Often I read books of times gone by and long for the simplicity of the good old days. Oh, I realize things weren’t always simple back then, but they seem less stressful and not so overwhelming. Especially when it comes to education. Is there really that much more for our students to learn today? Why does it seem as though they spend so much more time doing schoolwork than students of the past? Perhaps we have created an education system that is actually hindering our children’s ability or desire to learn. We focus on tests and strict time frames of critical learning depending on grade level when children just want to be curious. They want to learn, but without the overwhelming stress that traditional academic programs often bring.
As we began to homeschool, I was increasingly overwhelmed by the amount of information I needed to teach my three children in different grades and just how little time each day I had to do it. I was also noticing how much my younger children were picking up in regards to my oldest son’s learning. This past year was a year of change for our homeschool program. It was much needed and it has been a great benefit to all involved! Instead of trying to keep each student at their target grade level for every subject, I have found this one room schoolhouse approach to be a more relaxed way to increase knowledge over a variety of topics.
What is our one room schoolhouse approach?
We begin each day with all three children (ranging from K-4th grade) in the same room, hearing the exact same information. We cover Bible, Science, History, Geography, and Character Studies. Depending on the day, the information may be slightly over their heads or something they have heard before. If I am careful, either won’t be a problem. I do my best to make it applicable and ask questions that require critical thinking. I can also adjust what is required of the student once they have received the information. If I have enough able readers, I can ask for volunteers or choose portions for students to read aloud. This give ample practice in reading over different topics.
Why did we choose the one room schoolhouse approach?
I will be completely honest here. I do not like the idea of segregating children based on their age or grade. Age doesn’t always equal ability. I believe that all children learn varying subjects at different rates. In other words, when I say to a child, “You are in 3rd grade so you need to learn this right now, but you can’t learn that yet because it is too difficult for you”, I am actually doing more harm than good. I have seen it clearly in my own children. If I don’t tell them they can’t learn it, then they will learn it! What I am saying is that children who are placed in an environment of learning, without limiting their expectations (such as specifying a grade level), will learn more than you think they can.
There will also be areas of learning which a child will have more difficulty with and require extra time or practice. A child who is told he should already know something since he is in a particular grade may begin to develop anxiety over his shortcomings. Our one room schoolhouse approach allows for flexibility without a rigid time frame of comprehension or testing. We have benchmarks, but there is plenty of wiggle room since we know they are mastering other topics well ahead of schedule.
Since my children are learning so many subjects together, I have noticed it has been beneficial to both the older and younger ones. Obviously, younger children can learn more when presented with depth of information. They may not retain it all, but their little minds soak up so much more than I give them credit for. Bible, History, Geography, and Science are all subjects filled with repetition in learning. They don’t simply learn it in 1st grade and move on the next year. This is why these subjects are perfect for doing together.
I have found this approach beneficial to the older siblings because they have opportunities to take on a teaching role. How can we know that a child thoroughly understands information? He can teach or explain it to someone else. It proves that my older students comprehend what they are learning. It is a way to informally test them and encourage positive sibling interaction.
Instead of requiring a multiple choice test for each subject, we use narration, oral question/answer sessions, pictures or written paragraphs to summarize what was learned, and even copy-work to enhance memorization of important info (such as Bible verses).
This method does not work well with complete curriculum from a single publisher that is grade specific. I have found that I do much better with selecting materials from a variety of sources when creating our yearly academic plan. This also saves us money since we can generally reuse the curriculum or buy one book for all students to share.
What does our routine look like?
Since we don’t have a one room schoolhouse available (you know, the kind with little desks, a massive chalkboard and a school bell), we are choosing to use our living room for the first part of our school day. After breakfast and morning routines are completed, we gather everyone onto the couch and begin with the day’s lessons.
1. Bible & Character Studies- It is important to make sure our children understand the entire Bible and not just the popular stories. We encourage application by focusing on God’s character and how that should be evident by our own character. Memorization is an important part of our children’s Biblical training.
2. Science- We use textbooks, readers, experiments, note-booking, and nature walks to learn about the world God has created and how things work.
3. History or Geography- We use various textbooks and biographies as well as missionary locations to teach these. We also play fun games to test geography skills!
This take us approximately one hour together. As mentioned before, everyone hears the same information and will participate by reading, asking/answering questions, or doing an additional assigned activity.
We then move on to independent subjects which are more grade or ability specific. I encourage each student to use his or her planner, read instructions carefully, and complete the work without being nagged. This allows me to move between students and answer questions as needed. Since we all share the same space during this part of our school day as well, it offers plenty of opportunities for a child to help younger siblings. Once independent work is completed, the student will enjoy free time until lunch. This seems to work well to encourage students to be diligent so as not to miss out on free time. They are not required to wait on anyone else to finish.
After lunch, we all come back together for the last hour of our one room schoolhouse time. Depending on the day, we create art projects together, learn a foreign language, study music, spend some time in the kitchen tackling math or science concepts, or do some outdoor activities which can focus on various subjects. I also take this time to have each student read to me individually from a reader which is matched with skill level. In doing so, I am able to identify and point out areas of excellence and struggle.
This concludes our formal school day which takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Three kids, three different grades and ONE teacher. It is possible! Often, we will choose an interesting read-aloud book which is read before bedtime while children are having a snack. My young ones love exploring, asking questions about the world around them, and using their minds and hands to create things. Informal learning is always happening at our house!
Is this approach the best way?
Maybe you are curious how homeschooling works. This is not the only way it can be done! This is what is working for us right now, but it may change as our children get older. You may find that something else works much better for your family. The key is to be flexible and willing to do things differently when something isn’t working. We love how our one room schoolhouse approach is laid back and vigorous at the same time. This is what I always imagined homeschooling would be. Essentially, I am encouraging my children to embrace learning alongside others who can teach them and be taught by them as well. Everyone has a chance to be involved in the learning process in ways that will solidify their understanding and benefit others.
Seeking Wisdom,
