It can be challenging for a child to learn to have and express individual opinions that he can defend. Most homeschool students are encouraged to think for themselves and often end up with out of the box opinions on many topics. Being able to think for oneself helps them solve problems and take decisions on their own. Here is how you can encourage this habit from the early years.
Don’t Baby Down the Lingo
It is tempting to make up words that the young child can say rather than giving them tongue twisting nomenclature. Resist the urge to baby talk with your child and you will find that he picks up a great vocabulary. Knowing scientific terms and understanding what they mean will provide a huge boost in higher education. They will also not fear new “big” words that come their way later on.
Get Verbal Feedback
When you explain a new concept ensure that you get verbal feedback from the homeschool student. Ask him to explain what he understood in his own words. This will ensure that he gets a chance to organize his thoughts and explain what he learned. Ask pointed questions to see what he thinks about what has been taught. Make the student think about how else the processes described may be achieved. Don’t laugh at improbable suggestions. Allow brainstorming in a supportive environment.
Encourage Written Explanations
While multiple choice questions and fill in the blanks help test knowledge gained, it is the paragraph of rational thought processes which allows the child to form his own opinion and draw conclusions. Don’t think a long written report is beyond younger children. A third grade homeschool student should be able to come up with a paragraph long written report on his own. You are always there to make the spelling and grammar corrections, but pay more attention to the ideas expressed.
You will have more success in the homeschool classroom when you indulge in topics that actually hold the student’s interest. Get your children to tell you what they want to learn more about and have them rationalize why it’s a good idea.
