The Pandemic has been a catalyst for many families to shift from public schools to homeschooling. As regular schools shut down completely or went online in order to complete classes, more and more parents had to become more hands on when it came to educating their children.
The last couple of years have seen a steady rise in the number of homeschooling families, even as regular schools reopened post vaccinations. So if you decided to join the homeschooling band wagon and are still finding your way, here are a few points to consider.
Legal Implications
Every state has it’s own rules for homeschoolers. If you are taking up homeschooling your children for good, make sure that you familiarize yourself with the laws. There are requirements that you need to meet, reports that you need to submit and exams that your children may be required to take periodically. Keeping abreast with this from the start will make it easier to go ahead. Especially at a later stage when your homeschool student wishes to attend college and requires transcripts and all kinds of compliance certifications.
Learning Types and Teaching Methodologies
Every person has a primary learning type, which could be visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Many children may prefer a blend of two learning types. Since you are not restricted by school teaching methods, you can now explore different ways to teach your homeschool students. A short search online will give you a brief about different teaching methodologies. Compare these to what you find works best with your children and begin experimenting with them.
Socialization
In the midst of all the fear from the pandemic and the new responsibilities that you have taken on as a homeschool teacher, it can be easy to ignore your social life. Prevent your children from becoming introverts by ensuring that you connect with other homeschooling families. Visits to cousins, family friends and grandparents, when properly monitored can also be a good way to ensure socialization. Simply getting out of the house once a week for a group sport can be enough to start with. Add more interactive sessions with friends and family throughout the year.
