Homeschooling shouldn’t be patterned to a regular school. Don’t think that your child needs to stay in one room at his desk the whole entire period of study time. This might just create a feeling of isolation.
Your child’s learning experience is broadened to the whole world around him rather than just what can be taught in a classroom or laboratory. They can learn from books and experience at the same time.
Keeping study time fun and exciting for your child doesn’t mean that you have to put on a costume each time that you teach your child. Think about it as making the boring parts in learning to different level of interest to stimulate your child to learn.
If you present your child with fun activities related to their studies, then this will help the child focus on the fun in learning. They will not only know what is being taught, but they will also learn through application and experience.
You can work out your schedule
Children love it when they are involved with the planning. Working out a way too synch your schedules with your child helps them see the importance of their studies since they are able to see that you are willing to make time to be with them during study time.
Extra-curricular outings and activities
Even a day at the grocery can be made as a field trip or learning opportunity. Your child isn’t limited to those school field trips that they might find boring and end up not learning anything. You can give your child options on the place that you can go as a family. You don’t have to spend too long in the area if boredom gets the best of you and your child. You need to make sure that the outing has a learning purpose too and the usual essay on their field trip helps them pay attention to details while having fun.
They get to choose their physical activities
Some children simple hate physical education but we all know that they need it. Try to create at least an exercise regimen that will keep your child physically healthy. If they don’t like climbing those ropes in gym class, then there’s always a way to find a different action that will develop the same muscle groups.
They don’t need to be bodybuilders at the end of the homeschooling, but they need to be fit and strong.
Getting to spend more time with family
It’s always great when other people can get involved too. Making study time a fun time with other family members brings all of you closer together making it a family activity.
Socializing with other homeschoolers
Have fun with other homeschoolers in your area. This gives you time to share with other parents your experience and learning best practices from each other. The child will also be able to share their same homeschooling experience with other homeschoolers.
Flexibility with teaching tools
Homeschooling your child means that you are given resources such as books, manuals, or even online references which will aid you in teaching your child. However, these wonderful tools don’t limit your creativity. As you go along, you will discover other means found in simple house chores or daily activities. A grocery trip, or weekly house cleaning could be fun teaching and learning tools too. You may create your own teaching tools journal for yourself to take note of those out of the box ideas.
More time learning about God’s word with the family
This is the most important among all of these pointers. It is difficult to incorporate God’s word in your child’s curriculum if they go to regular schools. Some schools will still have their own lesson outlines, and it will not exactly include those verses you have in mind. Homeschool will give you the opportunity to gather the family, and continuously learn about God’s teachings.
Mimi Rothschild is a veteran homeschooling mother of 8, writer of a series of books called Cyberspace for Kids, and passionate advocate for children and education that is truly worthy of them. In 2001, Mimi and her late husband founded Learning By Grace, a leading provider of online Christian homeschooling Academies.