I used to do some lessons with my 9 year old in the morning and then finish the harder stuff in the afternoon during nap time. Naptime might not work much longer because my little ones are getting bigger, 2 and 3 1/2. What do you do with preschoolers while teaching the older ones? I have some ideas but I would appreciate more. Thanks!

Renae

My preschooler likes to be in the thick of things. She listens during history, reading, science, and sometimes other subjects. She takes part in much of what we do. During the parts of school when she doesn't sit in on us, she draws, colors, or creates nearby, or plays some make-believe in her playroom one room over.

Here are some books that I have that I am not getting rid of but endorse.

ISBN 1879537249  Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers

ISBN 1580625924 The Everything Toddler Book

ISBN 0394410181 Teaching Montessori in the Home

Thanks so much! We have been able to do some lessons with little girls in the middle but math is a bit harder. Maybe that can be time for them to play elsewhere. I'll look into the books. They sound very helpful.

Renae

my youngest is really into puzzles lately and will sit nearby and do them for awhile. we also have lots

of toys and stickers/workbooks, coloring books that she enjoys doing. its not always perfect but it does help! :)

I like to get extra coloring and sticker books for my almost 3-year old. I also have a baby, and she mostly loves to sit in my arms and nurse, so she's happy as long as we're sitting on the couch doing school. Thankfully we are doing Sonlight this year. which is mostly literature-based, so that should work out fine. :-)

Debby

Two things worked great for us with littles.

1.  Doing "school" first with the little ones.  That was usually just sitting on the couch reading a book.

2.  Having a "toy of the day."  We rotated some good toys that the kiddos were only allowed to play with during school time.  Ours were wooden blocks, Fischer Price play sets, big Legos, and I've forgotten the rest.  It's amazing  how well the littles would play with that "special" toy. 

My kiddos never really napped

Why not let them join in?

They might not be interested in hearing it, but set them to drawing, playing with kid friendly puzzles, I always loved blocks, find something in a book your older kid is working at and get them to draw it at the same table, make them feel envolved, and when they look interested in what your nine year old is doing, explain it, try to think of a way to get them in on the game.

I was three when my brother took his GED -at sixteen- but I remember if it was treated like a game, it was one, and the coolest thing I could possibly be doing.

It never hurts to get kids interested in things early, just because they're preschoolers doesn't mean they should be left out, even if you have to take a little extra time and adapt a little bit.

Maybe try explaining the basics in a non 'school' kind of way, I remember I was always forgetting the basics of what I was studying but embarrassed to mention it, so it might help your nine year old to be reminded too.

Or something, understand that I'm not a parent, just going by how I was homeschooled.

Hope that helped! :)

I give my 2 and1/2 year old discarded workbooks (you can't fool him with simple coloring books) and colored pencils and he does his "lessons" right alongside his big brothers.