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LLMom
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| Posted: Nov 16 2005 at 7:12pm | IP Logged
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How does one implement a classical education (along with CM methods) with a large family? This year, we have taken a break from these approaches just to survive since we have a new baby. I have 7 children; 4 are school age. I want to get back to classical/CM next year but I have struggled the last few years trying to do it. It takes so much mom time, which I don't seem to have to listen to narrations, give dictations, and read a loud. It is so much easier to give the child a workbook to fill in blanks than to do these other things. So how do you all manage it? My school age children are 6, 9, 12 1/2 and 15 this year.
Throw into that mix a 4, 2 and 7 month old. Its chaos.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Sarah
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| Posted: Nov 16 2005 at 7:38pm | IP Logged
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Maybe do a mix of these. You could take a week or two here and there and do a book and a unit with it. Then go back to the workbooks. I mix it because I too have a new baby, I'm disorganized, and I'm not creative. The 4, 2, & new baby thing is SO HARD, I have that here, too! I'd like to hear from others too.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Rachel May
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 7:37pm | IP Logged
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I've only been homeschooling for 3 years which doesn't feel like much compared to a lot of people on the forum, but I'll share what is working for me.
First of all, my kids are 6 (twins), 4, 3, 1 and due in April adn we mostly use Mother of Divine Grace. This year I've tried to teach 2 grades at once at which I've not been very successful. However, I have found that when a book can be used for a variety of ages, we do that well.
For example, we ditched the Kindergarten reading book and now all 3 "older" kids  do reading/writing together. We also do this with Religion, science and health (for those last subs 2 we just do what comes up in our daily lives). If it's poetry memorization, we do it all in a row; even the 3 year old has a poem to learn for "elocution lessons". 
Also for next year, I've been considering using Konos (link below because I couldn't get it here for some reason) which has multi-age level unit studies. Have you looked at it? We test drove it for a week before we moved, and I really liked it as did the kids. In someways it seemed too unstructured for me, though (I couldn't see linear progression in one subject), but it had so many fun activities on variety of levels for each topic that I think I'm going to get it for that. I remember thinking that if my kids were older they would like it even more because a lot of the activities were for kids bigger than mine.
I realize my kids are more close in age than yours and no one here is approaching college for a while, but hopefully there is something there that might help?
Here's the link: Konos
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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ALmom
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 7:55pm | IP Logged
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No matter what, I try to maintain read aloud time and enough informal time to have a totally unplanned conversation with dc - usually happens at the kitchen table over dinner when dh is home. I do not plan any school at all (CM, classical, etc.)for anyone under 7. The younger they are the lighter any academics are at our house (at least the planned ones).
We use some workbooks that 7 yo can finish in about an hour (basically CHC). He does move ahead in the plan as he desires - but when CHC is done, he is free to pursue whatever he wants to, including outside play. He mostly chooses science experiments. The older 3 have more structure (11 yo, 14yo and 17 yo) using various things depending on the dc (Kolbe lesson plans with some paring down or with substitutions from CHC). It is set up in such a way that there are some limited choices - but all the questions are probing types, that try to help dc make connections between subjects, etc. I guess this part looks more classical - and we discuss as we are able from the written work - using notes as needed. I also have learned not to stress if we do not finish everything on the plan (they are for a roadmap and I try to assess progress - if we have achieved significant progress in writing/analysis then I don't worry that we haven't done every English Lit paper. We call our year done. We might do something a bit longer if dc seems to really need it - and in the summer I can attack it with more energy and enthusiasm and creativity since it is probably the only thing besides play and household chores that we are working on. But I do try to keep in mind the need for dc to have "time off" and we do a kind of weighing of the need and benefits. Often some dc are enthusiastic about continuing and that is fine. If they are not it usually peters out of a natural death before too long anyways.
I give them lesson plans so that they can work independently, and because it really does help my older dc - but I try to look over it all (really looking at the kinds of things I'm seeing as pattern - ie dc never writes in sentences or spelling is atrocious but never seems to have any trouble with math and is reading all kinds of books and talking about them whether or not they are assigned). This way when time is limited, I know that I need to make time to work with dc on areas they really need me - and figure the rest will take care of itself(of course, I might circle a missed problem for dc to review or find the mistake but if it is not a problem area, they generally don't need my help to find the mistake - although I am available to answer questions and dc know I do not want them to get frustrated and prefer they come to me if they have made a reasonable attempt. So in the above example, I'd try to make sure we could discuss spelling/ I might do a special program with him involving more of me and a more multi-sensory approach and look for ways to encourage sentence writing - but wouldn't worry at all about everything else.
