Homeschooling ?The First Steps The decision to home school your children has been made. Where to begin? What to avoid? What to do? Here are some good starting points. Join homeschooling clubs, support groups or co-ops. These can be invaluable sources of information for you. There are many parents out there with the same ideas about education and values that you have. All of the groups may not be aligned with your values. Keep looking until you find some that you share something in common with. Attend a convention or curriculum fair in your state to learn about available resources. Most states have these yearly. Find out what is legally required in your state. It varies. Select the curriculum that best fits your teaching style and your child’s learning style. Or, take what works for you from each one and become an eclectic educator! Read, read, read. There are many books and magazines dedicated to home schooling. Stay organized. Plan ahead how you are going to handle record keeping, how you are going to assess learning, how you are going to spend your days, and how you are going to teach certain concepts. Teachers in public and private schools spend a great deal of time planning. You need to plan as well. However, don’t over plan. You don’t want to simulate the school system by becoming inflexible due to plans that have been made. A fun tip is to give your home school a name, mascot, colors, and perhaps even a logo! Have the kids participate in this. It will give them ownership and allegiance to “their” school. Don’t worry so much about socialization or the lack thereof. Kids don’t necessarily need to be in a school setting in order to have their social needs and growth met. There are lots of home schooling co-ops and groups that hold organized activities. Church activities, the Boy and Girl Scouts, and other community clubs can provide a much healthier social activity schedule for your children. Many home schooling groups get together for field trips or lessons. Sports activities do not have to end if you are home schooling either. Look into your local recreational center, the YMCA, and local sports leagues. Many home schooling groups have organized sports leagues themselves. Also, check with the public school division in your town. Some of them are allowing home schooled children to participate in clubs, bands, and interscholastic sports. It varies from state to state and from division to division. It doesn’t hurt to inquire. Don’t stress, you are getting ready to embark on a pretty exciting journey with your children. There are a plethora of people and groups willing to embrace your decision and support you in your endeavors. If you are looking into more information on homeschooling or you are a homeschooler and would like to visit some great homeschool conventions visit greathomeschoolconventions
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 06:41:19 +0000
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