I was recently clearing out some old archives and came across this blog post 6 Benefits of Homeschooling, in my drafts- written out over 3 years ago! Back when my boys (who are now going into grade 5 & 7) were finishing up grade 1 & 3 and my soon to be 1st grader was just a toddler. I never hit publish, but it was an encouragement to me to read- and had some simple tidbits of advice that I still follow today- so with the influx of home schooling questions and curiosity I’ve received over the last few weeks I thought I would share it!
Two years ago I read a little piece of advice from a homeschooling mom. She suggested that homeschooling should be treated like a job- don’t answer your phone during school hours, remain focused on keeping on task, and prioritize it in your schedule. That stuck with me, and I think it is a huge reason as to why we have success when it comes to wrapping up our homeschool year early. (at least so far!)
Don’t get me wrong- I allow a little bit of flexibility in our day to day schedule, but I rarely plan anything on week day mornings because every day from about 9-1 is reserved for school time. My kids just seem to have a hard time focusing in the afternoon, and if we start after 10 it is a struggle. So- we stay pretty committed to starting between 9 and 9:30. I find they thrive under routine- especially my oldest! It’s hard for me because I can get easily distracted, and my to do list or creative ideas can try to distract me… but the reward of a long, care free summer really motivates me. Also- instagram- man is it a time suck!
I was pretty nervous going into the past year with 2 kids full time, who are not quite at an age of being able to work independently (they just finished grade 1&3). It was also a lot more work juggling the needs of a toddler. Honestly she watched more cartoons than I would have liked- but after having her work along side us coloring, playing play doh or working on another activity- some days I just ran out of stuff for her to keep busy with. If I needed a way to get in 30 mins of undistracted work time with the boys, it often meant putting on a little show. Jumping from one kid to the next was the most challenging- and believe it or not, leaving the room to move laundry along ensued that everyone would get off task. So household chores had to wait.
It is so hard for me to resist the urge to tidy or multi-task when we are doing school- but I find I am much more available and focused on my kids- and we get through our subjects more efficiently.
A new program to us this year that I absolutely loved and would recommend are All About Reading and All About Spelling. I hesitated using this program both because of the cost and all of the “pieces” involved- but the great news is that it really is open and go once the program is prepped, and it is so effective for both my boys! They really enjoy it, and we had no problem flying through the lessons. You can see a complete list of our 2016/2017 curriculum choices (grade 1 and 3) here.
One choice I made after about 6 weeks in was to tackle science the first half of the year, and social the second. Both of those subjects require more set up and prep on my end- from library resources to hands on experiments and field trips- so while I was nervous to do this- it ended up working well. Finishing off grade 3 social was a little stressful because we probably should have started sooner- but we did it! Phew.
People give me such a mixed response when it comes to homeschooling- from being really curious about how it looks, to proclaiming they could never do it! Honestly every family is so different, and just as all teachers have their own style, families approach homeschooling in so many different ways! This is just something that works for me and my kids- and with our lifestyle. So I thought I would share 6 Benefits of homeschooling.
- A Flexible Schedule- I love having the freedom to do all of our school in the morning and have the afternoon free for work, play or activities. It gives me flexibility as a mom, and it also creates a lifestyle for our family that we savour. Getting to choose your holidays, and being free to take the day off when the weather is beautiful is one of my favorite things.
- Less Stress for my Kids- I know as a kid there were times when I was really stressed out in school. In elementary I really struggled with Math, and I had a very hard time completing it in the classroom. When my kids don’t understand something we can try to sort through it a handful of ways until they get it, or we can leave that concept alone for a few weeks or months and come back to it at a later date. I also don’t make my kids write tests- at least that they know of. Sure- they write out spelling lists, and do worksheets without any help- which I use to assess skills and learning outcomes- but I never tell them anything is a test. I learned really early on that this made my oldest son sweat bullets and lose focus- so we keep things relaxed. This may change as my kids get older, but my hope is that we aren’t learning to pass tests- we are learning about subjects we love- and will retain the information!
- Freedom to choose Curriculum that works for my different Learners (and fits within our Family Values) This one is huge. I have a math loving boy, who likes problem solving, and another who loves routines. One who struggles to write, and the other who has a million topic ideas pop into his head. Getting to pick and choose how we meet different outcomes, and tackle our school subjects is a gift to them and me. I learn so much, and so do they… and we can be sure there is a common thread of values and teaching that supports a healthy world view.
- Not having to leave the house in bad weather AKA Winter- This could sound silly, but honestly when it’s 30 below out and the roads are icy and snowy, I love that I don’t have to send my kids out and we don’t have to get on the roads. Instead we light a fire, keep cozy and carry on as usual.
- Spending time with My Kids- Some days, of course we all get burnt out (December anyone?) It’s not always rainbows and sunshine- but I truly do cherish the relationships I can build with my kids- being available to answer questions and share so closely in victories and struggles. I know how much this mama heart would miss my babes sending them off to school everyday- especially now that they are in more sports and activities in the afternoons and evenings.
- The Sibling Bond My Kids Share- This is really a huge one! It is pretty self explanatory but my boys are best friends- and my oldest has had time to get to know his younger sister, and she him. Their little bond is quite precious.
I also wanted to get me kids take on what they like about homeschooling and here is what they said:
- the school day is shorter
- we like that we get to stay home with our mom
- we don’t have to get up and leave the house every day
- we can miss school on special days or when we are sick
Are you a homeschooling family? Have you ever tried it or considered it? We assess our school plans each year, and while we aren’t sure how long we will homeschool our kids, so far we have loved it!
-Miss Ash
