Home Education is so much more than bringing a private school classroom into your home. Many families incorporate many different grade levels as well as a preschoolers and toddlers. Younger children do very well when they have their own "work" to do.  Listening and even just playing side-by-side with older students. Coloring books are a great resource for topic related material for the younger set. The little ones may opt to play with math manipulative during school time. By the time the little ones reach K-1st grade level, they are already very familiar with the math manilupatives and how they are used. Oral reading becomes a family affair with Legos and play dough being invaluable tools!

Another tool is to have older children occupy younger ones while the parent is working one-on-one with another child. Not only do siblings bond, but gives the parent the necessary peace to proceed with instruction. This is not a time for the young scholars to watch TV, but a time for older scholars to play a special game or teach the little ones a new activity. The little ones thoroughly enjoy this time!

Training is probably the most work when teaching older siblings how to train younger scholars. Yet, this aspect of the home schooling life is so highly rewarding that the time and effort in training the older siblings is well worth it in the end. By training children in what is expected and when, there is less crying and gnashing of teeth.

Many mothers simply hold the baby or preschoolers while they are home schooling.  Home school parents have worked their schedule around babies and toddlers naps. Swings and playpens for the very young may also work. Crayons, blocks, or toys are  marvelous ways to distract young ones. Cut out various shapes from construction paper and give the preschooler a glue stick and a sheet of any color construction paper they would like and create some artwork. Rubber stamps with washable ink can be a lot of fun. Let the child look through an illustrated cultural atlas for young people, illustrated dictionaries, Audubon Guides, etc. Tupperware and pots and pans offer endless fascination. Cardboard boxes make terrific shoppes, race cars, etc. and offer endless hours of pure joy. Measuring cups — both dry and wet measuring cups — with water at the kitchen sink is fun entertainment as well! Make "worksheets" with numbers and letters for them to trace over or color. Attempt to include the young ones in whatever home schooling activity you are involved in! Audio books at the appropriate age level are wonderful ways to keep a child entertained. If you feel comfortable, you may let your little one play in the yard or, better yet, have school on the picnic table in the yard! Housework like the dusting game is also beneficial not only for the little one, but is extremely helpful for the entire family. The laundry game where the little ones are folding wash cloths, dish cloths, dish towels are great along with sorting socks.

Check with other families and discuss what has worked for them.

The important thing is to try your own routine and what works best for your family.