How I Homeschool 4 Kids | Our Homeschool Routine

Today, I invite you to be a fly on the wall in our homeschool and see what it's like to homeschool 4 kids in our relaxed Charlotte Mason inspired eclectic homeschool.
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Curriculum & Products mentioned in this video:
Teaching Textbooks Math: u.teachingtextbooks.com/Free_...
A Gentle Feast Curriculum: agentlefeast.com/?ref=314
The Good and The Beautiful Math 1: www.goodandbeautiful.com/prod...
The Good and The Beautiful Handwriting 1: www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-...
History Timeline Notebook: amzn.to/3VzuHfz
Europe Map Placemat: amzn.to/3gJqXcJ
Wet-Erase Markers: amzn.to/3VBSITc
MindWare Imagination Magnets: amzn.to/3F62QgH
Archimedes and the Door of Science: amzn.to/3EIrbc9
Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress: amzn.to/3V8zYuR
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📕 A Gentle Feast: agentlefeast.com/?ref=314
📘 All About Spelling: www.allaboutlearningpress.net...
🌍 World Watch News: WorldWatch.News/friends/erin-d
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____________________________
Hi friends! I’m Erin. I’m a homeschooling mom to 4 kids and we’re in our 8th year of this homeschool lifestyle. I love to share videos with tips about things we’ve learned along the way that have helped me out, as well as curriculum reviews and some heartfelt homeschool inspiration. I hope you leave here feeling encouraged that YOU CAN DO THIS!
Thanks for checking out my channel!
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Small Space HOMESCHOOL ORGANIZATION
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I Wish I Knew THIS Before I Started Homeschooling
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Email for Business/Collabs:
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THIS VIDEO IS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN, IT IS DIRECTED AT ADULTS.
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[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Thanks for watching!! ❤

[@izzy1318]

I have been homeschooling for 10 years and I’m completely stressed out. I have just recently had another baby. I am having a very difficult time trying to maintain each of my children’s curriculum. Seeing you homeschool is inspiring and I love your laid-back way.

[@levenahargrave4887]

The best video for a look into homeschool routine. I love that you didn't show us your daily routine but rather the school routine. Loved being a fly on your wall.

[@Laure__Line]

The idea of a common history timeline is really great. Thank you for that !

[@yourfriendinvermont2478]

Can’t wait for the binder video! Would love to see more about how you fit in other things - grocery shopping, other kid time, extended family, sports or activities, household duties. I am currently homeschooling my 5,3,and 1 year old and we recently got hooked up with a homeschool group who want to meet often and it feels like I am not fitting in other responsibilities well. Wondering how you balance and decide what is most important for your schedule.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks for the feedback!! It definitely important to figure out those boundaries for your family and not overcommit yourself! I personally have tried to not commit to being part of group meeting more than twice a week. Sometimes even once a week is plenty. It helps to decide which school work is most important and make sure you get through all of those things, and then be ok with letting go of some of the less important lessons or subjects in order to be able to fit in some community time - which is important as well. We usually have lighter work loads on days where we have group activities to help balance those days. Hope that helps!

[@johnnycanales9569]

Wow! What a blessing to be that “ fly on the wall” and see y’alls day. We operate much the same way. You’re doing such a great job, Mama! Thanks so much for sharing and being a joy to this homeschooling community. ❤️

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Aww, thanks! Blessings to you!

[@BaileyAcademy]

What a lovely home. I love that the dogs are a part of your homeschool day. I find our pets distract my kids. I wish they could just pet while learning like your kids.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Ours definitely become a distraction a lot as well! An opportunity for the kids to learn self-control. 🥴😅

[@SplendorProductionsMusicDuo]

I love that your kids play piano and draw! It's nice to see you include the arts!

[@Crown_Club]

Thanks for inviting us in! This time I come away gleaning more than schooling insights; post-its for level picture hanging is just brilliant! -Sara

[@ridahunsyiemiong9861]

So beautiful, so beautiful, you are doing so well. There is no homeschooling i like most than yours. It always inspire me. Thank you

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you so much!

[@Hopelb]

I watched a DITL from March 2021 right before this video and your children seem so delightful! Your day seems so lovely. I homeschool my 5 children, my oldest is 7 and the days are loud and crazy but rich and full. Thank you for sharing your day!

