One of the greatest responsibilities and privileges you have as a parent is to educate your children. While you can opt for public or private education, there are also other options including homeschooling, finding the perfect microschool or “pod” program, or providing your child a combination of services for a full-spectrum experience. Although the process may feel intimidating (at first), there are many ways to go about giving your child a full education from home.
But, why opt for alternative education?
Well, many families are shifting to and seeking out non-traditional learning experiences because they want to customize their child’s programming. Homeschooling (whether in the sense of a parent teaching a child or a parent seeking homeschool-based services to educate the child) provides a wealth of flexible learning options, smaller class sizes, custom curriculum, the opportunity to pursue specific passions, and oftentimes alternative education options provide more support than they’d get in a traditional classroom.
Whether you’ve been leaning the ‘alt-ed’ route for a while or just getting yourself comfortable with the idea, here are some tips to help your child achieve the best and full education from home.
Teach Them to Love Learning
When you opt for an educational alterative, your focus should be on finding something that your child enjoys. Far too often, traditional programming doesn’t meet the needs or passions of all children—and that’s simply because it can’t! With public school class sizes of 25+ and varying levels/needs, being able to individualize curriculum or concepts is near impossible.
However, when you’re focused on education from home (physical home or simply a ‘homeschooling’ concept), you’re able to pick and choose options/programs/classes, etc. that your child is interested in. This will foster a natural love for learning, which is so important!
The trick is to know your child and capture that sense of fun. Of course, not every lesson can be exciting and fascinating, but the opportunity to make something more intentional and aligned is definitely there when you’re custom-curating your child’s school experience.
Include Group Lessons
When you’re trying to provide a full education from home, parents often feel pressured to take on all of the tasks and/or roles themselves. Just because you’re opting to home educate and/or non-traditionally educate your child doesn’t mean you have to be their primary teacher (especially if that’s not your strong suit).
Instead, opt for group learning—not only for the socialization aspect—but to diversify your child’s experiences and hopefully place him or her in a class (part or full-time) with students of similar levels. This will allow your child to bloom academically in addition to make friends.
Invest In Tutors Or Outsourced Classes
In addition to finding group learning opportunities (like part-time “pods” or programs, meet-up groups, or homeschool co-ops, for example), it might be a great idea to invest in other types of academics for your child. This will allow your child to learn from other people and sources, and it will also take the pressure off of you, as the parent, to be the primary teacher and caretaker.
It may be a great idea to invest in a credentialed teacher or tutor to do 1:1 learning/tutoring sessions with your child! This is a great way to custom-curate your child’s education, as each session will be specifically designed to meet his/her needs in a focused, yet compassionate setting.
You can also find many educational resources online, such as lesson plans, worksheets, or activities for learners of all ages.
This is not a comprehensive list, of course, but it’s a few tips to help you know what to prioritize as you embark on a non-traditional education journey! The bottom line: It is totally possible to provide or create a full education from home. Just remember that every family has different needs and preferences, and the most important thing is finding a balance that works for you.
Featured Image Credit: Donnelly Daily Apple