The following advice can help you get started on the best decision.
Check out state laws regarding homeschooling. States have various regulations about how many days of study are required for your homeschooling to be approved. Some states will provide you with a curriculum to follow, while others let you create your own. Keep the school district’s school day set up in mind when planning your own schedule.
Older Kids
Set up an area for preschoolers that has toys and crafts they can use while you are teaching older kids. Ask the older kids to play with teaching younger kids. This lets everyone learn and will instill confidence.
Don’t limit your child’s reading material to textbooks. Kids should be welcome to read anything, from a blog to CNN.com. Current events are a prime opportunity to open a discussion, so incorporate timely articles in your curriculum. They can analyze the situation which is a skill they’ll be using for the rest of their life.
Homeschooling offers your child a one-on-one learning experience that just cannot be found in either the private or the public schools do not provide. This can help you see if your child is on level with children in local schools or if they need a little more help.
Allow your child to take breaks that allow them to exercise and get rid of some exercise. This will help your kid from getting too bored and restless throughout the day. Make sure you keep schedule breaks so that your child can release his energy and be more focused when he comes back to his lessons.
Meanwhile, you probably don’t want your children mixed up with the wrong crowd at a public school, they still external social interaction. Set times up for scheduled playtime with children of neighbors and family. Bring your children to the park so they can play with other kids. Another option is to sign them up for sports teams, clubs or similar organizations.
You need to find a way for your children to socialize. You will have to be creative since your child is not a normal classroom environment. Join other families and go on different field trips together. Get your child into community supported sports. The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are excellent organizations to join.
It is very easy to feel shut out from the outside world when you are homeschooling. Local networking is invaluable resource to connect parents and kids that homeschool. Talk to support groups and other parents in the same situation as you. A strong group of people you can be extraordinarily useful.
If you are teaching children of different ages, make time to focus on each individual child. It is also beneficial to give the preschoolers their own area, one with crafts, games and toys that they can play with. Allow older children to teach some of the younger kids. They can both learn, and you can instill a sense of pride and responsibility in your older kids.
Use modern technology and other techniques in your lessons but don’t rely on it. You could find that your child at a major disadvantage should the Internet go out when they need it. Be sure to backup materials so that time is not wasted.
High schoolers who are homeschooled must focus on passing a GED in the end. You can give them GED sample tests before starting the school year. This can show you to identify and target weak areas.
Be creative and experiment with new methods. Many educational resources are quite expensive when purchased, but can be made relatively easily and cheaply at home. Create your own flash cards using index cards that you laminate. Your kids can help you make the learning resources as a craft project.
Homeschooling Families
Get involved with homeschooling families in your community. You can learn much from talking with other families who are sharing your experience. You are also able to give advice and possibly create lifelong friendships. This can also give your children the much needed ability to socialize with other children. It can be hard for homeschooled children to make friends since they are not spending time in class with all the other kids. Meeting with other homeschooling families combats this.
Learn all you can before opening your homeschool. There are many resources online that you can check out. No matter how this idea appeals to you, ensure that you have enough time to dedicate and energy, as well as the financial means to provide your kids with good education.
Homeschooling requires you to discipline your children. You have to adjust your kids see you as both a parent and a teacher. Make sure to think about it before you start homeschooling.
Math and reading are the core focus of your child’s education. These are required for a child to master all of the basis behind any advanced subject. Children who cannot read well or can’t do basic math challenges will not succeed academically regardless of the subject they study. This is why you have to spend more time and effort on teaching this than teaching other things.
Before beginning homeschooling, take the time to learn your state’s laws. The HSLDA website will fill you in on what the laws are in your area. Joining a homeschooling group can provide you the assistance you will need if child services or school board give you any issues. It does cost money to join, but the assistance is well worth the money.
You should always practice the utmost patience when teaching your kids while home schooling. This is very important since you will get frustrated at times and kids don’t need to witness you getting angry. Give your child continual positive encouragement all the time to help him gain self-confidence and motivation.
Let your older children help the younger children. The older kids can provide help younger ones learn and understand new concepts. This will give the older students confidence and also gives younger children relate more with someone other than yourself. Children are often learn well from a sibling.
Learn when to change approaches. If one method of instruction is not working, don’t keep pushing. Home schooling is all about the individual approach and you should be able to find a new method for reaching the same result. Try using tutors, applications and even movies in your efforts. Forcing something that your child does not understand will be vexing not only for you, but for them as well!
Although homeschooling is still considered controversial, it is a valid method of education that is at least as successful as a public education. Parents should learn exactly what is needed for a solid homeschooling program in order to maximize success. Using the advice in the article above is a great place to start.