I am often asked about homeschooling so many different levels in our home. Currently, we have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, a 2nd grader, a 4 year old preschooler, and a toddler. Probably the hardest thing about teaching so many levels is finding the time to teach the preschoolers. Even though they aren’t actually required to learn much at that age, most preschoolers are eager to learn as much as they can. Or that is the case in our home. My two little ones beg me to include them in our school day. But how does one teach the little ones their letter & numbers, an older child to read, and an even older child pre-algebra?
I’m going to share how we have managed this year in our home but I want to say up front that I believe one thing that makes this system work is that our older children are able to do much of their school work independently. None of the three older children do all of their work independently but they can do large amounts of work on their own which enables me to spend time with the younger children. Then I teach the older children during the little ones’ nap times.
Another thing that helps me balance teaching time for the preschoolers and the older children is that my older children are willing to help with the little ones. Sometimes, when I’m teaching an older child, one of the other siblings will play with or even teach/read to the younger children. This helps me give undivided attention to the child who needs help, teaches the older child about caring for others, and keeps the little ones out of trouble.
Our homeschool day with preschoolers looks something like this (all times are approximate). One thing that doesn’t show up on this schedule is that even though I may be working with one child at a particular time, I will sometimes finish early and head back to work with the younger ones again. Sometimes when I’m teaching E(7) during her language arts block, she and I will head to the kitchen where she will read to me. At that same time, I might be working with the little ones on painting letters or shapes or writing in shaving cream. I spend more time with the preschoolers than this chart actually shows.
| | Mom | B (12) | G (10) | E (7) | A & E (4 & 2) |
| 9:00 | Math & discuss independent work w/E(7) | Independent Work | Preschoolers | With Mom | With G |
| 9:30 | Preschool time | Independent Work | Math on computer | Independent Work | With Mom |
| 10:00 | Language arts with E(7) | Math on computer | Independent Work | Language Arts with Mom | Preschool activity |
| 10:30 | Work with G (10) | Preschoolers | Work with Mom | Independent Work | With B |
| 11:00 | Work with B (12) | With Mom | Independent Work | Preschoolers | With E |
| 11:30 | Outside break and/or science | ||||
| 12:00 | Lunch and clean up | ||||
| 12:30 | Independent reading and art | Read with Mommy | |||
After the little ones and I have read some books and snuggled, they lay down for naps/quiet time. Then the older ones and I do history and go over subjects that they were not able to do independently.
Some things I have found that make a homeschool day with preschoolers easier are:
- Be willing to allow for some messes. The little ones love to be active. Sometimes that means playing with water (like above) or beans or even play dough. It seems the messier it is, the longer they play and the quieter it is.
- Keep everyone close by. I don’t let the little ones roam around the house during school time. This seems to lead to messes.
- Have them do a fun activity with their sibling buddy teacher. They will often play blocks or play dough with the older siblings while I’m teaching others.
- Try to start the day with the little ones. I actually start my second grader off with her work first but then I make sure to teach the little ones as soon as possible. The day goes much smoother when I do this.
- Keep a few activities ready. My little ones will sometimes breeze through an activity that I have prepared. I try to have another one ready to go. Some of our favorite activities are painting with watercolors, painting with dot paint, washing baby doll clothes, playing with playdough, and cutting paper. Sometimes I even turn on the TV!
- Be flexible if it doesn’t go very smoothly. Some days just don’t go smoothly. {smile}
That’s how we have managed to find time to teach the little ones and keep them busy during the school day. It makes for a busy day but it does keep our home more peaceful while everyone is getting their learning time with Mom!
