Although I’ve been home schooling since day one with my oldest and never looked back, I know plenty of people who didn’t start home-schooling until their kids were well into elementary school and beyond. Whether you are just starting your home school journey with a kindergartner or have just taken your high schooler out of school, here are some common mistakes many home schoolers make starting out and how to avoid them. Keep in mind, there is no perfect way to home school, and every family has to do what’s right for their educational and sanity needs!
1. Start a family storytelling (and writing) tradition. Look through old family photographs. Tell your children stories based onwhat the photos show. Point out family members. Talk about what was happening. Then look at more recent photos and ask your child to tell a story based on what they see and remember. Together, write the story stimulated by the photo.
Congratulations! You are thinking about home educating one or more of your children. Actually, everyone home schools their child until age six because every parent facilitates an education whether it is preschool, playgroups or informal reading and playing at home. Home schoolers just continue it into the school-aged years. According to the new Fraser report, Homeschooling in Canada (2015), home schooling and home-based education increases an average of 14.4 per cent per year in Canada. With the prevalence and tremendous growth of the popularity of online courses, which are not included in most statistics for traditional home schooling, the trend of “home” education is growing exponentially.
Myth: A parent isn’t qualified to teach their child at home. If the parent is willing to learn, dedicated to their child’s education and resourceful, they can successfully home school their children.
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2021 Calgary’s Child
