(Newswire.net — November 11, 2020) — Home-schooling has quickly become a part of the mainstream, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. Choosing to home educate your child is no small undertaking. And yet, deciding to teach your child at home can be one of the most rewarding decisions you’ll ever make. Homeschooling your child allows you to have more precious time with your child, give them an education structured around their interests and abilities, and develop at a pace convenient to them and family life. Here are some tips on how to prepare your house for homeschooling.
Room to Learn
A place in your home should be designated as “school” – this can be a room, a table, a cabinet full of school stuff, or even a school bag. Nothing else should go in that place. Doing this helps parents and children mentally prepare for their school day when they approach the area. At the end of the day, you can both vacate the area and “go home.” A distinction needs to be made between the school and home.
Regardless of the space you designate, the area needs to be free from distractions, comfortable, and has room for all of you to move and work efficiently.
Do the Math
No education is entirely free, and homeschooling is no exception. You will need to fund or supplement your children’s education, no matter which method you choose. So, spend the time now, while the pressure’s off, getting your finances in order. Pay off debt, build an emergency fund, start a school savings account. If you do these three things, your homeschooling adventure will be less stressful.
Well Equipped
Once you have sorted your finances, you will know how much money you have to spend on equipment.
First of all, you will require some classroom furniture. If you have more than one child, a long bench with a large desk could be useful and space saving. You may just want to use your kitchen table and buy some comfortable seating.
Will you use a blackboard/ whiteboard or just use a tablet to write on? Talking of tablets, do you require a computer, and do you have an internet connection in your designated classroom area?
Storage cabinets or drawers are great for storing large equipment. Canisters or jars could be placed on the desk to hold stationery. Keep your teaching area as neat and tidy as possible by putting everything away at the end of the day.
Further Reading
Today, homeschooling has become a legal process in fifty states in the US. Also, more and more states are applying for legalizing their homeschooling programs. Each state is free to create its own legal structure for homeschooling, so one state’s homeschool laws may look very different from another; therefore, you must check the regulations in your state. You may be required by law to incorporate certain subjects from the state curriculum into your teaching schedule. Some states will even require you to gain a teaching qualification or hire a professional teacher. Plenty of information is available online or from your local education authority, as are thousands of teaching resources.