Imagine you're teaching your child about plants. 

Now imagine the learning going one of two ways.

1. Worksheet style.

Paper, pencil, scissors, glue.

The lesson spans 20 minutes, and your child is done thinking about plants. They move onto the next thing rarely thinking or wondering about plants again.

2. Hands-on, Artful Approach.

soil
 trowel
 real flowers
 magnifying glass
 seeds
 watercolor paint
 paintbrush

The investigation and projects span days, even weeks. Your child is noticing, observing, predicting, labeling, creating, investigating, discussing and sharing their learning.

They are delighted, excited, motivated, engaged.

In which scenario would you rather be a participant? Where would YOU rather teach?

Now, I'm not saying "Toss out the workbooks!" 

I believe in a balanced, integrated approach that uses children's natural hundred languages of learning. The "sweet spot" that blends the wonder of childhood with more intentional teaching.

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How to homeschool kids of different ages

Homeschooling your kids is a challenge in itself. Add kids of different ages, needs, learning styles and ALL.THE.HOUSEWORK. and it can go from feeling challenging to downright impossible!

Here to help you work through those challenges, and offer some practical tips on homeschooling multiples is ATJL alumna Kimmi Nguyen-Lehr, mom of 3 and full-time homeschooler.

In this 22 minute interview, Kimmi shares her insights, strategies and even some of her honest struggles as she homeschools 3 kids under 7. She talks about her kids' learning differences, how she plans for three different ages, what a typical day looks like, and the value of play-based learning.

Kimmi shares some excellent advice for parents, and I thought I'd offer up some ideas as well. While I'm not currently homeschooling our three girls, I have honed these tools from years of teaching in the classroom, and implementing these ideas in my early years of raising and...