[@lifewithginab]

Your home is just so cozy!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks! We love it!

[@kristinyaekelnegley3978]

Oh my goodness, those dogs!🥹🥰

[@diversekakes]

Where did you buy those stainless steel plates?! I need those! LOL. It is refreshing to see someone else who has a homeschool that looks a lot like my own. Thank you for continuing to share homeschool videos here.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I got them on Amazon quite a few years ago. Here's a link to something similar! amzn.to/3B7aLZE

[@alittleheavenonearth]

As for me and my house we will serve the lord ❤ brought me tears ! This is Such a beautiful way to remind our children! God should always be the centre of our homes ❤ praise god and may your family be a light to the world ❤☀️☀️☀️

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Yes! Thank you! ❤️

[@ameliamayer3047]

I can't wait to see that binder - maybe just a quick video walk-through if you don't have time to do the whole thing??

[@DaphnesLaurelLeaves]

That history book is great 🎉

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I love it!!

[@constancejackson7986]

Yay a new video. Loved being a fly on the wall. Thank you!!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Glad you enjoyed it! ❤❤

[@yom12345]

Your channel gives me such peace. I feel like were the same person 😊

[@katiejorea]

Wow those time line books are such a great idea! I also love the idea of morning menus! It would be great for Bible, playing off the idea of Jesus being the Bread of Life and offering us Living Water. That we are growing from spiritual milk to meat. All the food references would be so good with the menu. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@alexandranix2730]

Your kids are so precious and so smart and your little girl is the sweetest!😊..I really enjoyed your video.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you so much!

[@cathyfink5284]

TY! I always wondered what home school looked like. It seems so easy and chill compared to the public schools! No having to stay in your seat and listen a teacher lecture, no huge backpacks to lug around, no stress about homework or reports being done on time and off school at noon! I'm sure your kids enjoy being comfortable at home on the couch, able to pet the dog while they are working, and having just less structure all around. It was very interesting!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

It really is! Thanks for watching!

[@cathyfink5284]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler do you think any of the boring stuff is necessary like for situations in life? Yesterday I was talking to a 35 yr old who was home schooled (she went on to higher education at a university and has a Masters). She started a new job and was extremely frustrated about having to sit through orientation and training. I was trying to tell her that she should do what they say, smile, take notes, and after they know she's a good fit she'll be able to work at her own pace. She said she knew, but that it's really difficult for her since she doesn't see the value in it and feels the pace is too slow. If kids always get to direct what they do and never have to sit through boring things does it benefit them in the long run? I have to read boring stuff all the time at work and I don't like it. I think being forced to read boring books in school and sitting through boring lectures prepped me for working. LOL!

[@olgaeller2048]

Thank you very much for sharing, Erin. ❤ It was so helpful to see your beautiful, relaxed and such peaceful routine, and it was so wonderful to see your beautiful family and your absolutely beautiful children. Enjoyed it very much. Thank you for sharing. You mentioned an educational show that you guys were enjoying. Could you also share some other shows that you and the kids really liked? Thank you very much ❤

[@DebBeePlus3]

We just found those history timeline notebooks a couple Months ago! I bought one for myself too, very honesty!!!

[@ASMentorLei]

Beautiful home, bless you all!

[@FashionbyBrittany]

Yay! I adore your videos! Came here for motivation and you never disappoint me! 🥰

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Yay! Thank you! ❤

[@yom12345]

Id love to see whats in your morning menu

[@Nicole-vh8xf]

Can you just do all my homeschool planning for me? 😅 This looks amazing. And I am so jealous of your beautiful home!

