Homeschooling is a new concept to many parents. It’s new territory that can be scary and daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! The following blog post will give you advice from parents who are homeschooling their kids and what tips they would give new parents considering the same journey.
The number one piece of advice that experienced homeschool parents shared is to choose the correct curriculum for your child’s needs. Several parents also mentioned reading a lot of books together, practicing life skills, and enjoying the time because kids grow up quickly. The next piece of advice shared was to make learning fun, don’t stress, don’t try to do too much in 1 day, and get outside as much as possible. Flexibility, following the child’s interests, and taking the placement assessments prior to ordering curriculums also made the list.
We asked 25 experienced homeschool parents (24 moms and 1 dad) with 127 combined years of homeschooling experience to share their thoughts. Here’s the best advice they have for those that are new to homeschooling!
Choose the Correct Curriculum
Choosing a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate for your child was the number 1 piece of advice that was given. Of all the parents we interviewed, 20% gave this as their advice.
When you are new to homeschooling, curriculum options can be super overwhelming! Check out YouTube to see homeschool moms flip through their curriculum to see if it seems like a good fit. I HIGHLY recommend 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. It will teach you all about your teaching style and your child’s learning style which will help you make an informed decision before purchasing a curriculum.
Here are the specific recommendations for curriculums that homeschool parents cannot say enough great things about:
- Phonics – Blending Words and Word Mastery
- Reading and Writing – Check out Don Potter’s website.
- Writing – Peterson Directed Handwriting
- Math – Gattengo Math – Several moms mentioned using this as a supplement to help kids understand math.
- Language Arts – The Good and the Beautiful – Kids love that there is usually a fun game to play in each lesson.
- Super Teacher Worksheets
Lastly, one mom shared her struggles with curriculum overload. “New curriculum syndrome is a real disease. I suffer from it daily. Don’t let it catch you.”
Lots of Reading
It didn’t surprise me that many homeschool parents recommended reading a lot of books. In fact, 12% (I’m surprised it wasn’t more!) mentioned reading as their best piece of advice.
Reading to kids has so many benefits – improving concentration, language skills, developing vocabulary, building character, and developing a vivid imagination to name a few.
One mom said she read aloud to her homeschooled children for an hour each day! They are now several levels ahead in reading, so I will definitely be incorporating this into our homeschooling!
Another mom made a great point. It’s not just about reading books, but choosing books that have excellent information and hold your child’s interest. I’ve found that by taking my son to the library to choose his own books, he stays much more focused on the book than when he didn’t play a part in selecting the book.
Some of our favorite books give choices to the child. Our favorite right now is What Should Danny Do? On Vacation (The Power to Choose Series)
Practice Life Skills
Another 12% of homeschool parents said their number 1 piece of advice is to practice life skills with their homeschooled kids.
One mom mentioned helping her young child master how to cut with scissors and pour without spilling.
Another parent suggested making mundane tasks teaching moments. For example, I taught my son how to effectively clean his room and in what order. It used to be overwhelming to him and he would never get started. Now, he knows to first put any trash in the trash can, put dirty laundry in the laundry basket, place books back on the bookshelf, and put any stuffed animals or toys in the toy box.
Another mom said she bought a kid’s cleaning set with a kid-sized broom, mop, and feather duster for her daughter. She showed her step by step how to clean and her daughter thinks it’s fun! Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Dust! Sweep! Mop! 6 Piece Pretend Play Set is a great option.
Public schools focus on education, but I’ve always felt that there was something lacking in the life skills area. Our kids need to learn how to do their taxes, how to do laundry, clean a bathroom, make dinner, and more. By homeschooling, you can focus on education AND life skills!
Make Learning Fun
It came as no surprise that making learning fun made the list. In our time homeschooling, I quickly learned that incorporating fun into our day made all the difference. Here are some of our favorite ways we make learning fun.
One mom said that younger children should be learning by lighter, play-based learning and only to focus on the 3 R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic). This is true for the first few years of elementary.
