years. Throughout their homeschooling years, her family has had to homeschool for free or extremely frugal, which inspired her free eBook Homeschooling for Free and Frugal.

Visit her on her site FreeHomeschoolDeals.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest for the latest deals.

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This post is a part of the Homeschool Basics series. Be sure to read the other posts if you are just joining in.

The following is a guest post from Kris of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, a woman I consider a good friend.  Kris is walking the homeschooling high school journey and has some great tips and encouragement for you today.

There’s nothing that can strike fear in the heart of a veteran homeschooling parent like the thought of homeschooling high school. Despite what may be years of successful homeschooling, thinking of high school can bring all the fears and doubts of the early years resurging in a homeschool parent’s heart.

Standing on the other side, with one child preparing to graduate, I feel a bit more confident as I prepare to head into the high school years with my younger two. Are there things we could have done better or that I wish we’d done differently? Absolutely.

Overall, however, I feel good about our first attempt at homeschooling high school and I’m happy to share the benefit of our hindsight with you.

Use 8th Grade as a Trial Run

One of the things we did right – and that I plan to repeat next year with my son – was to use 8th grade as a practice year. Before the official record-keeping begins, this last year before high school is the time to:

Start keeping transcripts.

Eighth grade is the time to learn how to record high school transcripts. This allows you to work out all the kinks before it really matters. This is also when you should figure out how to determine high school credits.

Try out classes.

If you’re thinking about using online classes, have your student take a similar course in 8th grade. If you’ll be using a co-op or other outside classes, see if they offer middle school classes. This provides the opportunity to see if the class is a good fit for your student before you need it for your high school transcript.

Use the curriculum.

If you’re planning to change curriculum for high school, use something from that publisher at the middle school level. You can even use a high school level course if your student is ready for it and give him credit on his high school transcript if your state or prospective colleges allow it.

We lost some valuable time with my daughter when we had to abandon a poor-fitting curriculum mid-year and seek a different route.

Let College Admissions Provide the Framework

I like what Lee Binz (The HomeScholar) says about providing a college prep high school education for homeschooled students: “Rigorous academics could benefit children even though they are not planning for higher education. Without college, a homeschool education could very well be the only formal education a student will be given.”

If your child isn’t planning on attending college, his homeschool education will be the highest level of formal learning he will complete. Therefore, by making the education you provide be the best it can be, you’ll be giving your child the tools he needs to succeed in the workforce. And, he’ll be ready for college if he changes his mind and decides to attend.

If your child has a specific college in mind, find out what their admissions requirements are and let that be your guide for planning his high school classes. Otherwise, find out what your state’s graduation requirements are. I’ve discovered that our state no longer offers different types of diplomas (i.e. college prep or vocational). Every student has the same academic requirements. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but it is something I’ve taken into account when planning for high school.

Let Your Student’s Interests Guide You

One thing that I really regret is waiting so long to allow my daughter’s interests to guide our choices for high school. I was trying to fit her into the mold, rather than figuring out how to work her interests into the framework on which we were building. Once I let her interests take the lead, her whole attitude toward school changed – well, except for algebra. She still hates math.

The World Wars were a huge area of interest for her. With some great spine books, we were able to pull in some fabulous literature to create quality interest-led high school courses.

Don’t forget electives. Electives provide a chance for your child to explore hobbies, talents, and natural bents that could ignite a passion and give him direction for a future career.

Have a Plan for Algebra and Chemistry

Algebra and chemistry can be scary words when you’re a homeschool parent wondering how to teach upper level math and science to a homeschooled high school student. There are a variety of teaching options, though if these {or any other} subjects intimidate you.

Find a tutor.

Hiring a tutor doesn’t have to be expensive. Look for a college student or a teacher looking to earn a little money on the side. You might even find a slightly older friend or relative who would be willing to help. I still remember my daughter asking a friend to help her with a difficult algebra problem. It had been a lot less time since he’d taken algebra than it had been for my husband and me!

Learn together.

I’ve had many homeschooling moms tell me that some of the courses they struggled with in high school came to them much more easily the second time around as they learned alongside their student. A teacher’s manual and an answer key can go a long way toward making hard subjects a little easier.

Consider a co-op.

When we do lab-based sciences with my younger two kids, we’ll look for a co-op setting. It may be an online co-op, local homeschool classes,  or a group of friends who get together once a week. Whatever it looks like, though, we’ve learned that science labs need a partner or two – and careful planning ahead-of-time.

The thought of homeschooling high school can be overwhelming, but with some careful planning and detailed record-keeping it’s not as stressful as it sounds. And, when done well, homeschooled students can have one distinct advantage over their public-schooled peers: They have the opportunity to learn time management and self-motivation skills that a traditional high school setting doesn’t encourage.

I’ll leave you with one final truth about which I keep reminding myself (God has reminded me a time or two, also): Homeschooling is about much more than academics. We need to provide the best academic foundation for our students that we can, but graduating a student of strong character who has learned how to learn is just as important as what’s written on his or her transcript.

Kris has written a series on Homeschooling in High School that you will want to check out. The series covers topics such as figuring out coursework, determining credits, dealing with transcripts, sports, diplomas, and more.

