Chemistry seems too difficult for kids? A clever mom has used periodic table to play battleship game with her kids and they just really enjoyed it! For more information, you can visit her blog and watch the video for details.
Published on November 7, 2018
In 2016, it was estimated that 1.7 million children were being homeschooled in the U.S, roughly 3.3% of all school-aged children.[1] Although this may not sound like a big portion of the population, the growth rate of homeschooling has been 7 to15% per year for the last two decades.
The burgeoning numbers are not a coincidence. There are tremendous benefits to homeschooling, including one-on-one teaching, adaptability to individual needs and learning styles, a safe learning environment, encouraging learning for knowledge rather than grades, and tailoring a curriculum to the child’s interests.
Is homeschooling something that you have been considering for your family? With all of the tools and resources available for homeschoolers in the 21st century, it may be easier than you think.
After thinking it through, you’ve decided that homeschooling is the right step for you and your family. Now what? Here are the first things you should do to get your homeschooling journey started on the right track.
Homeschooling is regulated by the state, not the federal government. The first step is to find the current and accurate legal requirements mandated by your state in order to educate your child legally.[2]
The regulations can vary widely, from strict guidelines to no guidelines at all. However, don’t be overwhelmed by the legal jargon. There are many resources and local communities for homeschooling families that can help you figure out the logistics.
Every child’s needs are different. This is your chance to choose the homeschooling style or combination of styles that best fits your child’s learning style and interests. A brief description of seven different homeschooling methods are listed below.
Often times, purchasing a homeschooling curriculum is done too early in the planning process, resulting in buyer’s remorse.
A curriculum is not always needed for homeschooling, and other types of free or less structured resources are readily available.
Getting connected with a community of homeschoolers is one of the most important parts of building a successful and thriving homeschool environment for your kids.
Look for communities online for virtual support or a local group that you and your kids can interact with. Partnering with others fosters better socialization skills for the students and provides opportunities for field trips, classes, and outings that wouldn’t have otherwise been a part of the homeschooling experience.
Also known as Traditional homeschool, School-At-Home uses essentially the same curriculum as the local private or public school but at home.
The lessons can be completed independently, but more commonly, they are administered by a parent or a teacher-facilitated online school.
One of the most popular homeschooling methods used, it borrows educational practices from Ancient Greece and Rome. Subject areas are studied chronologically so that students can understand the consequence of ideas over time.
Socratic dialogue fosters effective discussions and debate to achieve beyond mere comprehension. There is often a strong emphasis on Great Books[3] as well as Greek and Latin.
Rather than breaking up education into subjects, unit studies approach each topic as a whole, studying it from the perspective of each subject area.
For example, a unit study about animals could include reading books about animals, learning about the classification of animals, figuring out which animals live on which continents, etc. This method is often used as a technique in other more comprehensive educational methodologies.
This Christian homeschooling style utilizes shorts periods of study (15-20 minute max for elementary, 45 minute max for high school), along with nature walks and history portfolios.
Students are encouraged to practice observation, memorization, and narration often. With a focus on “living books” (stories with heroes, life lessons, socio-ethical implications), reading plays a big role in this student-paced teaching style.
Maria Montessori developed this method through working with special needs children in the early 20th century.
With a primary focus on the student setting the pace and indirect instruction from the teacher, this approach includes free movement, large unstructured time blocks (up to 3 hours), multi-grade classes, and individualized learning plans based on interests.
Unschooling is a learning model largely based on the work of John Holt.[4] The teaching style focuses mainly on the students’ interests, putting priority on experiential, activity-based, and learn as you go approaches.
For basic skills such as reading, writing, and math, a systematic technique is employed, but testing and evaluations are typically not utilized. Teachers, in general, play more of a facilitator role.
As the most popular method of homeschool, eclectic homeschooling is child-directed, resourceful, and non-curriculum based.
Parents can sample any combination of homeschooling methods and styles or resources. One growing sector of eclectic homeschooling combines part homeschooling with part traditional schooling.
One of the reasons homeschooling is more feasible than ever before is due to the accessibility of tools and resources to enhance the learning process.
Email is a tool that has really stood the test of time. Invented in 1972, it is still used today as a primary means of communicating on the Internet.
It is a great way to share assignments, links, and videos between parent and student.
Google Drive offers a multitude of essential programs that can come in handy for homeschoolers, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more.
With its sharing capabilities, easy accessibility, and auto-save ability, it’s easier than ever to organize and complete assignments. It will improve students’ writing and typing skills, as well as eliminate the need for paper.
Google Calendar is an excellent tool for tracking assignment due dates, planning field trips and activities, and developing time management skills.
Rather than invest in physical copies of books, ebooks are a wonderful option for saving money and space. There are plenty of places that offer a free or paid subscription to a wide selection of ebooks:
When a structured curriculum is necessary for teaching a certain topic, an e-course is the way to go.
From watercolors to calculus, there are e-courses available about almost everything. Including different teaching styles that vary from the parents will encourage students to learn in different ways.
The visual and auditory stimulation will also be beneficial in helping students understand and retain the concepts being taught.
Some recommendations:
Youtube is not just a platform for music videos and cats doing funny things. There are a number of Youtube channels that produce quality educational videos, free of charge.
Creating a playlist of videos for various topics is a great way to supplement a homeschool education.
Some recommendations:
Homeschooling in the current age looks much different than it did ten years ago. There are more options and more flexibility when it comes to educating kids at home.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea of homeschooling your children if it could make a positive impact on your family.
Featured photo credit: Hal Gatewood via unsplash.com
| [1] | ^ | NHERI: Homeschooling Growing: Multiple Data Points Show Increase 2012 to 2016 and Later |
| [2] | ^ | CRHE: State by State |
| [3] | ^ | Wikipedia: Great Books of the Western World |
| [4] | ^ | John Holt: The Foundations of Unschooling |
