Homeschooling can be an amazing thing.
Not only can it help you to spend more quality time with your kids during their formative years, but it can also allow you to fill in gaps that you might perceive in the educational system, and help your child to thrive in a variety of different ways.
For those who are striving to teach their children a new language, homeschooling comes with the added benefit of allowing for a more or less “complete immersion” language-learning experience.
Here are 10 tips for effective homeschooling.
1. Write out your core homeschooling aims and objectives and review each week
To homeschool effectively, you need to know what direction you’re trying to head in – and whether you are on track.
Write out your core homeschooling aims and values upfront, and do a personal review each week to see how you’re doing.
2. Track and measure progress to ensure you’re on the right track, and to give your child a sense of pride and confidence
Setting your child clearly defined and trackable goals and targets is a great homeschooling practice.
Not only can help you to see how they are progressing in different subjects, but it can also boost their sense of pride and confidence.
3. Organise your lessons and materials in advance (not at the last minute)
As a general rule of thumb, if you try to organise your homeschooling lessons at the last minute, they are likely to not be very high quality.
Instead, make a point of organising and preparing your lessons and materials well in advance. Typically, this will involve doing preparation on evenings and weekends.
4. Make the homeschooling experience as fun and personalised as possible
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that it allows the teaching experience to be personalised, fun, and familiar.
Take full advantage of this, and supplement lessons with fun family activities and personal anecdotes, games, and stories.
5. Create a proper homeschooling classroom, and establish a regular schedule and timetable
If you homeschool and teach lessons at haphazard times, at the kitchen table, things will likely be far too unstructured to result in a good outcome for your child.
Instead, create a proper homeschooling classroom dedicated entirely to schoolwork – and establish a regular timetable. Your child should have a set morning routine each day, and set start and end times for their lessons and their school day.
6. Involve your child in plenty of social activities
The main potential drawback of homeschooling is a lack of socialisation for your child. Be sure to avoid this pitfall by involving them in lots of extracurricular social groups and activities, ranging from things like scouts, to neighbourhood playgroups, sports clubs, and more.
Your child’s social life should be every bit as active as their traditionally schooled peers.
7. Budget and plan carefully for the homeschooling journey
Once you’ve embarked on the homeschooling journey, you can’t just turn back at a whim.
Budget and plan carefully, to make sure that homeschooling is – and remains – financially viable.
8. Involve yourself in the homeschooling community
There’s an active community of homeschoolers out there who share tips, meet up, and support each other.
Get involved in this community to ensure the best experience for everyone involved.
9. Strive to continually grow and improve as a teacher
All great teachers strive to continually grow and improve.
As a homeschooling parent, you will naturally need to expand your understanding of different subjects as your kids grow.
Consider undergoing specific training, attending conferences, and doing certificates and diplomas in different subjects to ensure you are constantly growing as well.
10. Make sure you are on the right side of local laws and regulations
Your local homeschooling laws and regulations may require you to hold certain qualifications, or to enrol your child in certain programs.
Make sure you are on the right side of local laws and regulations to avoid any issues down the line.