More than 2.5 million children are homeschooled in the United States. Each year, this number seems to grow. If you are currently one of the millions of homeschool parents, you know this is a rewarding and often challenging process.
While this is true, there are many tips and tricks that can help you make the most of this time with your child. If you want to ensure your child has a fantastic homeschool experience, you need a plan. Part of this plan should include shopping for a range of fun homeschool supplies at Loddie Doddie, such as a rustic farmhouse chalkboard.
Related: Rustic Frame Dry Erase Boards
Have a Designated Space for Learning
There’s no doubt that homeschooling is exciting, fun, and sometimes messy. Trying to live and learn in one space can create chaos and disorganization, which isn’t something that fosters quality learning.
If you want to avoid this problematic outcome, you should ensure you have a designated space for learning. This should be an area where you keep all the learning materials and where your kids will do their work. If you have a room for this, that’s great; however, if not, you still have options.
For example, you can use the foldable lap desks available at Loddie Doddie to give each child a designated “learning space.” These also come in fun colors so that everyone will have something unique.
For group learning or other fun activities, make sure to have individual chalkboards available. This tactic is a great way to have children write down answers without wasting paper or other materials.
Create and Follow a Daily Schedule
Homeschooling your kids allows you to have flexibility in your day. It also allows you to be spontaneous when teaching your child something new. However, you may find you are constantly distracted and off-track without a clear schedule, leading to your child falling behind.
Children thrive with a routine and structure. Because of this, it’s wise to create and follow a daily schedule. While you can adapt and change the plan, having a foundation is invaluable.
To make a schedule that works for everyone, don’t be afraid to get creative. You can get dry erase boards and markers to create unique schedules and easily change them when needed.
If you teach two or more kids, you may want to use swim lanes for tracking everyone’s day and tasks. A swim lane diagram will show the workflow and everything that needs to be done. It’s also easy for your kids to use and will let you see if you have any scheduling conflicts to resolve.
The key is to choose something that works for you and your kids. You can also make the schedule as relaxed or detailed as you want. It’s all up to you!
Do you want to create an easy-to-read, fun schedule for your homeschooled children? If so, try out our natural wood frame chalkboards. They make it easy to schedule your day, week, month, and year.
Related: Wholesale Products from Loddie Doddie
Set Learning Goals with Your Children
When you homeschool your child, it allows them to have a say in their education. Setting goals is an essential part of this.
If you have a plan and vision for what you want to achieve and where you want to go, you can align the learning outcomes with your daily curriculum.
As the parent and teacher, you should outline some of the top objectives you have for your child. Usually, these are the state or national requirements. You can also set your own goals based on what you think your child should learn based on their abilities and age. After you have set broader benchmarks and objectives, you should also get your child’s opinion.
Having them help you set these goals is a great way to involve them and make them more excited about learning. You can even teach your child the SMART formula for goal setting during this process.
Once you have set these goals and objectives, use a chalkboard to write them all down and hang them up where you can both see them every day. This is a great way to stay motivated and ensure your child continues to work toward the goals you have set together.
Take Learning Out of the Classroom
Image: @aprilmaura
While homeschooling is a great experience for parents and children, its flexibility is one of the most significant advantages. Your child can learn without being in a traditional classroom setting.
Because of this, you should take advantage of this flexibility. One excellent way you can do this is by encouraging learning that goes beyond textbooks. Some ideas include:
- Going on trips to local businesses
- Playing board games
- Going to the local farmers’ market
- Going to the library
- Teaching household skills
- Writing emails or letters
Be sure you make time for these types of activities each day. It will help break up the monotony of sitting at a desk and make the entire homeschooling experience more enjoyable for you and your child.
Optimizing Your Homeschool Environment and Experience
As you can see, homeschooling offers flexibility, fun, and the opportunity to control how and what your child learns. Use the tips here to make the most of the experience.
You should also ensure you have all the needed supplies, including high-quality chalkboards from Loddie Doddie, which can be used in all types of ways for homeschooling. You are guaranteed to love what these boards offer and when paired with the quality chalk markers, the options on how to use them are almost endless.
Are you ready to make the most of your time homeschooling your child? If so, check out our product line that will help you optimize your time and have fun.
Related: Best Sellers