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.
Sit down as a family each Sunday and discuss the upcoming week. This allows everyone to know what is expected of them during the week and how each person can help make the week more successful. Planning also gives everyone the opportunity to take part in field trips and projects.
Public school may be full of bad influences; however, with homeschooling, you can get to know potential friends for your child and provide appropriate social opportunities. Set times up for scheduled playtime with children of neighbors and family. You can also play at the park. They can also do activities such a sports, clubs, or other fun things.
Limit the distractions in your workspace. This does not mean that you have to have a classroom. Simply, shut off the ringer on the phone, turn off the television and if the computer is not used for school, shut it down. The fewer distractions you have to compete with, the smoother your lessons will go.
Don't forget the 'social' side of school. A child gains much more from school than simply academics. Make sure that your child is involved in activities that a school offers such as sports and music. This can be achieved by meeting other homeschool parents and organizing extra curricular activities at the end of the school day or the weekend.
Finding time to cook at big meal at the end of the day can be tough when you are homeschooling children. Plan your meals ahead of time and precook as much as you can. Baking a lasagna during the weekend and freezing portions can really be a lifesaver during the week when you don't feel like cooking.
Family vacations can be a learning experience. Coordinate your family vacations to correspond to what you are teaching your child in school. You can do this on one day or every day you're there. Everyone in your home will have shared the experience of picking up new information in an enjoyable fashion.
Write down a list of all the reasons why you have chosen homeschooling for your kids. Start off with a list of the pros and cons of public schools in your area. Next, write down how you're going to overcome those cons and include the pros in your own classroom. Subsequently, create milestones and goals you want your kids to reach as you teach them. Create a timeline for those goals so you can be sure they're attained.
As you are beginning your school year, start out slowly. You can introduce a single subject the first week, and then add another the week after. Slowly build up to the full daily schedule so you and your children do not become overwhelmed. There will be plenty of time to get through the workload throughout the school year.
Learn the governing rules of homeschooling in your state. Each state will have specific laws concerning how a parent can home-school their theirhome-school their kids. For example, some states mandate that a homeschool is listed as a private school within their state. While other states mandate that homeschooled children are given standardized testing in certain grades. By knowing your state's laws, you can ensure that you are following your state's mandates as they pertain to homeschooling.
You should not consider yourself to be your child's teacher. You are more the facilitator to their education. You are there to help them, not lecture them for hours on end. Allow them to do their studies on their own and help them with any questions that they may have. You could very well learn as much as your child does if you take the time to learn with them instead of lecturing them.
You may find that teaching through unit studies gives your child the most thorough education on certain topics. With this method, you thoroughly examine one topic before moving on to another. This way, you have the ability to study each topic in depth. An example of this is a six week lesson on classical music. After they have finished, go to a live show to see it in person. This is a great way to leave a long lasting impression about the classics on your child.
Remember that even public schools may not hit every subject, every day. While math and reading are considered core curriculum, children may only have art once a week and something like science three times a week. Don't stress yourself out trying to get too much into your day. Experiment a little and find a schedule that works for you.
When you are homeschooling, make sure that you set up a room in the house to do strictly work. This will help your child get into the work mode, so that it is easier to focus on the task at hand. This will yield great results for the future of your child.
It is very important that your child realizes that just because they are getting schooled at home does not mean they can come and go as they please. There are certain things you need to do to make them realize this. For instance, teaching them in the living room in front of the TV is not likely going to help them take the work seriously. Find a designated, quiet area in your home to teach them.
There can be no doubt that homeschooling is a scary, exciting and potentially extremely rewarding process. The best way for any parent to approach the process wisely is to study the topic extensively before deciding to choose this route. With any luck, the piece above has provided some useful tips to make the choice as clear as it can be.
Orignal From: Learn How To Effectively Homeschool Your Child
No comments:
Post a Comment