A Peer Mentor is another student who can serve as a resource, a helping hand, a sounding board, and a referral service. This system works really well in the homeschool classroom when the elder students can be designated as mentors for the younger ones. The job of the mentors is to provide support, encouragement, and information to younger siblings. The benefits of this process are reaped by everyone in the homeschool classroom.
Benefits for Younger Students
They have a role model who is easily accessible to solve their little problems. The younger students can formally ask the older siblings for help with specific subjects. They learn how to isolate the problems and ask for help. The transference from this can help strengthen the family bond between the siblings as well. They get regular encouragement and support and this helps build up their self esteem.
Benefits for Older Students
By teaching the younger siblings the homeschool students get a chance to revise their own grasp of the concepts. They also learn how to explain what they already know in simple terms to the younger ones. Since they have to act as role models, their behaviour also improves as they know that the little ones are always watching and will copy what they are doing. It teaches them responsibility and compassion as well.
Benefits for the Homeschool Teacher
The biggest advantage when the elder children begin mentoring the younger ones is that it frees up considerable chunks of time for the homeschool teacher. Any homeschooling parent will be the first to tell you that time is as precious as gold, so the time thus obtained can be used for other activities. It allows the parent to keep an eye on things as a supervisor while the children continue learning. Their job is made much easier by this in the homeschool classroom.
Should you try mentoring in your homeschool classroom? It is a simple enough concept, but you may need to consider the relationship between your children before you push them into this situation. Only if the younger ones respect the older ones will the situation actually work out.
