From Preschool to Homeschool

Deciding to home educate your young child can be quite an emotional experience. As a couple, once you have committed to the job – there’s some groundwork to be laid. Some parts are easy and some . . . not so much.

The easy part!

• Allowing endless educational ideas to swirl around in your mind
• Strolling down memory lane to visit your own teachers (good and bad)
• Chatting over the details with your girlfriends
• Attending book fairs and pouring over school catalogs to find the best curriculum

The HARD part

• Telling the grandparents (this is a big one)
• Giving up part of your home for a … school
• Realizing hours in your day will be siphoned out of your small pool of precious T-I-M-E and poured into … school.
• Telling your 4 yr old that he will NOT be going to school with his friends, because he gets to stay HOME with momma! (This idea may have to ‘grow on him’)
• Budgeting money for the supplies you want need.
• Deciding IF you’ll homeschool until High School, because people will actually ask you this question when your child is 5!
• Wondering if this decision will emotionally harm your precious daughter, who may never go to a Prom.
• Wondering if this decision will emotionally harm YOU – for all the reasons listed above.

These are a few of the panic-stricken thoughts you may have as you take on this job for the first time. Once you clear your mind of the clutter and get a hold of your fears, it will be time to ask the obvious question.

How does a mom prepare to transform home-life with a preschooler into home school?

Here are some suggestions to prepare your lives for this wonderful opportunity.

#1 – Work on discipline with your preschooler. He/she will soon be required to follow your lead . . . as their teacher. If he has significant challenges in this area the classroom you envision will have problems. You need to maintain order to optimize learning.

#2 – Read aloud. By doing this on a regular basis, you will help lengthen the attention span of your child. This also provides a great opportunity to help your little-one practice sitting still and responding to your voice. Plus, they’re learning!

#3 – Set up a specific area to teach. This will help the experience seem like real school and send a message to your little one that you value their education, and ultimately – them.

#4 – Set order in your home. If your mornings are spent in your pj’s and cartoons get first ranking, you’ll be wise to curb the casual atmosphere in prep for real learning. Be forewarned: your child may think they’re ‘going somewhere’ when they see you dressed and focused.

#5 – Stock-up on supplies. From art supplies to sharpened pencils – make sure you have them organized and ready. This simple act will give your young student energy to learn. Stewardship is also taught as they take good care of their school supplies.

#6 – Decide on school hours. This can be a big factor in the success of your home-classroom. 9:00 – 11:00 may be sufficient to accomplish the bulk of learning. You’ll be surprised at how little time it actually takes to learn the basics! You may break this up into 45-minute sessions with a snack/recess break between subjects.

#7 – Plan a big start! Children respond well to a big kick-off. Put it on the calendar, talk it up to grandparents (if they’re up to it), and don’t let anything distract. You’ll find that a solid start will help their attitude and give energy to the process. Put their art pictures up on the ‘fridge, celebrate with special lunches, plan a park visit once the work is done. Get Dad in on the talk – he can be their biggest fan even if he’s traveling – all they need is to hear his voice saying, ‘good job’!

#8 – Prepare to enjoy the process. Agree with your husband that you will both embrace this role. Decide in advance to bless your child, keep your heart focused on home and guard your words – even on the toughest days.

There’s so much to be said on this subject and I’ve just touched on the basics. Planning ahead will ease the transition for you and your little one, but the bottom line is this: To teach a young child at home with ease and excellence is doable  . . . and rewarding!

If you’re planning to homeschool, how are you preparing. If you’re already a homeschooler, please share your tips below!

Resources

Educating The Whole Hearted Child, by Clay and Sally Clarkson

*Credit for mom reading with girl: Sugarpond

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• 10 Unexpected Benefits of Homeschooling

You asked for it, so here it is! Today I am happy kick off a new series on homeschooling with a guest post from Milehimama (a.k.a. Lisa). I’m a first gen homeschooling mom with zero experience, which is, um, intimidating to say the least. So before we get into academics let’s wiggle out our pre-homeschooling jitters with a lighthearted look at a serious topic. See, I’m talking like a kindergarten teacher already.

Secret Perks

Homeschooling has many benefits, including spending more time with your children, learning and discovering about the world with them, and providing a solid education.  In fact, it’s not hard to find hundreds of inspirational essays extolling the virtues of homeschooling.

I’ve been at this for a few years, and let me tell you, there are also some great, secret perks of homeschooling that get taken for granted.  Here are my top ten unexpected benefits of homeschooling;

1.  You can sleep late, because there’s no bus to catch or lunch to pack. You make your own schedule, so you don’t have to anything before noon unless you want to.  And if you decide to have family movie night but it’s a Wednesday, it’s no problem because the kids don’t have to be in bed by 8.

2. You get a nifty cyber-tan from surfing all of the homeschool mommyblogs for hours each night after the kids are in bed. You’ll look just like all the young, cool kids and no one will know your eerie glow doesn’t come from managing your friends on Facebook or creating viral videos.

3.  You can teach kids to make chocolate cupcakes and bacon, and call it Home Ec. And then someone else can make you bacon every single day.  Win-win!

4. You’ll be in on all the radio jockey’s inside jokes because you spend hours listening as you ferry your progeny from Nature Journaling to Science Co-Op to the library. If you use your cell phone for the call in shows, they’ll become old friends!

5.  Your kids get plenty of fresh air as you throw them outside every afternoon for a mental health break. Since all the other kids are still in school, they’ll be forced to ride their bikes, built tree forts, or dig a hole to China instead of battling their BFF on the PS3.

6.  You know more about the War of 1812 than anyone else you’ll ever come in contact with. Impress at dinner parties with your knowledge of where lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner came from, and then look really smart as you seamlessly segue into an analogy featuring the classical personality Icarus and his ill-fated wings.

7.  You know thirteen different ways to fix or jerry rig a printer. And you’ve taught the kids, so they already have a marketable job skill.

8.  You get to go to the amusement park when there are no lines. And hanging out at the children’s museum all morning drinking a latte while you explore with your five year old?  Totally counts as school.  It sure beats waiting in the pick-up lane at the local elementary.

9.  You learn how to handle humiliation and embarrassment with enviable grace and poise, because practice makes perfect. Next time your goofy third grader tells his grandmother -a professional, licensed teacher- that he doesn’t know how to spell his name because he thinks it’s funny, just imagine how much more gracious and like Jackie O you’re becoming!

10. More time for Twitter! Homeschooling often means you have to be physically present but not really mentally engaged, as you wait for the kids to finish a worksheet, silently read a chapter before a quiz, or practice their multiplication tables.  This is the perfect time to catch up on the latest social media fail and find out what all your friends are having for lunch.

Is something missing? Name your fave homeschooling benefit below!!

About Milehimama: Lisa is the disorganized, discombobulated mother of nine children in Houston, desperately trying to get her act together before they all graduate high school.  You can catch up on her latest frugal tips, real food recipes, and big family adventures on her website, Mama Says.Similar Posts:

• Transitioning From Home Life to Home School