Right now, over 3.7 million children in the US are homeschooled. As such, if you have been toying with the idea of homeschooling your kids, you aren’t alone.
After all, there are many benefits associated with pursuing this path. For example, it means that you are providing your child with the opportunity to learn in an environment they feel entirely safe and comfortable in. You also have more control over what they learn, meaning that you can take their own unique insights into account when planning lessons.
In addition to this, research has shown that homeschooled children and teens “typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests.”
However, this is not a decision that you should make lightly. After all, not only do you want to make sure that you are making the right educational choice for your children, but also that you are prepared for the challenge that lies ahead. With that in mind, here are some top tips for homeschooling your children!
Understand your child’s unique needs. Before starting to homeschool your child, you should make sure that you have a keen understanding of their unique needs in an educational setting. This will ensure that you are able to provide them with the comprehensive support they need to thrive academically. On a similar note, you should also make sure that you’re able to recognize the signs of potential learning difficulties in children ahead of time.
Plan out your curriculum ahead of time. While homeschooling provides you with some level of flexibility when it comes to teaching, each state has specific requirements in place for what a student must learn each year. Generally, this covers topics such as reading, math, writing, literature, science and social studies.
Building your curriculum ahead of time means that you can ensure that you are covering all of your bases while also ensuring you’re not struggling to come up with lesson plans at the last minute. It also means that you can pool together resources in advance, such as personalised exercise books that help to consolidate the topics covered in your classes.
Generally speaking, the more planning you’ve done, the more confident you’ll feel when teaching your child or preparing them for standardized tests and examinations.
Put together a schedule. While another major benefit of homeschooling is flexibility, there’s no denying that children benefit from following a routine. As such, you should be sure to put together some kind of schedule so that your children know what to expect each day. For example, you should try to start (and end) your classes at roughly the same time each day. You may also want to dedicate days to specific subjects or topics, depending on the way in which your child(ren) learns.
Having a schedule in place can also be useful when it comes to teaching children who are in separate grades. This is because you can get one child started on their tasks before moving onto the other, while still keeping the topics broadly similar.
Remember to take breaks. In a traditional setting, your child will be given multiple breaks throughout the day. This is something that should not be skipped over, even if working from home may not seem as taxing. This is because regular breaks can help to reduce stress and fatigue, while also improving their focus levels when they return to work.
Find ways to make learning fun. One of the more significant challenges associated with homeschooling is keeping your children motivated. For example, they may find it hard to focus on their textbooks when their toys are sitting just a few feet away from them. As such, you should try to find as many ways to make learning as fun and engaging as possible. Not only will this help to prevent distraction and frustration, but it also means that they’re more likely to remember what you are teaching them.
For example, instead of watching videos of science experiments, run your own homeschool science labs!
Encourage them to participate in extracurricular activities. A potential drawback associated with homeschooling is that it limits the amount of time that children spend with their peers. However, this can easily be remedied by encouraging them to participate in extracurricular activities. This could include everything from theatre to sports teams – and ideally, they should participate in this kind of activity at least a few times a week.
You should let your child decide which hobbies or activities they’d like to get involved with. Not only will this ensure that their enthusiasm and motivation levels remain high, but it also means that you’re providing them with a sense of agency.
Set up a dedicated working space within your home. Setting up a dedicated working space within your home is also crucial. This is because it can help ensure that both you and your child are able to work without distractions in an environment that is directly tailored to support learning and productivity.
Become part of a homeschooling community. Whether that is in-person or online, becoming part of a dedicated homeschooling community can also be incredibly beneficial during this time. This is because you’ll be able to share tips, advice, and resources with other parents in a position similar to your own, meaning that you’ll always be able to put your child’s best interests first.
Remember that you don’t have to do everything alone. While you may be happy to take control of the majority of your child’s education, it is important to note that this is something you do not have to do entirely on your own. For example, you may want to hire a tutor to work with them on specific topics or subjects. This lessens your workload while also giving them the chance to experience new teaching styles and methodologies.
Final thoughts. There are many benefits associated with homeschooling, and if you’re looking to get started when the new academic year rolls around (or sooner), this guide will help you set off on the right track.
Photo by Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare on Unsplash
