Home-school Success - A Plan To Win
By Mimi Rothschild
What constitutes winning in the home-school setting? Accomplishing home-school learning in a time frame that makes sense for you and your family is for your children to learn in a way that fits your values.
Sounds great. So how do you break that down into pieces that you and your home-schoolers can handle? It starts with a few key points:
• Create a home-school time schedule
• Escape into your reading
• Learn and implement effective memorizing techniques in home-school learning
• Be aware of how your home-school life is affecting you
Create a Home-school Time Schedule
When you create a schedule for your child’s home-school experience, it’s important to leave room for emergencies, breaks, meals, and free time. A packed schedule moving from one activity to the next will leave both of you burned out and your home-schooling ineffective.
Try to keep regular hours. One of the beautiful aspects of home-schooling is the ability to create your own schedule: starting late in the day if you prefer and using weekends to accomplish extra learning. You do, however, need a definite separation from home-school and home life. Everyone needs some down time. School is work, even if it’s home-school. You don’t need to live at work.
Escape Into Your Reading
Reading should be a full experience, especially when it’s reading for home-school. Why waste your time reading and re-reading? Read it once and really take it in. Read introductions and summaries. Look over accompanying notes. Take your time to look up words you don’t know. Take notes as you read, creating an outline of major points. Teach your home-schooler to do the same. If possible, read together so that you can teach by example.
Memorization Techniques
Note when your home-schooler is most focused. Is it first thing in the morning or early evening? Maybe it’s late at night. Teach memorization skills and have her study her home-school lessons during her most productive times. It will save both of you a lot of unnecessary effort. Some memorization techniques that work well include flash cards, acronyms, and diagrams.
Be Aware
How does your home-schooler handle frustration? Does she seem more eager to do certain activities? Where are her aptitudes and her attitudes? What is her physical involvement in her home-school studies? Note her stress levels and the factors that cause them. Learning to catch them before they take hold will help you achieve much more of the benefits of home-schooling.
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