How to Homeschool:

Scheduling And Methods For Home School Organizing

There are definitely as many ways to answer: 'How to Homeschool?' as there are home school families. We'll look at the homeschool scheduling and methods you can choose from so you can set about organizing the one that suits you and your children best!

I can tell you how I teach homeschooling, which is pretty free and easy, but it was not the way I was taught at home. Mum followed a much more school at home approach when she was choosing how to home school.

Start Homeschooling

That's given me a chance to see two different homeschooling methods in action and I can assure you that they both work!

What's more, I've noticed (even with me!) that the 'how to homeschool' methods change. Most home school families start organizing scheduling rather more strictly and relax later on. We'll look at all the different homeschooling methods, including eclectic homeschooling, which lets you pick and choose from the best of all of them.

"Method is much, technique is much, but inspiration is even more," (Benjamin Cardozo)

Homeschool Scheduling

Homeschool Daily Schedule

Homeschool Math

In terms of how to homeschool when it comes to organizing your time, it'll depend on you and your children. Could be you'd be happy with some sort of homeschool planner. We'll look at homeschool scheduling and how to go about organizing your time to suit everyone.

It's no good being free and easy if it's going to send you balmy worrying your children aren't doing enough.

You can find more tips for making a home school schedule here, and I'll show you our homeschool daily schedule to give you a real-life example of how to homeschool which may help you when it comes to making your own.

One thing that's likely though is that the way you home school will change as time goes on.

When I started I thought we'd do school workbooks and lots of other things as well.

I suppose it's natural to feel vulnerable at the start of homeschooling and that way I knew no one could accuse is of being 'behind.'

Homeschool Activities

It was only when I saw William, who loved numbers, suddenly begin to develop tell-tale signs of boredom and an inability to count from 1 to 10 that I realised, for him at least, workbooks were out. We got round that with loads of fun math activities, as you can see from our how to homeschool math pages.

Just goes to show every child is different and you need to adapt your 'how to homeschool' scheduling accordingly!

Free Homeschooling Curriculum

Home School Schedule

How To Home School: Organizing Your Time

And that's the whole point. When you choose how to homeschool you need to pick the methods that suit your child best. Could be that your child is used to the routine of school, and they like fairly strict homeschool scheduling, with workbooks and lesson times.

Homeschool Scheduling

Also, if you're working towards an exam, you may have to follow fairly standard methods to get there.

It'll also depend on the homeschooling laws where you live. Here in England and Wales it's less of a concern, because it's really about following the age and abilities of your child.

Either way, I'm certain the way forward is to use methods which build on the interests of your child. Even if you're following workbooks and a set curriculum, I'm sure you can set about organizing your time to build in projects and homeschooling activities which build on your child's interests.

Learning happens in all sorts of ways and when it's fun you hardly notice.

You could start by seeing if any of our free homeschooling curriculum methods are of interest.

If not - that's fine; just think up some of your own and let me know!

But you don't need a curriculum or a planner when you're working out how to homeschool. They're just a way of reaching an end point; you'd be amazed how just following your child's interests covers all sorts of subjects.

William, for example, loved space. That got us making a solar system model in home school science (design and technology, science, craft). Then he wanted to find out all about the planets on the computer (astronomy, maths, information technology).

If I could have persuaded him to write something too, that would have been English covered as well!

Homeschooling Methods

But you don't need to do homeschool activities when you're scheduling how to homeschool. I do, because the children and I enjoy it.

You'll see I don't believe you need to be a teacher (or even teach!) in order to get the most out of homeschooling.

I've seen many homeschooling families who apparently 'do' nothing at all.

Homeschooling Laws

They carry on with their usual routines, spend time as a family, have friends round and let the children play. The striking thing is that their methods seem to work - the children learn just fine anyway!

If you don't believe me, read the iconic John Holt or look at Dr Alan Thomas's research (Dr Alan Thomas, How Children Learn.)

Homeschool Planner

They'll be both ahead and behind their school contemporaries, but it seems with all the learning opportunities lying round the average home - tv, books, games, computer, friends - they pretty much know how to 'teach' themselves.

"I have since learned that...(a child's) resistance to unasked-for teaching is not uncommon in small children, but usual..."Let me do it by myself!" they shout. That's just what we should do. If they need help, they will ask for it." (John Holt, How Children Learn)

That's possibly not quite to true when you come to home school high school, though I taught myself my main 'A' Level at home (age 16-18) with no adult help whatsoever.

Either way, it's up to you to choose the methods you feel most comfortable with. You'll probably start differently from how you end up.

The age of your children and whether they want to take exams will change things too.

I remember feeling daunted myself at the beginning. But if you can just trust and try things out I'm certain you'll find how to homeschool in the way that suits you best.

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