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Top 5 things for an effective homeschool
Definition of a homeschool
A homeschool is the education of a child at home usually from a parent instead of going to a traditional public or private school.
Amount of kids homeschooled
About 6% of U.S. school-age kids are homeschooled. This is over 3 million kids.
Curriculum
Find a good curriculum fit for your teaching style and your child’s learning.
Top reasons families homeschool
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Concern about the environment in schools such as bullying, safety, and negative influences
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Religious reasons
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Dissatisfaction with academic instruction in schools
Organization
Use a calendar, daily planner, notebooks, folders, and binders. Make a homeschool space with a table or desk and computer. Use a bookshelf for books and other school materials.
Parent checklist
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Help your child learn how to learn and enjoy learning.
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Model learning and show your child your joy of reading, problem-solving, and creating and it will help them to also learn those skills.
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Try your best and keep moving forward.
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Have conversations and discussions with your child about what they learn because learning is often achieved by discussions.
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Provide a creative environment.
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Encourage experiments, exploring, and problem solving.
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Look for new ideas, resources, and experiences to use for homeschool.
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Connect lessons to things that are part of everyday life.
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Ask questions and encourage thinking skills and finding answers.
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Provide positive feedback.
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Give praise to kids for information they have learned, skills they have developed, and their efforts.
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Help your child improve on weak areas and build on strong areas.
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Remember that childhood is a time to be curious, explore, think, learn, play, have fun, and be happy.
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Teach your child how to deal with change and help them develop skills that will help them adapt to whatever life brings.
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Teach your child how to find information.
Flexibility
Be flexible with schedules. Take breaks and allow free time between studies. Learn as you go and adapt. Value trial and error. Change a curriculum or resource that isn’t working and try something else. Look for new material, be open to other resources, and try different things. Relax and enjoy learning and reduce stress.
Application
Teach basic skills that people need to function in the world, like math, reading, writing, speaking well, and using technology. Give reasons why learning something is important for life or a job. Apply learning to real life examples.
Fun
Make learning enjoyable. Fun involves freedom, creativity, variety, hands-on learning, and interest. Have a variety of learning topics and styles to avoid boredom. Go on outings and field trips. Connect learning to some things your kids are interested in.