If you’re homeschooling your child, then one of the advantages already at your disposal is the fact that you are able to use as wide a range of teaching styles and methods that suit your needs. Given how children can take to different methods of learning with different levels of effectiveness, finding the tools that work best for your child can be very important, indeed. Whether you’re looking to switch tracks to methods that might work for your child a little better, or you just want to supplement your existing homeschooling methods, here are some of the advantages of relying a little more on tech.
Nowadays, more people are educating their children from home because of the advantages of flexibility, productivity, and bringing out your child’s unique talents. But if you haven’t homeschooled before, it might be difficult to know where to start – read the expert tips below.
Stick to a routine
Whether you home school your children part-time or full time, it’s important to stick to a routine. Traditional schools are excellent for creating formal structures and routines for students to follow, which frames their psychology for learning. However, when you don’t have a strict routine to follow, there is a tendency to cut corners and take breaks here and there – this doesn’t make for the best homeschooling environment.
At a time when home-based learning is becoming increasingly common thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is wise to think about other ways of learning at home. Traditionally, we think of homeschooling as textbooks and pens and paper, but it can be so much more than that.
Some parents opt for unschooling, which allows children to follow their own interests and talents at their own speed. Other parents look at things like forest schools or online schools. There are so many ways to do it these days – there really is an option for everyone.
Here, we look at how you can use everyday life to teach your children at home while making it fun for everyone.
Some homeschoolers love to use the theatre as their inspiration and creative starting point for a homeschooling topic, and that is because it encompasses so many things – drama, art, music, language, history – the possibilities are endless.
Use the arts
Some theatres even use curriculum tools that go right along with the shows they have. Theatre as a means of teaching helps to engage in learning in so many dimensions. Music opens up a high degree of brain creativity. When coupled with the visual elements of the set and the storytelling that is made to come to life by the performers, the elements of the production are distinct from any other method of teaching.
You can also use pieces of music, inspirational pieces of art or even your favorite movie as a starting point. Sit down with your children, and make a mindmap with all the things that they could do connected to that particular piece of art. Pinterest is a great resource for this.
Go outdoors
Forest schools have exploded in popularity in recent years and that is because more educators and parents are discovering the benefits that learning outdoors has on children. At it’s most basic, you can pick up your work and take it to a spot in the garden or the beach, but why not try actually using the natural environment as inspiration? Geocaching can teach geography skills, photography can be mathematical, building dens can be maths and engineering, looking for animal tracks can be science.
Let them lead the way
This takes us back to the point we made further up about unschooling, but it is one of the best ways to really engage children and give them ownership over their learning. If they show a particular interest in something – space, dinosaurs, cars, even toys, roll with it. Look at how you can incorporate that into learning and what they can get from it. Sure, they might bit be learning how to do deep algebraic formulations, but if they have their heart set on becoming a museum curator, they might not need it.
Many parents opt to homeschool because their children are under too much pressure at school. However you decide to educate your child at home, stay relaxed – otherwise you could end up defeating the object!
We’re living through some pretty strange times right now. Just a few months ago, life was on track and routine. We were living day to day life to schedule – dropping the kids to school, heading to work or completing tasks around the house, socializing with our free time or heading out for fun days out. But since then, the unprecedented spread of coronavirus – a contagious and potentially lethal virus – around the world has turned many of our lives on their heads. The majority of governments have asked us to remain at home as much as possible. Schools have been closed. People are working remotely or not working at all. Socializing outside of your household isn’t really an option. This has posed many of us with a variety of difficulties and problems. But for those of us with kids, school tends to be a main concern. Here are just a few different ways you can maintain your children’s education during the pandemic!
Reduce Pressure
First and foremost, reduce pressure on yourself and your little ones. These are difficult times for everyone and all children are going to be falling behind on their education right now. When schools reopen, all kids are going to find themselves in the same position and teaching will recommence from where it was left off. So, don’t be too hard on yourself or your kids. Instead, focus on this time for bonding.
Look Up Your Child’s Curriculum
If you do want to help to introduce your little one to a few of the things they’d currently be learning at school if there wasn’t a pandemic, you can always look up their curriculum and see what they would be being taught right now. Remember that curriculums vary from one school to another, so ensure you’re focusing on the right one. If in doubt, you could always contact the school and ask.
Use All Resources Available
There are so many great, free online resources out there that can prove educational for your child. Watch a few educational Youtube videos for their age group and determine whether any are good for your child to watch. Use sites like PennyDell Puzzles to challenge them with logic and numbers. Stimulate their creativity with arts and crafts projects or writing projects. Encourage them to read books. Watch kids shows on history, science and other areas with them. Consider investing in language learning software for them. There are so many different options out there!
