It does not take an advanced degree to be a great teacher to your children. You should use a combination of basic skills and things you have learned throughout your life. If you hit any bumps in the road and are not sure what to do next, use the tips here to help you get back on the right track.
Include your child’s hobbies in their learning. If they enjoy building model cars, pick up reference books for them to read and include building a car as a project. Teach them about how an engine works, how cars affect the environment and even use the speed and distance a car goes in math lessons.
Don’t rely entirely on the textbooks when teaching a subject. Kids should be encourage to read everything they can, even comic books! Encouraging them to read an array of different material can really help them to become more well-rounded. They can analyze the situation which is a skill they’ll be using for the rest of their life.
One of the pros of homeschooling is that is allows you the freedom to educate your child in the way that your child learns best. For example, you can tailor your lessons to include more tactile activities to meet the needs of the hands-on learner. This will help your child to ultimately be successful learning.
Treat homeschooling like a job. You’re a teacher now, and that means you also have to seek out more education. Professional teachers take “PA” days to attend conferences and training, so you should, too! Find homeschooling events near you or even attend one as a vacation. You’ll find they teach you not only specific topics you might not know a lot about, but also how to be a better teacher and how to plan out homeschooling lessons like a pro.
Plan out a ton of activities to accentuate your child’s learning. If they’re learning about history, have them act out the time they’re learning about. They can dress up, speak like people of that time and even engage in battle, if that is what the topic is. It gives them a chance to truly experience what they’re learning, immersing them in the topic and ensuring they learn as much as possible from the lesson plan you present.
If you have kids in the home that are not yet school age, spend some quality time with them prior to starting the day’s lessons with the older kids. If they can get their fill of attention time before you get busy with the older kids, they are likely going to be able to entertain themselves while you work.
Write down a list of all the reasons why you have chosen homeschooling for your kids. Start off with a list of the pros and cons of public schools in your area. Next, write down how you’re going to overcome those cons and include the pros in your own classroom. Subsequently, create milestones and goals you want your kids to reach as you teach them. Create a timeline for those goals so you can be sure they’re attained.
Do thorough research on the type of curriculum that you are thinking of getting. The quality and approach can differ widely. The content should engage your child to keep his interest high. The curriculum must be well-laid out so that it is easy for you to use. A poorly designed curriculum will cause frustration for you as well as your child.
If you decide to hire a tutor to supplement your homeschooled child’s education, choose carefully. Make sure that the tutor has a degree in the subject he or she teaches. While a teaching degree is helpful, it isn’t a necessity to be a good tutor. Verify a potential tutor’s expertise and effectiveness by asking for and checking in with references.
Try to find a balance between using technology and offline schooling techniques. Technology is not always reliable. Having an alternative lesson plan prevents you from having a wasted day.
Be persistent. If you are trying to teach your children something, don’t give up after one failed attempt. There is a time and a place to move on, but make sure you give it your best effort before you go back to the drawing board. Sometimes children just need to be exposed to something for a little longer before it “clicks.”
Avoid lecturing your children as much as possible. You are not a trained professional. Most children do not like lectures, so you should find a way to teach that will keep them interested. You should be supportive in your child’s learning, more like a teacher’s assistant trying to help. You’ll get your own education this way!
Be completely honest about your abilities as it relates to your effectiveness as a teacher. Do not skip subjects, as this will only hurt your child. This will only hurt your child’s education. If you feel technically weak in your curriculum, think about trading some time with another parent who is homeschooling, or getting a tutor.
Keep all your school supplies handy and in one central location. When you and your child know exactly where everything you need is it makes doing school work so much easier. Have all your writing utensils, paper, books and other items in a central location so they can be found easily. You can choose a certain room, or an area in a room. Make this your school room and this will help keep things nice and organized.
Most people think that it is simple to teach their children at home. This is not something that is easy at all. It will take a lot of hard work and patience on the part of you and your child. Hopefully the information above will help you along the way.
