We’re just under 2 months into the school year. How’s it going? It’s going well. We’re enjoying it and this decision to homeschool is working out quite nicely for our family.
In my newness, what hints can I share?
Start small. If you’re able to, start with Kindergarten. It’s a great way to ease into homeschooling. Your child, at that level, only needs to start with the basics: reading, writing, basic math concepts. You can do more, but don’t stress out yourself or your child. They pick up and retain info quite rapidly. You will find homeschooling families where the young children seem to be able to recite the periodic table of elements. If it works for them–great! Bravo.
But you’re not them. Do what works best for you and your child/children.
Turn every opportunity into a lesson. This is the beauty of homeschooling–every moment is a teaching moment. Not a high-pressure moment where you shove as much info into their brains as possible and quiz them after a cram session. Follow your child’s cues. When they ask questions (and you know they ask a gazillion in a day), don’t just give the short “yes” or “no” quick responses. Think about their questions and see if there’s a piece of info that you can attach to your answer.
A simple example:
“Mommy, can I have some fruit?”
“Sure. Let’s wash it first though.”
“Why do we wash fruit?”
“Because it’s dirty.”
“From what?”
“It just is.”
What info was passed on here? That fruit needs to be washed. But, why? Because Mommy said so. That’s not the most valid of reasons. Here’s an alternative example below:
“Mommy, can I have some fruit?”
“Sure. Let’s wash it first though.”
“Why do we wash fruit?”
“Because the outside of the fruit is dirty. It grew outside on a tree/plant/underground, under the open sky. Then it was picked and handled. In the store, they often spray to keep it moist/fresh. Also, many people touch fruit to see how hard or soft it is, before buying, just like Mommy does. Fruit has lots of germs on the outside. So, we want to wash that off before we eat it.”
“Oh. We wash off all the germs so that we don’t get sick, right Mommy?”
“That’s right.”
What info was passed on here? That fruit needs to be washed. We learned why and how we’re affected by washing or not washing. We’ve also introduced basic hygiene among other lessons that we taught in that explanation.
Don’t underestimate yourself. If you’re a Christian–prayer is key to your homeschooling experience. I know that left up to me, I’d be floundering though every day. However, I’ve asked God to lead and He always steps up and leads the way.
Enjoy!