Another mom said when her child was young, she incorporated fun by counting grapes at lunch, making color sorting games, and other fun activities.
Get Outside
Being cooped up in the house all day just isn’t the best way to homeschool. It’s important for kids to spend time outdoors. Let’s keep it real – moms need some fresh air too!
Here are some great ideas to get outside more:
- Go on a treasure hunt outside
- Go on outdoor scavenger hunts
- Nature walks
- Collect colored leaves and learning about why they change colors
- Skip rocks in a nearby creek
- Go on a bike ride
- Go to a playground
- Go fishing
Don’t Try to Do Too Much
It’s important to research how much time should be spent homeschooling for your child’s age. Many parents new to homeschooling try to mimic the public school system and do school for several hours each day. This is not necessary and it’s a quick way to burn out. There are reasons why it takes longer for public schools to finish lessons. To read more about how much time you should be spending homeschooling, click here.
One homeschool mom said when she first started homeschooling her son, she thought she needed to put in several hours each day. Now, after researching how much time she should be spending, she does three 30 minute sessions of reading, writing, and math. The rest of the day is spent playing and being outside as much as possible.
An 11-year homeschool veteran pointed out that young children should not do more than 1 hour of school a day, but that they will be learning all day by playing and watching what we do.
Take Placement Tests Before Ordering Curriculum
Most companies offer a placement test you can have your child take prior to ordering their curriculum. Do it.
What most non-homeschoolers don’t realize is that homeschooled children are in levels, not grades. What this means is that each curriculum has its own criteria that it considers important for each level. Some are on the beginner side, while others are very advanced.
For example, one homeschool mom said that her child was in Abeka Language Arts Level 1. When it was time to purchase another level, she did some research and decided to go with The Good and the Beautiful. She gave her daughter the placement test and she tested into Level K which is actually below Level 1. Had she not done the placement test, she would have ordered Level 2 and her daughter would have struggled.
Now she said her daughter’s reading is getting so much better and she is more confident every day!
Follow Children’s Interests
This is a great piece of advice shared by an experienced homeschool mom. She said her son loves math so she did 2 years of math in 1 school year! He enjoys his lessons and is advanced for his age. Follow your children’s lead to see what they want to learn about. There are still basics to learn, but if you can make their lessons about something they are interested in, kids will have a love for learning.
For us, my son loves to build. We have several building sets including Magnet Building Tiles and STEM Master Building Toys for Kids. We spend much of our day building and WE LOVE IT! Maybe he will be an architect or engineer one day?
Be Flexible
Flexibility is probably my favorite part of homeschooling, so I was happy to see it mentioned as a great piece of advice for new homeschool moms.
The homeschool dad I interviewed said when he first started homeschooling, they were pretty structured. Now he said he asks his kids “want to do school work on the couch? – cool. Want to do it outside? – cool. Want to take an hour break as long as schoolwork gets done? – cool.” Be flexible and lighten up.
In the grand scheme of life, why does it matter when, where, and how kids learn as long as they learn? We homeschool while traveling!
Don’t Stress
Easier said than done, right? Those that are new to homeschooling have a fear of the unknown – I did too. But I promise you, it’s not as stressful and overwhelming as it seems once you get started.
One homeschool mom said to keep in mind that kids are at your house, not school. Try your best to keep your house a stress-free zone.
“The only thing I wish I’d known before is, don’t stress. It seems far more overwhelming than it is.”
Enjoy Spending Time Together
I found it very heartwarming that many homeschool parents included enjoying spending time together as their best piece of advice for new homeschool moms.
Many veteran homeschool moms with 10+ years of experience mentioned that the time goes so fast and to just enjoy being together.
Another mom said “Enjoy your child. Your relationship together always comes first. That is the most important.”
New to homeschooling? We hope you found these tips useful and that they’ll help you get the most out of your new venture. Feel free to drop any advice or suggestions below so we can all learn from each other! Happy schooling!