The prospect of educating one’s children at home can be simultaneously thrilling and frightening. The truth is that in order to approach the possibility with confidence, a good deal of advance knowledge and information should be obtained. Continue reading the article that follows to get some great advice about how to avoid common homeschool pitfalls.
When you have a variety of ages in your homeschool environment, you can use older students to teach the younger ones. This is especially true of reading, where those who read well can read to the younger kids, pointing out words they may not be able to read on their own yet.
Treat homeschooling like a job. You’re a teacher now, and that means you also have to seek out more education. Professional teachers take “PA” days to attend conferences and training, so you should, too! Find homeschooling events near you or even attend one as a vacation. You’ll find they teach you not only specific topics you might not know a lot about, but also how to be a better teacher and how to plan out homeschooling lessons like a pro.
Get creative in creating your homeschooling supplies. You can either spend money on certain resources or make your own for much cheaper. Flash cards are easy to make. Just laminate some index cards. If the kids help you it will make education plenty of fun.
Homeschooling is not complete without a library card. The library is the greatest resource you will find for homeschooling. With varied offerings like textbooks, music, movies and of course, books, you will have nearly everything you need at your fingertips. The library are also great for field trips during the week for the kids.
The Internet is an amazing homeschooling resource. There are numerous resources to be found on the Internet. Many are free, very cheap or require a nominal subscription. Take advantage on any trial offers and weigh each resource on its merits. Homeschooling forums will also offer you unparalleled advice when you are facing challenges with homeschooling.
As you lay out your goals, make sure that they span the entire timeline of your kids’ education. You should have goals which are easier to reach to ensure your kids are being positively reinforced frequently. Long-term goals should come with greater rewards so that your kids will be driven to attain them. Don’t forget to set goals for yourself as well, including rewards which will drive you to be the best teacher you possibly can be.
When drafting your goals for your homeschooling classroom, be reasonable. Don’t expect your kids to finish high school by the time they’re 12, or to spend every waking minute in the classroom. You need to give them the ability to learn at their own pace while absorbing as much as possible. The goals you set should be both short- and long-term so that you find achievement comes at frequent intervals, meaning rewards can be given as well as congratulations.
You should be talking to other people who are homeschooling their children. There are many reasons people decide to homeschool. You’ll be surprised to find that there may be many people around you doing exactly what you are doing. A community of homeschoolers can be a lot of help and support.
Academic skills are important, but so are life skills. Structure your curriculum to include learning important life skills with academic material. Book skills are important, but teaching a child how to count out change, manage and plan a food menu, learning how to schedule a shipment and much more will be helpful for the rest of their life. You can engage your child in both life skills and academics at once. Teach your child real-world skills like driving, but incorporate academic lessons along the way, such as the formula for speed.
The advantage about homeschooling is that you can be creative in the way you teach your child. Do not limit yourself to just activities at home. Take your child to different places and teach him on site. He can learn about nature at a national park, or history at a historical site. This keeps learning interesting and fun.
While many modern homeschooling programs come with a recommended schedule, be sure to check your state regulations before planning your curriculum. Many states require that homeschooled children learn on the same 40-week schedule as their public school counterparts. In states without such regulations, you will have more flexibility in planning the schedule.
There is an easy way to break down each homeschooling course. Take the number of days your student has before their final exam and divide the amount of material you need to cover evenly over those days. As an example, if the provided textbook is 300 pages and the final exam is in 60 days, then the student will need to cover an average of five pages per day. Just be sure to schedule in enough time for them to review before the final exam.
If you decide to hire a tutor to supplement your homeschooled child’s education, choose carefully. Make sure that the tutor has a degree in the subject he or she teaches. While a teaching degree is helpful, it isn’t a necessity to be a good tutor. Verify a potential tutor’s expertise and effectiveness by asking for and checking in with references.
Be persistent. If you are trying to teach your children something, don’t give up after one failed attempt. There is a time and a place to move on, but make sure you give it your best effort before you go back to the drawing board. Sometimes children just need to be exposed to something for a little longer before it “clicks.”
