If you homeschool your children, you clearly care deeply about both their short-term well-being and long-term success. While you are likely motivated by the many benefits that come with this educational path, there is no denying that you will encounter some bumps along the road. Picking up as many homeschooling tips as possible will help you smooth out those bumps and keep moving forward.
On this page, we’d like to take some time to talk about a few ways you can make homeschooling more engaging. Without the constant activity of a classroom full of other students (which can certainly be a distraction), your homeschool setting will be pretty quiet and calm. That’s a great thing for learning, but kids also need to be actively engaged to stay on track. We hope the tips for homeschooling we provide below will help you have the best year yet!
As you have probably already learned while figuring out how to homeschool your kids, asking them to sit for long periods while you lecture on a specific topic is unlikely to be successful. They will quickly start to fidget, their minds will wander, and they might not pay much attention at all in the end.
That’s not a good outcome for anyone, but it can be avoided. The key is to utilize hands-on learning whenever possible. Get the kids involved in the learning experience and have them interact with whatever it is they are learning about at that time. That could mean doing an art project, doing a cooking lesson, trying a science experiment, or just about any of a million potential ideas. Sure, it might take a bit of planning to prepare a lesson that involves more than just having them sit in a chair and listen, but it will be more than worth it in the end.
It can feel quiet around the house when going through the average school day. To change things up and liven the mood, turn to music. There has never been a time in human history when music has been as accessible or approachable as it is today, so use this great technology to your advantage and leverage the power of music to make homeschooling an exciting experience.
Of course, as you are in charge of the homeschooling process, you will be able to pick precisely the kinds of music that you want your kids to hear from day to day. At Go Fish, for example, we have an excellent selection of songs that teachers can use to both entertain and educate their kids.
The possibilities for how you can use music during the day are endless. For younger kids, you might turn on a song and encourage them to get up and have a “dance party” break for a few minutes to get the wiggles out. For older students, you could choose to turn on the music in the background to serve as a soundtrack while they work through some math or writing assignments. Experiment with how music works for your family, and soon enough, you’ll see it as an indispensable part of the process.
Trying to figure out how to make homeschooling more fun? Start by getting out and about a little more often to change things up and keep the experience fresh.
Yes, it’s called “homeschooling,” but that does not mean it always needs to take place inside the house! In fact, many of the best experiences that you can provide your children are going to be found in other places. And great opportunities are likely to be all around in your community, as long as you know where to look.
Local parks are a good starting point for destinations to use as out-of-the-house learning locations. You could have a nature lesson planned that connects with a park location near your home. Or, you could do just a regular lesson out of a workbook but take the kids to a park so they can be inspired by the outdoors and enjoy a fresh learning environment.
Also, connect with facilities in your area that might have special programs for homeschooled children. Sometimes, these are children’s museums and other similar facilities that welcome kids during the week for special programs. Or, there might be a fitness facility that has options for homeschooled children to get exercise and engage in sports with other kids. These kinds of outings will become the highlight of the week and can encourage growth beyond what is found in a textbook.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is the schedule freedom that it provides. In a day and age where so many parents have flexible working schedules, it’s great to provide that same kind of freedom to your children. Unfortunately, some homeschooling families still wind up falling into the traditional weekday schedule and the monotony that it can bring.
Be intentional about using your schedule flexibility to your advantage. The human brain is most capable in the morning hours, so use that time to lean into the difficult school work. Then, ease into the afternoon with tasks like art or music that are a little more enjoyable. Also, consider breaking up the week by taking part of a Wednesday to just go do something fun. Since it’s the middle of the week, most kids are in school, and destinations that are usually popular and busy might be pretty empty and available for you to enjoy.
If there is one thing that holds some people back from figuring out how to homeschool, it is the potential loss of social interaction with peers. This is a concern, but it is not one that can’t be overcome with the right planning. Just like you need to plan academic lessons for your kids, you’ll also need to carefully plan social interaction to make sure they stay connected to those around them in the community.
You might already be connected with a homeschooling group or co-op in your community. If not, look into what exists around you to pick out an option that makes sense for your family. Joining a program like this will allow your kids to study with others, make friends, and take some of the burden off of your shoulders along the way.
Always remember that while you are a teacher in the homeschool setting, you are still a parent first and foremost. When you feel that the school experience is getting a little stale or it is getting difficult to encourage your kids to dive into their work and take it seriously, find some time to talk about what is going on and what could be changed.
Of course, you aren’t going to be able to let your kids just run with it and rule the roost, but you should always value their feedback. Knowing what they are feeling and what parts of the day they enjoy (and don’t enjoy) will help you deliver a homeschool experience that will positively impact their lives.
Homeschooling is a significant challenge, but it is one that comes with endless rewards. As you continue to learn how to homeschool successfully, finding fun ways to engage with your kids throughout each day is a big part of the equation. For that, you can turn to the resources provided by Go Fish, such as our huge collection of songs and music videos aimed at educating kids the fun way! Engage with our content across all of the major platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. We would be honored to become a regular part of your homeschooling routine. Thank you for visiting, and good luck on this adventure!
