Getting Started with Homeschooling
Practical Considerations for Parents of School-Aged Children
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
Determining Your Children's Educational Needs
Before you can begin planning a learning program you need to know where your children are educationally. This is always the starting point in planning any educational program. The first step in finding out this is by talking and listening to your children about what they would like to learn or study, and what they are interested in. List hobbies and interests, and try not to get too narrowly focused on school subjects during this first conversation.
Remember to record your children's responses. Then record what you, as their parents, feel is important for them to learn. Discuss your needs for their education with the children and record and important aspects of the conversation. These responses will help to form the content of your home school program.
Try not to be judgmental about your children's ideas, particularly the educational value of their suggestions. A creative home educator can always find something value in any activity - often it is a matter or looking harder!
If you children have been at school, review the work they have been doing recently. This is best done without criticism or judgment of the level they have attained, or the content of the work covered. You will need to talk to your children and ask questions, consult with any teachers they have had, read past reports and also examine work they may have brought home. It is a good idea to ask your children to bring home all of their work on their last day, or go to the school with them to collect it.
Ask the children what they liked and disliked at school, and what methods or activities engaged them most. Unlike classrooms, which have to satisfy the needs of many and operate under many constraining limitations, your home school can be completely tailored to the individual needs of each child and the need of the parents. There is a lot more scope to include learning activities and methods which your children enjoy, and to leave out ones they don't.
hese discussions, together with viewing of past work and using your unique knowledge of your children gained from years of parenting will help to determine the level of study to begin with.
 previous page |
Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
