So you want to homeschool your kids? How much do you know about homeschooling and teaching? There are a lot of things that should be considered first in order to make your homeschooling experience a positive one. Continue reading and find out how to create the best school for your child.
Kids are full of energy and do not have very long attention spans so keep this in mind when you are homeschooling. Unending hours of reading and study will not make them enthusiastic about learning. Give them the chance to go outside or just sit and do nothing. It will be beneficial to both you and your child.
You should never just stick to a text book to teach. The news, movies and comic books can provide lessons. Current news happenings are breeding grounds for stimulating conversations, so being up to speed on the day’s news content is a great educational tool. It also instills analytical thinking skills, which is an important life skill.
Everything in life can become a learning activity. The world offers many opportunities for learning an abundance of useful skills. Listen to how they speak and help them with proper grammar if they make mistakes. Also, try to teach them how to cook, which is a very important life skill. Your children will quickly learn this way–you can be proud of them.
Socialize and have field trips with other homeschooling families. The kids will have a great time while socializing. It keeps costs down due to bulk rates, too!
It is understandable for a parent to wish to avoid the bad influences associated with public schools, but some social life should always be encouraged. Make play dates with relatives, neighbors and other homeschooling families. You should also take your children to local parks and allow them to interact with other children there. Learn about any sports, clubs or groups they can join as well.
Decide where you’re going to have the classroom in your home. It should be roomy and comfortable, but not in a distracting area. You might need space for acting or dancing along with areas for writing and testing. You should also have the ability to check on them at all times in the area.
Hands-on lessons are the best for children. For example, if they’re learning about a foreign culture, plan to create recipes from that region. When learning about Russia, making borscht and cabbage rolls would be a good idea. If they learning about WWII, you can help them prepare meals native to the countries on the Axis side. Helping your children relate material in the lessons to fun real life activities can help them learn and better retain the information.
You need to set aside money for home school supplies. When you have an idea about your “wish list” resources and “must have” field trips, figure the costs and put them in writing for the coming year. Establish distinct accounts for every child and keep a specific amount therein. Also, be sure to have a cushion to account for unforeseen costs.
Find ways to encourage your child to socialize. You must think outside of the box since your child is not attending public school. You can seek out field trips to take with other homeschooling families. Make sure your child engages in community sports. Consider joining Girl or Boy scouts for a great way to spend time with other kids while learning about interesting things.
With so much advice in hand, you’re ready to go. Learning must never stop, and the same goes for your kids. Homeschooling your children makes them direct products of your teaching style and methods.