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| Image Credit: Annie Spratt from Unsplash |
Countless people are considering homeschooling their kids as a viable alternative to the more traditional school system. While they all have their own reasons, there could be plenty of benefits to doing this. A lot of these revolve around the drawbacks of a more traditional educational system.
This could lead to you wanting to start homeschooling your kids. It’s easy to see why. That doesn’t mean you know how to do it, however.
It can feel like a bit of an overwhelming process at the start, though it gets easier and easier. Thankfully, starting off doesn’t need to be as difficult as you could think. Quite the opposite. It could be more straightforward than you might’ve thought.
Taking the right steps helps with this a lot more than you’d think, and you’ll be homeschooling your kids before you know it.
Why Start Homeschooling Your Kids?
If you’re on the fence, it’s worth looking at why you should consider starting to homeschool your kids. You’ll already know it’ll take time and effort to do, and you’ll have to spend time actually teaching your kids and helping them learn.
There are more than a few reasons why this could be a great decision. Some of the more notable include:
Personalized Teaching - When you’re homeschooling your kids, you can teach them in a way that actually works for them. It’s a much more personalized approach, helping to make sure your kids can actually learn.
Greater Flexibility - Homeschooling offers a much more flexible approach to learning, and this can be seen in several ways. You can teach your kids at a time where they can pay full attention to their lessons, for example.
More Control - As your child’s teacher, you’ll have greater control over how and what they learn, which can always be a great benefit. It helps you make sure they’re learning what they’re supposed to learn.
Better Bonding - When you’re homeschooling your kids, you can bond with them much better. You could end up having a much better relationship with them going forward.
These can be more than enough to convince you to start homeschooling your kids, but you mightn’t be sure where to start. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as you could think.
It might just be a matter of taking the right steps at the start, and you’ll be good to go. Seven of these stand out.
Homeschooling Your Kids: 7 Steps to Take
1. Know the Requirements
While homeschooling is allowed almost everywhere, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a few rules and regulations you’ll need to follow. If you don’t adhere to these, then you could run into more than a few issues. That’s why it’s always worth taking the time to know what your local and federal requirements are.
Once you do, you’re in a much better position to make sure you don’t run into any problems. Usually, there are governmental departments that focus specifically on this, so it’s worth getting into contact with them. You’ll find out exactly what you need to do to start homeschooling your kids.
2. Set Up a Learning Space
You’ll need somewhere to actually teach your kids when you start homeschooling them. A dedicated learning space is vital for your kids to pay attention, as well as for you to teach. It’s somewhere there aren’t any distractions, so you’re both free to actually focus on the lessons. Set this up early.
There are more than a few things you can include in this space. A desk and chair for each child, a whiteboard, storage space for supplies, and other essentials will all be part of this. Once you’ve set this up, you’ll be in a much better position to help your kids learn.
3. Invest in Supplies & Materials
When you’re homeschooling your kids, you’ll naturally need supplies and materials. Most of these revolve around the curriculum, and there are quite a few essentials to invest in. Make sure you have enough of these to actually teach your child effectively, and that you have everything you need for them to learn.
If you’re teaching them American history, for example, it could be worth picking up a 13 colonies map quiz. The same can be said for more than a few other supplies and materials. Have everything you need to teach your children what they’re supposed to learn.
4. Pick a Homeschooling Method
What many people don’t realize is there are multiple homeschooling methods you can choose from. Each of these offers their pros and cons, and it’s worth considering each of them before making your decision. Montessori, unit studies, and classical are the most notable of these.
By researching each of them, you can figure out which one will be the best option for you and your kids. Keep your needs and your child’s needs in mind when you’re figuring this out. You’ll end up finding the best approach to take for your situation.
5. Schedule it Out
You’ll already know you’ll have to set time aside to homeschool your kids every day. Don’t just make sure you’ve designated a few hours every day for this, though. Have an actual schedule for your kids’ learning so you can teach them what they should be learning.
Scheduling out their academic lessons and knowing what you’ll be teaching them every day is recommended. It helps you make sure you’re getting through everything that needs to be gotten through. Don’t forget to include breaks and recreational activities when you’re putting this schedule together. It gives you and your kids the mental break you might need. Even if you’re moving home, stick to this schedule as much as you can.
6. Set Clear Goals
It’s always worth having educational goals for your child. Some of these are legally mandated, like your kids learning specific lessons. That doesn’t mean these are the only goals you should have. It can always be worth having a few goals on top of these, especially if you want your child to excel.
Setting SMART goals is recommended for this, as it helps you set goals that your child can actually achieve. At the same time, it’s worth keeping your child’s abilities, strengths, and needs in mind. It’ll help you set appropriate goals you can help them work toward.
7. Nourish Yourself as a Teacher
Most of the steps to start homeschooling your kids focus on making sure you have everything set up right. It’s relatively easy to overlook yourself when you’re doing this. It’s always worth making sure you’re as equipped as possible to teach them and help them learn.
This goes beyond just having the materials and supplies you need to teach. It’s worth looking into the support and other resources you can use as a parent teacher. The more you invest in this, the better of a position you’ll be in to actually be your child’s teacher. It’s worth focusing on from the start.
Homeschooling Your Kids: Wrapping Up
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to start homeschooling your kids. It can offer more than a few benefits compared to a more traditional education. That’s why so many people have taken the plunge on it so far, and it’ll explain why you’re actively considering it.
As much as you might want it, however, it doesn’t mean you’ll know exactly what you’re doing. It could feel overwhelming and complicated.
It doesn’t have to be, though. While there’s work and effort involved, it could be more straightforward than you might’ve thought. It’s just a matter of taking the right steps starting off, and there shouldn’t be any problems.
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