1. Read and learn as much about home schooling as possible. Check your local library for home school books. Even some books that look out of date may provide you with ideas and encouragement. My favorite books for families new to home schooling are For The Children’s Sake, The Well Trained Mind and So You’re thinking about Home Schooling.
2. Make the basic subjects your priority. Forget trying to teach latin roots when you first start out. Start with math, reading, writing and history and build up to other subjects.
Both my kids will tell you that they are glad that we spent so much time writing when they were younger. When you get the basics figured out, then you can add in other subjects.
3. Record your progress. It’s so easy to lose sight of the progress our children are making. Just like we mark their growth on a wall chart, mark their academic growth down too. Here are some ideas on how to do this…
-Create a list of books they have read or that you have read with them-include the author and the number of pages. This is so fun for them to look at and for them to add up the number of pages that they have read.
-Simply write down what you are learning about each day on a calendar….”we learned outlining, strong verbs, Thomas Edison, solar system, planets, read Charlottes Web Ch 1,2”.
-Include character traits you see developing in your children…. “said please and thank you at breakfast, apologized after grabbing a toy, compassionate to new boy at homeschool group.”
4. Get connected. This is a hard one for some families. It will take determination to visit support groups and try to find one that fits your style. Don’t give up. You will be modeling to you children how to make friends and how to appreciate people who are different from you. If you don’t find a suitable group, look for at least one other family that is similar to yours and consider starting a group.
5. Learn from other home school moms. This will require some degree of risk but it will pay off big time. Most home school veterans will be happy to share their day with you. You can learn so much just by asking about a particular curriculum.
The Five Essentials of Homeschooling Success
1. Read and learn as much about home schooling as possible. Check your local library for home school books. Even some books that look out of date may provide you with ideas and encouragement. My favorite books for families new to home schooling are For The Children’s Sake, The Well Trained Mind and So You’re thinking about Home Schooling.
2. Make the basic subjects your priority. Forget trying to teach latin roots when you first start out. Start with math, reading, writing and history and build up to other subjects.
Both my kids will tell you that they are glad that we spent so much time writing when they were younger. When you get the basics figured out, then you can add in other subjects.
3. Record your progress. It’s so easy to lose sight of the progress our children are making. Just like we mark their growth on a wall chart, mark their academic growth down too. Here are some ideas on how to do this…
-Create a list of books they have read or that you have read with them-include the author and the number of pages. This is so fun for them to look at and for them to add up the number of pages that they have read.
-Simply write down what you are learning about each day on a calendar….”we learned outlining, strong verbs, Thomas Edison, solar system, planets, read Charlottes Web Ch 1,2”.
-Include character traits you see developing in your children…. “said please and thank you at breakfast, apologized after grabbing a toy, compassionate to new boy at homeschool group.”
4. Get connected. This is a hard one for some families. It will take determination to visit support groups and try to find one that fits your style. Don’t give up. You will be modeling to you children how to make friends and how to appreciate people who are different from you. If you don’t find a suitable group, look for at least one other family that is similar to yours and consider starting a group.
5. Learn from other home school moms. This will require some degree of risk but it will pay off big time. Most home school veterans will be happy to share their day with you. You can learn so much just by asking about a particular curriculum.