How to Successfully Homeschool
Deciding to venture into the homeschooling realm can be very scary—especially if this is brand new. You’re devoting a lot of time, energy, and resources to this adventure so you want it to be successful, but how do you make it successful? Even though we do a hybrid school model, our home days are very similar to homeschooling so I thought I would share some thoughts and ideas that have made this journey a success for us.
It’s all about learning what works best for your family. You might try out some of my ideas that have worked for our family, but they might be a total flop for yours. If that happens, then you just have to regroup and tweak my idea or try something completely different. Sadly, there’s not one checklist that makes homeschooling successful for everyone. But, then again, that’s kind of the beauty of it—you are in control of finding what works best for your family!
TIPS for Successful Homeschooling
Plan Ahead - It’s a good idea to map out the school year and even your day. Decide when you want to start school, when to finish school, when to take breaks, what to learn, etc. Doing this for the year will help you stay on track in the long term, and planning out your day will help school not to drag on all day long. My kids love when I give them a list of their assignments so they can see how much they need to complete for the day—don’t we all love the feeling of crossing off something on our to-do list? But be flexible for when that plan needs to be adjusted.
Take Breaks - Our day seems to go smoother when we take breaks often rather than pushing through. It helps our brain to reset and and refocus. We like to take a break after completing 2 subjects (about every 20-30 minutes). This can be a play break, snack break, bathroom break, water break, stretching break, or even an outside break.
Create a Dedicated School Zone - We have a designated school room where all of our kids school supplies, books, desks, and anything else school related in located. I think that helps them to be able to walk into that space ready to learn and walk out of the space and leave school behind. I know homeschooling allows the freedom to do school anywhere, which is so great! Sometimes we do school on the couch, in their room, in the kitchen, or in the backyard. But I think having a space where the kids can leave all of their school items when they complete the day lets their brain know that school is finished. Kind of like when you leave work at the office. So, your school zone could just be a cabinet where you put things when the day is done.
Stay Organized - I think organization is key! Come up with systems that help you stay organized. I have a dedicated day/time when I do my planning for the week where I get out all the work for each child, organize it into folders for the days they are at home, review any lessons I need to teach that week, and look over all returned work from their teacher. Everyone knows not to interrupt me during that time. I recommend asking your kids to help you stay organized by cleaning up their school supplies, crossing off to-do items, or helping you prepare materials for the week.
Utilize Reward Systems - I want my kids to love school and be motivated to learn without rewards, but my husband pointed out to me that adults don’t work without pay and school/learning is like a child’s job right now. So now I’m happy to offer my kids a reward for doing their “job.” Our rewards system has evolved over the years—we’ve done sticker charts, treasure box, and a few other things. The reward system we use right now that has worked best so far is called a “Punch Card.” Basically, I cut out a square from construction paper, write their name, the treat they choose from the Rewards List, and numbers 1-6 on the square. I write 1-6 because they are homeschooled 3 days each week, so it’s 2 weeks worth of homeschool days for them. When they get a new punch card they write down the reward they are working towards—this can be a trip to get ice cream, pick a movie for movie night, stay up 30 extra minutes, do school work at their grandparents, earn $4, extra time on the computer, and the list goes on. Choosing the reward ahead of time helps to motivate them to complete their “Punch Card.” At the end of the school day they can earn a punch. They get 3 warnings each day. If they use up their 3 warnings then they lose their punch for the day. They can get a warning for not following directions, getting off task too often, being disruptive for others, etc.
Find a Friend - Homeschooling can be lonely, so find a friend that is in this arena that can sympathize with you, encourage you, celebrate the achievements, bounce ideas off of, and just understand. There are many homeschool Facebook groups for different states/counties and there are often homeschool meet-ups or co-op groups. If you have trouble finding a friend, then please feel free to reach out to me.
As you start your homeschooling adventure, you will have good days where everything runs smoothly and everyone is happy, but then you will also have bad days where you and/or your child end up in tears. This is totally normal! Those days stink—you question what went wrong, if homeschooling is right, and what to do differently. On those rough days, offer yourself and your child grace. We all have off days and just need a little grace. Maybe end the day early, do something to regroup to help you and your child regulate, and when calm talk about how things could go better the next day.
