Homeschooling can be a rewarding experience for the whole family. But it also comes with its own set of challenges. To overcome the challenges of homeschooling different ages, parents need to be aware of their children’s needs and take special care to provide adequate support.
A common question for homeschool moms is “How will I approach teaching students of different ages?” The biggest challenge in homeschooling is teaching multiple ages at the same time. It is important to make sure that each child has their own space and time. Children who are younger than 5 years old may not have enough patience or attention span to learn without being distracted by older siblings.
When you’re homeschooling children of different ages, there are challenges and benefits to mixed-aged learning. It all depends on the ages of your students, how many students you have, and whether or not you have anyone helping you with your school.
Let’s take a look at some of the common challenges you face when teaching different aged students, and what you can do about it.
· Group your students in like ages or learning levels
How do you homeschool different age groups? Sometimes students may be of different ages, but still on the same learning level. This can also vary by subject. Maybe your 4th grader and 6th grader are on similar reading levels, or maybe you can teach history together, but you need to separate them to teach math skills. You can group them up how you see fit and don’t let ages or grade levels stress you.
· Use your space efficiently
Some practical tips for homeschooling multiple ages include separating different ages and grades into different rooms. If you have a lot of children you’re homeschooling, you can move different ages and grades into different rooms (so long as you have the space). You could have teenagers study in the living room, for example, and elementary-aged students work and study at the kitchen table. This gives some separation to the actual space and also allows you to float back and forth as needed, giving instruction and assistance where needed to each age/grade group.
· Allow older students to help younger students
There are also benefits to having different ages in your homeschool. You can buddy up and let the older students help the younger students while you supervise. It’s also a great way to build their self-esteem, encourage teamwork, and help the students bond.
· Hire outside help
Sometimes the time just may come when you need to hire a tutor or get someone else to help with your homeschool. There’s nothing wrong with doing what’s best for your students. It also doesn’t mean you can’t teach them. It just means you’re finding the best way to meet their needs right now, right where you all are at.
With these tips, you can overcome the common challenges of homeschooling at different ages and help all of your children work together. Remember, one of the main reasons many people homeschool is to have the flexibility to do what they need to do for their family. You don’t have to follow any preset rules and you don’t have to do it the same way public schools do it. That’s the beauty of homeschooling. So be flexible and make it your own!
