Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more families have chosen to homeschool their kids. In one state, 10,000 families filed their intent to homeschool during the summer of 2020 – 2021 school year, compared to just 3,500 in 2019. Are you teaching your kids at home? While it can be a rewarding endeavor to do so, it can also be quite challenging. In this blog post, we will discuss some simple tips, such as sticking to a homeschooling schedule, that can make the process as easy as possible.
1. Stick to a Schedule
Children thrive on routine. You should have a consistent start time for your lessons each day, and your kids should not sleep in until just before lessons start. They should have time each morning to attend to important tasks, including caring for their oral hygiene and eating a nutritious breakfast.
2. Create a Dedicated Learning Space
Creating a “school zone” in your home can help your kids to get into a studying mindset. If you do not have an entire room that you can dedicate to school, you might set up a comfortable corner in your kitchen, dining room, or even in a bedroom.
3. Map Out the School Year
Your chosen curriculum likely has some big projects in it. Creating a progress chart for those big projects may help both you and your kids to stay on track.
4. Set Goals
Establishing measurable goals for your kids may help them stay focused on learning. The goals might relate to mastering certain concepts or becoming familiar with certain skills. Periodically assess their progress toward reaching their goals.
5. Teach Life Skills, Too
Homeschooling does not have to be all about arithmetic, literature, and historical facts. You can also design some lessons that center around life skills. For example, you could spend some time talking about dental health, the importance of visiting their dentist in Enfield, and how to properly brush and floss their teeth.
6. Get Out of the House
Field trips can be fun and educational for the entire family. Depending on your local COVID-19 restrictions, you might be able to take a trip to the zoo or a local museum. If that is not acceptable, simply going for a walk in nature and talking about plants and animals can be highly productive.
7. Join a Network
Connecting with other homeschooling parents may give you useful ideas on how you can improve your teaching techniques. You and your kids might also find valuable emotional support from other families who are adapting to a homeschooling routine.
8. Start Slowly
Adjusting to homeschooling can be tough, especially after a significant break. Following a school vacation, you might want to restart teaching just one or two subjects, and add in other subjects after a week or so.
Homeschooling is a challenging but satisfying undertaking. The above tips can help your family adapt to this way of learning.
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The team of dentists at Abington Family Dental Care have many decades of combined experience. They are pleased to provide comprehensive oral care for patients of all ages, including school children and their parents. To learn more about us and our available services, contact us at 781-417-3052.