Resources and Flexi-schooling

[Rosierubies]

I'm in desperate need of advice. I am planning to start flexi-schooling my children (ds 12, dd 8, ds 5 and ds 1) immediatly.

The little ones are at a fab school but are in need of a boost (especially ds2 who needs additional speech and language support at the moment), ds1 is at an 'outstanding' school which isn't challenging him at all.

Flexi-schooling is my first baby step towards home-ed, at the moment I work four days a week and am not sure that we could afford for me to stop work so for now it will have to be a combination approach.

Can anyone recommend text-books/work-books for use at home? Any others hints and /or tips would also be appreciated.

Thanks. X

If you are wanting challenge, Galore Park textbooks are very rigorous. They are designed for selective prep schools (so cover years 6-8), and they have a junior range which covers years 3-5.

Or you could opt for project work - we are currently doing World War 2 and are 'living' it!! For younger ones, we have used History Pockets from Evan Moor - they are American resources and are fab. We also tend to lean towards the 'classical' route for some things, in particular history/English, so have used Story of the World, History Odyssey, First Language Lessons and a bit of Writing with Skill.

The best thing about flexi-schooling (well one of them anyway) is not having to follow the National Curriculum, so do other things. I understand it is more challenging to manage all four at once (as I watch my friend homeschool with 4) but it is possible. Be prepared to learn to flex how and what you do for a bit. There are lots of suggestions on the internet for things you can provide to keep your youngest occupied whilst being with the other three, possibly Montissori type activities.

I'd take the opportunity to read a lot more, fiction and biographies especially. Given the range in age of your children having other things for them to do whilst being read to is essential: geomags, drawing, lego, etc. If you visit the Sonlight website you can see the books which they include in their curriculum for the different ages and pick a few, then visit your nearest bookshop (real or online) and purchase just the few you'd like to read together. The big advantage of books, either for them to read or you to read to them is that they are very flexible: outside in the sunshine, also the waiting room for clinics!

Encourage them to do projects on something they are interested in. If you look at some Unit Study materials you get the idea of how they include all aspects of the curriculum. Your middle two could produce something in the format of a lapbook or poster whilst your eldest child could produce a book or a powerpoint production, it all depends on the make-up of your children.

If you feel that your children are lacking in specific areas from school teach those rather than making them do the entire years NC content for that subject. There are lots of one-off worksheets available to download for free.

I have DS 12 and DD 8: she's been interested in Buckingham Palace and Sweet Shop (making sign, weighing both sweets and ingredients, baking, how to look after your teeth, what makes a good diet, why sugar does amazing things, creating a menu, you get the idea); he's interested in animals of the ocean, sailing ships, designing spacecraft and loves to read, cities around the world viewed on Google Earth, then he's drawn specific buildings, like St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow.

Wishing you the very best of luck. I flexi-schooled DD and now home school DS!

Thanks for these great responses! I have ordered the Galore Park books so thanks for this recommendation.

The main reason for flexi schooling is that I just can't afford to give up work at the moment (and I'm a bit terrified) however I am a teacher so at least it's skills I can use. I am planning to do an hour each evening with the two oldest when the little ones are in bed (differentiating the teaching) and two-three hours a week with my five year old in half hour bursts. I have drawn up a schedule and the older two will be able to earn extra pocket money for entertaining ds3 while I'm with ds2.

I do like the schools they're in but I want them to learn not just be schooled in a pre-selected range to which they may not be able I develop passion and interest.

Since starting secondary my eldest has become a massive stroppy bundle of teenager (he has also grown a foot, sprouts hair and has feet bigger than his Dad's!). He is frustrated by his schools inability to nurture questioning and I hope that by supporting him more formally at home he will feel less frustrated at school.

Does anyone else do this combination of school and home? Has it has an impact on parent-child relationships?

Thanks do much.