Structure the School year: Homeschooling Requirements
Once you have prepared your homeschooling schedule, there are
a number of issues. Is it good to study continuously, or better
to have a number of “short breaks”? Or, is it more refreshing
for the student to take a long vacation?
Well, my suggestion is simple: think it over, then do what suits
you and your child the best.
After all, isn’t this one of the boons of homeschooling? The fact
that you do not HAVE to take a break in the fall. There is no set
pattern which is forced upon you!
Flexibility is your best friend. Try out different schedules during
your first year of homeschooling, and keep a diary on the results.
And if you have more than one student, keep a diary on each child
and how that student does.
By keeping individual records, you’ll be better able to discern what
is “best” for each person.
Keep in mind that burn-out, or loss of interest from time to time, is
perfectly normal. Top
psychology schools advocate gaining a new perspective. To kick-start
creativity, you can peruse this site for new curriculum and other ideas.
K12 Requirements: K12 Homeschooling
I have found it is a good idea to have integrated courses
when homeschooling. That way, you will save time in
the long run. All subjects are coordinated with each
other in each grade level. So, for instance, children work on art
projects that are related to what they’re studying in history.
Here is a good website offering pre-pay discounts and
multi-child discounts, as well.
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So if you are a practiced homeschooler, a definite curriculum may
not be required – particularly since with unschoolers, lessons are a
natural part of their day- to-day existence.
Homeschooling Field Trips: Discuss With Your Teen
If this is the case, you of course naturally weave lessons into the
fabric of daily life. You perhaps use homeschooling field trips as
a way of augmenting your student’s learning.
It’s up to you. Life’s lessons are after all important. And as you are
a homeschooler, you realize this. However, it probably is a good
idea to have part of the day scheduled and planned.
Feedback from your kids as to their areas of study – getting input from them is helpful,
and also on where they’d like to go for homeschooling field trips. The
trips will be of greater benefit when the child, or teen, looks forward
to the excursion and can participate more (due to level of enthusiasm).
Note: If you are a beginner at homeschooling, it’s best to do charting
on each of your students. You may want to keep a portfolio – i.e., a
homeschooling portfolio lesson planner. Visit this website:
http://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/portfolio.htm
And visit “How to Make Lesson Plans” at Wikihow.com
as well as Making a Lesson Plan from Teach-nology
About.com has some useful advice too:
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/learning/p/coursek.htm
*Note: You can get free portfolio templates online. Just google
the term. (Sellfolio.com has free trial e.g.)
Homeschool Support Groups: Mingle & Get Ideas From Others
So once you get in the groove with the schedule, the planning,
the charting & recordkeeping, you’ll begin to fall into a pattern.
You’ll get more comfortable, especially if you consult with others.
Thus, be sure you check out local homeschool support groups!
There are so many different approaches to homeschooling – so
many kinds & types that you’ll have to research & do some in-depth
planning.
You’ll have to figure out your personal style of teaching, as well as
what exactly is best for EACH of your children — whether they’ll do
better with one long summer vacation, or many small 1 week breaks
throughout the school year.
Just be sure to consult with the members of your family and get
feedback. And consult with your spouse, as well. A longer summer
break can mean that your spouse will be able to have a nice break
& spend some meaningful time with the children.
P.S. Remember too that if your child, or teen, has meaningful
friendships with kids who aren’t homeschooled – you’ll want to
weigh that in yr decision.
(Meaning – they may need t/b on the same schedule as their friends
who attend public school – with the long summer break)
As far as homeschooling for teen sis concerned, you and your family
are the ones in charge. Taking care of the individual needs of the child
is the primary focus of this system.
So, it is best to tailor the school year to suit your child’s needs,
keeping in mind the legal requirements.
Periodic evaluation is a must. Therefore, lay down some goals
and go from there – see if you and your teen student might
accomplish these goals.
Additionally, you will want to do what you can to avoid burnout –
there is a really great website for this topic:
http://heartofthematteronline.com
It is a Christian Website; it has some worthwhile info – such as
this letter written by a mommy to her homeschooled kids:
http://heartofthematteronline.com/a-letter-to-the-kids-mommy-needs-a-break
Please note, however, that there are intentional misspellings.
Math Resource: High School Math
- College Prep
Final Note: Perfectionism in Homeschool Moms: Beware
http://heartofthematteronline.com/dealing-with-perfectionism
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