“Homeschool” -Not “School In Your Home”
As a new homeschool parent, take it slow. We can get caught up in the novelty and get in a hurry to take the next step. There is no need to be frantic and rushed as you begin. Your children will not graduate tomorrow. You do not need to have everything figured out. Give yourself some time to grow into your homeschooling schedule and methods. They will not forget all that they know while you are easing into a new rhythm. While you are finding your path on this journey, fight the urge to set up a school in your home. Many attempt to copy a system that has not been successful and that they are trying to get away from. Fight the urge to buy a bunch of stuff that will make one of the rooms in your home look like a school. Instead spend time working with your children and as your day goes by, jot down a note about what you think would help you with your homeschooling endeavors. This will help you be efficient with thinking through what you really need to make your home education a success.
For instance, Do you really need a white board, do you really need desks, do you really need posters, do you really need decorative boarders? If you decide that having something will help you then go for it. More often than not those things are not always a need. Instead take time to observe where your children like to sit while they read. Where do you prefer your children work while they are writing or doing math? You are the parent. What is your preference? Sometimes we need to invite our kids to try different spots to see what they prefer. Make a note of where you prefer to sit while you read to your children. You will probably notice that they prefer to sit in furniture you already have and will not need a desk. The beauty of homeschooling is you don’t need very much to get started. You probably don’t need a schoolroom or posters. You just need some pencils, notebooks, a calendar, and a cozy place to sit and read books together.
Instead of purchasing a poster that replaces a treasured picture of grandma, use the internet to your advantage. Gather your kids around a screen and dazzle them with what you found. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and help to bring what you are studying come alive. Plan ahead and look up what you intend to display to save time and to prevent unwanted ads or other images.
Learning Styles
We also encourage you to begin thinking about learning styles. Each person has a certain bent or style that they utilize to learn or circumstances that will aid them in learning more difficult content. Learning styles refer to what type of environments we prefer as well as time of day we prefer. Some prefer a well lit room, others prefer less light. Some of us work better in the morning, while others work better in the afternoon or evening. If your child works better in the afternoon or evenings you can cater to their schedule by having them work on tasks that are more difficult for them in the afternoon and tasks that are easier for them in the mornings. “The Way They Learn” by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias is a very helpful book that discusses learning styles and how to observe them in your child. Please click here for our Blog about Learning Styles or click here for our Podcast about Learning Styles.
Know Your Why
As soon as possible it will be paramount to carve out time together with your spouse and discuss why you are homeschooling. Plan an evening when the kids are in bed or go on a date night with the intention of discussing “why are we homeschooling.” We discuss this in depth in our Blog about “Your Why directs your How.” For now some things that will help with your discussion are 1) to think about what you are running to, not just what you are running from. 2) Think about what you want to pass on to your grandchildren. 3) discuss how your commitment to why you are homeschooling will help you persevere through the low or difficult times.