How to set up a motivating home-schooling learning space!
Starting something new can be a little daunting to begin with. Home-schooling is probably one these things. For so many of us we went to school ourselves where the curriculum and extra activities were all planned and organised for us. But now, with you in the driver’s seat, you have so many things to think about. What do I teach? How do I keep the kids engaged? How do I keep them socialised? Where do I find a curriculum? How do I teach different levels all at once? And that’s just the start of the million questions running through your head. It might feel overwhelming as you navigate your way through the mounds of information out there, BUT it gets easier as you move through the journey. Remember, you can always be flexible and make changes as you go. Once you’ve got your routine in place you’ll be as good as gold! Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.
1. Check in with the legal requirements for your state.
Each state has a different way of registering for home-schooling. Jump on to the Wise Minds Australia page, head to ‘Resources’ then scroll down to find your state. Click the relevant link and have a read through what you need to do!
Some of the home-schooling programs will also help you to complete your registration, but don’t assume they will do it for you and they often will charge a fee for the additional service. Make sure you ask questions and fill in the relevant paperwork.
2. Find a support group of other home-schoolers and community groups.
Even though it might not seem like it, there are actually so many support groups out there for those venturing down this path of education. Check out the different social media groups online and connect with other families, no doubt there will be a local group that you just never knew about.
You can meet up and discuss all things home-schooling while the kids get their opportunity to socialise. Here you can ask questions and share knowledge about different programs, resources as well as teaching and learning styles. You can also jump online and find community groups that offer programs, workshops and resources that help to engage your learners. You could engage with these independently or with a group of other home-schoolers. You can also check out the Wise Minds Australia - your state community group on facebook as they start to grow!
3. Set up an optimal learning space.
Remember, home-schooling is very different to traditional schooling. On this journey you and your child are the teachers and learners. You might take a more learner centered approach which means that your learning space might not always be at a desk with pen and paper. You don’t necessarily need the traditional structures and routines, you can be flexible so that learning fits your family’s needs. School might be outdoors, at the local park or even at the beach.
However, there will probably be times where you need to sit down and complete your work in a more traditional sense. It can be really helpful to have a designated ‘learning space’ that children can distinguish between ‘home’ and ‘school’. This way they know when it’s school time. When they’ve finished they can put it all away and be free at home. It would be ideal to have this space stocked with all the relevant materials, e.g. a full pencil case, books for each learning area, devices, learning charts etc. It is important to remember that every child learns differently, so this space might need to be located in a quiet area of your home if your learner is easily distracted by noise. Or it might need to be somewhere with less visual stimulus so that they can concentrate best. You know your child best, so everyone’s space will look different.
It might also be helpful to have a weekly and/or daily routine chart that fits around your family. This is a visual representation for everyone to know what is happening for that day and for how long. It can give everyone a little more structure if that’s what is needed.
Having learning goals might also be a way to guide and motivate your learners. Think about what you want them to achieve at the end of a task or project. Together, create your goals, write them down, discuss the process of achieving these goals and keep checking in and reflecting on your child’s progress. It might also be helpful to give rough time limits to complete tasks and projects. This is also another way for you to ensure that you get through the content and curriculum across the week, term and year.
Remember, you have the opportunity to be flexible and you have the freedom to decide how, when and where you set up your learning environments.
4. Understanding your learners.
As a parent you know your child best, but who are they as a learner? Knowing your learner will give you a head start in how you would like to tackle this new style of teaching and learning. Are they more hands on or are they more visually-spatially orientated? Do they learn best by moving around, listening or are they driven to work by themselves? Think about their interests, needs, strengths and weaknesses and their preferred learning styles to guide you in tailoring a program and routine that suits your family. Are you going to take a traditional teacher centered approach where you are the teacher and they are the learner or will you take a student centered approach where the child drives the learning? Maybe, you’ll opt for a mix of both.
By understand how your child learns best can help you to maximise their learning opportunities and work with them to help them grow.
- Finding resources.
- It’s hard to know where to start, especially when you begin. There are a wide range of programs out there with work packs. Some programs are distance education where you receive a pack and then send it back completed. Others are home-schooling packs where you and your learners complete them together at your own pace. If you are unschooling you might be working on concepts that you choose at your own pace. If you do buy a program or pack you might like to think about what grade level to pick. Sometimes, learners can be at different levels depending on the subject. Some companies allow you to choose different levelled packs depending on what you think best suits the needs of your child. Just do a quick online search and you’ll find a wide range of companies that offer different options. It might also be helpful, regardless of the resources you use, to make a weekly, termly and even yearly learning plan to make sure you cover all areas of the curriculum. Read through and think about what will suit your philosophy, family values and ideal learning environment best.
Remember, you can always be flexible and change things around as you go. You might start with a program to give you some confidence and then as you move along you might decide to run your own show once you’ve seen the needs and interests of your learner. You might even just begin by taking a child centered approach where learning is driven by your child’s interests. For example, they might love bugs so you might research those native to your local area, how they support and impact the biodiversity of area and create an informative brochure on them. Here, you can tackle multiple learning areas and skills by letting your child lead the way. They will be more interested and engaged as they’ve led the learning.
Sometimes, you might find it hard to break the learning concepts down. There are a few options to support you in this instance. You could jump online and see if there are videos to help you understand the concept in a new way and then you can teach your child or even show them and learn together. If you’ve utilised a home-schooling program you could also contact them for support. You might also like to engage a teacher, tutor or educator to help you with certain concepts or learning areas that you don’t feel as confident in.
If your child has been in a traditional school setting, this new approach might take some time to adjust to. Start small and build up their capacity. Be patient, with them and yourself. It’s all new but you know them best and you will succeed!
Wise Minds Australia Team
