Homeschool Science Solutions for Large Families

October 9, 2019
Written by:
Guest Author
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschool Science

As a homeschooling mother of 9, trying to fit in all the subjects that need to be taught for each student is challenging. The first thing I think of when I hear Science is- experiments. How can I fit in all these experiments with multiple ages, grade levels, learning abilities, teach the lessons, gather materials, do the experiments AND teach all the other subjects?! (Insert silent scream) Relax mama, I’m here to help.

Ways to Homeschool Science with Multiple Children

  • Homeschool Curricula that have lesson plans for multiple grade levels.
    There are some curriculums that will have you teach the same lesson with activities set for each age or grade level.
  • Homeschool Science Videos
    We have used DVDs to watch experiments/labs for a few areas in Science. Let’s not forget the internet. Just about everything we want to know can be found there, including science experiments. Again, a great way to teach all your students at the same time.
  • Homeschool Co-Ops
    Many Co-ops will have science classes which can take some of the stress off of you, giving you time to focus on other subjects.
  • Homeschooling Friends
    Ask other homeschooling mothers if they are interested in getting together. Each mother could teach the area of science they are most comfortable with.
  • Utilize your other students
    Can your older children teach the younger?
  • Individual Learning
    Of course, teaching each student at their level individually is an option. Each child having their own book, workbook, questions, etc…, which might be the best option for your large family.
  • Teaching everyone the same thing at the same time.
    Over my 13 years of homeschooling, I have learned to streamline some of our subjects especially science. By that, I mean to teach all of the kids at the same time on the same subject. This includes homeschool science and science experiments. Yes, some lessons might be too much for some or not challenging enough. The gaps will be filled in over the years. No matter the age or grade level, most children love to be involved with experiments even if they do not completely understand.

As we added students to our school, there were more children to teach in the same amount of time. I’ll also add here the expense of purchasing workbooks every year for each person. (This does depend on the curriculum you chose.) I have found for our large family it is better to group multiple grades together and use the same book. We’ve done this with biology, earth science, and even physics. This truly saves time and money. Combining the children altogether for some subjects including science study has been a blessing. That is something I love about homeschooling, being together.

Amanda

 

Amanda Sims – Volunteer Contributor

Amanda Sims has been homeschooling since 2005.  She and her husband, DJ, married in 1999 and are parents to seven girls and two boys. Amanda and her family moved to Texas from Colorado, where she was born and raised.  She is actively involved in her church, enjoys reading, and loves to travel. Over her many years of homeschooling, she has learned the importance of schooling to the individual learning style of each of her children, schooling year-round, and teaching multiple ages. Hear Amanda’s homeschool story here!

 

 

 

#HOMESCHOOL SCIENCE, #HOMESCHOOLING