Parents Share Their Best Homeschooling Tips
September 9, 2020Sponsored by Alpha Omega Publications.
It is no secret that homeschooling is hard work. We all need encouragement, and we believe it is a powerful tool to gather advice from other experienced homeschooling parents. Over the years, AOP has collected some incredible pieces of wisdom from our Facebook community when we’ve asked for everyone’s best homeschooling tips. We hope these will provide some new insights to make your life a little easier and the homeschool road a little more enjoyable.
RELAX and REMEMBER
Every parent wants the best for his or her child, but the pressure of perfection often plagues the homeschooling community. Listen to these sweet reminders:
Kristina Osborne It’s ok. Simple. It’s ok to be late. It’s ok to ask for help. It’s ok if it took longer.
Josh-Brooke Calame Be patient and don’t expect perfection.
Shayna Ranee Don’t sweat it. It will all work out in the wash!
Ashley Bayles Don’t get caught up on the “when.” Just keep growing and learning…together.
Beth Surface Don’t get so wrapped up in the details of the process that you lose sight of the why.
Nita Spearman Don’t try to create “school” in your home. Relax and let them learn without the rules and schedules.
FIT YOUR FAMILY
One thing we know for sure is that there is no one-size-fits-all for children or families. Don’t try to fit your family into a homeschooling mold you think you should fit. Find the homeschooling practices that fits your family!
Aislynn Holt Don’t hesitate to change things up to fit your family. You homeschool to have that freedom.
Megan James Presal Remember that every family is different. Do what works for your family! And remember, an extra day off is never a bad idea!
Mims A Flo A curriculum that works for a child may not work for the next child. It may take a couple of school years to figure out what curriculum works best for you.
BE FLEXIBLE
Many parents start the homeschooling journey with certain expectations in mind. Be willing to move beyond those expectations and try new things for content, for pacing, for schedules, or whatever else comes your way!
Sheila York It’s ok to shorten days. Switch things up.
Lori Davis Be open and willing to change curriculum or approaches. Be willing to teach “outside the box” to fit your child’s needs.
Mary Saujon Hansley Don’t get too caught up in schedules. Life happens, so being flexible is a must.
DON’T STRESS OVER PACING
Homeschooling shouldn’t be a race from the start to the end of the school year. Instead, make sure to take some time to stop and enjoy the journey with the ones you love the most.
Stacy Griffin-Kotila Don’t rush. Take it day by day. As long as you’re moving forward, you’re doing just fine
Allison Pait Go at their pace so they get it. Don’t let them slack, but make sure they understand before they move on.
Cassie DeLapp Follow your child’s lead. They know how they learn best. They know what interests them and calls to them. Let them head down those rabbit trails.
Cynthia Perry When you feel frustration building, take a break and do something else. Don’t get angry when they’re not learning as fast as you think they should. They’ll get it eventually, and yelling won’t make it come any faster.
Nikki Vestal Take a break if your child is stuck on a question or concept. Fresh eyes help to find the answer or understand the concept.
PRAY OFTEN
This one needs no explanation. #Praycontinuously
Holly Draper-Wilhite Start the day with prayer and reading the Bible. The day goes a lot smoother.
Treva Moss Pray! Breathe! And pray again.
COLLABORATE
This is an important one to remember. You are not alone!
Lisa Mcfarland Work with homeschooling groups for field trips and advice.
Harmony Webster Reach out to other homeschool families if you’re new. I gained a ton of wisdom from listening to others.
PLAN AND BE CONSISTENT
Yes, flexibility is essential, but a plan allows you to track what’s working and where you need to branch out to try new things. Embrace a plan!
Matthew Spoden Always plan your daily activities!
Mari Blaire Make sure you have a routine that you use to help provide your kids with direction throughout the day. This will help them stay focused on the task at hand.
Shanna Ridener Find what your kids like and stick with what works!
GET CREATIVE
Spice up your usual curriculum with visual, tactile, or practical learning tools.
Lauriann Cruz-Cabeza The best tip to keep my daughter engaged is hands-on activities and lots of visuals. Making experiments, going outside, and using videos and demonstrations help retain the information. Plus, it makes classes fun.
Ellen Shelton When my son seems to get a little bored with “book work,” I find an interesting video that enhances what he is learning.
Courtney Reimers Everything can be a learning experience. Not all learning comes from a textbook.
About AOP
Founded in 1977, AOP is a leading provider of PreK-12 Christian curriculum, educational resources, and services to homeschool families worldwide. AOP follows its mission every day by creating and providing quality Christian educational materials to thousands of students through curriculum, support services, and an accredited online academy. Visit AOP online or call 800-622-3070 to learn more.
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