Homeschooling was never on the list of things I wanted to do, but like many of you, I was forced into it last week. I’m happy to report that homeschool went better than expected, & I’m actually excited about it! ….Whaaat?!
What made homeschool successful?
SIMPLICITY. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the homeschool resources out there & trying to find the best approach. Don’t do that to yourself. If you’re overwhelmed, the kids certainly will be too. Start small, maybe with one topic or lesson a day, and add on more when it feels right.
I’ve started slowly with quick review lessons, so he can see that this is not going to be “painful”. I also got him on board by emphasizing that we can focus on what HE needs quickly. He’s not going to have any busy work, & we don’t have to spend time on subjects that he already excels at (unless he wants to).
The amount of progress that both he & I see after only a couple days is another source of encouragement. I make sure to point out that progress to other family members (in front of him) at least once a day.
It’s not all roses & giggles….
Younger kids might have trouble focusing at home. Older kids might bring that tween attitude we love so much. My kiddo is not generally excited to “homeschool.” He is reluctant. But, once he gets going, I can see he’s enjoying his successes. He’s also happy that our lessons are quick & doable. I’m careful to offer three times more praise than criticism & continually point out his progress.
If you’re struggling teaching your kids at home, try dialing it way back. Shorten your lessons (for now), offer tons of praise when they try, and emphasize their progress.
Update: Day 3 involved some unintentional swearing on my part. (Sorry, but it’s true.) He did shape up, & I apologized. Then we had a quick “come to Jesus” moment where we discussed how he never acts like that at school & shouldn’t be acting like that now. He agreed, & we laid forth the consequence of losing his digital time for the day (God forbid!) if he ever acts like that again. It worked, & he is diligently working at the kitchen table now.
What am I teaching?
My guy was struggling with subjects that require one-on-one instruction and consistent review. Both are hard to come by in the standard large classroom. One teacher can only do so much. He’s a 5th grader and needs help with long division & writing. So, that’s where I’m starting.
- We made journals, & I’m using my writing plan. It gives you a step-by-step instructional plan for paragraph writing instruction.
- I’m also having him do just three long division problems a day. Before having him complete them, we do the “dance” I did with my class. {You just stand up, and create a hand movement for each step …divide, multiply, subtract, bring down…..as you say the words out loud.} This movement & chant helps immensely! I also have him write the steps in the corner of his paper each time. They always complain about the dance & having to write the steps “every time,” but after doing this for several day in a row, they get it!!! Kids don’t need to do tons of problems, they just need the repetition of this process over time.
- My son had also never read Harry Potter! He was fearful, & the beginning is kind of slow. So, I told him to read through chapter three. What do you know? He finished the book in one day! It’s such a good read. Now, I need to track down the rest of the volumes. Talk about building a love for reading!
- I saw that Mo Willems, the author to the Pigeon books, was holding free lunch doodle sessions online. I added that in! My kiddo wasn’t so excited because he’s a perfectionist, and art is tricky. I got him excited though by telling him about how famous and how much money Mo makes writing & illustrating simple books. Plus, Mo is so smart & entertaining. My guy is happy to give it a try.
I’ll keep you updated…
There’s so much to do and choose from! For us, I’m just going to continue with this plan for the rest of week one. I’m super excited to see the progression even after just two days!
It’s important to remember that there really is no set right or wrong. Keep your focus on creating a positive learning experience, and build from there.
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Happy teaching!
~ Melissa
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