Perhaps you’ve heard about homeschooling from others who already enjoy its many benefits. Perhaps you were thrust into it as a result of the coronavirus but have decided it’s a good option. Whether you’re a veteran at homeschooling or just starting, it can be done even more successfully with a few proven homeschooling tips and tricks.
Though there is a lot of leeways, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about homeschooling your child. Thanks to the suggestions of those who found out the hard way, we are going to be able to provide a few of the tips where homeschooling is concerned. Hopefully, this will help you better succeed at the endeavor and benefit both you and your child.
Homeschooling – To Get Started
What are your state’s laws regarding homeschooling? As a homeschooler, you will have responsibilities outlined by your state’s homeschooling laws. The laws differ somewhat for every state. To begin schooling at home, you’ll need to fill out certain documentation. More documentation will be needed throughout the year.
In advance, prepare documentation. “Documentation” refers to both course completion or progress and state-mandated documentation. Beforehand, create the templates of the documents you will need throughout the year. That way, you can fill them in as needed, when needed. Remember to have an evaluation method for the following:
- Work completed
- Attendance
- Progress (recording and evaluation)
- Any documentation needed should you decide to return your child to traditional schooling methods
Make some major decisions upfront. Though lots of things will change throughout the year while you’re homeschooling, some things should be decided first and foremost. Will you have a secular or faith-based homeschool? To suit your family better, will you alternate weekly schedules and vacation periods, or will you follow traditional school schedules? Will you homeschool throughout the year, continuously? There are lots of questions to ask before you get started. Be familiar with your resources. Now, more than ever, there are homeschooling resources in abundance. There may be free educational resources and activities in addition to regular homeschooling services available.
Talk to other homeschoolers who know the ropes. Take the advice of people who have already been there by talking to parents/tutors who have experienced homeschooling firsthand. There’s no telling what you could learn from someone having participated in homeschooling in the past.
Best Practices
Put a lot of thought into scheduling. At first, try to take it easy rather than jumping in headfirst and going full speed ahead. Give yourself lots of time for homeschool portfolios and reports. If you’re trying to re-create a school setting at home, focus on what works best for all parties involved.
When planning, include your child. Encourage your child to make suggestions as to how the school year should go. You are partners in this endeavor, after all.
Flexibility is preferable. Not everything goes according to plan all the time. One of homeschooling’s important benefits is the ability to vary the schedule. Take more time if it is needed and allow time for fun or relaxation if something wraps up quickly and early.
Get others involved. When it comes to instruction for your child, you don’t have to be the only one doing the teaching. As part of the instruction, tutors or other parents are allowed in many cases – but check with the homeschool regulations of your state.
Toward the end of this year, get ready for next year. You’re going to feel relieved and possibly even exhausted by the end of the year but save a little bit of energy so you can plan for the upcoming year. That way, you can jump right in rather than delaying things because you didn’t plan properly.
When You’re Ready to Take the Plunge And Start Homeschooling – NFC Academy
As you can see, there are a lot of ins and outs to homeschooling. If you have questions, want to begin educating your child, or need more information in general, the best people to turn to are those at NFC Academy.
A multitude of benefits is offered to children, parents, and teaching individuals through NFC Academy. We provide accredited home school programs for grades K through 12. For grades K through 5, we offer book homeschool programs, and for grades 3 through 12, online homeschool programs.
Ready for an affordable solution that ensures your son or daughter gets a world-class education? If so, contact us. Please feel free to call us at (888) 960- 4624 or fill out our convenient online form to request information.