Balancing Mixed Ages
Many of you have mentioned how difficult it is to balance different ages when you're homeschooling, or even just doing activities with your kids at home after school or on weekends. I certainly don't have this mastered, but I'll share about what I do.
Up until last year (fall of '05), I had only been working with my son in the afternoons, using preschool 3-6 materials, when my daughter napped. But once she was 1 1/2, it seemed like we could add her to our worktime.
I'll never forget that first morning when the three of us worked together. I had carefully prepared lots of new work for both kids, but my daughter had such a hard time if I tried to help my son with anything. He was still young enough that he found some of the practical life things interesting, and I made the mistake of letting him try a work of hers after she had finished with it.
This particular work was an ice cube tray that held different colored pompoms, which you scooped out and put in a bowl, and then put them back again. When he tried to take it off the shelf, my daughter screamed, grabbed it out of his hand, and threw it in the air. I'll never forget watching the tray go up in the air with the pompoms flying in different directions. And we had only been working together for 20 minutes!
I was pretty sure that it just wasn't going to work, but we kept at it and after about a month, things did get better. It can be really humbling when you realize that managing a class of 20 6-9 year olds is much, much easier than one toddler and one kindergartener. That surprised me, as I thought that two kids would be much easier than a full class.
A few things I do that help are:
1. Making sure there is always something new every week for both kids (since we don't have room for a full classroom of work, I rotate stuff often).
2. Save the messy/advanced work for the afternoon when she still naps
3. Making sure they each have their own well-defined workspace - he works in the front hallway, she works in the living room/classroom. They each have their own rug and they know whose rug is whose. They are a good 10 feet apart at that point. She also does practical life stuff in our kitchen, and then he can sit on the other side of the table and do an art lesson or creative writing.
4. Having him help her occasionally - sometimes she is resistant to this, but other times she really listens when he shows her how to do work. I try to back off and let them work together by themselves.
5. Finding a few things they both like that they can do together - they both really enjoy line time at the end of the morning, including walking the line, singing, playing musical instruments, and listening to books. This makes it feel like we are a "class" even though they have completely different work.
I would love it if some of you shared your tips for mixing different ages. Just email me at montessoriforeveryone@gmail.com and I will try to work them into a future post.
Up until last year (fall of '05), I had only been working with my son in the afternoons, using preschool 3-6 materials, when my daughter napped. But once she was 1 1/2, it seemed like we could add her to our worktime.
I'll never forget that first morning when the three of us worked together. I had carefully prepared lots of new work for both kids, but my daughter had such a hard time if I tried to help my son with anything. He was still young enough that he found some of the practical life things interesting, and I made the mistake of letting him try a work of hers after she had finished with it.
This particular work was an ice cube tray that held different colored pompoms, which you scooped out and put in a bowl, and then put them back again. When he tried to take it off the shelf, my daughter screamed, grabbed it out of his hand, and threw it in the air. I'll never forget watching the tray go up in the air with the pompoms flying in different directions. And we had only been working together for 20 minutes!
I was pretty sure that it just wasn't going to work, but we kept at it and after about a month, things did get better. It can be really humbling when you realize that managing a class of 20 6-9 year olds is much, much easier than one toddler and one kindergartener. That surprised me, as I thought that two kids would be much easier than a full class.
A few things I do that help are:
1. Making sure there is always something new every week for both kids (since we don't have room for a full classroom of work, I rotate stuff often).
2. Save the messy/advanced work for the afternoon when she still naps
3. Making sure they each have their own well-defined workspace - he works in the front hallway, she works in the living room/classroom. They each have their own rug and they know whose rug is whose. They are a good 10 feet apart at that point. She also does practical life stuff in our kitchen, and then he can sit on the other side of the table and do an art lesson or creative writing.
4. Having him help her occasionally - sometimes she is resistant to this, but other times she really listens when he shows her how to do work. I try to back off and let them work together by themselves.
5. Finding a few things they both like that they can do together - they both really enjoy line time at the end of the morning, including walking the line, singing, playing musical instruments, and listening to books. This makes it feel like we are a "class" even though they have completely different work.
I would love it if some of you shared your tips for mixing different ages. Just email me at montessoriforeveryone@gmail.com and I will try to work them into a future post.
Comments:
Lori,
Thank you. I feel like I am in a constant state of "unbalance" home schooling my just turned 6 yo son and my other son who will be 3 in Nov.
Our transition has not been so smooth. Although there are moments where things are going along so beautifully that if my back is turned I think my 2yo must have left the room! Smile! He didn't.
Something that has helped all of us in our small spare bedroom that is now our classroom. I play classical music very softly. I use CD's like Baby Mozart and others that are upbeat, not droning (is that a word!?) Somehow this creates a cohesiveness in spirit in the room. If the music is too loud it becomes a distraction and since it appears that both my older boy and I have ADD - not really, but we do need gentle space and quiet in order to complete tasks, it works really well for all of us if the music is just gently played in the background. I know that music is a part of the Montessori classroom. But it was at the suggestion of my DS, 6, violin instructor, who told us in order for the children to learn the music that they will play they must hear it often. (We are learning the Suzuki method of music).
Sorry this is long....But it has helped us....it doesn't solve every dilemna that happens, of course, but it seems to fill the room with an energy that we can ride on and get into a flow of work with.
Hope that helps someone! I do enjoy your blog and look forward to purchasing your materials once I get a bit more organized later this week!
Kolein - NY
Great idea - playing music in the classroom can be wonderful. Especially classical music like you describe. Thanks for sharing!
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