[@desireeuys2291]

We are starting our new homeschool year in Jan. Would love to see your binder system before then PLEASE ❤

[@QueenAthena0903]

This made me want to cry. I want my homeschooling day to go like this. Sometimes is so chaotic it is frustrating. I feel like I have to start over again. Thank you for this video

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I have definitely been there! We are all a work in progress! Keep in mind that this is our 9th year so we’ve had some time to figure this out for our family. Celebrate the small victories and look for ways to make things incrementally better. It’s hard to change all the things at once. One thing at a time and you’ll get there! Blessings to you! ❤️

[@QueenAthena0903]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler thank you for the encouragement. I appreciate it so much. I’ve been doing exactly that. Changing things one thing at a time. Today was our first day doing math all together at the table. I had a hard time with them sitting together without them bothering each other so I would do their work separately which was so time consuming. They did a good job today ❤️❤️

[@Hairbydelarosa]

I just want to say thank you Erin for sharing your routine, it truly has helped me you are truly a blessing. Thank you

[@MsElizabeth05212005]

Love it!!

[@miz.harrington85]

Seems like things go very well for you! So peaceful ❤ I wish I could let my kids play outside alone! We live in an apartment we go out a lot but that’s nice that you can do other things while they are out playing 😊I hate being cold and it’s always cold 😂

[@sparrowsknow8491]

Your home is beautiful ❤

[@thetreasureinthefield]

My kids are 6, 4.5 and 1.5. My boys are the older two, and recently I’m finding it so be so hard for them to want to do ANYTHING. It’s becoming such a fight. Morning responsibilities (making bed, getting dressed picking up their room), vision therapy for my oldest, cleaning up after meals, sitting down at each meal time. Did you have a struggle to get your kids to obey and start to get into a routine? I’m feeling defeated today and figured I’d inquire. I feel like I try so hard to be level-headed, have the fruit of the spirit but end up yelling and disciplining. I feel like time out is a waste of time when we have things we need to do. I’m really desiring a relaxed way of life in my home but I just don’t know how to get there. How do you teach first time obedience? I have started to minimize my belongings around the house so I have less to manage because I think that’s a big part of it my stress. Sorry for the brain dump. 😅

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Hi Marisa! I feel your frustration! I’ve definitely been there, and still struggle with that sometimes too. I just had a couple of thoughts after reading your comment… Have you tried removing privileges for not obeying? No videos games if you don’t clean your room, no snack until chores are done, etc? If you find that you always resort to yelling because they aren’t obeying (been there! 🙋🏼‍♀️), I have found that it usually means I haven’t been consistent enough with consequences. Which is exhausting, I know. But it’s definitely one of those short-term pain for long-term gain scenarios. You basically are training them that they don’t need to respond until mom yells. Ouch! Check out the book Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Lehman for some great tips for teaching obedience. One other thought for their bedroom/toys is to take away everything but 1-2 things. Once they show you they can be responsible for cleaning that up when you ask, they can earn the privilege to get more back. When our boys were little, the “lego monster” would come (they knew it was us) and inspect after they said they were done cleaning. Everything that was not put away would be confiscated and they had to do extra chores to earn it back. Really helped them learn to clean better! Rewards can also be a great motivator. You get a couple chocolate chips (or whatever you choose) when you’re done with vision therapy, or whatever you’re working on, if you come to do it right when I ask. No treat if they don’t come the first time etc. Timers can also be good motivators. You have 5 minutes before we move on to the next thing for the day, when the timer (or find a fun song to blast) goes off, it’s time for ___. Hope that helps!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Listen to your gut! Don’t rush it. Not sure how old your son is, but the average age to learn to read is 7. Some kids are earlier, some are later. It will come with time a patience. Definitely don’t push too much before he’s ready. Once he shows signs of being ready, it will come so much easier! Pushing it too soon will only lead to frustration and him wanting to give up. Short, simple lessons and keep it fun! We want our kids to enjoy learning and early learning is the best time to teach them that it is fun to learn new things! Best wishes! ❤️

[@katie7748]

I don't know if it will help or not but Supernanny has a lot of good tips and tricks that you could try. I watched that show a lot back in the day and used/use them on my kids. Some less than stellar parents at a homeless shelter we stayed at a few years ago snarkily nicknamed me Mary Poppins. I took it as a compliment lol especially since my kids regularly got compliments from librarians and little old bitties at church on their behavior. My kids are not perfect and I'm certainly not either. We all have our moments. I'm actually in my room taking a breather right now because today has been a struggle and it's only 10am. Good luck and hang in there!

[@hersevenpillars]

Great video! A lot of helpful resources shared!

[@srams.academy]

good job... inspiring.............

