An Introduction to Home schooling
by Mimi Rothschild
So you’ve finally decided to home school your child. As with so many other things, starting can be the hardest part of the process. But the fact that you have decided to take on the task of educating your child at home means that you believe that your time, character, funds, and fervor are sufficient enough to make it work. Being fully equipped is one thing, but making the actual home schooling program work is another. If you develop a plan months before you and your child start home schooling, you will see just how much home schooling can be fun and effective for you and your child.
A timeline, dating three months before you start, is sufficient to plan the course of your child’s home schooling program’s initial year. You should know that home schooling your child will require a lot of research right from the beginning. Subscribe to home schooling magazines, visit the library, read books, and connect with other people that home school by joining a local organization. Be aware that not all of the techniques that you will learn, hear or read about will apply to you and your child. Home schooling is something that you need to experience for yourself before you can define how it really works for you. Within this initial starting period, you should already know the home schooling rules and regulations in your state. There are different sets of rules in every state, and you don’t want to waste any time and effort by adapting a home schooling program that wouldn’t be recognized by your state.
Two months before you start home schooling, you might want to consider joining a Local Home schooling group. Meeting other home schoolers in your area will allow you to gather pertinent information about effective home teaching habits such as age-appropriate activities your home schooled child can do to make your activities together not just educational but entertaining as well. This is also a venue for acquiring cheaper second-hand materials from other home schooling parents. By the time you begin, you should have decided what curriculum you will use. Curricula are readily available through mail order catalogues or at online stores. You can also attend state conventions and curriculum fairs to see more home schooling publications and products. The option of creating your own curricula is more often preferred by new home schooling parents. Personalizing the curricula might produce better results, and if that is the case you can opt to carry on with devising your own lessons without using any commercial curriculum.
One month before you start, you should determine the spot in the house where you will conduct classes. Purchase filing cabinets for storing books and manuals. Virtual home schooling requires a computer connected to the Internet, so you need to make sure your classroom area has that. By this time you should also have in mind a specific goal to accomplish in the first year to avoid having backlog lessons that will delay your pace. Include in your plan physical activities for your child, socialization with other kids, and other extra-curricular endeavors.
Three weeks prior, you should devise a strategy to accomplish the goals you have set the week before. Start with the first lesson plan, and decide how you’re going to break it up and assign it to your child’s academic schedule. Always remember that despite all of your plans, flexibility is what sets home schooling apart from conventional education. Feel free to make necessary changes as you see fit.
On the last week before you embark on a home schooling program, be careful not to fall into common first-time jitters. On the top of the list is the feeling of isolation. You can remedy this by joining a support group, not just for your kids but also for home schooling parents like you. Another potential problem is buying a lot of expensive packaged curriculums without first determining the needs of your child. You can save a lot of money by knowing exactly what materials you need to buy.
Finally, take it a day at a time. Experience is what will mold your expertise in home schooling, and your ability to adapt and adjust to certain scenarios will be the foundation of a successful home schooling program.
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