The global shutdown that came with COVID-19 prompted many parents to embrace homeschooling, and some families will continue to school from home long after the pandemic is over. It has many benefits, including spending quality time together. To help your child get more out of the experience, here are six effective homeschooling tips for parents.
This guide has many practical suggestions, and hopefully at least a few of them are ones you can start to use in the home. Establishing an enthusiastic and helpful environment for your children will help them achieve success in education and in other areas of their lives.
1. Teach them in different places
Children might get a little bored when you’re always studying in the same place. So, consider changing the room in the home where you have the lessons, or even doing an outdoor session now and then, when the weather is suitable.
If there is luxury vinyl flooring installed at your home, you could also take study time to the floor and do a little reading with your kids. A change in place and seating arrangements could boost their mood and even help them adapt to different things more easily than before.
2. Tips for parents: Homeschooling with the help of online platforms
Different online websites are pretty supportive, helping guide your little ones through learning different things. You must use these platforms for showing various subjects and providing them with positive, motivating forces.
When you’re at a loss for how to explain complex topics to kids, finding an external resource to turn to is helpful. Plus, many of them are free.
3. Get messy with art
Children are quick to learn about various mediums and methods. Provide them with paper, paints, and canvases to color and draw for a fun-filled activity. Many kids love that art gets their imagination going in ways that don’t always happen with textbooks.
The creative break could be exactly what they need too. Then they’ll return to the books with a fresh perspective, ready to take on a variety of subjects.
4. More homeschooling tips: Follow a routine, parents
A routine is a good thing. It gives the child a sense of security, knowing they can depend on a certain schedule throughout the week.
Try putting the schedule on a whiteboard so that they know what to expect throughout the homeschooling day. For example, Math follows the Science lesson.
Be sure to take breaks between subjects too. Depending on your kid’s interests, you’ll want to include things they enjoy, such as playing soccer, watching TV, and eating snacks and meals.
5. Avoid babying your kids
The most significant misstep you could make in your kid’s learning journey is providing all of the answers for them. If you write everything for them in their notebook, your child won’t learn anything.
That’ll put them at a disadvantage in real life as they won’t be able to independently think or problem-solve. In this case, you’re not setting them up for success, no matter how good your intentions are to help them.
So, as hard as it might be to do so, let your kids take the time to work out the answers using their books, relying on what’s worked for them in the past, and asking questions. Yes, you can answer their questions, but just don’t give them the answers all the time.
If the children try to find out the answers by themselves, they will become more capable. Being able to problem-solve will help them significantly later in life.
6. Watch documentaries together
Documentaries could be incredible to watch with your kids. They can be an excellent method to find new interests and explore further a specific subject.
There are many YouTube channels that feature documentaries. Plus, you could watch films on the topic of homeschooling without your child to help find new ways to help them.
Concluding thoughts on homeschooling tips for parents
Homeschooling can be a lot of fun, as you’ll be connecting with your kids in a creative learning environment. Watching them become more confident is a wonderful thing. Following the tips above can help you be more effective in teaching your children.
I don’t have kids, but watching documentaries with them makes a lot of sense. There are some fascinating docus out there!
Sometimes those documentaries have stories that are stranger than fiction!
Great tips, Christy! I think, our education responsibles will never be able to understand, what homeschooling is. ;-) xx Michael
It will be interesting to see how education changes over the next decade!
Thats true, Christy! Here they are back in the analogue system. I am wondering how one can have so much fear about modern media. Sometimes it looks like the fear against the train, in the past. But the love cars, and driving them. ;-) Crazy people, these Germans. Lol xx
Great tips! Routine is so important. We’ve been homeschooling for 3 years, going on 4 this year. My biggest tip is to listen to homeschool podcasts or join a homeschool support group to stay motivated and not become overwhelmed.
Those are great tips! Thanks, Michelle, and wishing you more great years of homeschooling :)