My curriculum choices are too teacher intensive

I do understand the need to streamline with a large family! For me, moving to a CM model of education has been the thing that brought the simplicity we needed to make things work in my large family. But that is a very general answer and for that reason not very helpful…

So maybe you could specify which ages, and which areas of study, are your most problematic? 

What I’m doing for math is teaching a new lesson to each level on a different day of the week. We use Math U See so there is one new lesson and then the kids work on practice pages until they’re ready for the test. I’m not involved in the practice unless they bring a specific problem to me. The other nice part of MUS is there is a DVD teaching the lessons to the parent, but older children could easily watch it themselves to try the lesson and then get you if they need help.

So at my house it looks like this generally:

I teach a lesson on Monday to my 11 year old (MUS Delta)while kids on other levels are either doing a practice page or their test.

On Tuesday I’ll teach the two kids using the Alpha level their lesson together. Oldest and younger would be doing practice pages or a test this day.

On Wednesday I’ll teach the new lesson to the youngest who is doing math (Primer level) and the others work on their own unless they need help with a specific problem.

In real life the new lesson day varies because some weeks the kids take all week before they take a test, or even closer to two weeks before they’re ready for the test, and other times they’re ready in two days.

We also do table time once each day, everyone is at the table and working quietly and I can rotate around to help individuals as needed. The three littles ones (3, 1, and 6 mos) learn to play at the table during table time.

For language arts, what are you doing? I guess with my oldest being just 6th grade language arts here is pretty basic. The younger ones do copywork for 5 minutes. They write a story or letter once a week (3-5 sentences, they’re 2nd and under) and then share it with me. The 6th grader writes a longer story or letter once a week and we polish one up every other week (editing process/practice). The younger ones do phonics/learning to read daily for 5-15 minutes each. If it’s a game we do it together, if it’s reading aloud to someone they read to me. Spelling is hit or miss here. When we are doing it we go over a rule together and then I have cards with each child’s words for that rule. We practice spelling bee style so I can rotate through all the kids and just use cards from their pile. Again, quick and easy.

I know I’ve got a ways to go to reach where you are with so many students. My seven are 11, 7, 6, 4, 3, 1, and 6mos. This is what works for us, and I try to encourage them to work independently where possible, or around the table so I can rotate through and help. It goes more or less smoothly depending on the day. 😉

I hear you! There is only so much of mom to go around. I have 4 kids…2 with special learning needs. It takes a lot of extra time one on one time and sometimes I feel like I am never doing enough to “move them forward”. I also added a part time job to the mix last year.

This is actually one of the reasons I landed at SCM. It will simplify things to keep history, goegraphy and Bible together. I also changed math programs for 2 of my kids. They are using teaching textbooks in hopes that it will free me up from teaching and grading their math. This will allow me more 1:1 time for the other 2 in math. While this might not be a very CM style math, I also know I have limits on my schedule and need something that can save me a little time. I have also chosen to have my 2 dds tutored in reading this year by a professional. It was something I was doing myself before. Turning over the reigns to someone else in this one area feels like a weight of my chest.

I’m in awe of those of you with large families!  I can’t speak from experience, as my oldest is just turning 7yo, but I was wondering if you could make use of your older children to help with the younger ones?  For example, if 4 older children each spent 30 minutes with a younger sibling (reading aloud? dictating spelling words?  drilling math facts?  answering questions on a math assignment?), they could save you 2 hours.  That way you are not taking too much of their time away, but would free yourself up quite a bit to help everyone more.  Plus there’s the added bonus of the fact that the older children can learn quite a bit by teaching others, even if it’s at a level far beneath what they are doing in their own work.  (For example a high schooler working on algebra can review and solidify pre-algebra skills by having to explain them to a sibling.   Or a 6th grader can always benefit from reviewing phonics skills by teaching a 6 year old.)

On a related topic, make sure you are delegating everything you can in the household management area, if you haven’t already!  If having older children help with school work wouldn’t work for your family, they can definitely help with other things. You could set up a buddy system so that one older child and one younger child work together to make a meal or do the laundry or sweep and mop the floors, etc.  That way you can focus on school.  With 10 children, you have quite the team.  Even with my kids (7, 5, 4, 3, and 16 month old twins – some mine and some in my home daycare) I have the oldest 2 helping the little ones quite a bit.

Joanne

Everything we use for LA and Math is open and go.  They do require teacher assistance, but it is very minimal.  So here are some things you could check out if you’re not already familiar with them… Life of Fred math, Strayer Upton Math, Writing with Ease, Sequential Spelling, Fix It, Miquon Math, Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading.  I just don’t have time for intense teacher prep and involvement.  That is the main reason that I chose each of those curricula.  Although there are other things that I would love to do, with the ages of my kids right now, they just won’t work for us.   

Sometimes I do feel like I’m running an assembly line.  I sit at the end of the table and say, “Who needs me?” and then I’ll do one thing wtih someone, then call the next kid over, then the next kid, etc.  In between those lessons, I usually have a kid popping up saying, “I need to narrate” so we also do that mixed in there as well.  And this usually lasts about an hour.  The rest of their work is either group work or independent work.  We use very short lessons with everything I’ve listed above so I can get through all five kids pretty quickly.  They all have their work for the day listed on the board so they can do much of it independently.

I don’t have my older kids help the younger because I feel like I’m out of touch with what the kids are doing if I’m not doing it with them.  And then errors just get glossed over and suddenly you find out you have to back up and relearn something.  The only one they help is the 4 year old with his preschool Rod and Stuff books.

jeaninpa, I am kind of assuming you are in the state of PA? If so, just wondered where? (I am in East Central-close to Penn State University) As for your situation, I can only chime in to offer prayers and encouragement: You can do all things through Him that strengthens you! I was just wondering too if you are using the SCM family study handbooks for history/geog/bible-I would think this resource alone would be SO helpful to you with time! I am really looking forward to using these with all my children together as the years go by!