We jumped into homeschooling full of faith and zero experience. Looking back, there are a few hard-won lessons I would have loved to know on day one.
1. Embrace flexible mornings and encourage self-learning by allowing your children to explore topics they’re interested in during discussions.
In retrospect, you would think this would be a no-brainer, right? However, as first-time homeschoolers, we were under the impression that we had to work from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and only teach the basics: math, language arts, science, history, and physical education. This is not the case. We have found over the years that our days need to be based on organic learning. Yes, we use books, and we have lessons: math, language arts, history, and science, which are non-negotiable because our state requires these subjects. However, we can take a less bias aproach to our teaching, using a curriculum that allows our children to research different topics and discover the truths for themselves. This creates critical thinkers. We have state requirements for graduation and are required to complete all subjects to a certain level to obtain a high school diploma. I highly recommend that you research your state’s homeschooling rules and regulations for yourself.
2. You do not need a classroom for learning. The world is your playground, and doing while learning is the best way to learn.
Our kids spend time outdoors, getting muddy, building forts, playing ball, going hiking, riding bikes, fishing, using pulleys, and ropes in the trees, to naturally learn how physics works. All of this is learning. For example, you can use a day of hiking to learn about butterflies, birds, local wildlife, waterways, and edibles, and have family time and learning time at the same time. A zoo or museum can be a great learning experience. Visiting an indoor park can be an excellent way to spend a rainy day. Using your family vacations to visit areas you’re learning about in homeschool lessons is a great way to bring the lessons alive. This allows children not only to learn from a book but to see it, touch it, put feet on the ground, so to speak, and to retain these teachings in a more organic way.
3. Real-world learning is a great tool for your toolkit.
Let’s face it, many adults struggle with counting change, balancing a budget, investing for retirement, saving money, spending money wisely, and managing time, among other things. Teaching these precepts is a way to provide excellent financial education. You can tailor your homeschool day to each child’s learning style. If your child is excelling in language arts, you can allow them to read at a higher level, continue moving forward into the next grade level, and have more opportunities for natural learning. The same is true for math, history, or science. You can offer experiences, such as horseback riding lessons, music lessons, welding, engineering, plumbing, electrical work, woodworking, computer coding, physics, biology, and chemistry classes, or group dissection. If you are fortunate enough to have a homestead, you can grow a garden, maintain farm equipment and animals, hunt, fish, learn how to process animals, or develop basic survival skills. Your children can work for local farms to obtain this knowledge if you do not have a homestead. Allow your children to cook (this is science) and create new recipes, make things from scratch, and allow mistakes. Mistakes are the way we learn. There are opportunities around every corner to give your child real-world experiences. For example, our kids have used YouTube to fix the lawn mower, sharpen blades, and learn about things that interest them. PragerU (no affiliation) is also an excellent resource for home education, videos, and free resources.
4. Your kids will get plenty of the right kind of socialization. Keywords: the right kind of socialization.
The number one question I get asked as a homeschooling mom is “What about socialization?” followed by “Aren’t you worried that your kid is missing out?” No, I am not. Our kids get plenty of socialization. We visit parks, join a local homeschool group, visit museums and restaurants, and attend church, where they enjoy various experiences and volunteer work. Our kids spend a great deal of time with others of all ages throughout the day. Thus, obtain various experiences, knowledge, and hands-on education from others. You can control what you allow into your home, and your kids’ devices, and your children can have a better understanding of what it’s like to have true friends. Because, let’s get real, no one likes dealing with someone constantly being bullied and exhibiting rude behavior from peers. If you do have an issue between your child and another, you can go directly to the parent with both children and address the issue immediately, which we have found to be a huge blessing. Most of the time, the parent is genuinely concerned and takes action to stop the behavior, apologies are given on the spot, and play continues. Natural consequences and offering repentance on the spot help children understand that the behavior will not be allowed. Basically, it gets nipped in the bud quickly.
5. It is ok to not know everything about homeschooling your children from day one.
We have navigated this homeschooling by taking it one day at a time. I am not a teacher, nor did I attend college. I was actually pulled out of school in my freshman year of high school to provide care for a family member. I have a GED, that’s it. When I say I am learning as I go, I truly mean that. Over the years, we have adjusted the curriculum to better fit our children’s needs. We have provided as many opportunities as we can think of and afford to develop their minds, and offer the best education we can, so our kids will be able to step into the world, equipped and ready to put their skills to work. We have a few more years with them before they “fly the coop”. This is the most challenging and critical time in our homeschooling journey so far. Ensuring they have the best knowledge possible to attend college or an apprenticeship, and launch forward to a successful career of their choice.
" The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. "
Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)