Homeschooling can offer great experiences for both you and your child, in which both of you grow and learn together. But figuring out what kind of curriculum or even a routine or schedule to follow, as well as the best approach to it, can be daunting.
These 15 questions will help you create the best schedule for your home school and ensure that it’s successful for everyone involved.
1. What is your goal for the home school?
It’s helpful to establish your goals and objectives from the start. Do you want your child to excel in particular subjects, explore topics, or are you looking for a more holistic approach?
Understanding your overarching goal will help to shape your curriculum.
2. Will your child learn at their own pace?
A great advantage of homeschooling is that children can learn at their own pace and follow their own interests. This way, if your child knows certain concepts quickly, they can move on and focus on something else. If they’re having trouble with a concept, they can spend more time on it until they understand it better.
3. Are you basing your home school on an existing curriculum?
If you don’t have the time or resources to create a curriculum from scratch, it is possible to use an existing one. Using an existing curriculum means that all the materials you need are provided, as well as lesson plans and assessments.
However, you may need to customize the curriculum depending on your child’s learning preference and abilities.
4. How many days a week are you looking to homeschool?
Part of creating a homeschool schedule is planning how many days of homeschooling you want to do each week. Of course, you want to make sure that the schedule allows for plenty of rest and relaxation time as well, and leisure activities to explore.
5. Will you have “school hours”?
If you have other work commitments, it can be a good idea to have “school hours” — so that your child knows when it is time for learning and when it is time to have fun. Having specific blocks of time to focus on learning also helps you to stay on track, and also provide structure to the home schooling environment.
6. Will there be field trips or extracurricular activities?
Homeschooling can include more than just reading, writing and arithmetic — it can also involve field trips to places related to your child’s interests, such as botanical gardens or historical sites. You can also incorporate extracurricular activities such as music lessons or art classes, to enrich your child’s learning.
7. How will you accommodate rest?
At home, your child can be more relaxed and relaxed. Make sure that you plan for afternoon rest if needed; this could be a nap if appropriate or an hour of quiet reading time. This helps to ensure that your child will be refreshed and ready for the next session.
8. Do you need to appoint a tutor?
If you are not satisfied with your ability to teach certain concepts or require assistance with planning, you may need to appoint a tutor. They can be a great resource for helping with any gaps in your knowledge, and also provide your child with one-on-one instruction if needed.
9. Will you supplement with online classes or resources?
In addition to in-person lessons, homeschooling can benefit from the use of online classes or resources to supplement learning. There are now many great online learning programs and resources available to help you enhance your home school schedule.
10. Will you use methods such as unschooling or Montessori?
There are different approaches to homeschooling, such as unschooling or Montessori. Unschooling emphasizes student-led learning, while Montessori focuses on providing hands-on learning experiences. If you are interested in these approaches, you can incorporate them into your home school schedule.
11. How will you assess your child’s learning?
It’s important to review your progress regularly. If you’re using an existing curriculum, there are usually tests or assessments that come with it. If not, you can use simple quizzes or tests that you create to assess your child’s progress.
12. How will you structure or break-up a typical day?
Creating a schedule for the day can help you keep track of what your child has completed and to ensure that the day is balanced and productive. Consider structuring your day into different blocks of time for different subjects, such as math in the morning and history in the afternoon.
13. Will you use study materials such as flashcards?
Using study materials such as flashcards can be a great way to review information and to keep your child engaged. Flashcards are also portable, and easy to use in outdoor activities, on car rides and during leisure time.
14. Will you use audio-visual materials to aid learning?
Audio-visual materials such as videos, podcasts and documentaries can be great tools to supplement learning. Your local library, or even some websites, can be a great resource for finding these materials.
Take advantage of this to add a bit of fun and interest to the learning environment.
15. How will you monitor and manage screen time for your child?
It’s important to set limits on screen time and also to ensure that your child’s online activities are monitored. Also, be mindful of the websites and apps your child can access as some of them may provide inappropriate content or messages. ConclusionCreating a homeschool schedule is an important step in the process of homeschooling your child.
By asking the right questions and taking the time to plan a schedule, you can set your child up for a successful home school experience that you can enjoy together.