Are you considering homeschooling your child, but have no idea where to begin? Have you been mulling over specific questions that you need guidance on as you prepare for this important decision?
If so, this guide has been created for you. Herein, we discuss the key questions you should ask yourself when homeschooling your child. It is important to really think these questions through and understand the implications, because the answers you provide may shape the most important decisions regarding your child’s education.
1. Is homeschooling right for my family?
This is the very first question you should ask yourself when homeschooling your child. Make sure to properly assess all factors, including your motivation, financial situation, job, available resources, and support system. First, consider your reasons for homeschooling.
Are you motivated by your child’s academic, social, or emotional needs? How will you, your spouse, and your child benefit from homeschooling?
Knowing the answers to these questions, and understanding your motivation will help to determine whether homeschooling will work for everyone in your family. Second, analyze your sources of income and your budget. Will you be able to afford the cost of homeschooling?
Aside from the cost of books and supplemental resources, make sure to allocate for the time investment needed to homeschool. If you are employed you should consider if you can adjust your schedule to accommodate homeschooling, or if you need to switch to a job with a more flexible work arrangement.
Lastly, consider whether or not you have access to reliable internet, technology resources, printers, and library resources. Finally, consider how supportive your family, friends, and members of your community are to your homeschooling decision.
Having supportive people around you can make the homeschooling journey easier and more enjoyable.
2. Do I have the right attitude and mindset?
Attitude and mindset play a huge role in homeschooling success. Do you have the affirmations of confidence, positivity, patience, and a growth mindset?
Or do you doubt yourself as a homeschool educator and have a fear of failure?Homeschooling requires dedication and commitment from both you and your child. Timetables, schedules, and other measures of success should not be taken lightly.
Homeschooling only works well when the attitude present is one of a “can do” spirit and focus on growth. Therefore, homeschooling requires patience. Problems in the educational journey as a whole, or in specific concepts/topics, should be embraced as opportunities for growth and not seen as a weakness or fault.
If you or your child lack the aptitude for homeschooling, it is still possible to learn and grow with the right attitude and mindset.
3. Can I really homeschool my child?
This may seem like a difficult and daunting task at first sight. Therefore, it is important to think this questions through to fully understand the magnitude of homeschooling your child.
When it comes to homeschooling your child, you will become responsible for every aspect of their educational journey. This means teaching multiple curriculum topics, managing your child’s education timeline and extracurricular activities, working with them on study skills, teaching ethical values and life lessons, and much much more – all under your supervision. Moreover, it is important to research the legal aspects of homeschooling for the Country/State in which you live.
Do some research online to learn about the registration, school fees, deadlines, reports, and other regulations you may need to work with. In addition, you should make sure to research the various curriculum packages and resources. Is your child’s age and educational level suited for the resources you’ve identified?
Will the curriculum you choose be supported by your local school District? These are only a few questions that need to be addressed prior to taking the big leap into homeschooling.
4. What curriculum should I use for homeschooling?
When homeschooling your child, you need to select the right curriculum and supplemental resources. Start by researching the various types of curriculum, such as online, paper and pencil, or a combination of both. Next, conduct research on the various curriculum providers and their products.
They vary in terms of price and the content covered. Analyze the differences and decide which one fits your family’s needs and budget the most.
Moreover, you need to think about the teaching style and resources you prefer to use. Do you like visual or audio/video resources?
Would you like printables, mobile applications, or instructional videos? Are they engaging and appealing to your child? Do they cover all the topics your child needs to learn and practice?
Additionally, consider if you need additional supplemental resources to support learning. Finally, take into account whether the curriculum you choose has the right pacing that fits your child and family’s lifestyle.
This can be the tipping point in diciding which curriculum should be used.
5. What is the best schedule for homeschooling?
In homeschooling, you have the freedom to create the schedule that fits everyone’s needs the best. That said, it is important to break down your homeschooling schedule into short-term and long-term goals. Having short-term goals will make it easy to track your progress and enjoy the small wins.
Having long-term goals will make sure you continue to stay on track for the bigger picture. It is also important to plan for breaks and “days off” from homeschooling.
Both you and your child need to recharge and destress. This can be done through extracurricular activities, physical activities, art, music, or trips. Plan for activities that your child enjoys and make sure to allot regular breaks.
Finally, make sure to leave flexibility in your schedule. This will help to adapt to inevitable disruptions that may arise.
The point of homeschooling is to prioritize teaching that works best for your child, hence allow flexibility in your plans so that you can adjust accordingly.
6.How can I ensure that my child is learning?
This is an important question to ask when homeschooling your child. You need ways to track and measure the progress your child is making. First, you should pay close attention to your child’s educational journey.
You can do this by taking notes, having conversations, recording observations, and reviewing any audio/video recordings or reports. You need to identify the areas your child is struggling in and those which they are excelling in.
If your child has difficulty in a certain area, it is essential to adjust the curriculum and/or teaching methods to make it easier for them. This may require extra time and resources. Second, beyond just tracking progress, you need to also measure it.
