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Multiple ages & grade levels
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I’ve been flirting with this website for almost a year and still have no idea how to get started with my children. I have 8 children, 6 who are being homeschooled, and we’ve been using Sonlight but truth be told, we are all pretty bogged down, even though we’ve been modifying. I’ve looked over most of the forum questions and I think I’m somewhat unique! Anyway, how do I go about doing “family work” with history when all of my children are so far apart in grades (pre-school, 4th grade but mentally challenged so he’s more of a kinder-first, 5th, 7th, 9th & 11th). My 4th, 5th & 7th graders are adopted and their comprehension level is probably 3 grades below, my dh just pulled my 9th grader out of public school so he’s in homeschool shock, and my 11th grader is also behind about two years in comprehension. I think I can handle most of the schedule EXCEPT for HISTORY!!! Help?
The easiest way I’ve found to combine the children for history is to do a read-aloud book that is geared toward the younger children, then assign additional reading (on the same time period) to the older children to do independently. From the information you listed, I would probably use books listed in the 4-6 Grade section (of the history modules) as my read-alouds, and assign books from the 7-9 Grade section for the older two to add on the side. Do you have a time period in mind?
THANK YOU!! No, I don’t know where to start. As I mentioned, we’ve been doing Sonlight and when I think of all the books that I can’t use if I switch over, I just get sickened! (but hey, there’s e-bay, right?). I would love to cover more than just one module, especially for my 11th grader (he should be in 12th grade but due to public school woes, he’s terribly behind) so in a way I feel as if I’m “running out of time.” Actually, all of my children’s comprehension rose dramatically once we started reading everyday, but we’re just too burned out trying to keep up with Sonlight — and I feel like I’m running on fumes keeping up with the different cores. I’ll definitely give your suggestion a whirl and I truly appreciate your response to my dilema! Thanks for letting me ramble!!
We too have used Sonlight and felt too “bogged down”. It’s too difficult to try to keep up with more than one core and still enjoy learning with your children. We began to switch over to CM a couple of years ago and what freedom to finally let go of all the Instructor Guides and all of those books that we didn’t really like anyway. As far as History goes it’s great to finally all be on the same page and learning about the same time period. This leads to great discussions at the dinner table, etc. Have you thought about choosing the time period in history that interests you? When you are excited about learning a portion of History and gather all your children together to read a good book – they will catch that joy of learning from you. This, we have found, has been the best thing about CM. Like Sonya said, it would be good to gear the History read-aloud toward the younger and than assign additional reading of that same period to your older children. We have done this and found it liberating. My older children have truly enjoyed the younger versions and even some of the picture books. Anyway, I hope this helps and that I haven’t rambled too much. Just remember to ENJOY your children and your family learning time together. Let the atmosphere of your home be one of sweetness and delight – as you said, you are running out of time.
In Him
Heather
Thanks for your help! I rearranged my bookshelves and discovered that I already had a quite a bit of books that were recommended on the history modules. But wanted to ask you Heather, since you said you also did Sonlight–were you able to incorporate some of the books you used with Sonlight? Since I have several complete cores (1/2, 3/4,6,100 & 300), we’ve actually touched on all of the history modules in some way. Some of the books listed on the history modules here at SCM are also part of Sonlight cores, but of course Sonlight has so many more. Anyway, I’d like to just use some of the books we already have rather than buying a whole new set. Your thoughts?
InHim (too cool you signed your post as such—that’s the name of our homeschool!!)
Angie
Yes, Angie, we did use many sonlight core books as we transferred to CM. Sonlight has many of the great living books as on the SCM bookfinder. Instead of buying a whole lot of new books, I just used some of the books I already had with Sonlight and the others, I gathered from our local library – using their online catalog to search and place holds. I incorporated our book selection by going through our bookshelves and choosing the ones I already had (and liked) from Sonlight and then following that same time period, I went on the bookfinder to see what others I could choose to go with that module. Hopefully you have a good library and online system. Hope this helps. Continue to trust in God’s plan for you family.
IN HIM 🙂
Heather
Hi Heather–thanks SO MUCH for your advice! I don’t think I have to purchase ANYTHING, or even go to the library, because of what I already have on hand. Before your last post, I was going thru the Sonlight catalog, checking off the books I had, numbering them 1, 2 & 3, and today I was about to start figuring what time frames they belonged to and then….you suggested the book-finder! DUH!!!! Thank you so much! I’m almost finished cataloging all of my books and now just need to re-shelve. I’ll be doing what you did, keeping only the books that we’ve liked. You’ve been a life-saver!!!
To His Glory!!
Angie
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