Homeschooling Tips & Ideas

Parents, do you ever worry that you are not “a teacher?” It's ok! I want to encourage you by reminding you that "how to teach" is not always obvious. The secret is to make connections at every step. Connect new information to existing knowledge. Connections equal retention. Retention equals learning. You may have to think about the process at first, but it will become natural, and you will turn everything into a learning opportunity.

Planner work is so much more than developing To-Do lists. It is a brilliant way to work on handwriting for littles, time management responsibilities for middles and older, and can lead to developing independence in one’s own work and priorities. The struggle to stay organized as a family unit can be an unnerving task as well. Taking intentional time to work with students to organize their own schoolwork each day and for the semester develops those self-management skills and can be a huge help for busy parents.

Everywhere we go, there are instructions—a process. As parents, we direct our kids and as home school teachers, we give assignments. As adults, many of our tasks are intuitive. However, giving directions and helping our children learn how to follow them presents challenges. How do we help our children learn how to follow directions and complete tasks?

When it comes to homeschooling your children, you might have thoughts such as, “Am I doing enough on a day-to-day basis?” or “How do I juggle teaching older and younger children?” These are valid questions most homeschoolers often ask themselves. The good news is your children are still learning a great deal regardless of your doubts. However, what are some practical things you can do to feel less overwhelmed and more confident in the homeschool year? Here are some ideas!

Social Emotional Learning - I am sure you have heard the phrase. It’s the new buzz word circulating the educational realm. This phrase may be described as 21st century skills, character education, or soft skills. You may wonder, what exactly do these terms mean?

Embarking on a lifestyle journey—and homeschooling is a way of life—means an action plan is always necessary. An action plan helps give you direction, keep you focused, hold you accountable, and bring you back on mission. But where is this helpful action plan? Well, reader, it is something you are going to develop specifically for you and your family!

If you’re familiar with our “FAMILY Factors” for choosing curriculum and have thought through your family’s goals and unique characteristics, then the Flex Factors chart will help you put curriculum options in perspective. Think specifically about your available time to homeschool.

In this age of being able to have information in a moment’s time, we have lost the art of memorizing. The value has been seriously overlooked, and many learners have suffered as a result. And unfortunately, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!

The latest buzz in math nowadays seems to be teaching kids the “why” behind math and emphasizing multiple strategies when working math problems. While there is nothing wrong with these pedagogies and there are huge benefits to these approaches, one must not forget the importance of teaching simple arithmetic. Let's look at ways to approach learning and mastering these basic math skills.