Homeschooling Multiple Ages: Curriculum Choices

This last week I’ve shared our curriculum choices for 2013-2014 from kindergarten to high school. If you missed any of our individual plans, you can find a list at the bottom of this post. Because of that age range, we do many of our subjects and learning all together. Layers and levels  – lasagna learning.

Hodgepodge Homeschool – Multiple Ages

Rest assured I am still in the planning stages, but we pretty much have a handle on what resources we’ll be using – based on experience.

• History and more with Tapestry of Grace – a classical approach. We’ll have several levels going this year. Lower grammar, dialectic and rhetoric. We head into Year 3  – the nineteenth century. We are cycling back around and learning on the dialectic and rhetoric levels as well this year. Last time we studied Year 3 the children were all lower grammar. What I’ve Learned Homeschooling with Tapestry of Grace.

• Tapestry of Grace is a classical approach, Biblically-based, unit study curriculum for the whole family. Tapestry covers eight subjects. Everyone learning together – each child on their own learning and skill level. Here are the subjects Tapestry covers:
  • History
  • Writing
  • Literature
  • Geography
  • Fine Arts
  • Church History
  • Philosophy
  • Government
• Science with Apologia Marine Biology at the high school level. Answers in Genesis God’s Design for the younger three. Along with a smattering of books and the Aquarium Guide. It all goes nicely with our aquarium annual passes! I mentioned this in more detail in my High School curriculum choices.
• Nature Study with Outdoor Hour Challenges – challenging us to ‘see’ and learn so much more in the world around us. These topical and seasonal prompts sure bring joy to our homeschool. There are a variety of ways we do this and I’ve shared many a nature study here at Hodgepodge. My Outdoor Hour Challenges ‘review’ at Curriculum Choice.
• Art and Music Appreciation with Harmony Fine Arts – what started out as a resource for one of my children quickly caught on for the whole family. We use one year plan for everyone for artist and music study.
• English From the Roots Up – quick and easy way to build language and vocabulary skills.

• Loving Living Math – Cindy West’s Loving Living Math has given my family permission. Permission to learn and enjoy the real life stuff of math. See, I admit I am not a math type mom. But I do thrive on the practical. That’s why Loving Living Math speaks to me. I can see math all around us now.
• Mixing things up with unit studies – we plan to try Mary Prather’s first Squilt volume. We will just happen to be studying the Baroque period with our Tapestry studies. We also love Amanda Bennett’s unit studies. We often choose one for a child that would like to immerse in a certain subject, like Digital Photography. Or a current event like last year’s Olympics or Elections.
• Manners Made Easy – why not do it again? The short, meaningful lessons take less than five minutes around the lunch table.

All Things Art! – chalks, acrylics, whatever strikes our fancy. Building in free spots of time for creating.

Sketch Tuesday – weekly themed prompts from Harmony Fine Arts. Through the summer there are weekly art projects and plans. Why not get started now?

How to Fit in All The Homeschool Extras

I’ve written a whole series on this habit because it is such a simple strategy for getting to use all the great homeschool resources

• Day 1: How to Fit in All the Homeschool Extras: What are the Extras?
• Day 2: How to Fit in All the Homeschool Extras with Unit Studies
• Day 3: How to Fit in All the Homeschool Extras: Time Management
• Day 4: The Homeschool Extras Within Sight
• Day 5: Declare an Extras Day!

Time for me to pull out a favorite quote:

“You can’t change what you have or haven’t done over the past year. Just start where you are, ask the Lord to make you a “joyful mother of children,” pray for grace and wisdom (and strength and patience), and move forward.” ~ Vicki Bentley, HSLDA and Everyday Homemaking

How to fit in the extras is one of the most frequently asked questions I get. For example, yes, I love our curriculum but how do I work that wonderful resource work our day? How do we fit in science and history? But what about brushing teeth? What about the roaming toddler?

Afternoon Quiet Time

Afternoon quiet time is often how we ‘fit in’ reading of good books, independent study and more…

Afternoon Quiet Time for All Ages – “Originally, when we started this habit in our home, it’s sole purpose was rest for the children and weary Mama with a newborn. Now, I have seen the fruits of this habit. Afternoon quiet time is a refreshing time for all. Time away to quiet our minds from a noisy (and blessed!) household. Time to work on a project alone. Time to gather our thoughts. And sometimes, quite honestly, time to get our happy spirits back.

Guess what? As we head into summer time and leave the morning schedule of school work, afternoon quiet time becomes our anchor. It’s the structure of the day that is always there. Even when summer refreshingly changes up our days with outside activities and other opportunities.”

Homeschooling Multiple Ages at Hodgepodge

• 10 Days of Lasagna Learning: Teaching Multiple Ages
• Best of Teaching Multiple Ages – helpful homeschool habits, teaching Tapestry of Grace, art!, science, math, writing, nature, science fair projects and help for homeschooling little ones and starting a homeschool routine.
• the 10 Parts of the Hodgepodge Schedule – (including how we fit in all the extras, afternoon quiet time and the household service opportunities)
• When do we start our homeschool year?
• Our Hodgepodge homeschool method
• Our IKEA and chalkboard homeschool room
• Curriculum Choices for multiple ages from the authors at Curriculum Choice

“Seek God in your homeschool. His burden is easy. His yoke is light.” ~ Wisdom’s Way of Learning by Marilyn Howshall

Hodgepodge Curricula 2013-2014

• Kindergarten curriculum
• Second grade
• Sixth grade
• High School (9th, 10th)
• Multiple ages – all those resources we enjoy with all ages together

This post and many more are part of the Teach Them Diligently Summer of Homeschool Encouragement Link Up Series. you can read more about other Homeschool Curriculum choices here.

As well as iHomeschool Network’s Not Back to School Blog Hop!

I think I’ll sleep well at night. What do you think? It’s going to be a busy, fabulously full year of homeschooling kindergarten to high school at Hodgepodge!