Tips for homeschool beginners

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — Here are a few tips to help those new to homeschooling or those who may be struggling with or just interested in homeschooling.

1. HAVE A PLAN. Figure out which direction you are going before you start. Research to see what is available and make a choice. Day one of homeschooling is not the time to scramble around looking for school work for your child.

2. HAVE A SCHEDULED TIME FOR SCHOOL WORK. Homeschooling should be flexible when you need it to be for doctor appointments, shopping or special occasions, but try to keep to some type of schedule and stick to it. It will be so much easier for you and your child if they know they have a set time to get their work done.

It will be much harder if every day you are trying to find the time to fit school in when it really should be a top priority. Children can easily fall behind too, so scheduling is important.

3. Have a set bedtime. Children can easily get off track and if they are going to bed at a different time every night, it is kind of hard to stay on a set schedule for school. Children need to be well rested so they can have a easier time understanding and retaining the information that is taught to them.

4. Establish consequences. Homeschool is not the equivalent of no school at all and children must be made to understand that from the beginning. No child is perfect and at times they may not feel like doing their work. They have to made to understand that homeschooling is real school and that they would face consequences if they did not complete their work as I knew they could.

Once they realized that they would lose privileges such as viewing their favorite television programs, playing video games on the weekends or even playing with their favorite toys just the same as if they neglected to do their work in a traditional school the problem cleared right up.

5. Have fun. Homeschooling can be a fun and wondrous adventure if you choose to make it that way. Enjoy the time with your child.

Make the lessons fun with activities that go hand in hand with what you are teaching them. Do science experiments. Teach your child to prepare easy recipes. You could have themed parties or fun times with arts and crafts like painting, working with clay, making homemade cards or jewelry etc.

You can also take them on fun educational trips. Young children love these type of activities and you can enjoy them together. Make the most of your homeschooling education plan. It can be a wonderful experience for you and your child.

source: mb.com.ph