Are you thinking of homeschooling your child?
Nowadays, a lot of parents are getting pushed to homeschool their children. The reason each family does this vary from safety for their child, save up funds for better opportunities in college, to make sure the kid learns what they need to learn, and to better guide their children to their dreams.
With this many benefits and little to no drawbacks to homeschooling, you can see why the choice is simple for a lot of families. Homeschooling encourages a better educational life for your child. “How can I homeschool my child though?”, we hear you ask.
Read what we have below for a simple starter guide to homeschooling your kids. We’ll help you cover all the basics you need to know about homeschooling to not only ensure your child gets proper education but to also ensure what you’re doing is within legal parameters.
1. Do Your Research
To be successful in homeschooling, you need a lot more to go on than a spur of the moment decision. Surveys show that more than a third of parents stop homeschooling their children after only a year of doing so.
For the most part, it’s because they have no clue how to carry on beyond the first few courses for their children. They also stop after the first year because their children lack the certain skill sets their parents should teach them about.
For this not to happen to you, consider doing some research on what traditional schools do wrong to drive your kids to become unmotivated in learning. Take those into consideration and do what you can to change it in your homeschool. This will make the learning experience better for your kids.
2. Recognize Your State’s Laws in Homeschooling
Before you get into anything related to homeschooling, it’s a good idea to review state laws first. Different states have different laws in regards to their take on the educational system. They have different views on homeschooling as a practice, too.
Read up on them before deciding anything to make sure nothing you’re about to do is illegal. Some states need you to come to your kid’s current school and confirm you’re taking them out for homeschooling. Meanwhile, some states have requirements for your homeschooling to become legalized.
Make sure you have everything you need before pulling your child out of school. This will save you a lot of headache in the near future.
3. Attend Different Conferences and Events About Homeschooling
Most parents go to conferences to prepare themselves in homeschooling. This is a great idea because a lot of events and seminars give a lot of great advice on preparation and continuation. There are also some that give information like online courses where you can get online college credits.
Homeschooling conventions are also a great place to hear the perspective of other homeschooling parents. They are a great source of information and insight for what you’re about to embark on.
These are also great places to find groups who offer support to starting teachers.
4. Ask for Support Among Local Groups
Speaking of support groups, it’s not a bad idea to seek one out before homeschooling. More often than not, the people in the group are also fellow homeschoolers looking to improve the image of homeschooling. This makes them a valuable asset for you and your child.
This is because they teach you how to home school your child without trouble. You can also include them in your child’s education.
It’s common to have someone else teach your kids in while homeschooling. This will give your kids a refreshed view every once in a while.
5. Know What to Focus On
Homeschooling works well because teachers find it hard to connect with their students. With you taking the lead though, you should be able to provide better for your kid. You should know what motivates them, their weaknesses, and their strengths.
Use what you know about your child to provide the best learning experience for them. Pay attention to what they’re struggling with so you can guide them better through it.
6. Plot Out the Year’s Curriculum
By this point, you should have all the information you need. Advice from support groups, insight from conventions, and knowledge of your kids’ struggles. With that in mind, the next move is to plan the year’s curriculum.
At first, you should include the general courses in the plan. This is to make your child more well-rounded in different areas. Then, include specific courses that help with the career your child aspires to have.
Plot it out per quarter of the year to make sure you don’t miss or overlook anything. Also, you should take a look again at state laws for any mandatory exams to prepare for. Doing so ensures the state accepts your child as a professional in the future.
7. Include Social Events in Your Plan
A challenge homeschoolers face is socialization. Socializing is an important part of a young person’s age. They need to meet different people in order to become a more well-rounded individual. There are certain ways you can go about this for a homeschooled child.
One such way is to have other people teach other lessons every now and then. Interacting with a new person will teach them that not everyone works the same way. It’s also a great way to introduce new role models in their life.
Another way is to invite other homeschooled kids to learn with them. This gives them the opportunity to interact with someone within their age bracket. They can also learn how to make friends by doing this,
How Can I Homeschool My Child? Learn the Basics Here
What do you need to homeschool a child to success? Patience, understanding, and preparation are your greatest tools in homeschooling. With the help of our guide above, you’ll be able to provide your child with the best education you can give.
What are you waiting for? Get started and nurture your children today!
Got any other questions other than “How can I homeschool my child”? Check out our other guides today to help answer whatever questions you have.
