With the situation as it is now, many parents are having a taste of homeschooling. Homeschooling is not easy - especially if you have been unexpectedly thrown into it.
But with almost 15 years experience teaching kids and having been homeschooled myself, I've put together 5 tips for all those new to homeschooling, those who have been homeschooling for a while and anyone considering homeschooling.
Have a schedule
Our first tip on this list and probably the most important is having a schedule. Having a schedule will help kids and parents be on the same page. The time school starts, the learning mindset sets in and children will know - this is school time. This is also much easier for parents planning any school work as you will know today we learn maths and English, tomorrow we are doing history, etc, and you will know which materials to prepare/use and what you will have accomplished by the end of the school day.
Make sure you have a schedule that works for you. If you know your children get drowsy mid afternoon, why not schedule the PE lesson at that time? If you or your children are the most alert in the morning, you may choose to tackle the more difficult subjects at that time. Maybe you are not a morning person, so starting a bit later in the morning might be best for you.
Make sure you have a schedule that works for you.
Write down your schedule and put it somewhere the whole family can see. That way you won't forget what's next or double book anything. Other family members will also know not to disturb you or the kids during school hours.
In line with having a designated time for school work, have a designated place where the children study. Set up a desk, preferably not next to the toys, in front of the TV or where other family members are pottering about. This will really help parents and kids to focus and be of the right mindset when school begins.
Have breaks
It may seem more relaxed sitting at home doing school work, but that does not mean breaks are not important. Add break time to your class schedule. Mid morning and mid afternoon work best. A 10 - 15 minute break will help parents and children reset a little bit and be able to come back with a fresh mindset.
Of course this includes a lunch break. Try having lunch somewhere other than the work desk as this will help the children to focus on the food and break instead of still thinking about the school work. Just like school, there should be an exact start and finish time for lunch and rest.
Plan ahead
Planning for the week, or even the month if possible, will help parents feel much more organised. Preparing, or at least having in mind what materials and topics will be considered for that day & week will also help you to see the end goal and how to help your children reach it. This will help them to learn progressively and build on things they have already learnt.
As the week or month goes on, you will not need to frantically find random worksheets or videos the night before as you will have prepared it all in advance. Don't forget to write it down or even print any activity sheets ahead of time and maybe even put it in a designated folder. You could even write the dates on the worksheets so you can easily find the one you want to use on that day.
Planning ahead will give you peace of mind and your child an organised learning structure.
Collaborate
For kids, being homeschooled can sometimes get lonely - especially if they are an only child or a couple of children in different levels. Collaborating with other kids - even if the other kids are not being homeschooled, will not only lift some of the burden off of you, but also give the children a chance to learn with their friends and learn social skills (a skill many homeschooling parents seem forget about).
Some ideas could be doing an art project together, going on a class trip to the museum or beach (learn about creatures at the beach). If their friends are attending a normal school, why not arrange these activities on the weekend in exchange for an afternoon off on a weekday?
Do projects
Art, gardening, science projects are great because they can take up a whole afternoon, or even span over a few days! This is great for your lesson planning as you only need to think of one project that you can continue for a few lessons.
Projects are brilliant for the children too, as this teaches them to stick to things and gives them the satisfaction of completing something. It also helps them to really focus on the project and do more research on the topic instead of skimming a subject and only getting the basics like they might do with regular subjects.
Got any tips? Leave them in the comments below!
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