Homeschooling multi-ages/multi-grades is like parenting multi-ages. I now have a 4 year old PreKindergartner, a 4th grader and Middle schooler. Eek! We used to use the one-room schoolhouse model (my basement turned classroom) but with my talkative 4 year old, that could not work. We found that out last year the hard way. This year, we switched it up a bit. I now use three rooms in our house for homeschooling: the basement, the den and the living room which is an office/library. The boys are set up in the latter and my prek daughter is set up in the den.
Our Schedule:
*Mon-Thur
*Fridays are still fieldtrip or travel days! I am a creature of habit..especially if it works!
9:00a.m. Morning Meeting: affirmations, gratitude, character building, handwriting, 365 Black history
10:00-10:30 a.m. Language Arts Experience
PreK-I teach her.
4th and 6th Graders-Wordly Wise and journaling (independent)
10:30-11:00 a.m. Language Arts Experience cont'
PreK-independent activity 4th and 6th Grader-Novel Study (with incorporated writing and grammar)
11:00-11: 30a.m. BRAIN BREAK/FREE PLAY
11:30-12:30p.m. Lunch/Recess
12:30-1:00p.m. Mathematics Experience
PreK-independent activity
4th Grader-I teach him
6th Grader-Drill or video lesson
1:00-1:45p.m. Mathematics Experience cont'
PreK-independent activity or outschool class 4th Grader-independent activity 6th Grader-I teach him
1:45-2:15p.m. I teach Math to PreK/BRAIN BREAK for the boys
2:15-3:15p.m. Science (Outsourced for the 4th and 6th grader on Mondays and Thursdays. During this time I teach the PreK child)
2:15-3:15p.m. Social Studies (PreK child does Outschool Class or Independent Activity on Tuesdays and Wednesdays while I teach the 4th and 6th grader)
3:15p.m. Independent/Extracurricular/Outsourced Activities/Fieldtrips
And guess what, if I have a training or meeting, this all gets thrown out of the window! Ha! Organization and Setup: Since we are eclectic homeschoolers AND I still work from home, I wanted to ensure we had multiple spaces for independent, self-guided learning as well as spaces for dedicated "mom-led" lessons and quiet time. Therefore, we still use the basement "classroom". It is set up for independent work for the boys with two folding desks as well a portable "art" area with foldable tables, chairs, and a 9 bin sterilite organizer from Target. There is also a nook with bookshelf bench with books and baskets filled with reading buddies (stuffed animals) pillows, headphones, Amazon Alexa (for soundscapes and audio stories) and blankets for quiet reading. Lastly, I used these storage shelves from Target for building and free play storage like legos, blocks, dolls, games and puzzles. You do NOT need to buy anything to make homeschooling multi-ages work. But you do need proper planning and organization. The goal is enjoy teaching and learning together; and keep your sanity!