Teaching children at home has some pros and cons. You are responsible for giving your homeschool students a balanced education that will help them prepare for challenges that they will face in the future. Does this mean that you give up on anything fun and interesting and make the homeschool classroom a stern place where only book learning takes place? Not at all. Homeschooling is also extremely flexible. You can get a whole lot of learning done in a fun filled manner. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you start the homeschooling adventure.
What do you enjoy doing?
There are always things that you enjoy doing and things that you do because you must. This holds true in life and in the homeschool classroom. So make a list of things that you want to spend more time doing. Now think of how you can use the items on this list come up with ideas for homeschool lessons. Just about every activity you have listed will come under a homeschool subject to be taught. Singing can be music training. Making scrapbooks can become craft. Painting a cartoon character on the cupboard can become art. So you get to teach your child and enjoy doing something you want to.
What does your child show an interest in?
In the early days your child will be happy to follow you lead in the homeschool classroom, but as he grows up he will develop specific interests. Try and pay attention to the things that he likes. This is your second list to help with lesson planning in the homeschool classroom. It is natural to want to know more about something you like, so appease the curiosity of your child on items on this list. This will serve two purposes. First it will help him learn more about things he likes and second he will think you are the best teacher ever! Just work through these two lists till they are all done. Then sit and make a second one. You will eventually have to do some stuff that you are not interested in, but try and sneak it in to the homeschooling curriculum amidst all the other fun stuff!
