5 tips for the homeschooling parent
Labels: Home Schooling
Home schooling is a challenge, but it has many benefits for your children. Staying organized is the key to make home schooling less stressful.
You have decided to home school your children. You know that this is a wonderful gift to your children, but you still may feel a bit overwhelmed. Being prepared, keeping things structured, and staying organized are the best ways to make each day go smoothly. You are teaching your children much more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. You are also teaching them –by example- how to give of themselves and how to organize their lives and use their time effectively.
Here are some tips to help you stay organized:
Designate certain spaces for specific activities
A playroom is not the best place to work, since it reminds the kids of playtime. If you do not have another space to use, section off the playroom into areas for work and play. It is a good idea to create a math center, a science center, a reading area, etc. It not only allows you to keep the items you need handy, instead of having to put science stuff away before starting on math, it also helps break up the day for the kids since they are allowed to move from one area to another. This will help reduce boredom for children as well as parents.
A place for everything
After organizing specific areas, you also need to find places for home schooling gear. Leaving items scattered does not make for a productive experience when you return to the area. Have your children help you put everything back in place when "school is out" for the day. You will be glad you did when you are able to start fresh with a neat, organized area the next morning.
Stick to your schedule
Make sure the kids eat something at appropriate times so they will not be distracted from their work because they are hungry. If it is time to do math, do math. When home schooling, it is easy to rearrange your schedule for more enticing activities, but it can become a trap. Do not let the kids pressure you into changing the schedule too often. Of course, being too rigid is not good either, so be flexible when necessary. If something important comes up, it is okay to bend the schedule a bit, but on a daily basis, try to stick to it as closely as possible.
Concentrate on one thing at a time
Do not try to do too much at once. If it is time for reading, focus on reading and do not try to incorporate other subjects at the same time. It is also a good idea to schedule household chores for rest time, playtime, snack time, or "after school." Attempting to do the laundry or to wash dishes while home schooling is not conducive to a productive learning atmosphere. This may require extra planning and more of your time, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Enlist help
If you know someone that works in a field your child is interested in, invite that person to speak to your child or have your child visit him or her at work if possible. On the other hand, if there is a subject that is not exactly your best, consider bringing in a tutor or trading subjects with another home schooling parent in your area. Nothing is more frustrating for parent and child than trying to work on a difficult subject, especially if you are ill prepared to teach that subject. Another parent might agree to teach your children math, while you teach his or her children science, or vice versa.
You have decided to home school your children. You know that this is a wonderful gift to your children, but you still may feel a bit overwhelmed. Being prepared, keeping things structured, and staying organized are the best ways to make each day go smoothly. You are teaching your children much more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. You are also teaching them –by example- how to give of themselves and how to organize their lives and use their time effectively.
Here are some tips to help you stay organized:
Designate certain spaces for specific activities
A playroom is not the best place to work, since it reminds the kids of playtime. If you do not have another space to use, section off the playroom into areas for work and play. It is a good idea to create a math center, a science center, a reading area, etc. It not only allows you to keep the items you need handy, instead of having to put science stuff away before starting on math, it also helps break up the day for the kids since they are allowed to move from one area to another. This will help reduce boredom for children as well as parents.
A place for everything
After organizing specific areas, you also need to find places for home schooling gear. Leaving items scattered does not make for a productive experience when you return to the area. Have your children help you put everything back in place when "school is out" for the day. You will be glad you did when you are able to start fresh with a neat, organized area the next morning.
Stick to your schedule
Make sure the kids eat something at appropriate times so they will not be distracted from their work because they are hungry. If it is time to do math, do math. When home schooling, it is easy to rearrange your schedule for more enticing activities, but it can become a trap. Do not let the kids pressure you into changing the schedule too often. Of course, being too rigid is not good either, so be flexible when necessary. If something important comes up, it is okay to bend the schedule a bit, but on a daily basis, try to stick to it as closely as possible.
Concentrate on one thing at a time
Do not try to do too much at once. If it is time for reading, focus on reading and do not try to incorporate other subjects at the same time. It is also a good idea to schedule household chores for rest time, playtime, snack time, or "after school." Attempting to do the laundry or to wash dishes while home schooling is not conducive to a productive learning atmosphere. This may require extra planning and more of your time, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Enlist help
If you know someone that works in a field your child is interested in, invite that person to speak to your child or have your child visit him or her at work if possible. On the other hand, if there is a subject that is not exactly your best, consider bringing in a tutor or trading subjects with another home schooling parent in your area. Nothing is more frustrating for parent and child than trying to work on a difficult subject, especially if you are ill prepared to teach that subject. Another parent might agree to teach your children math, while you teach his or her children science, or vice versa.