Tips for New Homeschoolers

Here are a few quick tips and helpful hints that will make your first days of homeschooling less stressful and more productive:

Make Homeschooling Your Own
One common pitfall experienced by new homeschooling parents is the temptation to teach using the same style used in a traditional school classroom. With colorful teaching visuals, the latest computer and schoolroom supplies, and a quality Christian curriculum, first-time homeschoolers launch into homeschooling by attempting to make school look exactly the same as when they were growing up. Unfortunately, that doesn't work very well in most homeschool settings. Teaching multiple children of different grade levels and learning styles, caring for toddlers, and dealing with everyday interruptions require a flexible daily lesson plan that looks much different than a brick and mortar school.

Homeschooling Is a Lifestyle
To avoid learning problems and premature homeschool burnout, relax and realize that homeschooling is a lifestyle. Your goal is to learn what motivates your child and understand how to make homeschooling fun by taking advantage of every learning opportunity, including cooking, cleaning, and other real-life experiences not necessarily found within the pages of your homeschool curriculum. It's okay to take time to deal with discipline issues or get out of the house to go on field trips and enjoy hands-on learning. If your child wants, take something apart, build something, or just write and read together. Don't stress out that you're not getting every problem on each worksheet completed. Instead, look at the bigger picture. With a little creative imagination, you can turn the entire day's activities (planned and unplanned) into fun-filled learning experiences.