The Layers of Learning Podcast with Karen and Michelle is here to help you get your whole family learning together in your homeschool. We are the sisters behind Layers of Learning. We love getting together to chat about homeschooling and this podcast is just a series of our chats. We’re inviting you to listen in on our conversations.

We both have big families, but we teach almost all of our school subjects to everyone at once, and we want to help you find the joy in that too, so we talk a lot about family homeschooling. To see all of our episodes, visit our Layers of Learning Podcast Page. Join us as we explore how to have a happy, hands-on, family-style homeschool.

Teaching lots of kids of all ages in one homeschool can be a struggle! In Episode 27, Juggling Family School, Michelle and Karen share what has worked well in their homeschools and talk about ideas for keeping everyone learning together. With a big family, it’s not always easy, but it is doable!

Karen and Michelle have ten kids between them and have been through the family-schooling trenches. The truth is, it doesn’t always look picture perfect. When you can let go of that ideal vision you have in your head and start to appreciate the family you have, you’re already off to a good start. On top of that, try implementing some of the simple ideas from this episode and embrace your family and your family school.

• Individualizing learning even when you are combined in a family school format
  
  
• Using planners, checklists, and school crates
  
  
• Eliminating stress by having clear routines, expectations, and signal words
  
  
• Providing individual independent work to occupy kids when you are helping someone else – workbooks, physical activity, games, puzzles, reading, and computer time
  
  
• Using timers to motivate kids
  
  
• Implementing rewards
  
  
• Teaching respect and not interrupting while Mom/Dad has dedicated one-on-one time with another kid
  
  
• Keeping everyone learning together in true family school time and sharing movies and books with everyone
  
  
• Assigning individual reading and assignments within the family school topics
  
  
• Doing projects, experiments, and crafts, especially from the Layers of Learning units, and then modifying the expectations of the written component based on ages and abilities
  
  
• Implementing Writer’s Workshop in a family school style.
  
  
• Realizing that you, the parent, are the teacher, not the curriculum you buy. Discussions are the heart of a family school.
  
  
• Putting elements of family school into lots of subjects you are learning
  
  
• Building relationships, cheering each other on, and cultivating a happy homeschool through shared learning experience as a family
  

Click the Play button to hear the podcast, then subscribe below!