7 Things You Need To Prepare If You're Planning To Homeschool Your Child This Year

Homeschooling is one alternative choice for your children’s education. If you and your family have finally decided to take the homeschooling path, you know your reasons, and you have looked for a homeschool provider to enroll you child in, what should you do next?

Homeschooling tips for beginners

Here are some reminders to get you started on this track. These tips are for homeschool beginners but can be used by families at all stages of the journey.

Connect with a homeschool community

This is an important step to start off the school year. Your homeschool provider can provide you with orientations, and parent learning sessions on how you can start and go about your journey. They will assist you on what learning materials to use, how to go about your lessons and help you set goals to accomplish for the year.

Connecting with fellow homeschool families is also important. You can get motivation, some inspiration, and tips and tricks on how to make things easier.

It is also recommended for you to attend a homeschool conference. You will have the chance to know new learning materials, listen to inspiring speakers, and network with other homeschool families in the community. (Click here for homeschooling blogs that you can follow)

Set measurable educational goals

The goal is what you want your child to learn and how you will track the progress. Whether for English, Math or any other subject, you need to set specific measurable educational goals.

When setting your homeschool goals and objectives, it is important to think long-term: What would you like your children to achieve or improve on this academic year? (Long term goal for the school year: “I want my child to have a basic understanding of the concept of addition.”) Remember the goals for your child may be different compared to a child of another family, even if they are on the same level or age.

Establish a homeschool routine

Create a routine instead of a schedule to set aside time for your homeschool activities. Setting a routine will help your children form good habits for a more productive homeschool life.

Make a list of everything you need to get done daily and prioritize what is important. Make sure to schedule in time for flexibility as there might be times when you have to move things around — like when you have to go to a doctor's appointment. A daily routine will keep things flowing smoothly, despite the interruptions.

Dedicated homeschool space

While other people have a designated homeschool room, it is not a requirement. Some families allot a study desk for their child, where they do most of the sit-down learning. For many, the dining table is used and depending on the weather, it can be in the patio garden table.

The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that you are able to make choices based on what works best at a given time. Anywhere that you have available space could work for homeschooling! (Click here for ideas on setting up your child's learning space.)

Stay organized

Staying organized is one key aspect of ensuring success in homeschool. There are many ways to organize for homeschooling. You can use a calendar or mom journal to keep track of appointments, assignments, and activities.

Bookcases can help organize and display your books and curriculum materials. Baskets and trays can store pens, coloring supplies, and other craft materials.

Teach life skills

Life skills are things that you use to navigate everyday life. One important skill is communication skills. Being able to communicate effectively with other persons is very important. These skills include active listening, being able to express oneself clearly, and knowing how to take turns in a conversation.

Grocery shopping and cooking is another essential skill. We all have to eat, so knowing the basics of nutrition, keeping stock of healthy foods, and cooking is a must. It is a great way to integrate math like measuring, and money math.

Critical thinking is another so they will have the ability to analyze, reason, solve problems, or think for himself. Teaching critical thinking skills can be in through puzzles, riddles, and mystery books.

Make it fun

Remember to make homeschooling fun so your kids stay engaged. You can always integrate your child’s interest in your lessons.

For example, after a lesson on Philippine geography, you can map out the places your child already visited or identify the famous food in that particular city. Teach about the periodic table of elements and look around for things around your house with those elements. Carbon is used in pencils, Gold is found in jewelries, Aluminum is used in beverage cans, and so on.

Homeschooling can encourage the love of learning in the comfort of a loving home, and can be a transformative experience for both the parent and child.

Click here for a list of homeschooling materials you will need for your first year.