[@HomeVideoVarietyShow]

That's just what our day is like here. Only your home is much more charming with it's rustic cabin feel. Thank you for sharing your day with us!😄

[@melissap2673]

Love ! Thank you !! ❤️👍🏻

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks for watching!! 🥰

[@driftingforward]

Cool History Notebook

[@jessicabrown6943]

Thank you for sharing!!! ❤

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks for watching! 🥰

[@thecreepercrafter1001]

I love your videos, Erin! They are so inspirational to me as a fairly new homeschool mom still trying to figure out things. I would absolute love to see more of your binder, we have been using your reverse planner idea and it has been really working well, but I am always open for improving and learning new things. Ana.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Aww, thanks Ana! 🥰 Glad they have been encouraging!!

[@daisychainprinciples3374]

This was so heart warming, thank you for sharing! What a gorgeous home you have too!

[@MatthewsAdventures156]

Erin, this was such a lovely video. Thanks for sharing

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@OneDayAtATime1277]

Thank you for sharing with us about your day! And I absolutely love the canvas art, beautiful choice!! ❤️

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks!!

[@jillwallace9752]

What a sweet peek into your homeschool. I saved this video for future ideas for our own homeschool. Thank you for sharing!

[@sunnymoore8823]

I love the stricture’s added with learning wow! awesome!

[@Bobbydev54]

Loved the canvas and the message. Also loved the idea of Geography placemats. Cool. I HAVE TO TRY THAT

[@emilypanko2434]

Thanks for sharing!! Loved this! I also love your kitchen..looks like you updated it from some older videos!!

[@abundanceintheson_467]

Thank you for sharing! It gave me some inspiration for our days. We have been sick a lot lately so we have been doing the bare bones. I look forward to being able to dig into stuff again and have those fun connections and discussions. Also, I love the way you hung your canvas up. I usually have such trouble knowing where my holes are!

[@courtneydowns3085]

I enjoyed this so much! What a neat family you are!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Oh, thank you! 🥰

[@samposampo9432]

Wonderful! I struggle with teen discipline, screen time, and little energy on my part (not a good combination). But your calm approach is so motivating!

[@JessicaDee1987]

Awesome job, mama!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you!! ❤

[@OurOneLifeAz]

Ok. Serious question here. How do you teach your kids to sit still? My boys will squirm and mess with eachother if sitting anywhere near eachother.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Oh boy! That’s a hard one. I would not say my kids are great at it either. Some are easier than others as far as that goes! We do have to separate a lot. I’ve had to work hard at staying on top of them to keep focused. Consequences for messing around, etc. I have one that’s extremely distractable. Time, patience, and prayer! 😆 As they get older, they mellow out! Good luck!!

[@kristiLB93]

I would love to learn more about your binder system as well! Also, is your geography curriculum from a Gentle Feast as well? And for your morning time, is it a different subject each day that you gather for?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

For my boys we are using AGF’s list of countries but we’re doing it with these maps like we’ve done for years. The geography lesson I did with my daughter was from AGF’s suggested book for Form 1 (her grade level).

[@amyimmekus8222]

Impressed by your son's piano skills! Do they take lessons? Do you teach them?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks! My kids have used the Simply Piano app for almost 3 years. My oldest just started taking lessons from an actual piano teacher a few months ago. 😄

[@SvarnaSingh]

Thank you so much for your video. There is always something earnest in what you share. Wanted to ask - do your kids go to other homeschool clubs? We’re very lucky to have a lot of homeschool clubs near us but it’s a struggle balancing time in the home and time at other clubs. Would love to hear about your experience.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you! We have participated in co-ops in the past and loved them! My favorite day of the week was our homeschool community day. For balance, I would try to only have one or two days a week where we had outside group activities so we could be home the rest of the days. Unfortunately, we don’t have any in the town we live in now. Our oldest boys are currently going to a speech class once a week. I started a small group this year to do survival skills and hiking, but we’ve only met a couple of times so far.

[@millyg226]

Lovely to see your day and how it flows... What kind of piano is that?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks! It’s a C.A. Davenport. It’s almost 100 years old!

