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RedditI was reading an article the other day and in it they were talking about how 40% of parents are “very likely” to do at home schooling with their children in the fall. It got me thinking, with so many parents ready to take the plunge in teaching their children at home, what are some things they will need help with?
I was homeschooled through half of junior high and all of high school. It worked out wonderfully for me because I have ADHD. When I started noticing my son displaying some of the same traits I did, I knew I was going to homeschool him.
Now it’s not just ADHD that is making the deciding factor for me. There are now too many safety concerns for me to consider letting my son go into school. Between the gun violence in schools and now a pandemic, it’s just safer to school my son at home.
If you are in the same boat I want to help you in making this decision. First off, homeschooling does not necessarily mean you have to be the teacher. Second, homeschooling is in no way like traditional schooling.
Let’s start with the first point.
You Do Not Need To Be The Teacher In Homeschooling
There are online schooling options where real teachers teach their students. Here in Pennsylvania we have an online charter school that is completely free. They provide laptops and all the curriculum.
Children attend all of their classes online with real teachers.
This keeps you free from teaching duties and free to be a “normal” parent who gets to help when they get stuck. The part that I personally liked about online schooling is if a child does need additional help, teachers are usually available via email for them.
If you are concerned about your teaching capabilities, online curriculums may be the answer you are searching for. Simply search for online school and your state to see if your state has a similar option.
Now for the second point.
Homeschooling Is Not Like Traditional Schooling
In traditional schooling environments you have 15-25 kids in a classroom. The teacher has to get each student to understand the day’s lesson. This takes about 6 hours to do.
In homeschooling, your kid alone learns what they need to learn and the day is over. In homeschooling the regular school day may be just 2-4 hours long.
You do not need to try to fill the day with extra curriculum or lessons either. However, extra reading time, or an app like ABC Mouse, can provide more learning time or practice so your child does better in their schooling.
Homeschooling For Beginners
Since so many parents are making the decision to keep their kids home in the next school year you may need additional help. I went asking some of my favorite homeschooling bloggers for their help.
I’ve put together a list of bloggers and resources you may need as you begin this journey.
Saving Talents
Tiffany is a former math teacher who decided to homeschool her children. She shares all sorts of resources and activities that you can use in your own homeschooling efforts.
This post here talks about why she decided to homeschool her children. It’s important to figure out why you want to homeschool and if those are good enough reasons to do it. It’s also good to ask if your kids are going to benefit from being homeschooled. For her family it was the right decision, that answer may be different for your own family.
Tiffany also has posts on how to homeschool on a budget, and a giant list of resources here. She also gives tips on homeschool room organization here.
Finally, if you are a blogger or you work from home this post of hers may be helpful in helping you manage your time as a homeschool mom.
Hip Homeschool Moms
Hip Homeschool Moms was started by two moms who homeschool their kids and want to give valuable tips and advice to other homeschooling moms. Their post on how you are uniquely qualified to teach your kids is an excellent read if you are doubting your capabilities.
Likewise, there are days where homeschooling just doesn’t work – sometimes it’s outside interference, other times it’s just a mood that hits. This post will help you get through with 7 tips for those days.
If you are like me and math isn’t your strong suit, this post here gives you tips for ending the math anxiety that comes with homeschooling.
Homeschooling In Progress
This former elementary school teacher turned homeschooling mom of 4 dives into lots of different homeschooling topics that are great for new homeschooling parents.
Her post on homeschooling multiple ages is great if you have more than one kid that you are looking to homeschool. She also has this great post for the first time homeschooling mom and dealing with the stress of this decision.
Wander Homeschooling
Amanda is a homeschooling mom with 12 years of experience in picking curriculum and homeschooling tips and tricks. Her post on choosing the right homeschool curriculum that’s right for your family is extremely helpful for first time homeschooling moms.
She also shares some helpful tips on raising homeschoolers and things they can do to help out around the house.
An Off Grid Life
While you may not be looking to go off grid there are loads of valuable information on An Off Grid Life. Outside of just homesteading in the Canadian northern wilderness this mom also homeschools her two children.
She has amazing tips on homeschool organization when you don’t have a dedicated room for it. Plus her post on how to homeschool and work from home is must read with work from home becoming more prevalent.
Additional Tips From Other Homeschooling Blogs
The internet is a wealth of knowledge with so many parents who decide that homeschooling is the right choice for their kids and family. Below I have articles from many homeschooling moms who blog that might interest you.
- Living Life And Learning – How To Create A Daily Homeschool Schedule
- He’s Sun Academy – Large Family Homeschool Tips
- Bunmi Roberts – Kids Educational Websites
- Simplify Create Inspire – Temporary Home Schooling Schedule
- Simply Full Of Delight – Developing Pre-Writing Skills The Fun Way
- Loving Homeschool – How To Keep Your Young Children Busy While Homeschooling Older Children
There are loads of information, great tips, and advice from moms who homeschool their kids on any one of these blogs. If you are considering homeschooling this fall I highly recommend exploring some of the information they have.
Homeschooling For Beginners
You don’t have to be highly religious, off grid, or overprotective to be a homeschooling parent and these classifications are often just a part of the stereotype around homeschooling. The truth is, homeschooling can actually be the better choice for your child in loads of different situations.
Homeschool allows you to explore areas that truly spark your child’s interest. I remember when I was homeschooling I latched on to Biology. Because I had an interest in Biology it sparked a lot of extra time exploring and reading about biology, time I wouldn’t have gotten in traditional schooling.
My son loves drawing and being creative, he learns best when he can draw it out or write it. Knowing that this type of creativity isn’t always nurtured in a traditional schooling environment I know that he’s going to actually do much better being homeschooled. Here he can learn for 2 hours a day, then draw it out for the next 2 hours so it sticks with him.
I believe in nurturing creativity because it often sparks amazing and wonderful inventions and solutions to problems. I want to nurture that while he’s young instead of having it ignored through his youth so he has to rediscover his creativity later on in life.
Are you planning on homeschooling in the fall? Let me know in the comments below. Follow me on Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite homeschooling boards.
Related Posts:
- How To Create A Homeschooling Space In Your Home
- 5 Reasons To Homeschool Your Kids
- How To Build A Summer Schedule To Entertain Your Kids
- The Best Educational App For Kids
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