If you’re like most homeschool families, you want to homeschool multiple ages and still keep track of it all. Trying to juggle it all with so much preparation. Let me help you. I have ideas that work.
When you use a more traditional approach with three kids, your preparation might look like this. Three kids times seven subjects every day. You have 21 lesson preps for every single day.
That’s 105 lesson plans in a week. Or, 3780 lesson plans in a year.
WHEW! That’s a lot of preparation to homeschool multiple ages.
Each child has his own books and individual studies. One child studies Ancient Rome history, the other one studies early America, and another studies in China. On top of History, you have three different Science topics and all different Math.
I know what you’re feeling like. It was similar for me my first year of homeschooling.
How can you simplify all that prep and quit being overwhelmed?
How can you homeschool multiple ages with confidence?
One way I simplified my planning while homeschooling multiple ages was to use unit studies. Finally, I could quit being overwhelmed and focus on only one topic. For me, the beauty of unit studies is our entire family focused on the same topic. My brain had one focus that week or that month.
But, you’re saying to yourself . . .
- Unit studies are too much for me
- I’m afraid they won’t learn what they need to learn.
- I need to check off what my kids are learning.
Don’t be afraid.
Who is to say what your kids should be learning right now?
Who made up that checklist in your head, anyway?
Certainly not the local school district. Hop off that conveyor belt & quit worrying about that checklist. Listen to God. He gave your kids to you. You know them better than anyone else. You decide how to homeschool and raise your kids.
Most of you want your kids to love learning for a lifetime. Many moms ask me how they can encourage their kids to like reading, or at least not complain about school.
Unit studies are a great place to start. These studies encourage a love of learning, if you let your kids make choices. Let your kids decide what to study. Then, build a unit around their interest.
When Hunter was in sixth grade, he was supposed to write a 5-paragraph paper. I imagined him writing about a Roman emperor since we were studying Ancient Rome. His eyes glazed over as I shared my thoughts.
I remembered we recently bought a book about Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop.
Hunter wrote his paper about Derek Jeter and did a much better job learning how to write. We also tied together a baseball theme into his other subjects. He discovered the Science in pitching and hitting a baseball. His Grammar was all based on baseball. He read books about baseball and Derek Jeter.
Hunter used our Baseball Mini Unit for all his subjects.
For those of you who are afraid unit studies won’t teach enough, let me assure you. Hunter is 28 years old and perfectly competent as an adult. After college, he received a well-paying job. His company is giving him a 1-year leave of absence so he can start his own marketing company and work in Hawaii.
Did unit studies have a negative impact on Hunter? I think not. In fact, just the opposite; they encouraged him to love learning.
Not only will unit studies educate your kids well, all of your kids can study the same topic, at the same time. That’s why unit studies are one of the best ways to homeschool multiple ages.
Let’s face it.
You’ll never teach your kids everything they need to know in the future. But, you can build a strong relationship for life with your kids. A relationship that includes fun learning with unit studies.
Why Should You Homeschool
Multiple Ages with Unit Studies
It’s important that your children see how life fits together and that’s what unit studies do for your kids. This usually motivates us and our kids to learn.
When you work through a unit study about the Pioneers, you will study history, culture, education, math, science, art, handicrafts and much more. You gain an appreciation of life a hundred years ago. Instead of learning about dates & dead people, your children experience life during the pioneer times. It makes more sense.
Most importantly, pick and choose topics from your family interests.
If you homeschool multiple kids, then rotate the topics. Let each family member take a turn choosing the unit study topic. This will encourage a love of learning, as they study their own interests.
Retaining what you learn is one of the most important reasons to use unit studies. Studies show that kids using unit studies retain 45% more than traditional approaches to homeschooling. To retain 45% more, your children get involved in their studies. What they learn in the process becomes part of them.
Still unsure?
I get it. It does take time to create your own unit studies, like I did. In fact, my recent Ocean Unit Study took 14 hours & 40 minutes to research and create.
If you have extra time to create your own unit studies, I say “go for it”. If you need help with a general outline of how to create homeschool unit studies, read this post here.
If you don’t have the time to create your unit study, but you want to simplify your planning and homeschool multiple kids, you can use pre-planned unit studies, such as Ladybug Unit Study, Patriotic Holidays Unit Study, Reformation Day Unit Study or Ocean Unit Study.
As a gift for you, I want to offer you a free Dolphins Unit Study to use when you homeschool multiples ages. Discover activities and books for multiple ages.
Simply enter your name & email below and we will send our Dolphin Unit Study ($10) for FREE.
6 Comments
My guts WANT to do a unit study approach, but I’m nervous to make the leap. My kids range from 10th grade to 4th, and I work full time and it’s hard to break old habits. Also, they just came out of public school, so they’re very caught up on what “real school” looks like, with very little grace for Mom.
You said it…break old habits. I remember doing that. I had/have a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction and had to unlearn most of what I was taught to do as a teacher. But, it was so well worth it.
Give yourself grace, Mom…
Thank you for putting your energy into supplying other mamas with tips as we come into a new homeschool year! I appreciate you!
You’re so welcome. Hope this encourages moms.
We have used unit studies since my oldest was 8 and we had three children at that time. My oldest graduated high school last year, we now have six children and we are still homeschooling using unit studies. They are a life saver!
Jennifer,
Thanks for your encouraging comment. Unit studies are a life saver!