Homeschooling is not going to be easy, but when done right it can be incredibly rewarding for both parent and child. But, anyone thinking about homeschooling needs to learn certain things before deciding to take their kids out of regular school. The article below provides great insights for prospective homeschool families.
Check your state homeschooling laws before you set up your curriculum. Each state has different laws when it comes to amount of days have to home school your children. While there is sometimes a specific curriculum set by the state, some states also require parents to create and submit their own curriculum. Most of the time, you should base your homeschooling year on that of the school district.
While you might not be in favor of your children hanging out with public school kids, you do need to be aware of the fact that your children do need opportunities to socialize with kids their age. Go out with friends and neighbors to keep your child social. Let kids play at the park with other children. Have them join teams, clubs and other organizations, too.
Family Vacations
Family vacations present many opportunities to take advantage of learning resources. 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. This is a fun way for the entire family to bond together while exploring new horizons.
Become familiar with laws governing homeschooling in your particular state. For example, the HSLDA website can give you the specifics for your area. If the Board of Education or CPS asks you questions, a homeschooling organization can be of great help. The assistance provided will prove well worth any membership dues you will have to pay.
It helps to build connections with other parents who share your views on homeschooling. People get into homeschooling for a number of reasons these days. No matter what your philosophy and value are, you can be sure that there are others who share your beliefs and can offer much in the way of insight and support. Starting a small homeschooling community can be very helpful.
You need to know when you should give in and make changes. If you are trying to teach your child in one way and it is not working, do not continue to push. Find an alternative method of teaching that subject to them. Films, online programs, or even web-based tutors can help you and your child get through it. If you push too hard, you may cause your child to become frustrated and discouraged about learning a topic.
Academic Studies
Learning how to live in the world is just vital for life, just as book skills are, too. Therefore, try to incorporate both life skills and academic studies in your lesson plan. Academic studies can stand alone easy, but applying them to life is what matters. There are many ways to teach both simultaneously. For example, teach your kids the biology and environmental science behind gardening when you teach them how to plant a garden.
Looking to home school all your kids? Before starting, you must evaluate your home’s discipline. If you do not have clear expectations and rules, you will have a hard time maintaining order and proceeding with the lessons. When you are aware of your weaknesses and potential challenges, you have a stronger chance of delivering the best possible education to each of your children.
Homeschooling can also be isolating for parents. Local networking can be vital for kids and homeschooling parents. Look into homeschooling cooperatives for activities to do with your child. A group of contacts allows for support, different opinions, tips and friendship.
Learn different learning styles. There are quite a few resources out there that teach you how to teach kids of varying personalities. Just be wary of relying too heavily on specialized teaching methods. Think about integrating more than one method into your child’s learning to see if that serves their needs best.
Consider using unit study as a method for your instruction. Unit studies allow you to take up one topic to study with your child. This gives you the chance to dig deep into the topic. Plan on spending six weeks on each unit. When the 6 weeks is over, go to a classical music concert with your child. This is a great way of learning.
Homeschooling has been a controversial subject, but the rewards of a high quality education provided by homeschooling are many. In order to get the most out of homeschooling, you need to have a solid foundation on which to build your homeschooling program. This information can be used by any family who is interested in homeschooling.