Homeschoolers are frugal by nature. We have to be! Most homeschoolers are building their learning environments with one income. And a good bunch of homeschoolers are teaching more than one child. So, just how to homeschool multiple ages the frugal way? I will share my best tips with you today…
My best tips for homeschooling multiple ages the frugal way pretty much line up with our 6 Simple and Successful Strategies for Homeschooling a House Full. We homeschool multiple ages. We have five children – three girls and two boys – ranging in age from six to 17. It’s the first year in over 14 years I haven’t homeschooled a preschooler! So, this year, I have two high schoolers, a middle schooler and two elementary learners.
Keep Your Priorities in Order
When I am placing God first, then my husband and next the children, then my focus is right. I am not getting sidetracked with the suggestion of new curriculum that came in today’s stack of mail. We are homeschooling hearts, not churning out children that use the latest, greatest, top notch curriculum. We are seeking His will and His way for our homeschool. Asking Him to Bless Our Homeschool. Practical Prayer Throughout the Day.
Make a Plan
Best of Homeschool Planning – We should make plans – counting on God to direct us. Proverbs 16:9
First off, I do plan our homeschool year in rough form. I explain that time in detail in my Annual Planning and Goal Setting habit. But I honestly do not plan our year weekly. I:
- look at our resources, gather what we need.
- spend time praying for and making goals for each child.
- note that I need to make plans for standardized testing.
- see that certain days will be busy with music lessons so I know I will need to use the slow cooker and schedule certain learning for those days (see below).
- make note of field trips.
So we have an outline. Then, once we are in the nitty gritty of week-to-week homeschool, we make plans weekly.
Make a Meal Plan
Ultimate List of Easy Slow Cooker Recipes – Give me easy. Mix a few ingredients. Make it simply delicious. In the practical world of homeschooling and feeding a crowd on a budget, a long list of ingredients does not make the menu plan. I want to put the slow cooker to work while I take care of other things. In fact, the first month of back-to-school, I use the slow cooker almost exclusively. So here’s to easy, slow cooker recipes of all kinds!
Make Supper at Lunch – Before lunch, glance at your chalkboard you updated after your first cup of coffee. Next, assemble your supper at lunch time during clean up and before the afternoon tiredness sinks in. Ready ingredients. I use the crock pot as much as possible so I can throw the ingredients in the pot then walk away.
Use Curriculum Across the Ages As Much As You Can
Now obviously the three Rs are subjects that each child needs to focus on individually. But, there are so many of our resources that we enjoy together. Younger ones to older ones! We love Tapestry of Grace for that! How do you homeschool multiple ages/grades? Well we have a homeschool method that I like to call lasagna learning. We start with a generous helping of prayer, next we layer all those helpful homeschool habits, then we stir around the 3 Rs on five levels. After lunch, we sprinkle the wonderful spices of enrichment.
- How to Teach Multiple Subjects to Multiple Ages – Just how I teach multiple subjects to multiple ages? It’s always changing with growing children and their needs. Since you, dear reader, might be looking for a specific answer for a specific subject, I include links to all of my best tips for teaching multiple ages. First, let’s start with the basics.
- Our Hodgepodge Curriculum Choices – Because of that age range, we do many of our subjects and learning all together. Layers and levels – lasagna learning.
Get Everything You Can at the Library
About once a month, I review what we might need and spend some time reserving at our library. Then we usually recheck books their limited three times.
Your Local Library – this resources by Annie Kate at The Curriculum Choice is full of information! Of course we all know that it is smart to use the local library to borrow books but Annie Kate gives us all much more inspiration.
and on that note…
Justify the Cost for Multiple Ages
Sometimes the investment up front makes sense financially and in the long term. Curriculum purchased for my older children will also, one day, benefit my younger children. Oh how we’ve enjoyed those Sonlight literature books we bought that first year of homeschooling.
- History: Books for Tapestry of Grace – Purchasing ‘spine’ books we will use for an entire year or a full unit makes sense. Not only will we use it during this year’s study but the books will be enjoyed again when we repeat the four year cycle of history.
- Math: The same idea with our experience with Teaching Textbooks. When we purchase Teaching Textbooks math for our eldest children, we know that our younger children will be using it as well.
- Language Arts: Rod and Staff English – We do dearly love Rod and Staff English and have now officially used every year available – from 2nd grade to 10th! And will continue to do so (our youngest will start with second grade next year).
Use Free Resources
- Um… we have a few free art tutorials to remind you that you ARE an artist!
- Free Homeschool Deals – freebies and homeschooling the frugal way – wonderful resources every day!
- Free and Frugal at the Ultimate Homeschool Pinning Party – (use Pinterest as a resource!)
- Our FREE ebooks: Getting Started in Chalk Pastel Art (with a 15% off discount code), Slow Cooker Batch Cooking, Return of the Routine, Homeschooling in Georgia
Make Use of Low Cost Resources
Dover Publications for Homeschool – 25% off discount using the special code in the image above.
Curriculum as Gifts – we have been known to give science curriculum as a Christmas gift. (Part of the Three Gifts for Christmas frugal focus – yes, we are those parents) 🙂
Be sure to stop by all the How to Homeschool Well on a Budget posts my fellow homeschool blogging friends of iHomeschool Network are sharing!
What are YOUR best tips for homeschooling well on a budget?
I plan my year, 5 week unit studies and then down to each week in a similar way. You always have great advice.
Blessings, Dawn
It sure makes it manageable, doesn’t it Dawn? And with how life and activities change so quickly – it is good to have a weekly assessment. Thank you!
What a beautiful list, Tricia! It is so important to have our priorities in place each day…and how to apply that concept can take a lot of wisdom.
I think this post is not only about homeschooling frugally, but also about homeschooling wisely.
God bless your as you educate your children!
Thank you Annie Kate – you have blessed our homeschool with your Godly wisdom in all that you have shared in your reviews and posts. I appreciate you so much!