homeschooling large family

When homeschooling a large family or a commune type of home school use the Montessori approach.

One of the unique aspects of the Montessori method of education is the way the students are grouped together in different age groups. This way of grouping the students is ideal when homeschooling a large family.

The Montessori age groups are three years into one age group like 3—6 year olds grouped together, then 7—10 year olds. This way the older children teach the younger ones. And as the experts say if you want to learn a topic then you should teach it. So using the children in a home schooled large family as teachers helps to reinforce what the older children are learning. 

This way the parent is an organizer and is there to keep the peace. 

The parent has to teach the older children then watch to see if they are teaching the younger children correctly. If they are then you know they have understood it. The Montessori approach to reading is using sandpaper letters and controlled scribbling. For the controlled scribbling one of the older children can show the younger ones what to do. And when using the sandpaper letters the older children can make up the words with the sandpaper letters that the younger children trace and say.

So when homeschooling a large family use the older children as teachers and this will make your homeschool easier to manage. But there will always be times when you have to teach the older children new topics. This can be done when the younger children are already busy learning something.  

See our Homeschooling page for home schooling resources and books and everything you need to know about home schooling.