If you have made the tough decision to homeschool your children, then you are going to be wondering how to do it. First, you are going to be concerned with the lessons. How do you get all the information that is required and portray it in a way your child will understand? What exactly do you need to teach? What is on the curriculum? And a whole range of other questions. But just as importantly is the homeschooling environment you need to teach in. This has to be conducive to learning. So, you will have to convert a part of your home into a school to do this. To help you make this environment, here are a few tips:
Routine
The best thing you can do is mimic the real thing as much as possible, and that starts with a routine. Routines help you set realistic expectations for daily behaviour, and it can be a lot more than just the schooling routine. For example, you need a morning routine, getting greedy for school. The wearing of school uniforms may be a great way to get your child into the idea of learning. Have set meal times, i.e., lunch at 12, a break at 2 pm, etc. Then follow this up with a regular evening meal time and a set bedtime. Routine can help you stay on track.
Schooling Schedule
You will want lesson times. So lessons start at 9, you have an hour of one subject followed by an hour of another, etc. You don’t have to be completely rigid; say if one lesson overruns as your child is particularly interested and is asking a lot of questions. You should create a calendar of things you at going to do and potentially stick it to the wall, so everyone knows what’s coming up.
The School Room
If you have a spare room, a garage that can be converted, or even an outhouse, it is best to create a room that is the school room. If you do not have the space for this, then convert the corner of the living room, for example. You could even use a curtain or divider to section it off. It would work best if you had the traditional layout and some great school furniture, such as from Civic Australia. Consider a blackboard, whiteboard, computer projection, or something similar to use as an apparatus to teach from. You will need school computers too. Don’t forget the walls. Paint them a light colour and stick things such as the periodic table up. Give it a schooling atmosphere.
Use a Range of Teaching Methods and Materials
To keep things interesting, you need to mix it up. You cannot teach from the front all the time. You can get creative and use craft as a way to teach. Get the children to teach you abo something they have learned. Perhaps you can give them school trips to museums and practice lessons to teach maths or transport etc. The more creative you can be, the better your children will learn.