The 10 commandments of homeschooling

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Homeschooling is associated with a whole range of benefits for kids and parents alike. However, this approach to teaching children isn’t always easy. To help you achieve the best results, here are the 10 commandments of home educating.

1) Get the right materials

First and foremost, you’ll need to decide what you want your kids to learn and then look for suitable materials. Luckily, you don’t have to do all the hard work yourself. Instead, you can turn to distance learning specialists like Oxford Home Schooling to access the resources you need. This can save you time and hassle, and it will help to ensure that your kids’ lessons have structure and purpose.

2) Create a suitable study area

You’ll also need to make sure you have a suitable study area for your youngsters. This could simply involve clearing space on your kitchen or dining room table, or it may mean creating a designated area in a spare bedroom or study. Whatever you decide, your kids should have enough workspace, a comfy seat and ideally plenty of natural light too.

3) Minimise distractions

Your children won’t be able to concentrate with TV sets, stereos, vacuums or pets making a racket in the background. So, to stand a chance of succeeding in your homeschooling, you’ll need to keep distractions like these to a minimum during the school day.

4) Stick to a schedule

OK, so you don’t have the pressure of getting your kids to the school gate by a certain time if you home educate, but this doesn’t mean you should forget the idea of sticking to a schedule. From the outset, it’s important to establish a routine for your youngster.

5) Connect with other homeschoolers

It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re teaching your children at home. To prevent this from happening, and to ensure your kids have opportunities to socialise, it pays off to connect with other homeschoolers. There may be a group in your area that you can become part of and bear in mind that some museums, zoos and other attractions now hold events targeted specifically at homes educators.

6) Try a range of learning activities

One of the benefits of learning outside traditional classrooms is the fact that it enables you to try a full range of activities. From arts and crafts to experiments in the garden and nature walks in the park, there is no shortage of options and you should make the most of them.

7) Use technology

Laptops, smartphones, tablets and games consoles can all distract kids from their studies. However, they can also be important learning tools. All youngsters need to get to grips with computing and so it’s vital that you incorporate technology into at least some of your lessons.

8) Don’t try to do too much

Don’t be tempted to do too much as a home educator. Cramming an array of subjects into each day can quickly tire you and your children out. Bear in mind that even in schools, subjects like science, foreign languages, history and geography may only be taught on two or three occasions a week.

9) Be patient

Patience is a must for all homeschoolers. Try not to lose heart if your kids’ progress is slower than you’d like. It can take time for parents and children to get into an effective routine and you’ll need perseverance if you’re to reach this point.

10) Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to seek help. There is plenty of support and advice available online for home educators.

* This is a collaborative post *