Homeschooling is gaining more popularity due to various reasons. Most notably the pandemic, but also for the increasing interest of parents to give the best education to their children without being confined to a traditional educational environment.
Therefore, there is a necessity to understand how much writing should be done in homeschool in order to provide a complete learning experience. This article shall explore the answers to this question through discussing the educational outcomes, the complete writing environment at home and the factors that influence a personalized learning experience.
What Are the Educational Outcomes of Writing?
Writing is a communicative tool used in almost all educational endeavors. The benefits of writing skills in students include the development of critical thinking skills, improved writing fluency and enhanced communication.
Writing is particularly beneficial in academic classes since it allows students to gain knowledge better through having to write down their thoughts and analyze what they have learned. By doing so, students can easily recall the learnt material and effectively follow the teaching agenda. Additionally, writing also develops problem solving skills that would be needed when dealing with difficult tests and examinations.
Writing also serves as an effective way to develop creativity in students through the ability to express their thoughts, imagination and ideas. Furthermore, when the students write their essay and thesis down, they have the possibility to look at them from a different perspective which helps them to evaluate their own work. For example, if a student wrote an essay about a certain topic, he/she is able to assess how convincingly he/she presented the concept or how thorough he/she was in placing the arguments in favor and against the discussed opinion.
In conclusion, the educational outcomes of writing are plenty, especially when it comes to understanding the topic being taught, articulation of thoughts and collaboration with the teachers, who can maintain an effective feedback loop regarding the assignments submitted.
What is the Complete Writing Environment at Home?
While it is possible to create a complete writing environment at home, there are several factors to consider. The first and most important factor is the availability of resources such as textbooks, notebooks, paper and pencils, as well as other stationery items that can be used for writing.
First and foremost, the idea of homeschooling is to provide a customized learning experience that may differ from that of a traditional educational institution. This can be accomplished by providing the necessary resources to students that would otherwise not be available in a traditional school setting. Another factor to consider when building a complete writing environment at home is the space and organization of the workspace.
Setting up an organized and comfortable workspace helps the student to be creative and free while writing. The workspace can be created in such a way where the student can work without any interruption from family members or the comfort of a specific routine. Moreover, various colors and objects within the workspace can stimulate creativity for the student.
Thus, a customized workspace, with resources and furniture available, can be a supportive environment for the student at home. Finally, parents should also take into account the student’s writing habits.
Every student has a different writing style, which can be applied in different homeschooling settings. Parents should pay close attention to the student’s writing preferences such as when and where the student is more comfortable writing and the time in which he/she accomplishes the most when writing. Developing these writing habits helps in the long run to understand better how the student processes his/her writing and can assist the development of their writing skills which will ultimately help when writing longer papers.
What Are the Factors that Influence a Personalized Learning Experience?
Personalised learning experiences are important factors in order to make the most out of homeschooling. When creating a personalized learning experience, the parents should focus on identifying the student’s strengths and weaknesses as well as possible interests and hobbies related to the topic that has to be covered.
The student should be given the chance to explore topics that he/she may be interested in, as well as topics which can be expanded upon. The more engaged the student is with the learning material, the more he/she will be engaged in the writing process. One way to identify if the student is interested in the topic is to have them read a book related to the topic, and then discuss the book with the student in order to determine whether the student is interested in the topic or not.
In addition to this, the parents should tailor the curriculum to the student. If the student is more interested in writing essay-style pieces, then the curriculum should focus on this type of writing.
Alternately, if the student is good in creative writing, then the curriculum can be adjusted to accommodate this style of writing. Personalised learning experiences should also be tailored to the student’s learning style, as some students learn better through visual materials, while others learn better through written material. Furthermore, the parents can also employ the use of additional educational tools and resources such as videos, podcasts and books, as well as resources that can be found on the internet.
In this way, students can learn more complex topics and dig deeper into the given material. Moreover, having additional materials can also be beneficial for students who are weaker in certain topics, as it can help to reinforce the learning process. Lastly, parents should also assess the progress of the student.
This can be done through regular tests and examinations, as well as possible feedback from the student with regards to the writing experience. This not only allows the student to understand what he/she needs to work on and where he/she is falling short, but also lets the parents understand if the curriculum is tailored accordingly to his/her needs and progress.
Conclusion
To conclude, writing is an essential tool that provides students with the opportunity to develop their skills and gain beneficial knowledge. When homeschooling, there are several factors to consider in order to create a personalized learning experience, such as the availability of resources, the workspace and writing habits, as well as the student’s strengths and weaknesses and hobbies. Additionally, parents should also assess the progress of the student in order to get a better understanding of the curriculum or the extent of writing that is necessary.
Ultimately, understanding how much writing should be done in homeschool is a highly personal experience that should be tailored to each student in order to provide the best learning experience.