We have been homeschooling for a year and a half now and I've been learning right along with our kids. Here are just a few of the things I've learned.
1. Homeschooling does NOT mean re-creating school at home. It is so much more than that! Yes, we have lessons where the kids are learning things that their friends are also learning in public school, but we don't need desks and a strict schedule to learn it. We use computers and workbooks and real life to learn. Some days we start school by 9am, but most days, it's more like 10-11am.
2. Grade levels aren't really important when you homeschool. I tried keeping my kids on the same level as kids their age, but sometimes, that just doesn't work. Gamer is at the end of his third grade year, and is needing a little more time on a few things, but Pixie was so bored with all the first grade work I gave her last fall that I bumped her up to second grade after Christmas. Both kids took classes together at our co-op and both had different strengths and weaknesses.
3. Just about anything can be turned into a lesson. Cooking can be used for both reading and math (fractions and measurements). I'm crafty, so sewing can be a math lesson (measurements). A game of Scrabble is wonderful for spelling practice! Brain Quest has a board game where kids have to answer questions from Science, Math, Arts, Reading, and The World (notice the initials spell SMART) in order to collect letters spelling SMART to win the game. That's a favorite around here! Yatzee is great for practicing basic math skills! It's fun finding different ways (i.e. REAL LIFE WAYS) to teach lessons to our children.
4. Summer reading programs are awesome for homeschoolers, too! We're currently reading for 3 different programs and if I can find more, I will! Our local library has a great reading program where the kids get awards weekly for 5 hours a week of reading. Half Price Books will give a child a $5 gift card in both June and July for just 300 minutes of reading during each month. That's 15 minutes a day. I have kids that read over a hour a day (and that's on a slow reading day). Too bad it's not $5 per 300 minutes read. lol Also, Barnes & Noble will give a child a free book after they read 8 books during the summer. We're already halfway to that goal.
5. Not having to follow someone else's schedule is amazing! Before, we had to plan trips around the school's calendar and family trips couldn't happen during the "school year". I remember being at Dragon Con 2012 and talking to my fiance about bringing the kids in a few years and how they would have to miss a couple days of school (that was before we decided to homeschool). Now, we won't have to worry about them missing school because of Dragon Con, because we set our own schedule! If something comes up and we want to go visit family, the kids and I can take off on a Wednesday and come home on a Saturday. One day, when we finally plan our trip to Disney, we can go during a month that isn't quite so crowded. I know, it's Disney and it's probably ALWAYS crowded, but I hear summer is the worst when it comes to crowds.
That's just my top five on the list of things I've learned in the year and a half that we have been homeschooling. I'm sure I have lots more to learn! Right now, I'm just enjoying the journey!
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