# Help! What should I do next year?



## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

My eldest is going to be 12, then there is the 10, then a 7 year old, a 4 year old and a set of twins that are 6 months old now. Toddlers next year. 

I am completely daunted at the prospect of homeschooling them all next year. I can't figure out what to do...won't do public school probably, thinking about catholic school- but it is above our means...even putting them in any school is not what we really want as a family, but my kids have been on a slow learning track. We have dyslexia and adhd. 

We are doing reading tutoring this summer with a Barton tutor to help us along... This last year has been really hard, and I don't see how next year will be better. I don't even want to look at curriculum. They have a chance to do two fun science classes next year and we are looking forward to that. 

I don't know what to prioritize. I know my kids have holes in their education-but there is no way I can fix all of this right now. So if I keep them at home I have to prioritize. 
My 7 year old wants to read-So I want to make sure I teach her. 
They like piano 
and the science classes. 
Those things are important, because we are really struggling with the love of learning over here. I think keeping math skills is very important. 

What would you do?


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I would do unit studies combining the 12,10, and 7yo. Both 7 and 4 could do learn to read in 100 lessons. 
https://www.google.com/search?q=lea...Q&biw=1024&bih=663&sei=yQWRUa_9Loi29gTb6IGoDQ

I would buy Saxon 6/5 for the 12,10 to share and do together. If the younger child has problems then just do it slower and less at a time. If that is too advanced then get 5/4. Saxon is so user easy for homeschoolers.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...13.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=saxon+5/4&_sacat=0&_from=R40

For 7/4 yo, I would be looking into playing math games and maybe doing some Miquon Math.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...570.l1313.TR11.TRC1&_nkw=Miquon+math&_sacat=0

Health, Science, History, Art could be combined for everyone as well as phy ed, music and bible. You can all read a Magic School Bus book and study the science topic in it. Then do an art or craft project with the book like build your own guitar with rubber bands and a school box. Go over topics again and again on the subject in the book like sound or whatever. You just give assignments on the same topic to each child according to their ability. The oldest child could write a scary story about sounds, build the guitar or other instrument, Make up a keyboard song, etc. The youngest could dictate a story to you about scary sounds while you write it, then they could illustrate it.

With multiple children, unit studies with separate Math programs are the best way to homeschool. Choose your books/topics of study first. I always say that Little House is the best book to start with for unit studies just because every homeschooler has so much to offer with help with that book. When you read about Pa and the Bear, then study bears for science. Study the time period of the book for history, etc. 
Here is a link to a site that has wonderful unit study ideas on kid's books. Just make the assignments that you give with the books fit the child's age and abilities. These are just some books, but create your own unit studies from books that you think will be great for your kids too.
http://www.gardenofpraise.com/lesson.htm


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Can you team up the kids? The 12 yr old can help the 7 year old, the 10 year old can help the 4 yr old. When you need to teach the 12 and 10 year olds, they can alternate helping keep the toddlers engaged. I think you are going to need to divide and conquer!


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

What mellissa describes is what got me through the small child years. A good schedule and 30 min incriments of kids playing together in a quiet supervised sort of way. Etc...

Also, one year, I used switched on shoolhouse, so that the kids could work independently. I did not love it. (some on here do). In fact I hated it. But my kids got through the year and it was what I needed to keep going. 

K. FWIW.

Cindyc.


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## MamaTiger (Jun 11, 2008)

Somewhere on the net is a huge list of activity boxes you can put together for littles to work on when you need to work with an older child. I used those a LOT! You just simply swap them out and that way it stays fresh and doesn't get boring.

Divide and conquer. Plan to work on unit studies together and let each child do what they are capable of doing.


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