If you are gearing up for a year of homeschooling, you are going to want to have a plan in place. While homeschooling can be greatly rewarding for both the child and the parent, you need to be ready for the school year by preparing in advance. Here are five ways that you can prepare for a successful school year.
Create a Schedule
Your days will run much more smoothly if you have a schedule that both you and your child can anticipate. Especially for younger kids who thrive on routine, a daily schedule can serve as your guide throughout the school day so that you do not get off track. Although you can certainly take advantage of the flexibility of homeschooling to be spontaneous during your day, a general guideline will help you to structure your day and provide a schedule that your kids can expect.
It is also a good idea if everyone in your life is informed about the schedule that you are following. Your extended family and friends will be less likely to expect you to work around their schedule if they know that they have a specific time each day set aside for teaching.
Organize a Dedicated Schooling Place
While there is a certain level of comfort and familiarity found in homeschooling, it is still important that you create a dedicated place in your house for school work. If you are lucky enough to have a spare room for this, you will find that this will grant you the distraction-free place that is most conducive to learning.
If you do not have an extra room in your home for this purpose, consider putting together a portable learning center. This will allow you to move your materials to the room of the house that you plan on using each day for teaching.
Gather Materials
Once you have a schedule and place to learn set, it is time to start gathering your curriculum materials. In addition to the materials that cover the basic educational foundations, be sure to harness the flexibility of homeschooling to teach your kids about subjects that they are truly interested in learning more about.
Numerous research studies have demonstrated that students retain more information if they are having fun when they are learning. This makes it important that you are intentional about choosing materials and lesson plans that incorporate fun into the learning process. For example, you can find anatomy for kids books that will teach your children about their own bodies in a way that incorporates both science skills and fun.
Schedule Outside Activities
Just because you are enjoying the convenience of staying home to educate your child, it does not mean that you should not get out of the house regularly. One of the greatest benefits of the increase in homeschooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic is that there are now more outside activities available to these students. Many of these extracurricular activities run during traditional school hours. It allows you to take advantage of your extra time during the day.
Outside activities serve multiple purposes. You can choose activities that provide enrichment to what your child is learning at home. Or maybe you go with a class that delivers something that you cannot duplicate in homeschooling. Sports are another great enrichment activity. The primary goal of these activities should be to provide critical socialization skills.
Be Flexible
Savvy homeschool parents will tell you that it is imperative that you adopt a spirit of flexibility when embarking on this learning adventure. You will get the most out of this experience if you embrace the freedom that comes with it. For example, you can now vacation during the off-season since you are not tied to a traditional school schedule.
Conclusion
It is also important that you expect the unexpected when homeschooling. You never know when your power will go out or when illness will strike. Having contingency plans in place and adopting an attitude of flexibility will help to deal with the curve balls that are thrown your way.
There is so much to love about homeschooling your family. Having a plan in place will help you to make the most out of this unique opportunity.
If you have any valuable insights, please leave them in the comments!
Leave a Reply