
There are many reasons for beginning to homeschool our children. Some children struggle in the school environment, others have to move frequently with their families and for others there is a philosophical reason for deciding to provide your own children with an education at home. Whatever reason we may have, we tend to use the formal school system as a benchmark for all education. However, there are some elements of formal schooling which we can adopt and adapt and others which we don’t need to imitate.
A) One of the most significant differences between homeschooling and formal schooling is class size and the strategies employed to enable one teacher to manage and teach 20, 40 or even 60 children in a class. So let’s begin with what we don’t need to imitate.
1. Flexible Teaching and Learning Styles
Because you will be teaching your child one-to-one, you can adapt your teaching style specifically for your child. [Please see our blog on Learning Styles.] Your child has your undivided attention so you are immediately able to address any areas where they are struggling. Unlike a school where the teacher has to share knowledge with the whole class, you will have time to elicit information from your child and to only fill in the gaps in their knowledge. This means your child won’t get bored.
2. Discipline
A lot of disciplining in the class has to do with ‘crowd-management’, telling children not to speak or not to disrupt other students or ensuring that the student achieves at least the average for the class. In your home, you have every opportunity to focus on your child, encourage them to remain on task, help them to focus on a problem, invite them to ask questions and to speak about any difficulties.
3. Time Management
Formal Schools have to spend so much time managing large numbers of students and maintaining an organisation and completing lessons within a certain time. At home you can vary the pace of your lessons. You can vary the location or the activity. You can make these decisions with your child. You may be surprised at how much your child enjoys taking control of their learning time.
B) Another difference between Formal schooling and Homeschooling is that they have a structure, objectives and accountability. We can also adopt or adapt some elements of formal schooling.
1. Curriculum
Griha Shiksha has developed a curriculum for each Grade which provides you with the material to work through with your child. The curriculum is designed to be completed within 9 months. The curriculum covers all of the knowledge and skills that is required by most educational Boards in India. https://www.grihashiksha.in/our-curriculum
2. Setting Goals
Formal Schools are affiliated with an Education Board and they place expectations on what a student should have achieved before they reach Grade 10. Setting Goals helps keep you and your child focussed. Having a goal also helps you see how well you are progressing.
3. Pace of Learning
Most children are strongly motivated by progress and achievement. Probably the underlying thing that children truly appreciate is praise! If you are able to maintain steady progress your child will maintain a level of motivation. It will also help you keep up with formal school expectations. That may not seem important when your child is young but as they get older you will either want to enroll them into a formal school or they will need to be ready for Board exams. Establishing a steady pace of learning is a great habit to instil in your child early.
4. Accountability
All formal schools have accountability. Affiliation to a Board is one such form of accountability. Another means of accountability is checking the grades of each student. Griha Shiksha provides assessments which can be completed after each 3-month term. Following this routine of assessments will help you and your child understand what progress they are making and see the areas of difficulty. We benefit from some accountability and Griha Shiksha provides that for our homeschooling families. We understand the challenges for homeschooling families so our calls and emails are intended to encourage you. The Griha Shiksha staff will try to help you achieve your objective of providing the best education for your child.
5. Routine & Roles
Another aspect of schooling which you can adapt for homeschooling is providing your child with a routine and establishing homeschool teacher/student roles. Sometimes a homeschool child may find it difficult to adjust to a Homeschool routine. Making a special place and having a regular start time can help your child settle into ‘learning mode’.
Sometimes children behave differently in school from the way they behave at home. Home is a place of rest and family life. It can be difficult for a child to ‘switch places’ Another way of helping your child get ‘into the Homeschool zone’ is to assume the role of homeschool teacher. Allow your child to take the role of student, but remember that they can always step out of the role if they need comforting or encouragement. Another way of entering into the ‘learning zone’ is to create a special place. It may be a chair or a mat to sit on or a table cloth you only use for school time. These help your child know that it is time to learn.
What do you think about these 3 things to leave behind and 5 things we can bring into our
Homeschool? Leave your comments below and let other homeschoolers know how you do it.
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