You want to provide the best homeschooling environment for your children in order to ensure their success. It’s possible to give them the tools they need to succeed when they’re on their own. After all, you’re their parent! Make sure you pay attention to the following advice as you get going.
How well do you understand your child’s learning style? Sometimes it’s easy to forget that all children do not learn the same way. What may have worked for you might not be the finest approach for your home schooled child. Research different learning styles and apply them to the chosen curriculum for the best results.
Include your child’s hobbies in their learning. If they enjoy building model cars, pick up reference books for them to read and include building a car as a project. Teach them about how an engine works, how cars affect the environment and even use the speed and distance a car goes in math lessons.
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.
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.
Consider digital options for your textbooks and reading materials. E-readers are quite affordable and easily accessible. Downloading books is far cheaper than purchasing print and easily takes up less room. Granted, there is not a resale option for the digital textbooks; however, there is a lot to be said for having reference books after the fact.
Find out what laws are in place in your state when it comes to running a school in your home. The HSLDA has a website to inform you about state laws. Belonging to a homeschooling organization will help if the authorities ever have any questions about what you’re doing. The resources that will be available definitely justify the membership costs.
Make a list of the positives and negatives about homeschooling and public school. Allow the list to be a guide to making a lesson plan that provide your children with what they did not get it public school. These checklists can even become your warning checklist of problems to avoid so that you can stay focused on real education. Put it in a drawer somewhere and consult it when you devise lesson plans.
Surround yourself with those who also homeschool. There are lots of reasons to choose homeschooling. You have a very good chance that you’ll find a great group of like-minded people that have similar philosophies and goals. Joining one of these organizations can be an invaluable source of support, even more so during those critical first few months.
Research the resources available in your area. Certain establishments may have special classes or activities designed particularly for homeschooled children. You may also get discounts on cultural events in the area. Also, do not forget about the Internet. There is a wealth of knowledge on different forums and websites that is easy to access.
There has to be more to learning than a computer. Internet connections are not always the most reliable, and if you teach only with the computer, you might find that you have to work around the times when your connection is best. Always have a second set of lesson plans as a contingency for those unexpected occurrences.
Take advantage of the subjects that your kids enjoy. If you find one thing that each of them love, you should be able to take something from that subject and apply it to other subjects as well. If your kids are enjoying what you are doing with them while teaching them, it will be much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Decide what kind of school year works best for you and your child. Homeschooling gives you the flexibility to decide to do a traditional school year, or teach all year long. Each state has certain requirements and laws regarding the amount of hours required in the classroom. When homeschooling you can choose a schedule that works for you.
Understand that when you are homeschooling your child, you will need to follow the rules and regulations that are put out by your particular state. There are different rules for each state, so make sure that you follow them exactly if you want to get your child his or her degree properly.
If you are homeschooling your children, remember that you do not have to operate on a strict schedule. There are opportunities to learn wherever you look, so do not feel as if you have to teach your children at set times of day. The more flexible your schedule, the better.
Join a homeschool group in your area. Many people homeschool and when you are around others who school their children at home it is much easier for you and your child. You can share ideas with each other, socialize and have a great support network. You can also swap curriculum materials to help you save money. The best way to school your children is with the help of others who do the same thing as you.
Set aside a time where schooling is done each day. One benefit to homeschooling is flexibility. If you are too flexible, though, you may not get everything in. Pick the days you want to school each day. Next, decide what times will work best for your schooling. Do your kids like to sleep in? School late, they won’t learn any less. By setting aside times you are more apt to get in all the lessons you need to get done.
