Tips to Make Homeschooling Fun for Kids

Children often say they don't like school, but you might not
ever hear your children make that statement if you homeschool.
Homeschooling has many benefits over sending your child to
public school. Besides being able to attend school in your
pajamas, your child will have much more freedom to learn than
their public school counterparts will have.

One of the things that can make homeschooling fun for children
is the ability to take multiple field trips throughout the year.
Whereas most public school students are lucky to take one field
trip a year, if they even get to take that, homeschool students
have the freedom to go on as many as their parent or support
group can plan.

Field trip possibilities are endless, limited only to by the
imagination of the planner, and funds you're willing to see
leave your wallet. Some common field trips are museums, zoos,
and botanical gardens. Did you know you can also make a field
trip out of a trip to a Krispy Kreme Donut store? Yep, you sure
can. You can also visit police departments, fire departments,
and local newspapers. In fact, if you can find someone willing
to allow it, you can make a field trip out of almost any
business you can think of.

Besides taking several field trips a year, another thing that
makes homeschooling fun for kids is the ability to learn what
interests them and in a way that suits their learning style.
While they will still have to learn the basics of reading,
writing, and mathematics, they may choose to concentrate on
robots, dinosaurs, or some composer or artist. And one of the
benefits of homeschooling is that you can combine coursework
into Unit Studies that enable the student to cover the basics
all while concentrating on that one subject.

It seems that art and music are all but missing from public
schools as educational budgets are slashed each year. If you
homeschool, and your child likes either art or music, you can
spend as much time on those subjects as you'd like. In fact, you
can combine art and music appreciation with many other subjects.
Allow your child to try something they've never done before. You
have that option if you homeschool, and you don't have to get
permission from the principal to do so.

Many children learn best by handling items, whether math
manipulatives, building blocks, or cooking utensils. If you
homeschool, you can allow your child to use those manipulatives
if doing so will help them to learn. In public schools,
children's learning styles often aren't taken into consideration
since teachers have to teach to a whole group and can't address
students individually. By allowing your child to learn in the
way that is easiest for them, homeschooling will be much more
fun for them.

While it's unlikely that your homeschooled children will say
they "love" school, there are things that you can do to help
them enjoy it more. By allowing them to learn to their
strengths, concentrating on subjects that interest them, and
taking them on field trips, your child will enjoy going to
"school" much better.

Author: Jane Saeman