Planning for Multiple Children

This is in answer to a letter from a mom starting with 6 boys. Units can be combined and older children can help with the teaching. This is an introductory letter and there may be more entries on this topic coming soon. If you are a parent/educator of more than one child, don't hesitate to add your ideas to this conversation. We can all learn from one another.

How does your 9th grader feel about this change? Does he share your mission? If so, it may help to include him as a co-teacher for the younger children. What an opportunity it would be for him to be an example to his younger brothers, and his learning would increase exponentially as well (you may also want to include your 8th grader in this mission also). If they are willing, you might want to include them (and your husband) in a summer study of the Noah Plan Self-Directed Study in the Principle Approach available from www.facebookstore.com . The best way to learn is to teach, and as your two older sons and your husband learn to study according to the Principle Approach, imagine the unity God will give you as you work together toward a common purpose.

Your 8th and 9th graders will need to study Rudiments of America’s Christian History also available from www.facebookstore.com; they will also need the “Red Books” for this study and the American Dictionary of the English Language 1828 edition. They can do this together as you work with your younger children on another course of history study. The Rudiments study handbook will guide your students through their notebook work. You will want to make time to complete this study for yourself if it’s possible, or if time constrains, read through the lessons prior to your boys doing the work so you know what to expect from them. Their notebooks will be very important to this study as well as their other studies.

While your two older students are working together on Rudiments, your can work with the younger children on another history/geography study. Do you have an opportunity to explore the K-3 Lesson Plan books from the Noah Plan? [Let me know your answer to this and we can discuss your options]. The key is while the work may be similar your going to require a bit more the older the students get. The first grader may color a picture and write a verse depending on the time of year. The 5th grader would have a more in-depth assignment. But the actual stories in the lesson would be the same and could be discussed together. You can, again, incorporate your older students as they study some of the same events to find creative ways to share their research with your younger students. This will cement the learning of the older boys and create a strong bond between all the boys. The subject matter is the same; the depth of the assignments varies according to age.

When you study literature, where appropriate read the same selections to them all again varying the assignments according to age and ability. Have the older ones read some of the younger selections like Pinocchio to their younger siblings and help them with their notebook assignments. (If you are like me, you will want to read some of those for the young ones as well, but it will help the older ones and your sanity to include their help in this).