Many parents who have decided that they prefer to home school their children are very happy to discover that their choice isn't thought of as odd or eccentric like it was in the past. Be that as it may, if you have decided to teach your children at home, you will have challenges to get past. There is a time and learning curve when you have become your child's teacher, and it takes some adjustment on everyone's part. However, you will find that teaching your children at home can be very rewarding.
Home schooling doesn't have to mean isolation from other people, especially other parents. This is becoming a more common practice, so it's likely that other parents nearby are also doing it. The home schooling movement has reached most locations by now, so it shouldn't be hard to find either formal groups or informal networks of home schoolers.
In traditional schools, the teachers have to follow a set teaching outline and don't always get a chance to be more flexible in their methods. Creativity is sometimes frowned upon. You, however, have complete control over how creative and/or flexible you want to be with your kids. Crowded classrooms have always been a problem in traditional schools; however, you will only have your own children to work with. This means you can create more innovative lessons, take frequent field trips and devise your own learning strategies. Local culture can come alive for your kids if you take them to events in your community. Some functions that come to mind are Pow Wows and Greek Food Festivals. Your area will have their own cultural programs that your kids can enjoy. Also, the traditional field trips to the library and museums are important. Nothing will help a child remember something more than an actual hands-on experience. You can visit a farm where the farmer is growing wheat; then take them to the mill that grinds the flour; then to the bakery that makes the bread. The next time you are at your local supermarket, they will appreciate all the work that those loaves of bread represent. If your child shows promise, or a strong interest, in a particular area, you can make sure they receive more information on that subject.
One of the advantages of home schooling is that you can be more creative and flexible with your teaching style than teachers in a traditional school. For one thing, you only have your own child or children to think of, not twenty or thirty kids. Since you will only have your child, or children, to consider, you can be more inventive with your subject matter, go on field trips on a whim, and set up your own system for teaching. You can take field trips to the standard cultural destinations such as museums and libraries, or you can visit local cultural events to make history come alive. Kids love field trips and this keeps their interest alive. While there's a lot that can be learned from books, it's also helpful to be able to see things up close. If a child develops special interests or talents, you can give them more information and training in that area to see how it develops.
All kids, even your own, will definitely have different learning styles which will notice when you start homeschooling. Homeschooling is definitely a process in which the student and the teacher both learn to work with one another and their own particular styles. An example of this would be having one child that learns visually and having another that needs to hear what is being said to understand it. So, to accommodate your kids, you will want to do more visual with one child, and more audio in the lessons the other child per their learning styles and abilities. Watch carefully! Your children will respond differently to different forms of teaching so be aware of what helps them the most. Your option to modify your lesson plan is a great benefit to your children, especially when you notice changes in their ability to learn and how you need to modify your doing.
Although there are many advantages to home schooling, you should realize that it also carries with it some challenges. You and your kids will have to adjust to this arrangement, and you can't forget that your home must be a real school for part of the day. Home schooling, like anything else, will take some getting used to, but both you and your kids may find that it's a very rewarding adventure.
Home schooling doesn't have to mean isolation from other people, especially other parents. This is becoming a more common practice, so it's likely that other parents nearby are also doing it. The home schooling movement has reached most locations by now, so it shouldn't be hard to find either formal groups or informal networks of home schoolers.
In traditional schools, the teachers have to follow a set teaching outline and don't always get a chance to be more flexible in their methods. Creativity is sometimes frowned upon. You, however, have complete control over how creative and/or flexible you want to be with your kids. Crowded classrooms have always been a problem in traditional schools; however, you will only have your own children to work with. This means you can create more innovative lessons, take frequent field trips and devise your own learning strategies. Local culture can come alive for your kids if you take them to events in your community. Some functions that come to mind are Pow Wows and Greek Food Festivals. Your area will have their own cultural programs that your kids can enjoy. Also, the traditional field trips to the library and museums are important. Nothing will help a child remember something more than an actual hands-on experience. You can visit a farm where the farmer is growing wheat; then take them to the mill that grinds the flour; then to the bakery that makes the bread. The next time you are at your local supermarket, they will appreciate all the work that those loaves of bread represent. If your child shows promise, or a strong interest, in a particular area, you can make sure they receive more information on that subject.
One of the advantages of home schooling is that you can be more creative and flexible with your teaching style than teachers in a traditional school. For one thing, you only have your own child or children to think of, not twenty or thirty kids. Since you will only have your child, or children, to consider, you can be more inventive with your subject matter, go on field trips on a whim, and set up your own system for teaching. You can take field trips to the standard cultural destinations such as museums and libraries, or you can visit local cultural events to make history come alive. Kids love field trips and this keeps their interest alive. While there's a lot that can be learned from books, it's also helpful to be able to see things up close. If a child develops special interests or talents, you can give them more information and training in that area to see how it develops.
All kids, even your own, will definitely have different learning styles which will notice when you start homeschooling. Homeschooling is definitely a process in which the student and the teacher both learn to work with one another and their own particular styles. An example of this would be having one child that learns visually and having another that needs to hear what is being said to understand it. So, to accommodate your kids, you will want to do more visual with one child, and more audio in the lessons the other child per their learning styles and abilities. Watch carefully! Your children will respond differently to different forms of teaching so be aware of what helps them the most. Your option to modify your lesson plan is a great benefit to your children, especially when you notice changes in their ability to learn and how you need to modify your doing.
Although there are many advantages to home schooling, you should realize that it also carries with it some challenges. You and your kids will have to adjust to this arrangement, and you can't forget that your home must be a real school for part of the day. Home schooling, like anything else, will take some getting used to, but both you and your kids may find that it's a very rewarding adventure.
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For more information about Home Schooling, please click How to Teach Kids to Read and Teaching Kids to Read.