Set Your Own Tests
Basic spelling and maths tests are easy to set up yourself when you have little ones. Challenge them with simple maths and spellings. Many kids find this fun and enjoy the element of competition.
These are just a few suggestions when it comes to educating your kids at home during the pandemic. They’ll be back to school soon enough, but hopefully, these steps will really help for now!
Most schools have been closed over the past few months, and continue to be closed, but this does not mean that learning has to stop. Online lessons have proven to be a great help.
You can find all types of resources online to help your student continue the learning process. Beginning in the early grades like third grade writing worksheets, and continuing as your student moves into junior high and high school.
Online learning websites are widely available. With so many to choose from, there are many factors to consider when looking for the best. One of the main decisions you need to make is whether to pay for access to a learning website or whether to only use free resources.
There is no right or wrong when determining whether to pay for lessons online. It is all about deciding what is right for you. If you are currently not in a position whereby you can afford to spend money on such lessons comfortably, then, of course, start with free resources until you can.
Aside from this, you need to consider how motivated you are. If you are not a self-starter, you may struggle to stick with a free program. However, if you are paying for a service, it will certainly give you the extra push you need to study regularly. Moreover, if it means gaining access to a much better pool of online lessons, it may be worth paying for a learning website, especially if your time is precious. You could get to the same skill level, in the end, no matter what website you use, but with free resources, it may take a little bit longer, unless you find one that ticks all of the boxes, of course. If that is the case, then great! Also, if you need personalized help, you can get access to a live teacher and so on with some paid websites.
Supplementing learning with online music education
Online music lesson websites are widely available for those who want to learn from the comfort of their own home and have the freedom to practice as and when suits them. There are many benefits associated with this approach to learning an instrument or how to sing, as you will discover below.
One of the main reasons why so many people choose online music lessons is because they are much more cost-effective. Rather than paying a fee every time you have a lesson, you are more likely to pay a one-off cost for access to the website in question, or in some cases, you may need to pay monthly or annual fees. There are also free resources on the web for you to make the most of, meaning you are bound to find the right solution for your budget.
Another benefit is that you have more control over your learning experience. You will be able to find resources suited to areas you feel you need more practice, and you can decide when you take the lessons, and how long for. You also have a much wider scope of music lessons online to choose from, including variation in the way these lessons are presented, from the written format to demonstration videos. You can also continue your lessons no matter where you go, which is ideal for those that travel a lot with work. Finally, you will be more inclined to experiment and take risks when you only have yourself to answer to.
Before you head to the college fairs, and go through the emotional rigmarole of enrolling your children into college, you’ve got to prepare them for numerous changes in life. While homeschooling is becoming a more popular approach, there can be concerns that children aren’t prepared for college in this manner purely because they have been educated at home. Can a child get a better education at home to prepare them for college? Let’s answer the question.
Does Homeschooling Hinder Their Socializing?
From an outsider perspective, a child that is educated at home by themselves can seem ill-equipped to deal with what college throws at them. But in fact, while being homeschooled means they’re not engaging with people on a regular basis, it means that they can interact with other people with more vigor. In fact, many children are better socialized through homeschooling than those that go through the standard education system. It could also be because homeschooled children are less bound by time in class, so they have the opportunity to go out and engage with the world.
Are Homeschooled Children “Less Academic?”
There are two strands of thought to this. Because many homeschooled children choose their education they naturally have more of a passion for the subject, and when they apply to college, this authenticity shines through their application making them more of an asset to a specific college. But on the other hand, there are plenty of educational organizations, like cyber charter schools, that provide a structured education that children can follow. Because a child chooses their own education through homeschooling, or can follow a set routine provided by these cyber schools, it makes them more skilled regardless of the avenue they go down. It’s not a question of them being “less academic” but more about having the time out of school to add more strings to their bow, making them very attractive to college admission officers.
They Will Savor College
There are many kids that get into college and treat it like a vacation. But for those who have been educated at home, and have had to seek out their own passions in life, they will make more of college life. The opportunities that present themselves can be a logical extension of what they’ve already done. But in fact, as college provides more of an opportunity, from numerous extracurricular activities to social functions and more valued friendships, the child that’s been homeschooled won’t take this for granted in comparison to many others. It’s not just the fact that they will turn up for lectures and knuckle down, but they’ll find all aspects of college rewarding.
If anything, it would appear that home education is the way forward. There was a study that followed students between 2004 and 2009 at a doctoral university, and those that were homeschooled outperformed their peers and graduated at a higher grade. Even from an academic perspective, it appears that homeschooling isn’t the act of the parents wanting to bring their child out of formal education. In fact, it could give them a leg up in life!
If you’ve thought about homeschooling and wonder if it’s right for you, this infographic should help you weigh the pros and cons.
