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Homeschooling ~
- How To Begin
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 Starting Your Homeschooling
Program
- The popularity of home schooling is growing and more parents
are taking their child's education into their home. This approach
is often taken on to save children from the negative influences
of peer pressure, violence in schools and the consequences brought
about by education in a restricted as well as insecure environment.
Home schooling does not only promote academics, but also helps
to build confidence, trust, respect, optimism and feelings of
self-worth.
- The success of any home school program lies in the undivided
attention you give your child. But sometimes quality is more
important than quantity. Taking on a project of homeschool can
also be draining to both you and your child. Don't expect to
be teaching for every minute of the day. You both will need some
down time and kids do need to be kids for a while.
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- In addition, you and your child will be together all day.
You'll both need some time away from each other as well. You
may have a little house work to do, and your child can learn
a lot by playing with their toys or their friends in your neighborhood.
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- Establishing priorities is one of the key activities to begin
your homeschooling program. Creating a timetable can be an effective
tool to manage both your time and theirs. It can help keep you
on schedule and set a good structure for your child's learning
time.
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- Of course there are basics for every homeschooling program.
Reading, writing and arithmetic are still the mainstay subjects
to be taught. But don't forget history and science as these are
also important to establish a well rounded student.
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- You can find many resources, tools and reference books for
establishing a good curriculum for you particular needs and level
of education of your child. Don't discount a search at Amazon.com,
internet sites and even websites established by Moms and Dads
who are currently homeschooling and can share their lessons learned.
You can find a wide variety of textbooks, audio CDs, DVDs and
other learning materials available in the market as well.
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- If as a parent you think that you want a home school education
but then cannot educate your child on your own, another suitable
option would be a home tutor. Although, teaching your kids yourself
is not only a heartwarming gesture, some people find it very
hard to do and think the only alternative is to put their kids
back into school. Or they look for private schools in their area.
The expense of a private school might be commiserate or in many
cases more expensive than hiring a tutor to teach your child
in your home. If you find you don't have the patience to teach,
don't give up - there are alternatives.
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- Here is a list of things you should do to get started with
your homeschooling program.
- The first step is to find out what the laws are in your state.
There are many resources to find what's provided in your state.
One site that might help is Diary
of a Homeschool Mom. If your state isn't listed on her site,
try a google search on your counties school board website.
- The next step is to locate a curriculum for your child. There
are many out there. You can buy a curriculum or find a resource
book that tells you how to create your own. Check out 100
Top Picks by Cathy Duffy, Home
Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp.
- With your curriculum in hand, establish a Time Schedule for
your day and week. Create a good structure to go through your
subjects each day. Set aside 10 minutes to review what you learned
yesterday and then 30 to 40 minutes for the new day's lesson.
Also set up a Time Table that spans each quarter of your child's
school year. Set realistic goals and expectations and then use
this to compare your child's progress. If you and your child
are not meeting your expectations, review your time table and
decide if it was realistic or aggressive. Remember your child
is not an adult trying to meet a deadline for giant corporate
roll out. Compare your time table to the requirements of your
local school board and make adjustments if needed. There maybe
some areas of study that your child will need extra help with.
There may also be areas that come easily to your child. Keeping
an eye on progress can help you adjust your schedule and keep
your child on track.
- Testing is a necessary evil in life. And it shouldn't be
ignored in your homeschooling program either. In order to maintain
registration with your local school district, you and your child
will probably be required to complete and pass a set of subject
tests to ensure your child is learning at home. Don't be afraid
to create a few easy pop-quizzes for your child during their
study. These help build confidence in your child about tests
and can help many avoid the "test fear" syndrome that
many kids face. Many curriculums will provide tests on various
subjects as well.
- Include field trips in your program. Going out to museums,
local area nature centers, park programs and even just taking
a walk with your child are all great ways to take the classroom
out into the world. It's also a great way to get out of the house
and take on a change of scenery.
- Look online for groups in your area that provide interaction
for not only your child, but also you. This can be a great way
to learn from others who are homeschooling. It's also a great
way to help your child develop social skills with others their
own age. Again Diary
of a Homeschool Mom has created a great list of groups by
state.
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