Anyone thinking about homeschooling starts out with a zillion questions and overwhelmed by choices. What are the laws regarding homeschooling in my area? How do I prepare for the school year? What about a homeschool curriculum; should I buy one? Do you even need one? The following guidelines might help to make the process easier.
1. Find out your state's specific homeschooling laws. Each state has different laws concerning educating your child; you must understand and adhere to the laws in your state.
2. Define the educational goals for your child. This will help you decide which curriculum will best meet those goals. It will also give you a guide to see if you're on track throughout the year. Writing them down on paper will help you define them clearly.
3. Consider your "educational philosophy", or what you believe to be important. Are you mostly concerned about academics, or is character development most important? Do you want your child to test well in preparation for college, or do you want them to learn to think for themselves?
4. Consider your family's "personality" - do you normally plan or schedule everything, or are you more spontaneous? This alone can make a huge difference in choosing the style or method of homeschooling you select.
5. Do you Know your child's "learning style"? Do they learn best by seeing, or doing? Knowing their learning style will help determine what materials you will need to best meet their abilities to learn.
If your children are very young, you might not need the latest curriculum. Instead, you can spend much time with them helping them learn their alphabet, simple math, and prepare them to learn to read. You can usually find small workbooks at discount stores. Use beans or candy to teach math concepts. Teach them to form their letters properly using cereal, shaving cream. or rice on a cookie sheet. You don't necessarily need to spend a lot of money to teach the basics.
It's also important to make sure your child has an opportunity for fun. Get involved in a support group with other homeschoolers. Plan play days or field trips; let the children run and work off some of their pent-up energy. Having a support group helps parents as well, and can be especially helpful when you need guidance or have questions.
Author Info:
Consider the many online homeschooling resources, such as Complete Homeschool Guide; you can even pick up a homeschooling guide that will answer all of your questions in depth.
Stressed over questions about homeschooling? Before you make ANY decisions about homeschool, visit The Complete Homeschool Guide!
No comments:
Post a Comment