You’ve tried all of the options available and your kids still aren’t learning anything. Does this sound familiar? If so, then you may need to try a different learning approach, like homeschooling. Homeschooling can be a good way for your kids to learn, and you can use it with the help of the following tips.
Parents who home school their children are always looking for new ideas on how to get their children interested in the work. So, why not take them outside to learn? For instance, if they are working on earth science, bring them outside to identify different trees and plants. This will allow you to really grab and hold their attention.
Give your kids the same responsibilities they would have if they had to get off to school every day. They should have all their chores done by the time school starts, including teeth being brushed, being out of pajamas and dressed and breakfast having been eaten. Don’t forget to get them to clean up their dishes, too!
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 goal of homeschooling is to instill knowledge in your child or teen, but it should also be viewed as something more. You have a rare opportunity to use learning as a means of bonding and interacting with each other in a way most parents never get. Highlight the student’s accomplishments in your “�classroom’ just as you would for those earned in a traditional learning environment.
If you eventually plan to transfer your children back into a regular school program, then make sure that your homeschooling program prepares them for that. See if you can get a copy of the school curriculum for the year they will re-enter the system to ensure that they will be on track with or ahead of their class. Furthermore, have them study on the traditional school schedule, lunches and all.
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.
Be flexible with your curriculum. There are new ideas coming out all the time, and you will change as you learn about different techniques. Be ready to go with whatever comes your way. You will slowly but surely discover what is right for you and your children, and everyone will benefit as a result.
For children who are kinesthetic learners, there are many different things you can do to help stimulate learning. Gardening, doing puzzles, going for nature walks or building things are all great ways to bring out their greatest potential. Children who learn by doing tend to lose interest in lectures and notes on a board.
Learn to match what your child is learning to how those skills apply to their real life. For instance, counting coins can be helpful with addition, subtraction and multiplication. Learning fractions can be learned by doing recipes or splitting pizzas into slices. Once your child sees how and why these skills are useful, they are more eager to learn them, and they make more sense to them.
Utilize technology in your homeschooling so that learning can be fun for your child. However, it is never good to become completely reliant on one form of technology. For instance, if you rely on the computer for teaching your child, then you are going to be in trouble when computer problems arise. Use technology as a supplement, not as your main teaching tool.
Make your homeschool schedule work for you. Just because the local school runs from nine to two, that does not mean your classroom has to run that way. If later mornings are better for your family, have your child study, then. If it works best to teach for an hour, take a three-hour break and then teach for two more, make that your schedule. One of the best things about homeschooling is the flexibility, so take advantage of it!
When you are homeschooling your child, try to mirror the environment to that of a school. This will give your child the impression that you mean business and it is not a recreational activity. Thus, they will focus more and put more effort into learning what it is you want to teach them.
Realize that homeschooling does not have to be forever. You do not have to make a lifelong commitment to homeschool your children. Even if you only decide to do this for a year or two, your child will benefit. You will also feel a greater sense of connection to your child and her education. Understand that the commitment you make only has to be day to day, and you will keep homeschooling from feeling too overwhelming.
Before giving up on your homeschooling experience, give it a year. Feeling frustrated after a month or two is normal, but if you give up then you might never see the rewards that homeschooling can offer. If you commit to doing this for a year, you can really judge if it is for you and your child. You will learn a lot in that year and help your child to grow as a student and a person. It really is worth the one year commitment.
