Even though homeschooling can be wonderful, it can also be really hard, especially if you weren't prepared before jumping in. With the virus shutting down schools across the globe, here is a list of tips that have made our homeschool days go a lot smoother.
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- Homeschool should not last as long as public school. You have to remember that kids at school aren't "doing school" 6 hours a day. They are also walking across the school to get to and from class, having recess and lunch, handing out papers, being distracted, waiting for the rest of the class to catch up if they are done early, etc.
- Since you are doing focused, 1 on 1 work, you can get through a lot more in a much shorter amount of time.
- Go by your child's signals. Are they crying and unable to do something they easily did yesterday? They may just need a long break or a good night's sleep. They may also need you to explain it to them in a different way.
- Using games (see my post on gameschooling) and books that cover the topic your child is struggling with can do wonders to help them understand a concept, especially in math.
- Get your children working as independently as possible, as quickly as possible.
- Expect there to be some kickback from your child. You have always been the parent, and the dynamic of their relationship with you is completely different than that of their teacher. Don't be afraid to make them sit at the table with you until they have done all of their work. It will be horrible, but after a couple of times, they will realize it is no use stalling and whining and they will get it done a lot faster.
- Don't use school as punishment. No threatening to give them more spelling words if they throw a fit about what they do have.
- If they get everything done early, don't feel like you have to add more that day.
- Realize that your house will be messier than before you started homeschooling. Be OK with that.
- Implement a chore system.
- It pays to go through the torture of teaching your kids to cook, because eventually they can take over a lot of the cooking.
- Freezer meals are a lifesaver.
- Make meals very simple. Think pancakes, quesadillas, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, etc.
- Don't wait to start school until public school would normally start. Start right after breakfast. That way your kids have more energy to learn and you can get it all done early so you can have the rest of the day off.
- Not every subject has to be done every day.
- Reading, writing, and math should be done every day.
- Stagger the subjects so that different parts of the brain get used each time. Left-brain subject, right-brain subject.
- When first beginning your homeschool journey, start with the core subjects (reading, writing, and math) and gradually add in other subjects one by one until you are where you need to be.
- Don't only do the three R's. Make sure your child is well-rounded and fully educated. However, if your child is behind in reading, writing, or math, you should almost extensively focus on these areas for a couple of weeks until they get caught up. If they never get caught up in these subjects. , it will affect them for life.
- If your child struggles a lot with a subject, don't just drop the subject. Find a way to teach it to them, even if your way is unconventional.
- It's OK to switch curriculum because you hate it or it's just not working.
- Almost all curriculum companies give you the option of downloading a sample of their curriculum. Sometimes it is just a chapter, but many times it is several week's worth. Even if you have to try a couple to find one you like, it is so much better than wasting money on something you end up disliking and not using.
- Don't be afraid to challenge your kids.
- If homeschooling more than one child. stagger their difficult and easy subjects so you can help one child with their hard subjects while the other one is working independently.
- Don't forget to have fun!
- Organize your homeschool materials in one central area of the house. Organize each kid separately.
- Have a designated space for library books.
- Meal plan, meal plan. meal plan.
- It will be OK if they don't learn the recorder.
- Brainstorm a list of ideas to keep the younger kids busy while you homeschool the older kids.
- Lesson planning can be as complicated or as easy as you want.
- You can school year-round.
- When possible, let your kids pick what they want to do first.
- You can have homeschool parties for holidays and other events.
- You will print. A lot. An all-in-one printer is so helpful.
- Refurbished cartridges will save you a ridiculous amount of money.
- Stock up on paper when your office supply store has sales.
- You will also laminate. A lot. I love this laminator.
- You can use generic laminating sheets. This will save you money.
- Be careful of the Dollar Store. You can get some awesome things there, like sticky notes, crayons, glue, markers, tape, etc. Don't buy staplers, kid scissors, or binders. The quality is poor to very poor. If it is back-to-school season, then don't buy notebooks because they will be cheaper elsewhere. Otherwise the quality is the same.
- Don't forget music and art!
- Make sure you follow the homeschool laws in your state. Every state has different laws about the requirements of the parent, subjects that must be covered, reporting, etc. You can easily find this information through Google.
- If you have very active kids you probably don't need to have a separate PE period. If they are sedentary or overweight, definitely make sure you include it!
- To some extent you can combine subjects. For example, you can do art while doing music appreciation. You can listen to a story while doing a handicraft. You can have your child do a notebooking page about their history or science lesson, and that would cover writing for the day.
- You can combine children of different ages for some of the same subjects. This works by having a base lesson that the younger kids can understand, and then adding in more challenging material for the older kids. History, literature, science, and music are some of the easiest subjects to combine, depending on the age gap.
- Unit studies are really fun and include everyone in the family. (Check out my post on unit studies for an in-depth look at this!)
- If your child develops a deep interest in something, stop and let them explore it for a while. You don't have to follow the pacing guide for your curriculum to a T.
- You can put together your own curriculum.
- There is no one right way to homeschool.
- Electronics are super addictive. Use them sparingly.
- Let your kids earn rewards for doing a good job with school.
- You will need chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
- Figuring out what kind of education you want your child to have will really help you narrow down your curriculum choices. (Check out my Homeschool Methods page for more information!)
- Mom's need time outs too.
- Don't forget to refill your bucket by doing things you enjoy.
I hope this list of ideas for making homeschooling easier helps you to feel a little less stressed in these out-of-control times. Also be sure to check out 9 Ways to Ease Into Your Homeschool Year!