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Posts Tagged ‘homeschool curriculum’

Labor day is just around the corner and most parents are busy with back to school shopping, while kids are savoring their last sweet days of summer. But there is a growing population of children who are not gearing up to return to school. These are homeschoolers. They do not have to wait to see what classes they were assigned. They choose their own courses of study with help from their parents, an eye toward state requirements and college admissions recommendations, and possibly with the guidance of a Homeschooling Consultant.

“Parents new to homeschooling call me to help them plan curriculum, meet state requirements, and figure out how to provide their kids with social opportunities,” explains Rivka Seeman, a private Homeschooling Consultant based here in New York City. “Parents who are already homeschooling may call to discuss something that is not working, or to find creative opportunities for their children to learn outside the home. Sometimes teenagers find my website and prompt their parents to call. It’s all about giving parents a greater diversity of options so they can provide their children with the education that will be best for them,” Rivka continues. “For some kids that will mean going to school, but for some kids it doesn’t.”
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When creating a homeschooling schedule, areas of instruction, student age, and family schedule should all be taken into consideration. These three things should be integrated to come up with a schedule that will benefit children and adults alike. There is no need, however, to redesign the wheel. Use tools available to you to come up with a schedule that meets your needs.

The first step in creating a homeschooling schedule is to develop a mission statement. Take a few hours to sit down, write and rewrite a statement of purpose for your homeschool. Consider these questions: what do you want your children to learn? What can you provide through homeschooling that your child cannot get through a regular education setting? What traits do you want to promote in your child? Writing a mission statement will guide your instruction and scheduling choices.

Once you have a mission statement, it is time to do some research. Collect information on the topics you plan to teach, and the developmental level of your child. The internet is a valuable tool for this type of research. To make things easier, you may want to refer to the teaching standards laid out by your state for the appropriate grade level. They have done the research for you. Use these standards compared to your mission statement to add and delete topics that you would like to be a part of your curriculum. For example, if religion is something you feel strongly about, you might add that topic of study to your states standards. Or you might incorporate it into already existing standards such as, teaching about people who have made a difference, or use religious works as part of a cultural study or reading material.

With a mission statement and instructional content, you can now begin to schedule your instructional week. With a weekly calendar in front of you, first set down meal, snack and nap times appropriate for your child and/family. Next add in regular necessary family activities, such as weekly trips to the grocery store, sports practice, or church commitments. Keep in mind that these activities can be tied into current studies and become part of the learning environment. Decide how many hours a day you wish to devote to instruction, and what time is reasonable to begin each day. Finally divide the time between subjects. It is generally accepted that at least 2-2 ½ hours a day should be devoted to language arts (reading, writing, grammar, spelling, listening and speaking). Another hour should be spent focusing on math. The rest of your time should be divided among your other areas of study. Some people prefer to hit every subject for a short time every day, but most hit each area of study for a longer period only once a week. For example, Monday – science, Tuesday – social study, Wednesday – religious studies, Thursday – art and music, Friday – community service.
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1. Setting the Bar Too Low

Research has shown that one of the greatest determining factors in a student’s performance is teacher expectation. This is no different for your homeschool student. You may think the world of your little angel, but every parent has their biases. Admit it. Maybe it has crossed your mind that while Bobby is a genius in math, he really struggles at reading. Perhaps Emma loves to read aloud, but she isn’t the best with numbers. Don’t feel bad, every parent has preconceived ideas about their child’s ability and you are no different. However, in order for your student to reach their full potential, it is imperative that you set aside any notions you have about their ability and go into every lesson knowing that they will succeed. When you expect the best, you get the best.

2. Teaching the Way YOU Liked to Learn

You may have heard from others, or experienced yourself, that certain types of teaching styles are more successful than others. I understand this firsthand. Those of us with a lesser ability to navigate the roads may need to look at a map to find our way. Other may not retain those directions until they have driven the route themselves. You might find that when you read something it doesn’t “stick”, but when you attend a lecture or have a friend explains it to you, everything becomes crystal clear. Everyone learns differently. Don’t expect that because you learned best when shown pictures, that the same is true for your child. Experiment with different styles of teaching and ask for your child’s input to help you figure out what works best for them.
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