[@aprilmagoo495]

Zeke looks like our Jax, and seems just as sweet! 💖

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Aww, love it! ❤️

[@michellealmonte6595]

Good morning. I enjoyed this video. We have a lot in common on our routine and our schedule. One of the main reasons I was inclined to click on this video is because I watched another of your videos and I noticed that you have interesting books that I would have never thought to have my kids read. Where do you find these books? As a person who read maybe three books throughout my entire childhood I am not very well-versed on good books. I enjoy reading now but don’t know how to find the books and how to appropriately match them up with my kids. Do you have any videos on this? Or are you willing to offer any advice on the age/book pairing? Thanks! Hope you have a great day. And I really like your new wall art😊

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I don’t have any videos about this, but here are a few places that I often find recommendations: readaloudrevival.com/all-booklists/ (more for fun read alouds or individual reading) www.amblesideonline.org (master booklist includes academic reading/literature by grade level) www.sonlight.com/homeschool/subjects/history-bible-literature (click on grade level and see what books they suggest)

[@sergeywallace1798]

Can you please share what educational shows/videos your kids watch? I loved your recommendation of Ancient impossible. My kids are 12, 6, and 5. Thank you.

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I have a whole video about educational shows we’ve like by age group here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHalea2Ner6JfLc. Since then, we also have enjoyed Alone (more reality show but the kids have learned some survival skills and gotten really into that), we’ve enjoyed a lot of the National Geographic shows on Disney and just about anything from the History channel!

[@sergeywallace1798]

Thank you so much. Very helpful. Merry Christmas!

[@EricaLucasLoves]

Hi! Do you have a video on your binders that you created with their weekly work checkboxes?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Not yet! But it’s on my list! 😁

[@EricaLucasLoves]

@@TheEclecticHomeschoolerawesome thanks!

[@heatherdonohue9572]

Hi 👋 watching 9mos later, is there a binder system video? I’d love to see

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Yep! Here you go! How Our Kids Teach THEMSELVES | Homeschool Binder System kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqbEemODi8iciq8

[@evelynr1540]

Thanks so much for your video Erin 🤗, also what song is your son playing on the piano at the end of your video?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks! It’s Invention 10 in G Major by Bach. 😄

[@evelynr1540]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler Really, that's wonderful and an excellent composer. My son will be thrilled to listen to this.

[@emilyroseellis]

Amazing. 👏

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thank you! 😄

[@megananderson9167]

How did you come up with your Bible menu? It looks so neat!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I kind of looked at what other people have done (Google homeschool morning menu) and then took the ideas that I wanted to incorporate and made up some print outs to put in!

[@diannaannette6956]

Do you think your binder system would work for any curriculum?( one that is more 1:1) and for dependant learners? Teaching my kids to be more independent is a struggle. Do you also have lesson time where you are teaching explicitly?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

I set it up to help teach my kids to be more independent. I think it really depends on how independent and flexible with your schedule you want your homeschool to be. If you want to have a structured day and your kids rely on you to teach most things, it might be unnecessary work for you. I’ll do a video about them soon and you can get a better idea from that if it would work for you! The only subject I do individually with my older kids is spelling (I have one dyslexic child who needs more assistance). Otherwise it’s all either individual learning or group/family style reading together.

[@brendahowell5946]

Awesome. What did you use for them to learn piano

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

We use Simply Piano! Love it! It’s great for getting kids interested in playing but doesn’t teach a lot of the theory. We found it great for the initial exposure and then when one of our kids got really interested, we found a teacher for more in depth lessons.

[@FamilyStyleLearning]

Archimedes and the Door of Science is on my reading list. What's your review of it?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

We’re only a couple chapters in but so far it’s been great!

[@laureeso99]

Loved the video. I have struggled on finding a good routing for my 3 kids, but I think I'm slowly getting there. lol I may have missed it, but what time do your older kiddos go to bed and get up?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks! Be patient, it can take a while to find the best flow for your day. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and try new things. 😄 My kids are all wake around 7:30-8, but if they wake before, they are supposed to stay in their rooms until 7:30 am (we need some quiet time before chaos ensues 😆). They go to bed between 8-9 depending on age, but they stay up in their rooms for a while to read.

