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keeping all together?
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Hello, I wanted to hear if there is anyone else out there still keeping everyone together for History once children begin high school?I have (2) 15yro, 14yro, 12yro, 11yro, 9yro, 8yro, and a 7yro. I have read somewhere on here that I can use both the American History modules and it would be 1 full credit of Amer and World when we were finished. I am torn as to what to do. If I should just let the older 3 read the spine books on their own or have them sit in with us? I think the discussion is important and they are on their own pretty much with all other subjects. Just wondering what others have done or are doing. Thank you for your time! Lora
We aren’t there yet, but I’m planning on keeping mine together through high school. I figure we’ll stick to the family reading, then assign them their own readings plus some written narrations and BOC entries. It seems like SCM (along with a government study) will be plenty for social studies credits. I have the History Scribe notebook pages for high school and they have a timeline chart and essay question for each page…we may add these in place of some of the written narrations. I’m going to try these for next year (she’ll be in 8th).
I keep mine together, except for the senior year, which is government and economics. Sometimes I have my oldest read the spine or novel aloud to us(instead of me reading it). It is good practice for the older child. Reports and essay tests are more advanced for my highschoolers, but much is the same. I enjoy the interaction of many ages, and the way the highschoolers add to the discussion.
This is something I have wondered as well. We were together up until this year when I decided my 6th grader needed more independence. Now I’d like to bring us back together again. I struggle with the details of how to do it as they get older. It was really helpful for me to give her her own HOD guide with detailed assignments this year. But in the end, I don’t feel like she learned as well. She completed everything, but didn’t retain much.
When we’ve done subjects together, they seem to learn much more.
In my dream, we would stay together throughout highschool. But I can’t picture exactly how that would play out. I’d love to hear more details.
It depends on which curriculum you are using, as to how to combine ages. I have tried several and prefer A Living History of Our World vols. 4 and 5 for elementary through highschool. I will use Diana Waring’s for the modern period, since ALHOOW has not written that book yet.
The above studies will include some American history, and ALHOOW’s government course is a full year course which includes American history, so that will provide enough US.
The biggest difference with highschool history is that I require more narrations and reports or projects, plus essay tests are longer. My history family read alouds are above some of the younger kids heads, but I make sure the content is not too graphic or inappropriate.
When we used SCM, they had more independent reading.
We do geography once a week, sometimes together. Map Tangle is our favorite geography game.
I am! We’ve always kept together and four weeks ago started our new year of history. I have eight kids 9th grade down to a 1 year old, plus a baby on the way. We’re using History Revealed as our framework.
For us, that means we have some things in common (some readings, audio cds), then children or groups of children choose projects based on their interest. This month we covered creation through Noah and the ark. We read scriptures and had lots of interesting discussions together. My oldest’s projects went in the genealogy direction, doing a research report on one of her ancestors, creating a hands on 3D family tree with clay that has the names of four generations from her. The rest of the kids had two focuses: Human Body (with hands on projects and activities) and an art centered focus drawing stacks of plants and animals and dividing them into the days of creation.
We’ve lost power after a freak storm this morning so I am on my phone … Please excuse any odd auto corrects, etc. 😉
I totally agree with keeping everyone together and while it does take some creativity, the benefits far out weigh any extra effort on my part. I am thrilled to see the support for family subjects on here!
We do most subjects (core) together. I use one spine reading and assign age appropriate independent reading and/or additional work. History, Science, all the Fine Arts, Shakespeare, Plutarch, Geography, Latin, etc. I too found it
Beneficial in terms of discussion, etc. I have struggled here and there with keeping things “involved” enough with the older one but then again I’ve learned a thing or two. For instance, their knowledge isn’t always grander, more complete or better by an extra assignment or such. I’ve realized they are absorbing and making the information theirs at precisely their own levels all along regardless.
I’ve been critized for “double dipping” by going this route but for us it not only works but keeps the atmosphere we want in our lessons and home.
Thank you so much for all the comments! It was so refreshing to hear from others 🙂 I appreciate your time!
I keep them together too. We read a spine book together and then they each read books on the time period at their own levels. Their individual books can focus on one aspect (a biography of one person, one specific event) because I know they get the big picture from the spine.
Nebby
I’ve done it both ways, but am opting not to keep them together this year or next headed into hs for eldest. Simplicity in planning is one reason, but also my kids work well independently. I haven’t found our family discussions hampered, but simply broader. Either way can work, I think.
I have 2 children (girl and boy). We did the first 4 years of our homeschool separated (Heart of Dakota curriculum). We loved this curriculum (and still do), but because they were younger I was having to do a ton of reading aloud. It was wearing me out. 😉 Then, 2 years ago, I combined them and did ancients the first year and middle ages this past year. I found that it was actually much more work for me that way. We did MOH as a spine and then I had them to read living books independently at their own level. That part worked really well. It was the writing/notebooking/activities that was tough to plan. Seems like my daughter was not challenged enough in some areas and the information is over his head a lot of the time. Also, she would get frustrated waiting for him to finish his written work so that we could just move on. In the past 2 years she has grown so much and is ready for more independence. He still needs some mom time to grow in other areas. 😉
I do like having some areas to study together, though. We plan to do Bible, nature study, hymn study, picture study, music study, and poetry together next year, and then the rest independently. Hopefully, this will keep a good balance and allow them to grow at their own pace in other areas.
We are planning to do a mix of things this coming year. They will be doing Heart of Dakota for history only, Apologia science, Essentials in Writing (covers grammar and writing), dictation, Teaching Textbooks math, and some SCM things.
Just our view on this. 😉
Christy 🙂
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