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Six Tips to Help You Master Your Homeschool Experience

Six Tips to Help You Master Your Homeschool Experience

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Six Practical tips to help you become an effective home based educator.

You’re doing it! You’re taking the plunge. You’re going to become a home-based educator powerhouse!

First, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re embarking on an adventure and we’re here to help.

There are certain teaching styles that work well in a classroom that don’t necessarily translate to the home. Keep in mind that a classroom is designed for lots of learners at once. Homes are a just a little different.

We’re all cheerleaders for our kids. We want them to excel in every aspect of their lives. The decision to become a home based educator is a big one. The best advice we’ve gotten is that you have to take it one day at a time. It’s going to be a learning process for everyone involved.

Look at some of the following tips to get the better of the home-based education system.

1. Customize the Schedule

Scheduling your child’s day is definitely an art.

When you start your day at the office, you always try to get rid of the most time-consuming things. Why? Because your brain is fresh after a good night. There are not many things on your mind. In the same vein, Daniel Pink, a researcher and a best-selling author, suggests students are at their logical reasoning peak during the first part of the day. So, try starting the day with what you view is the most important work.

Teenagers are different. Allowing your teen extra time to rest might help them stay on task. Determining the schedule can be trial and error. That’s the beauty of homeschool, you don’t have to abide by traditional rules. Learning can happen on a schedule that works best for you and your child.

2. Come Out of the Learning Bubble

It is quite common that you may want to mimic the school atmosphere at home with a traditional chair and table. However, you don’t have to. Take Google or Apple for example. They changed their work spaces to spark creativity. It worked- really well actually.

Flexible seating helps the kids just as much as it does to an adults. Give your child the freedom to select his comfort zone. If he wants to count and solve some problems while slumping on a sofa, let him be your guest. Yes, a good posture when studying is important but finding the balance between comfort and creativity can result in a perfect learning space. You get to decide. There is no right or wrong answer here.

To know more about the studying bubble, studies show how creating a flexible learning space can drive your kid’s engagement – an airy room with normal temperature and adequate light can boost academic performance.

Before you spend a lot of money on desks and specialized furniture, be aware that your child may prefer the kitchen table, sofa or even the floor. Give it time to figure out what is best before breaking the bank!

3. Take Better Brain Breaks

Our brain usually works in the default mode. Did you know that whatever we read and comprehend goes first into the working memory? Our brain keeps trying to move the bits and pieces of information to long term memory. Thus, the brain needs some time to process the data and transit it in the perfect compartment.

That is why when kids forget the spelling of any word, we ask them to repeat it or write it multiple times. You’re trying imprint that part of the information in the long-term memory. In a similar fashion, your child might learn best in smaller chunks of time.

Younger kids will have improved and focused mental processing if the instructional duration is only about 10 minutes. So, if you’re ready to pull your hair out after 10 minutes… now you know why! Take 10 minutes for a task then have a short break to work on manipulatives or an art project before moving to the next task. The older the child is the longer they can go without a break but work together to figure out what’s best for both of you to avoid being frustrated. This is especially true for Kids with ADHD.

Put in simpler terms, “breaks should be a necessity and not a nicety.” And breaks can be educational, but they should be different and utilize different skills. Think art with manipulative skills, building legos or computers or exercise.

4. Acknowledge the Day and the Child

We all tend to be less forgiving toward our children when they don’t have a perfect learning day. Your kid may have had a bad day in school. We also have a few at our workplace. And it is perfectly okay not to be okay.

Let your child take the day off from studies on sick days, just as they would not go to school when they are not well. Every day may not be an ideal learning day. If your child solves ten pages today, they may only solve five pages tomorrow. Don’t stress yourself or your child out over normal variations in learning. Take two steps forward, one step backward. You are already accomplishing so much more in your homeschool simply because you can focus on one or a few kids. If they need a break, embrace it! Do a quick search on Anything Academic to find a field trip close to you and switch it up. You can also find an app or gameschool game for the day. Need to learn about Geography but not able to focus? Play a game like Ticket To Ride and watch them learn while playing! Learning doesn’t have just one form! You will be amazed at what “just playing games” for a break, actually teaches.

A period of adjustment is normal and needing a “mental health” day is ok. Chances are you will all need a few here and there. Get out and go have fun. Be sure to read about deschooling too! 

5. Increase Productivity with Fun and Praise

Everyone likes to be appreciated. In the workplace, team members are congratulated for a job well done. Why do you do that? When you improve morale, productivity typically follows suit. Furthermore, gratitude has a powerful impact on our productivity.  Praise builds affection and enjoyment which result in greater accomplishments and the desire to achieve more.

In addition, personal praise can help kids develop a growth mindset. Thus, they tend to be more successful and get more done simply because they were praised!

So tell them they are doing awesome! Say you’re proud of them, and use awards or a points system. Whatever you choose, just find something that works for you! Remind your kids you are proud of them and love them everyday.

6. Takeaway and Get Away

Rome was not built in a day. Take one step at a time. But remember, while hustling to be a practical homeschool family, do not forget how important physical activities are. Research suggests that play enhances attention, memory, cognitive function, and mood. Go for a walk or run together or find a Co-op on Anything Academic that’s near you for a little release time with other families during the day. The finesse of homeschool takes time. Give yourself and your family to find your way!

Discover So Much More!

At Anything Academic we know you want the best resources and educational opportunities for your student or child. That is where our special search engine comes in! Search for exactly what you need: Learning style, Subject, Educational philosophy and more. We help you to find what works best for YOUR child to not just learn but to LOVE learning.

Start your search now!