How You Can Successfully Educate Your Child At Home

Home education isn’t necessarily for everyone. Some parents aren’t able to dedicate the time to making sure that their child gets a well-rounded education from home. Others prefer other educational systems.

However, homeschooling is definitely a viable and effective alternative to traditional education. Every family needs to find a system that works for them. Every parent also needs to be prepared to be involved in their children’s education in some way. Even if someone else is taking on most of the responsibility of formal education, parents still teach their children.

We teach children how to navigate the pitfalls of life and help to guide them into happy, educated adults. Whether you home-educate your child or send them to school, this is still part of being a parent. 

If you do decide to homeschool your children, you will soon realize that it isn’t easy, even if it is the better option for your family. Here are some tips to help you and your child through this journey.

Set a Routine

The first thing that parents should establish when beginning their homeschooling journey is that they need a set routine for their child. Every child has different needs and, as your child grows, their schedule will change to accommodate the rigors of their education.

However, one thing that every family has in common is that a schedule is an invaluable tool when it comes to home education. Without a set routine, it’s much more difficult for your child to get into the right frame of mind for study. But if you and your child know what you’re doing for that day, then you’re more likely to find the motivation to do it.

One of the upsides of home education is that you can be a lot more flexible with this schedule. For starters, it’s unlikely that you’ll have to dedicate eight hours of your day to education. Most of the school day is actually taken up with distractions and teachers having to deal with a large class of students. But when you’re teaching on a one-to-one level, you can get the points across much more quickly. As your child grows older and more independent, they can also spend more time studying in their own time. 

You do still need a schedule, ideally with a variety of lessons, but this flexibility can be invaluable. It means that you can take your child on days out or even on vacations during off-peak seasons when other children are in school.

Home Study Groups

You can reap a lot of benefits from the fact that you’re teaching your child on a personal level, but there are still undeniable benefits to the school environment. The school allows children to make friends their own age and get used to socializing with different people. 

One of the criticisms of homeschooling is that children can grow quite isolated. But this doesn’t have to be the case. The chances are that you’re not the only family in your area homeschooling your children. 

Look for other local families or home education groups in your area and get in touch with them. This means that you’ll be able to plan days when your children can get together and socialize in a different environment. You can also get some much-needed support from other parents who have similar circumstances to you.

You can also arrange special lessons where children work together in a group. This teaches valuable teamwork skills and also provides a fun day out for your children. You can have sports days, or even join a local sports team.

Another option is to get in touch with local schools in your area. True, you are responsible for the lion’s share of your child’s learning, but it might still be possible to use some of the facilities at a local school to help your child’s education. There’s no harm in asking.

The Curriculum

Even when you’re homeschooling your child, you still need to think about what you’re going to teach them. Different areas have different requirements for home education, and you might need to help your child reach certain qualifications to help them to get the best start in life.

One of the misconceptions about homeschooling is that you can simply skip the “schooling” part of the equation. But the government does pay attention to whether your child is receiving an acceptable education. If done correctly, then homeschooled children can have exactly the same opportunities as traditionally educated children, with many going off to university.

But this does require discipline on your part and, often, the right tools and equipment. Come up with lesson plans, much like a teacher would, so that you know what you want to achieve in a given time. 

Use resources like this factoring polynomials worksheet to help you and your children to get the most out of the lesson and make sure they learn what they need to. You should at least teach your children English and Math, as well as some sciences and humanities. As they get older, you can focus on subjects that they enjoy and excel at.

You should include physical education in this curriculum, as it gives your child a chance to get outside and keep active, setting them up for a healthy lifestyle. 

Life Skills

As well as teaching your children using a traditional formal curriculum, you should also use this opportunity to focus on vital life skills. For example, every child should be able to work their way around a kitchen. Even if they don’t love cooking, teaching them how to cook and tidy up after themselves makes early adulthood much easier and allows them to be more independent.

You should also involve them in your hobbies and chores, teaching them how to manage a household and their finances. If you like gardening, for example, let them get involved. This teaches them a useful skill and it can be used as a science lesson. Even better, you can spend some time with your children and bond with them.