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Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling
I am fascinated by old schoolhouses. Perhaps it is because I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie or because my own father was schooled in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Kansas. Whenever we pass by one of these dilapidated old buildings, I stare and wonder at who might have gone to school there so many years ago, trudging through thick snow in black boots and prairie dresses, lunch pail in hand.
I now have my own one-room schoolhouse of sorts. No, we don’t trudge through snow to get here or wear prairie dresses (except when we are pretending) or eat our lunch from pails (except when we are pretending), but I do teach in a way that is rather reminiscent of days gone by.
Why a One Room Schoolhouse?
Some of you may be scratching your heads wondering why I feel so strongly about this, especially considering the one room schoolhouses were NOT homeschools. While I do believe taking education out of the parent’s hands and making it the government’s responsibility was not a good move, I do believe many of the one room schoolhouses based their design on what was already happening in many homes of the day.
In fact, homeschooling used to be the norm in which most children learned alongside their siblings whatever it was their parents deemed necessary for them to “make it” in this world. I believe it is imperative we find our roots in this way of educating.
In the Subscriber Pack (free for the taking if you sign up for email updates from Raising Arrows – see blue box below this post or my sidebar to sign up!), I’ve included 12 Ideas for Creating a One-Room Schoolhouse. I won’t be going through all those ideas here, but rather choosing a few I feel are the most integral to the task of turning your homeschool into a one room schoolhouse. As I go through these ideas, I believe you will begin to see why I like this model of education.
1. Start with the Bible.
Before every bit of Christianity was removed from the public school system, the Bible was the book by which all things were judged and measured. While I do not believe the one room schoolhouses executed this in a manner befitting of Deuteronomy 6 where the Israelites were exhorted to teach the Lord’s ways to their children day and night and everywhere in between, I do believe the rural schools, like where my father attended, did acknowledge God as the ultimate authority. My homeschool must reflect this as well.
2. Work from youngest to oldest.
This is one of those classic one room schoolhouse paradigms. The younger children, whose attention spans were considerably shorter, had the teacher’s focus at the beginning of class. It wasn’t until about a year ago, I began to follow this model. I had always set my school up with the intent that I would school the littles in the afternoon after all the bigs had finished their work. However, more often than not, I never got around to schooling the littles. Once I started making them the first thing on my list for the day, it was amazing how much we accomplished!
3. The trickle-down effect.
One room schoolhouses were conducive to exposing younger children to what they would be learning in upcoming years. By the time they were being taught in the upper levels, they had more than likely heard all the material several times.
The way we capture this in our homeschool is through something I call the trickle-down effect. I encourage the younger children to stay in the room and play quietly while I read to or have discussions with the older children. While they may not catch everything that is being said, I am always surprised by how attentive they are and how much they do manage to absorb. (If you are looking for ways to engage your children in meaningful and educational conversation, read this!)
We also have our older children give verbal reports and plan activities for the littles based on what they are learning in school. Typically, our younger children end up joining in with their own impromptu reports, repeating what their older siblings just said. I couldn’t ask for a better teaching opportunity!
4. Plan school around the needs of the family.
Back in the one room schoolhouse days, the family was still in charge. School was secondary. If there was work on the farm, school could wait. If it was time for harvest, school let out.
We are not a homeschooling family…we are a family who homeschools. If we are constantly trying to make our lives fit into the confines of a traditional school day, we will quite possibly miss out on some awesome opportunities that have value far beyond what a textbook can teach. Don’t let school rule your family or ruin your family.
{You might also be interested in my post – Does That Count As School?}
5. Seek mastery.
Years ago, the standard of the one room schoolhouse was the standard held by parents at home. That standard was mastery. Somewhere along the way, we lost the drive to master a subject and became complacent and willing to substitute “good enough” for “well done.”
I have high expectations for my children. I am not wanting to make round pegs fit in square holes, nor frustrate my children, but I do expect them to do everything “as unto the Lord.”
We don’t go by grade levels, we don’t push through textbooks so we can get to the other side, and we don’t consider a C to be average.
As I look through this list, perhaps it isn’t the one room schoolhouse model I am truly after, but rather he Deuteronomy 6 schoolhouse I am after. For one room schoolhouses, despite my imaginations, were not perfect; however, Scripture always is. And maybe, just maybe, what the one room schoolhouse tried to do had already been done.
So, while I look to the one room schoolhouse as a model, it is not because I believe it was the epitome of proper education. It is simply because I believe the one room schoolhouse of yesteryear in rural Kansas can teach this public-schooled mama trying-to-make-her-way-as-a-homeschooler a thing or two.
Looking for more on homeschooling a large family, check out these tips!
Blair @ The Straightened Path says
This is a great post Amy! I am really enjoying this series. I too really love the idea of a one room schoolhouse where the family is still in control. While it’s not homeschooling it does help me to think about a teacher managing all those children’s educations at once. I am thankful for the tip of starting with the youngest first. I have gone back and forth all year hesitantly. This is my first year teaching two and I will be adding in a pre-k-er next year (along with a toddler & newborn, am I crazy for trying to prek too?) so this tip is very helpful!
Amy says
I don’t do formal Pre-K. He listens in and we read books, but I don’t see a real need for an organized school time for him. So, my advice is don’t knock yourself out and perhaps even take some time to read Better Late Than Early by the Moores. 🙂
Megan Besong says
What great ideas!
Melissa says
You’ll love this…we actually live in what used to be a one-room school house. We don’t know all the history, but it was moved into our town in 1980. We found the original blackboard behind sheet rock during a remodel too.