Need some planning help? Be sure to download a copy of the free homeschool high school planning forms to help you out!

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Kris is the classically eclectic, slightly Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom to three amazing kids, the Christ-following, sweet tea addicted wife to one unbelievably supportive husband, and the formerly obese, couch-potato-turned-healthy runner of a bunch of 5K races and two half-marathons. She blogs at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

You can find Kris engaging her social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

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This post is a part of the Homeschool Basics series. Be sure to read the other posts if you are just joining in.

Curriculum choices can be truly overwhelming. Walk into any vendor hall at a homeschool convention and your will find tables and tables of books, workbooks, and manipulatives.  There are so many choices and new ones are presented every single day!

Maybe another homeschool family {or blogger} you know seems to have the ‘perfect’ curriculum fit. The good news is, there isn’t one set curriculum that is perfect for everyone. Your family is able to pick and choose what they like and create a custom curriculum that is beneficial to all of you. What works for another family may not be the best for another, or what works for one child may not work for another.

Over the years our family has tried a variety of things – ranging from a complete curriculum package to creating things to use, and it has morphed into a combination of pieces that we now use together as a family and components that we use individually to round out the various subject areas {see our current curriculum list here}.

How do you decide what is right for you family?

Questions to Ask Before Purchasing Curriculum

1. What is your teaching style or educational philosophy? Are you familiar with the different teaching methods. This can help narrow down some of the various pieces that you might be looking at because the teaching method of that program could differ greatly than your philosophy.
2. What are your children’s learning styles? Every child is different in their learning approach and may process information differently. Some pieces of curriculum are tailored to meet the needs of various learners, so this is very helpful to know!
3. What educational goals have you set for your children and family? This is another area that is important to look at. If your goal is for your children to learn about American history this year, that complete program on the Middle Ages may not be what you need right now.
4. What is your budget? As stinky as that word can be, it can also help you reign in any crazy spending. Homeschooling isn’t always free {although we’ll be talking about ways to save money later!!}. I strongly advise setting a budget and knowing your spending limits. It’s always helpful to know the retail cost of a curriculum or book and have it handy. That way if you find a great deal on something you need, you know to snatch it up {and if you have the money to do so!}.  I typically try to buy pieces of curriculum that can be re-used with future children and also ones that have a great resale value {just something to consider}.
5. Will you teach some subjects to all children? Some families focus on specific grade levels and books while other families work on certain subject areas together as a family. For example, we work on history and Bible together, a few of our children work on science together, but there are other areas such as math and language that are grade-level specific.
6. What works for your current season of life? There are some programs that are more labor-intensive than others. If you have lots of little ones underfoot, it may not be the right timing for your family. The ages and stages of your children make a difference. When we first started out, I purchased a very literature heavy curriculum {meaning I read out loud a LOT}. Unfortunately at that point in our lives, I was nursing an infant and was operating on very little sleep which translated to me falling asleep while reading our lessons.

Additional Things to Consider When Choosing Curriculum

Answering the questions in the section above may help you narrow down some of your choices and give you some good questions to approach various vendors with when you are looking for curriculum. Here are a few additional tips and thoughts to consider as well.

• Start with what you have. You would probably be surprised at all of the things your have hidden on shelves and in cabinets that can you used during your school year. Make a quick inventory list of what you have handy before you buy a lot of new things. If you can keep a running list of the things you have on hand it will come in handy {and keep you from buying duplicates!}.
• Take advantage of your library system. Before buying an expensive book that you might only use for a few weeks of the school year, check to see if your local library has book on their shelves. They may even be able to borrow it from another library in your lending system and some libraries will even consider ordering suggestions. Don’t be afraid to ask!
• Read reviews and ask other moms before buying. Talk to your friends {both in real life and online}, read reviews of curriculum, check out samples from companies, and also know cancellation or return policies. Find out what is working {or isn’t working} for other families and build from there. Just remember – each family is different and just because it works for one family doesn’t mean it will work for yours.
• Visit a homeschool convention or vendor fair. While this can be overwhelming, it is also a great opportunity to get a hands-on look at various companies, talk to vendors and find out more about their products.
• Don’t be afraid to purchase used curriculum. Once you are familiar with various products, you may want to consider looking for teacher’s manuals and other components you are looking for either online or at used curriculum sales. I’ve found some fabulous deals this way – and it also doesn’t sting as much when you realize something just isn’t going to work for you. {Note: Respect copyright laws when purchasing or selling used}.
• Borrow from another family. There have been times that we have been able to share things that we’ve purchased and are not currently using with other families or took a trial run with books or pieces that we didn’t know if we were ready to invest in.

With all that said, there are times that you find out part way through the year that something you thought would be perfect just isn’t. Sometimes you discover that curriculum isn’t working. Remember, there is likely to be a little tweaking involved in the process, and while it’s frustrating – it’s ok. The first bit of homeschooling involves a learning curve where you are discovering your areas of comfort in teaching and your children’s learning grooves.

What one tip would you offer other families when choosing curriculum pieces? Leave a comment below and chime in with your thoughts.

This post is a part of the Homeschool Basics series. Be sure to read the other posts if you are just joining in. For the record, I am not an expert. I’m a homeschool mom who is sharing what she’s learned so far along the way with her own family.