Making the transition from public school to homeschool is a big decision for parents and children alike. It can be daunting for both to determine the child’s level of learning or if they’ve kept up with their school peers.
To ease the worries and find the best learning plan for your child, there are a few steps to take to gauge where they are and what adjustments need to be made. Small educational tweaks may be necessary when transitioning, but likely, the basics are all that’s needed to ensure learning doesn’t suffer when switching from a traditional public school to a virtual one. Here’s how to tell where your child is in their journey and ensure they’re maximizing their learning potential:
1. Evaluate Performance in Previous School Year
The first step is to review how your child has done academically in the previous school year. Understanding the evaluation history will give an accurate overview for where your reach stands educationally and what, if any, areas need to be adjusted. A great way to do this is to touch base with your child’s teacher from the year prior.
A brief conversation and a request for the academic review from the end of this school year will give you a comprehensive picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Combining the previous school year’s performance, student history, and anecdotal information will give you a clear indication of whether homeschooling will be the best fit and how to structure the program to get the best results.
2. Consider Prior Learning
Public school isn’t the only place your child can learn. Understand what kind of enrichments your child has engaged in outside of school, such as tutoring, online classes, special seminars, and so forth.
Learning is obtained through different avenues, even if it’s outside of the traditional public school route. Utilizing the knowledge gathered from past experiences in educational settings will give you a better understanding of your child’s ability set and their issues with learning material. Educational extras, including prior educational performance, allows you to gauge where your child stands and what adjustments may be needed for their home curriculum.
3. Analyze Time Spent Learning at Home
Making the switch from public school to homeschool allows you to have more control over the amount of time your child spends learning at home. Analyzing the time dedicated to understanding the material outside of the traditional school setting will offer insight into how long the lessons need to be and what topics need to be covered. Adequate time will be determined by your child’s study habits, their prior schooling, and the amount of material they’re trying to learn.
If your child has an issue with understanding the topics, additional steps may be needed to ensure they’re up to speed.
4. Access Reading Level and Fluency
Reading fluency, including accuracy and pace, should be heavily discussed when assessing whether traditional public schooling is the best route for your child’s education needs. Have your child read text from a page of academic material from their grade level. Analyzing the materials read by your child will give you an understanding of not only their reading level, but also how much educational support they may need.
Many children struggle with reading fluency, so monitoring the stumbling blocks along the educational journey isn’t new. Paying attention to their reading material allows you to determine the level of material they can handle, how much material they need to review in each lesson, and what topics they’re able to retain.
5. Understand Math Resources
In public school, math-related topics are typically handled in the classroom. When making the switch to homeschool, understanding the material and resources needed to educate your child becomes much more relevant. Math is the one subject that needs to be assessed prior to making the change from public school to homeschool.
Understanding that math series can vary between regions, taking time to identify the most suitable math curriculum for your child will ease the transition. Math learning changes often, so grouping the resources and material that your child needs with the correct curriculum is essential for their educational success and advancement.
6. Discuss at-home Support and Tutoring
Homeschooling is a huge adjustment for children and parents, so having outside support and tutoring may be beneficial for your child’s educational journey. Working with peers, tutors, and other educators allows your child to focus on specific topics, ask questions, and build their knowledge.
Sectioning off a tutor’s time should happen prior to the switch from a public school to homeschooling atmosphere. One-on-one tutoring allows your child to learn in the best possible way and keeps a level of accountability that they may not get when learning from home.
7. Set Up a Learning Environment
Every public school has its own educational environment. Transitioning to a virtual, home-based environment requires time, patience, and a plan to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. Housing, supplies, and daily schedules are a few of the items that need to be assessed to set up a learning atmosphere.
Take a look around the house and determine if any adjustments need to be made. Establish a learning area separate from distractions, with ample school supplies.
These simple actions create an atmosphere that reinforces learning and jumpstarts your child’s transition to homeschooling.
8. Examine Testing Opportunities
Making the change from public school to homeschool requires that both parents and children understand the testing opportunities that are offered. Seeing results after each lesson allows you to track your child’s educational progress and ensure they’re grasping the material.
Virtual tests allow you to assess and evaluate your child’s academic abilities and reinforce learning. If your child struggles with a certain topic, taking a virtual assessment can either strengthen understanding or point to areas of concern.
9. Home Rules
Homeschooling requires a level of adjustment for both your child and yourself, especially when it comes to creating a plan for learning success. Establishing expectations for time and materials, reducing distractions, and working on everyday reinforcement needs to be discussed prior to homeschooling beginning.
Create home rules around topics such as educational tasks and what subjects need to be mastered in a certain amount of time. Adding the structure and guidelines needed for success will give your child a clear understanding of what needs to be done each day and how long the educational program will last.
10. Access Test Scores from Previous Year
Examining the test scores from the previous year will provide an understanding of your child’s learning abilities and the topics they had difficulty with. Test scores indicate the level of education the student achieved in a certain subject. Reviewing their test scores and understanding the topics they had difficulty with will allow you to build the right educational program for their success and be sure they’re at the right level.
It also allows you to integrate topics they’ve already mastered into other academic objectives.
11. Examine Progress Reports
Progress reports provide a great overview to indicate where your child stands educationally. They allow you to gauge the pace of their learning and identify the top areas in which needed refinement or review is required.
Combining progress reports with pre-leveling tests will give you the resources needed to build a powerful educational syllabus for your child. Doing so ensures that your child is learning the necessary material, whether it’s to keep up with their peers or to expand their knowledge.
12. Review Grade Level Expectations
Grade level expectations should be included in any part of your child’s home education program. Every state has its own standards and expectations, so understanding where your child stands in relation to these benchmarks will give you an understanding of what adjustments need to be made to the curriculum.
Knowing the grade level expectations allows you to be confident that the topics your child is learning will equip them for their future academic objectives. Make sure to review the expectations regularly and make appropriate adjustments to the material as needed.
13. Leverage Local Homeschool Groups
Utilizing local homeschool groups will help your child acclimate to the homeschool environment, meet peers, and provide an understanding of the curriculum that’s taught in the area. Local homeschool groups offer insight and resources to parents on a variety of topics, including educational curriculum and teaching tips. These groups can also provide your child with the socialization they need to connect with peers, build relationships, and grow as an individual.
Socialization is vital to any educational program, so having the opportunity to work with peers is essential in any type of home-based environment.
14. Take Time to Evaluate Your Child’s Goals
Understanding your child’s educational objectives is essential when making the switch from public school to homeschool. While each state, region, and school district have their own expectations, understanding your child’s individual educational desires is important for a successful learning journey.
Evaluate why your child wants to homeschool, if they want to attend college, what career path they’d like to take, and other educational objectives. Doing so will allow you to create the best curriculum plan tailored to your child’s individual educational needs and build their future success.
15. Become Educated in Home School Laws
Homeschooling laws vary from state to state, so it’s important to understand and abide by the rules and regulations that are in place. Contacting your state’s home education office or consulting a local homeschooling group to get an in-depth understanding of the requirements and regulations in your city or region is essential prior to beginning your journey.
Conclusion
Making the switch from public school to homeschool is a big decision. But by following a few simple steps and building a comprehensive plan for learning success, it can be easier and more successful than one may think.
Take time to understand what your child needs, consider the resources and support you’ll need to make it successful, and follow the regulations that are in place. If done correctly, success awaits them on their virtual educational journey.