Keep your child’s records and assessments to compare their progress in the long-term. You may even want to administer tests and assessments to measure whether or not your child is learning.
It is important to adjust the tests and assessments in accordance to the materials and topics being covered so as to ensure accuracy.
7. What extracurricular activities should I include?
Many of the same extracurricular activities that you will find in a traditional school setting can also be included when homeschooling. Extracurricular activities are important as they help to keep children engaged and enthusiastic about learning. They also introduce children to new areas of interests, provide social interaction opportunities, and teach essential life skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, and leadership.
When it comes to extracurricular activities, consider options such as sports, art, music, language, theater, and debate. Local homeschooling organizations often have many of these activities available.
You can also consider and opt for online extracurricular activities. Also consider the introduction of character-building activities into your homeschooling schedule. Such activities includes volunteer work, national parks or museum visits, or other cultural events.
These activities will not only broaden your child’s mind but also teach important values such as compassion, respect and empathy.
8. How do I ensure my child has enough social interaction?
This is an important concern when it comes to homeschooling. Social interaction and networking is an important factor in a young person’s development as it helps them build relationships and further expand their view of the world.
First and foremost, you should research and identify other homeschooling families in your area or local homeschooling support groups. Such groups can organize field trips, educational classes, and other activities. Moreover, you should consider joining homeschooling organizations and sign up for events and activities they host.
These activities can include career fairs, workshops and seminars, sports competitions, and even educational trips. Additionally, you can consider enrolling your child in clubs and after-school activities at your local libraries and recreation centers.
Also, there are homeschooling-friendly colleges that allow homeschooled kids to take classes and join clubs.
9. Are there any ethical values and life lessons I should teach?
Moral and life lessons are part of an essential education and cannot be overlooked or ignored. A big part of homeschooling is teaching, guiding and mentoring your child.
Therefore, it is important to have conversations and discuss ethical values and life lessons early on. For example, it is important to talk about respect and being courteous towards other people. You must also teach them importance of gratitude, honesty and responsibility.
Further, emphasize the value of hard work and making the most out of opportunities. Additionally, teach them to strive for excellence, be compassionate and understanding.
Along with this, it also important to provide them with sound financial advice and make particular that they understand the need to save and plan for the future. Finally, make sure to talk with your child about the importance of listening and communication skills, as well as the implications of social media.
10. What are the pros and cons of homeschooling?
Homeschooling comes with its own sets of pros and cons – therefore, it is important to know them before diving in. When it comes to the pros, you have the benefit of being able to shape your child’s educational schedule and course of study that fits their individual needs.
You can also focus on topics you consider important, such as ethical values and life skills from the comfort of your own home. Plus, homeschooling allows for rich and unique learning experiences outside of the traditional classroom. However, homeschooling comes with its own sets of cons.
One of the major negatives of homeschooling is that you may struggle to ensure social engagement and your child may lack many of the fun experiences expected in the traditional school setting. Additionally, you may need to really be on point with scheduling, tracking and evaluation of progress, and access to the right resources.
Lastly, for some, homeschooling may become a huge financial burden as there are many costs associated with setting up and keeping a homeschooling environment.
11. Do I need professional help on my homeschooling journey?
This depends entirely on your needs and preferences. You can seek professional help from a number of sources.
For example, local homeschooling support groups and online homeschooling programs may be able to provide plenty of advice. You can even hire a tutor or an experienced teacher to supplement your homeschooling. Be sure to identify the right teacher with the right qualifications and experience to teach your child the topics being covered in your homeschool program.
Also, consider having your child evaluated and tested by a professional, especially if they have fallen behind in their education. Having regular assessments and evaluations of your child’s progress will give you a better understanding of the areas needing additional support.
12. What must I do to ensure the best results with homeschooling?
The best result when it comes to homeschooling is that your child feels supported, challenged, and engaged during the entire homeschooling journey. That said, it is important to have a plan.
First, consider setting up a daily routine. This makes it reliable and easy for you and your child to stick to – for example, allocating a certain number of hours for homeschooling each day. You may also need to plan for some days off and activities or fun experiences for the family.
Second, it is important to structure the learning environment. Gather a physical “classroom” from the materials you have around you and consider other educational setups.
Also, consider whether or not you need additional tools, such as educational computer games, physical boards, etc. Third, plan for tests and assessments which better measure and track progress. Make sure to introduce these assessments at the right and appropriate intervals to ensure accurate results.
Finally, keep in mind that homeschooling is not just about academics – it is also about growth and development. Therefore, when planning for life and character lessons, research for activities and conversations through collaboration with family and friends, as well as activities and classes which you and your child can enjoy.
Conclusion
Homeschooling your child is an important and huge responsibility. Make sure to ask and answer these key questions when preparing for this journey. Doing so will ensure that you have the knowledge and capability to provide them with an excellent education in their own comfort and your own home.