Homeschool Advice and Tips

Learning Styles

Kids learn in different ways and at their own pace.

Be Flexible

Remember that what works for one family (or one child) may not work for another.

Believe in Your Child

A friend of mine who is a school psychologist said "Believe in your child."

Deschool to Build Confidence

Deschooling has helped with self-esteem and building confidence.

Don't Be Critical of Yourself

Don't be too critical of yourself. I was beating myself up for not having a smooth running system of homeschooling.

Don't Compare to Others

I wanted to add not to get hung up on how other homeschool kids are doing

Early Learning

Don't wait too long to start teaching your kids, even if you plan to send them to public school.

Encourage a Love of Learning

Sometimes, especially if coming out of school, kids need a lot of time and a little bit of help to regain their love of learning.

Enjoy your Kids

Quit focusing on what everyone else thinks or says or does, and do what works for you.

Feel Like Throwing in the Towel?

The best advice... Never give up.

Finding the Perfect Curriculum

There is no perfect curriculum.

First Year is Exploratory

I agree that the first year is exploratory, both for the mom and the kids, especially if you are pulling from traditional school.

Homeschooling is a Lifestyle

When we first began thinking about homeschooling a veteran homeschooler told me "It's a lifestyle."

Know Your Homeschool Laws

The best advice I could give anyone, is to check with your state about the homeschool laws before you even begin.

Know Your Material

Put preparation into your homeschooling, don't get caught offguard.

Learning is a Lifetime Journey

Learning is a lifetime journey that does not end at age 18.

Learning When Interested

They learn when they are interested. Out of the blue, she wanted to learn about hemophilia and wrote a real good report after collecting and reading several sources.

Lessons Not From a Book

The most important things children ever learn are NOT found in a textbook.

Listen to Your Child

Listen to your kids, what they tell you, and what they want.

Outsource a Subject

If you choose not to or are unable to learn together, then you can outsource a subject.

Self Scheduling

My son sort of "schedules" our days.

Set Up a Schedule

I guess my piece of advice would be to set a schedule for daily activity. This helps keep focused on what needs to be done.

Socialization vs. Social Life

Socialization is knowing how to act appropriately in various situations and is best taught by adults who care about the child.

Take the Day Off

The thing I can think of at the moment is there will be days when you and your child will feel "off".

Teach Your Child to Read

If your child can't read, teach them to read! No matter what it takes, that is the most important skill we need to teach.

Using Incentives - TV Time

Our latest incentive, going into summer, is... when our children are in bed by their bedtimes (no more excuses for getting up for drinks, etc.) they earn a token equal to 1/2 hour of TV time.