[@ashmc9754]

I been homeschooling for ten years. I have 4 kids a 2...4...8..and 14 yr old. And just as soon as I find our flow something throws us off like right now it's trying to balance highschool all way down to preschool with one being severely dyslexic and adhd .... but with patients I know we will find the flow again (I hope)

[@joidavis5210]

You're not alone! 🙄 I've got 4 littles and #5 on the way. Been trying to establish a routine for so long, yet to succeed. But I'm optimistic! I honestly think my husband's schedule makes it harder for me... Plus he works alot

[@laureeso99]

@@ashmc9754 It's kind of nice to know I'm not the only one. 🙃

[@laureeso99]

@@joidavis5210 I love the optimism! and knowing I'm not alone on that. 😏😜

[@PursuingPeace]

This was so fun to watch. ❤️ What a great look at homeschooling with older kiddos. 😁

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Thanks, Dina!! Hope you’re well and enjoying your year!

[@LadyPhoenix2000]

Do you have a video about your morning menu?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Sorry, I haven’t done one about that yet.

[@knowledgebynature8480]

@@TheEclecticHomeschooler would be interested to see a more in depth view of it :)

[@aftonnaranjo2195]

Do you have 4 of each placemat map for each of your kiddos? I bought a set of 8 maps, which look like the same maps you're using. With A Gentle Feast, are your children studying the same time-period/ subject together, or is each kid learning about a different history subject during the year?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Yes, I have a map for each of them. With A Gentle Feast, they all cover the same time period over the year! Love that part of it!

[@cortneymckinney9215]

Do you start breakfast, chores…at a set time?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

No, not a set time, but it’s pretty much the same every day. Our kids can come out of their rooms at 7:30, we have breakfast right away and they do chores after they eat. They are normally on to school work around 8:30.

[@alamamayt]

How well does A Gentle Feast work for a 10yo who really struggles with reading?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Because it is based on reading books, it might be more of a challenge, unless you hav time to commit to reading with that child. I would imagine you could find audio books for at least some of the titles and then perhaps check out the actual book from the library and have them follow along to the audio version to help reinforce those word recognition skills. Or solely rely on audio versions and narration while you continue to work on reading skills, and then transition over once they are capable. Best wishes!

[@diannaannette6956]

Did your kids have piano lessons through a teacher or did you use books and self learned?

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

We have used the Simply Piano app for almost 3 years. My oldest just started lessons with an actual teacher a few months ago. 😄

[@janettb.1009]

How can she do that? I can’t get that my oldest girl ( 6 yo) to do anything, she just refuses to do absolutely everything, I need to be pushing her constantly to get a little home work done, I get so frustrated and angry with myself, that I cry.

[@katie7748]

You could try making it more fun. There are a TON of learning games where she might not even realize she's learning. A reward system might help. Unless you've already tried and it's not working... Otherwise, the advice I hear a lot is not to push because you want your kids to love learning, not dread it. I have the same problem sometimes. We are doing a very casual almost unschooling type of thing and there are days (like today) where my kids just do NOT want to do anything. You're not alone lol good luck!

[@TheEclecticHomeschooler]

Hi Janett. I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling! It can be such a challenge to find that balance between pushing to get things done and allowing our kids to just be kids and enjoy the freedom of flexibility and delayed learning in homeschooling. I'm wondering if perhaps what you are trying to accomplish each day is too much? A lot of times, kids will push back when they are frustrated or overwhelmed because they don't understand or aren't ready for it yet. Kids generally can only give their full attention to something for about 8 minutes at a time at that age, so lessons need to be very short, or at the very least, play based so it doesn't feel like a lesson. I'm definitely of the mindset of not pushing too hard, especially when they are so young. When we force them to "do school," it can lead to resentment of learning on their part and we don't want that. One beautiful aspect of homeschooling, is that we have the ability to pace ourselves to what works best for our kids. It's often more of our traditional school mindset that makes us think we "have" to do certain things by certain ages, but in reality, everyone learns at their own unique pace, and we have to learn what that is for each child. And learn to be ok with doing less than schools do if that's what is needed - it will all catch up in the end. When they are ready to learn, it will be SO much easier! Wishing you all the best!