Are you thinking about home school? Is your child having difficulties? Do you feel the need to spend more time together? Whatever your particular situation, home school may be the answer. Continue reading this article to learn more. You will discover some fabulous advice to help you decide if this is the right choice for you. Know what your educational approach will be before you begin homeschooling. Whether you choose to go with a standard school type of environment and education, or if you prefer to focus on specific fields of study that interest your child, you should determine this up front. You will have clear goals to work towards, and the approach can be reevaluated at the start of each school year.
Tips to consider:
- You don’t have to be perfect! Even teachers make mistakes, and it’s all a part of the learning process for yourself and your children. Take your time, relax and know that you can teach your kids a lot when you do flub. The more mistakes you make, the better a teacher you will become.
- You may not prefer your kids socializing with kids at public schools, but the interaction they get is important. Schedule pay dates with other family members or neighbors. Get out of the house with your kids and take them to the park so that they can play there with other kids, too. There are a lot of other clubs, such as scouts, or even team sports they can participate in.
- When you home school your child, you take on more than the role of teacher. Actually, you’ll also have to be the cafeteria worker, physical education coach and possibly even a counselor. Consider the responsibilities each title carries as you plan out your daily schedule and routine. Prepare lunches in advance, schedule outdoor time and make yourself available for emotional support and motivation.
- Find a support group of other homeschool parents. When you teach your child at home, sometimes you may feel isolated. The support group can help you deal with problems and issues that are complex. You can benefit from the sharing of different perspectives and approaches, and you can apply these to your own curriculum.
- Homeschooling has to be fun! Excitement helps a child want to learn, and the more you can provide, the better. While creating the lesson plans, the teaching itself, procuring supplies and other tasks related to your new job can be frustrating, the end result is so positive that you should consider it as you trudge through your day. Include activities which are fun for both yourself and your kids, such as cooking, music lessons and acting scenarios out (don’t forget to dress up!)
- Contact your state’s Homeschool Association to learn the guidelines and laws that you must abide by. What you have to adhere to varies greatly from coast to coast. You must also reach out to someone in your school district to verify your homeschooling intentions. Otherwise you may find yourself subject to truancy charges.
- Are you going to homeschool more than one kid? Take the time to evaluate the work involved and whether you can realistically do it before just jumping in. Clear rules are a basic necessity for a structured and smooth-running learning environment. Understanding your individual disciplining style can allow you to tweak it to work for your classroom.
- Make technology a part of your curriculum, but not for everything. Also, do not rely on internet connections, as they can break down at a bad time. Have a few backup plans in place so you’re able to continue teaching if something goes wrong with the Internet.
Closing Notes:
There are many lessons that you could include many different ages of kids in. You can take a virtual tour of a new city on the computer. Older kids can learn about the history while the younger kids can learn about the languages spoken and easier topics that are age appropriate. It is a great way to get the entire family involved with the learning process. Did that help you? Ideally, you learned a bit about home school, and what it means. There are a number of other resources online that can help you. Continue to explore the topic. Then, you can make the best decision for you and your family. If it seems viable, do it!
Useful Advice If You Are Thinking About Homeschooling Your Child