Five Tips for Homeschooling

by Danica Davidson

Often when people approach something complex (say a child’s education) it helps to break it up into smaller pieces. Here is a list of five ideas that can help you out if you’re homeschooling. Feel free to add your own ideas!

1. Find what works best for you.

Face it, not everyone is the same. Not everyone learns the same way or enjoys the same subjects. Homeschooling is well-known for letting parents, tutors and kids “play” with education, trying out different things and deciding what’s best for the individual. If something works for the homeschooled kid down the street but isn’t right for you, don’t feel you have to stick with the other kid’s curriculum or schedule. Follow the beat of your own drum when it’s helpful.

2. Go at your own pace.

You don’t need to race through lessons. At the same time, you don’t have to drag on lessons if it’s something the child already understands. The best advice is to make certain the subject is understood, whether it takes a short time or a long time, and then move on. It can be useful to touch back on old subjects to make sure they’re not forgotten. What matters is learning the material, not the speed at which it is learned.

3. Seek help when needed.

Parents, you don’t have to be perfect. It’s okay to seek help. Family members, friends, tutors, librarians and teachers can all be excellent sources for aid and advice. The internet can also be a good source for information as well as people. Children are told to ask questions if they’re lost, so why can’t parents ask questions too? Asking for some help is not a weakness.

4. Use your imagination.

Please, be as creative as you want! For instance, there are many ways to learn besides from books. That doesn’t mean that books should be thrown out the window, only that you don’t need to only count on them for education. Trips to the museum, art projects and community service are all things that instantly come to mind as innovative ways to learn. The internet is full of websites and even TV can be very educational (believe it or not). But it’s also good to get out and about. Why not get together with other parents and kids to make group projects if that’s what works for you?

5. Enjoy yourselves while you’re at it!

Education doesn’t have to be boring. When learning comes alive, subjects and lessons tend to stick longer and better with students. And a person doesn’t need to study all day, every time. Having a good time and learning are not, by any means, mutually

About the Author: Danica Davidson is a professional writer and recent graduate of Laurel Springs School, an accredited distance learning homeschool program. She enjoys spending her days writing, reading and learning, even though she's not 'technically' in school now.