I also keep a sense of how long it takes them to get "assigned stuff" done. I expect a little more from older dc, but still want them to have plenty of pursuing their own interest time. I have plenty of materials easily accessible and they do tend to explore and read some in their free time, plus making their own projects. But I don't feel guilty about not planning this for them as long as the materials are here. I might show them what a history notebook would look like so they have a sample, and there are loads of experiment books, real, living books and lots of paper, glue, construction paper, stickers, etc. They know they can also request supplies or things to fit their tangents.
So far this is the only thing that has worked for us without stressing us all out. I'm not sure what to label it. Does it fit what you are asking for - I'm not even sure because we look somewhat schoolish from the outside but we don't really feel locked into the plan and do shift to meet the major goals. I guess making sure there is time for the exploration allows for some "unschooling" even and the reading and family chats around supper are more CM. Although we use some things she probably wouldn't like (like our workbooks and reading comprehension), these are not as ends in themselves for us but as a means of communication because I cannot always just chat with them about the story and this helps me stay in touch with each dc. It alerts me to problem areas that need my more involved attention. If we see a need, a dc not thriving, or significant fading of enthusiasm, then we drop what we had on the plans and I spend one on one time with that dc that needs me at the moment. There is always someone in that mode, but while I am working intensely with a dc, I don't lose sight of where the others are.
I hope this makes sense. It is probably not ideal, but it is how we have coped with what you describe. We add in real life games as needed and allow the short workbook/classical stuff to be part of the practice of skills we have learned as the dc seemed to need it and be ready for it.
Hope this helps give a face to one family and how we try to do it.
Janet
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ShawnaB
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| Posted: Nov 18 2005 at 9:08pm | IP Logged
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I am only in my first year of "officially" homeschooling, and in this group have a fairly small family (only 4 so far). However, I found the the book "Managers of their Homes" by Steven & Terri Maxwell very helpful. www.titus2.com I first read the manual last year, when I was only a mamma of 2. At the time, a lot of her strategies did not seem practical to me because I had only 2 children. The book is very geared for large families. But God knew, because we had baby #3 in June and adopted baby number 4 in September!
Jillian is 5 mos and Jonathan is 2.5 months, and I am now starting to implement a schedule for our day. It has REALLY helped. My approach with my 5 year old and 2 year old is CM/Montessori-ish, and requires a lot of my one-to-one time. Amazingly, I'm starting to fit it in, little by little, with the help of a daily schedule.
Now, I am in NO WAY the authority on this. I'm a novice, but I found the book helpful. Its really inspiring too, as she includes a lot a stories about large homeschooling families.
God Bless you and your little ones,
Shawna
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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ALmom
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I liked the idea of mom doing the lap book. This could be true of whatever CMish finished product used to document/display work. I think it helps my dc to see different ways that they can report on a book read, etc.
One thing I would say is don't get discouraged if dc don't jump at it the first time its shown them. Just leave it around the house for their perusal and eventually one dc might pick it up and run with it - and inspire the others.
I think in a large family, one of the clues for us has been to enjoy the unique benefits of this - mom doesn't have nearly the same amount of time as in a smaller family but mom doesn't have to be the main insprirer either because there are so many different, unique people living in the same household and there is that unique dynamic of everyone's interests intermingling.
I have found it much more important for me to be a mom. I do most of my planning over the summer - after reflecting on the dc, prayer, gathering ideas, discussing with dh and other moms, etc. I do major goal setting and act as the overall big-picture person - making sure no one gets derailed from learning (either due to bad plans, lack of inspiration, getting in a rut, or dc laziness(or mine)). If we need something to help dc move forward, then we search and find it (that is part of my and dh role - to keep acting as a guide and supporter, trying to find opportunities to help dc move forward especially in their area of biggest weakness). I don't worry as much in the area of strengths because then simple encouragement and joy at what they are doing combined with dc own inclinations will keep them moving forward in this and they will find/make their own living experiences in these areas.
It has taken me over 17 years to realize this - and some of it didn't really become obvious until I had about 3 to 4 school age dc.
I also think there is a transition from the time you have all elementary age dc to when you have a mix of high schoolers, middle schoolers, elementary and toddlers. It takes a bit of experimentation to figure out how to provide for everyone's needs (as a mom and with regards to academics). I think I started noticing gaps in the middle school years and the first reaction was to panic and fret and run from idea to idea. What really helped was prayer, stepping back and realizing that gaps are normal and you simply go about finding ways to help dc progress (and forward movement, no matter in how little a step is great!) I have learned to not be tied to any way of doing things - nor opposed to attempting different approaches that I found very unappealing when dc were younger. But if dc are making progress and we are all basically unstressed, then what we are doing is working and I don't have to toss it for the latest idea - at least not now.
Hope things are getting easier for you.
Janet
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: How to do this with a large family
