As former consumers of the school and all that it means, and then as parents of children who attend school, we load with certain parameters about the number of daily tasks a child should do, the amount of content that we should address, the number of weeks in which we should work, the number of books and full notebooks that we should have at the end of the year, etc. Here are some tips to start homeschooling.
And the reality is that we do not need to take that known academic world as a reference. We have in our hands the power to erase those parameters and build ours, those of our family.
In reference to this topic, I would like to give you some tips to start homeschooling, and invite you to reflect on each of them:
The learning does not translate only in a number of sheets of exercises solved, or made models, or completed books. I know, we’re used to that. How many times does it happen that the children arrive from school, Mom checks notebooks and books and asks “did they only do this today?”, As if the only way to learn was to bury the head in front of the notebook and write. Do not take that perception of education to your home. They can spend days in which learning happens cooking, chatting, watching a documentary, reading a book, talking with a neighbour or friend who knows a lot about a specific topic.
Implement a notebook of “Learning in day to day” for each of your children. In it, you will write down all the things that your children are going to turn on in their day to day, both what you programmed and those learning that occur spontaneously. You can divide it into areas, or just write everything together.
Do not feel obligated to “start the school year” together with the education secretary of your country, and finish the same as them. How difficult is it to detach ourselves from the parameters imposed by the education system, right?! You can start your year when you want, and it can last the time you want, taking breaks on how and when you want.
Organize everything for the benefit of your family’s times and activities, take a vacation taking advantage of a scheduled visit from a distant relative or friend, or an event that happens in your place or somewhere nearby. You can work with your children on weekends and walk during the week when there are not so many people and everything is quieter …. so many options! The important thing is that you feel that power to change the dates at your whim and convenience.
