The decision to homeschool your children is one of the most momentous choices you may ever make. The key to successfully undertaking a homeschooling adventure is to acquire as much knowledge as possible before you begin. Read the tips that follow, and you will have the foundation you need to get things started.
Sit down as a family each Sunday and discuss the upcoming week. This allows everyone to know what is expected of them during the week and how each person can help make the week more successful. Planning also gives everyone the opportunity to take part in field trips and projects.
Can you afford to quit your job and homeschool? Have you created a budget to find out? Draft a budget of your current income and expenditures. Now, remove the income of the person who will be staying home. Also, include the cost of supplies, such as lesson materials, writing equipment, paper, etc. Can you afford it now?
Home schooled students often face challenges staying connected with their peers. Without that daily interaction with other students, it is easy to become disillusioned with the experience. To combat this problem, encourage your student to join an online discussion group for home schooled students. These groups are available in nearly every country in the world, not to mention every state and possible even within the same zip code.
Homeschooling takes quite a bit of time out of your day. This can make it difficult to keep up with the housework. If hiring someone is not an option, incorporate different tasks into the curriculum. Have younger children match socks by size and color, and teach older children about measurements by cooking.
Remember that when you are homeschooling you do not need to follow a classroom set up. The learning environment can be a lot more flexible, and you can tailor it to fit you and the child’s needs. If your child has a hard time rising in the morning, instead of trying to teach them, chemistry at 7am, start their classes a little later in the morning or later in the afternoon.
What makes homeschooling the choice for your family? Is it that you feel the public school is letting your kids down? Do you feel you could do a better job? Do you want your kids to avoid the negative social issues they’d face in a public school setting? Write a letter to yourself about all the negatives about their current school situation and positives about what you want to provide to them. Read it whenever you feel frustrated about homeschooling as a pick-me-up.
Remember that a structured day does not have to be rigid. Plan lessons in advance and stick to a schedule. At the same time, be flexible enough that you can change your plans as needed. Impromptu field trips or unexpected difficulties with a lesson may change your plans, and that’s just fine.
Spend a little time networking. Use the Internet to find families in your area that are homeschooling, and arrange activities together. It is also beneficial to connect with people across the country, as you can share ideas and techniques with one another. You will also have a support system when/if things get a little difficult.
Read a variety of titles to ensure that your child receives a well-rounded education. How-to articles can give you a variety of hands-on activities to do with your child. Before you child begins studying a specific subject such as World History, visit your local library and check out a children’s history book along with an age appropriate book. Use the children’s history book to give you a broad overview of the information that should be taught, and use the other book for specific information to include in your lesson plan.
Homeschooling is something that brings both tremendous challenges and remarkable rewards. In order to ensure that your homeschooling experience is both beneficial and enjoyable, a thorough understanding of homeschool precepts and techniques is critical. Keep the above information close at hand, and you will be prepared to thrive in your new role as teacher.