Tips for Homeschooling Multiple Grades
Having multiple children can feel overwhelming at times, but homeschooling multiple grades doesn’t have to be stressful. Making a plan is the best thing you can do for yourself and your kids. It’ll take away the stress of uncertainty because you’ll know exactly what to expect out of the day. Homeschooling can be a time to connect with your children, so planning the curriculum in a fun yet efficient way is essential.
Establish Family Read-Aloud Time
If you are homeschooling multiple children, then you probably want a curriculum that works for all ages. Establishing family read-aloud time is one of the best tips for homeschooling multiple grades because it can involve everyone, regardless of age or reading level. Reading to your kids creates a connection that will strengthen your relationship with your child while also teaching them something. Kids of all ages enjoy hearing stories, so this is one way to involve all your kids in one activity. Reading can inspire them and encourage their sense of empathy, so family read-aloud time is beneficial for more reasons than one.
Teach Together; Assign Separately
Another one of the helpful tips for homeschooling multiple grades is to teach your kids together but assign activities separately. While this method will not work for every situation, it can be a helpful method for some parents. Subjects like history or science work well for this method because the material isn’t as age-specific as math or reading. You could teach your children about photosynthesis together, then assign age-appropriate activities for each of them to complete separately. If you have a third-grade child and a fourth-grade child, you could give the older child more difficult questions on photosynthesis. With this method, both children are learning the same content but are answering questions that are specific to their grade. History also works well because the younger child might need more general questions about the lesson, whereas the older child will understand more difficult concepts.
Utilize Academic Assessment
Since many homeschooling parents teach some lessons together, giving your child an assessment test can ensure they’re still on the right track with their academic growth. It can also ensure that you are teaching material that they are ready to learn. The MAP Growth test is a great option for homeschooling families because it is cross-grade and online. Analyzing the MAP test results can help you confidently teach your child the material they are ready to learn. It’s is an efficient way to maximize your child’s education, especially when you are homeschooling more than one child.
