AO for Groups is Here!

[EmilyT]

I have a question about placement.  Prior to AO for Groups/2.0 going live, I was going to start my 7 year olds in Year 1 and my 9 year olds in Year 2. My 7 year olds are not reading yet and my 9 year olds are not necessarily "on grade level" with their reading.
I'm considering using the AO 2.0 since I've got a group of my own here to simplify things a bit.  I'm wondering A) Will it even simplify? B) Should I put my 9 yo's in Form 2A or do 1A with everyone?
If we do separate forms what (if anything) can we do together or would effectively  I be running 2 separate homeschools?

What is the dynamic when you have all four together? I often find that working with 1-2 of my children at once is much easier than trying to manage the dynamics of group work.

At your children's ages, I would expect to read everything aloud regardless of whether you use traditional AO or AO for groups. AO for groups would only be helpful if you use Form 1 for everyone.

If you put them in years 1 and 2, you could still read Tales from Shakespeare, Parables from Nature and Pilgrim's Progress together (we read Little Pilgrim's Progress when I had boys in years 1 and 2).Regardless of what you choose, there is still much you can do together: artist study, composer study, drawing, handicrafts, folksongs, hymns, and nature study (and probably more that I missed!). You could also enjoy poetry and free read read-alouds together as a group (any of the form 1 recommendations would be appropriate for your kids).