I’ve really enjoyed this series as well. Great new perspectives on things I hadn’t given much thought to.
Amy says
Oh how neat!
Marianne @ Abundant Life says
I love this post. Homeschooling a large family has to be simple. Your simple ideas for including the youngers and doing more oral work are great!
Thank you!
Amy says
You are welcome!
Michelle says
Hmm…. I too had desired in the past to apply this model! Like you, I love watching Little House but I end up having to do a lot of one on one tutoring with each of the children. This can take several hours of my day right there-even though we are a family with three children.
If I could visually see how a mom does math on three levels all at once, as well as reading and so forth, I would love to try my hand at it.
I am sure one of the primary tools would be a large chalkboard/dry erase board.
The other issue I have is one of my sons has learning challenges and his younger sister is a math wiz. I envision doing math this way to be counter-productive as it would foster sibling rivalry, no?
Still, it seems like there are ways to make this work. What are your thoughts on these specifics, Amy?
Amy says
My oldest (age 14) does his math on the computer because I can no longer teach that level. My next youngest sits on the couch or on her bed and works quietly on her math without direct supervision because she works best that way. My 1st grader and Kindergartner work side by side (often at the dining room table) and I go between the two of them and often we find ourselves surprised by how what the older one is learning, the younger one is learning on his level as well. As I mentioned in another comment…a one room schoolhouse model need not be in one room. You won’t be able to recreate that, but you can take the “essence” of it and make it work for your family. 🙂
Michelle says
Now see, that is just how my literal mind works at times! I was envisioning it just like Little House with three different level lessons right on the chalkboard! 😀
Thank you, Amy!
Jenn says
I actually have been trying to do some research of pioneers educating their children. For some reason that time in our history have facsinated me since I was a child. I remember going for drives with my precious grandparents and asking them to stop at old one-room schools. I loved looking in the windows!!! I now have a son who has been having tons of problems in public school and my husband and I are likely going to homeschool him. I am very scared and intimidated, plus my family is not supportive AT ALL. My husband works a 4on and 4 off schedule, nights to days and it is very hard on our family. The Lord guides me every day in this, and have been so blessed by this series. Keep up the good work!
Amy says
My husband worked a schedule similar to that when we first started homeschooling. You will have to work hard to break free from the notion that school has to look exactly as it does in public school, but you can do it!
Rachel @ finding joy says
Amy, another fabulous post! You have really blessed me {and many others} with your insight, wisdom, and encouragement. I, too, love the ideas that you’ve presented. Especially beginning with the Bible first. So often, if we don’t, we have an off day – and that is because we are not focused on the real important.
Bless you, my friend.
Rachel
Rachel says
This post is so timely for me! Just last week I became convinced that I want to switch to a one room schoolhouse model. I am actively teaching five of my seven children now and it is becoming quite a balancing act. After noticing year after year that so many of the textbooks cover the same material over and over again I started thinking that it would be much easier to teach several subjects together, but work on going into more depth with the older children. I can also see this as being beneficial as I have some older children who struggle in some areas and some younger children who are ready to skip ahead a bit. Thanks for all of your wonderful posts. God bless!
Judy Zander says
Amy,
I have tried so many times to make my one-room schoolhouse work… and I am still trying! Thank you for your encouragement in this area. My students are grades 7,3,2,K and toddler. It is so busy (and usually chaotic!) and HARD! How do you deal with the noise? My two older students can’t stand to work around the younger ones because they can’t concentrate. They end up going off by themselves… then I have a hard time following up with them. It is so hard to keep everyone working hard and accountable. Any more ideas are welcome!
Judy
Amy says
A one room schoolhouse model doesn’t have to literally be one room. I take my younger crowd to the dining room when it is time for them to work and no one is allowed to practice piano if there are people working in the sitting room where the piano is. So, experiment with moving about the house and creating spaces where people can work without being interrupted. 🙂
William says
Great article with well rounded points.
” perhaps it isn’t the one room schoolhouse model I am truly after, but rather he Deuteronomy 6 schoolhouse I am after. For one room schoolhouses, despite my imaginations, were not perfect; however, Scripture always is. And maybe, just maybe, what the one room schoolhouse tried to do had already been done.”
Indeed, one room schoolhouses are not perfect, but they can be a guide and a helper to aide in teaching. One poster alluded to teaching math on three different levels, and this alongside others are challenges, however there is an accountability involved when everyone is in the same room together and a sense of togetherness that is immeasurable.
Kelly @ The Nourishing Home says
I linked up my post on Mise en Place and it was so weird because some random blurry person showed up as the featured image instead of my photo of premeasured and chopped food – strange! LOL!
Kelly @ The Nourishing Home says
It’s #43 incase you want to see it 🙂
Allison says
Thanks for this post. I especially like the part about starting with the littles. I will be adding Math and Phonics for my 5 year old next year and was wondering how I would fit him in:)
Heather Anderson says
Thanks, Amy. There were some great ideas and reminders here. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all that needs to get done, but having some perspective and a systematic plan goes a long way.
Taleah says
#4 is so true! We used to have ‘leaf days’ in the fall when the 11 oak trees on our property started dropping their leaves. School would be postponed and we’d spend the day outside taking care of our yard!
sarah says
Hi Amy, when I subscribed I didn’t get the subscribers pack. I think there was supposed to be a link?
Jer2911mom says
I didn’t see this pack, either?
Reggie says
Love this! I often think of what I do as ‘pioneer schooling’ because it so closely resembles what Ma Ingalls did with her girls.