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A Easy Introduction for Homeschool Parents to the List Of Learning Styles

February 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this easy introduction for homeschool parents of the list of learning styles. Also, grab my other tips I have on my page homeschool learning styles.

Not all children learn the same way.

For example, one child may be content to read books while another prefers to play the piano.

A Easy Introduction for Homeschool Parents to the List Of Learning Styles

Trying to teach your kids in the same way can be doing each one a disservice.

But then again, we homeschool because we recognize differences.

Too, when you identify how your child learns best, you can give them tips for subjects they struggle in.

Also, you can nurture their talents and help your students to be successful.

What Is a Learning Style

Frist, understanding what is a learning style can be easier to explain than all the terms and labels which have exploded in recent years. More on that in a minute.

A learning style can be defined in many ways but it’s the way an individual prefers to learn.

It involves the way he prefers to gather information and how the steps a person uses to process the information.

In addition, it involves these other things.

whether a person prefers to learn alone or with others
if a person prefers to read about activities versus do activities
when relationships with you or others are more important than learning
whether an environment is bright light and quiet or low light with music

Additionally, one more important thing to know is that most experts agree that by the time a child is about seven years old his dominant learning style is fixed.

Up until that time, most kids learn through moving.

Next, for years the educational world touted that individuals fall into three categories or learning styles.

They are:

visual (sight)
kinesthetic (movement, sensory or use of body)
auditory (sounds)

While I agree with those learning styles, I have come to learn that using the term learning personality is easier.

Look why using the term learning personality makes it easy to tap into our child’s strengths.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Childs Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

YOU WILL LEARN:

How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.

Moreover, look at the resources to help you understanding learning styles.

Homeschool Learning Style and Personality Book Helps and How to of Homeschooling

Arming yourself with more information as to how children learn and how to teach them best should be part of every homeschool library.

Our goal in homeschooling is to be the best teacher and learn how OUR kids learn best and not every child or grade level.

31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don't Know Where to Begin

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU!

How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On to Learning

Carol Barnier knew that her son -- more likely to be sitting on the table (or the refrigerator) than in his chair -- was worthy of high expectations. She also knew that he could easily miss achieving them if she didn't find the right key to unlock his capacity to learn. Carol found volumes of information on how to recognize the challenges in ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) children, how to manage them, how to discipline them, and how to accept them. But no one told her how to teach her son math tomorrow. In her search for solutions, she developed techniques that are not only fun for all children, but highly successful with any child who struggles with focus.

The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles: A Fresh and Demystifying Approach

All children want to learn, but so often we give students a key to unlock their understanding of a new concept only to discover that it was the wrong key. The question then becomes, WHAT NOW? Carol Barnier delivers a fresh and demystifying approach to learning styles. You'll find answers and so much more. You, the newly energized "Keeper of the Keys," will now have access to the following ideas that will help you find the right key to unlock a love of learning in your K-12th grade child:

And I have some posts here for you as well.

You’ll love my workshop above as well as these resources.

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

List of Learning Styles for Homeschool Parents

Finally, look at this list of learning styles and then the homeschool style approach below.

Further to keep it simple I have used only 4 learning personalities or style because some references tout that there are 16 different types of learning styles.

Although you can take many tests to determine this list is an easy starting point by beginning with 4 general learning personalities which will get you on the right track for your child.

4 Major Learning Personality Types

Here the four easy ways to remember.

The Socializers
The Organizers
The Risk Takers
And the Intellectuals

Equally important to understand is that most individuals (kids included) can have traits of each one.

However, to find the dominant learning personality, it would mean the one that is used most.

Usually, a second personality trait follows but is not as strong as the first personality trait.

I’ve learned that each approach can be matched to learning styles too. Look at them below.

What Are The 5 Learning Styles

Look below at the 5 learning styles or homeschool approaches.

1. Unit Study Approach for Families Who Want Free Exploration

2. Workbook Approach for Families Who Want Memory Work and Workbooks

3. Classical Approach for Families Who Put Emphasis on Learning from Ancient Minds of the Past

4. Charlotte Mason Approach for Families Who Nurture a Love of Nature and Living Books

5. Unschooling Approach for Families Who Want Child-Led Learning Without Bounds

By taking the course, you can easily see how to pair learning personality with learning style.

How To Homeschool Middle School – Why Eclectic Of Course!

February 18, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Whether you’re utterly excited or fear that you’re woefully inadequate to homeschool middle school, one thing is for sure. Homeschooling middle school can be some of the best years to homeschool. Look for more tip on my how to homeschool page.

From homeschooling a 6th grader who is still so full of eagerness to a 8th grader who is ready to debate on a moment’s notice, there are no dull moments in the middle school years.

Besides watching the unfolding of a young child into a teen, it’s also the time your child is still flexible.

How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course!

It’s the perfect time to try an out of the box approach.

First, let me back up a minute. When I approached the middle school years I had thought it was my time to have it easy as the teacher.

Knowing that kids are more independent at this age, I wanted relief in the way of a boxed curriculum.

3 VALUABLE TIPS WHEN TEACHING HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL

However, as each son entered the middle school years, I learned several valuable lessons,

one was that the eclectic homeschool style approach was needed now more than ever before;
that I shouldn’t have listened to naysayers who said we needed to give up hands-on learning like games or lapbooks;
and I should have dabbled more into life skills and high school credits.

From teaching Mr. Senior 2013, I learned that subjects like the three Rs are the mainstay of these grades too.

Subjects don’t change significantly in middle school, but the approach to how you choose curriculum does.

For example, just because you used one math program with your child up to this point doesn’t mean it is the right one for middle school.

You need to take more time choosing curriculum and subjects.

Here is a very valuable piece of seasoned advice.

Up until middle school, you should choose curriculum based on your teaching style because you are wearing the teacher hat exclusively. Now, you need to choose curriculum based on your child’s learning style.

Beginning in about sixth grade you want to gently turn over the teaching reins to your child.

I can’t recall an exact moment with each of my sons where I could unequivocally pinpoint a time and say, “This is the exact moment my sons were independent.”

Middle school independence is a gradual process.

This is the time to explore alternative options.

Don’t wait until high school for out of the box elective where you don’t have as much flexibility to change courses in midstream.

HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL SUBJECTS GUIDE

Look at these subjects and options for curriculum that worked for us or that we currently like.

Homeschool Middle School Reading

Kids in the middle school are at varying maturing abilities.

Unlike the early grades where you focused on phonics, at about the fourth grade a child should be ready to move away from direct phonic instruction.

Don’t worry if your child is not, I just want you to have a rule of thumb. I had two that were ready to move away and one not so ready.

Look here at How to Transition a Child From Reading to Literature.

I focused on about 3 or 4 books with direct reading instruction. This means we delved deeply into them.

On their own, my sons read way more from my list, but about 4 books was all I could do each year where I questioned them significantly.

Remember there is a difference between a child narrating back a story and learning the elements of fiction and figures of speech.

Understanding where I was headed in the middle school grades helped me to see what teach in reading.

For example, in high school your child will be focusing on certain authors and literature in specific time periods.

In middle school, focus on learning genres and the basics of elements of fiction. This tool he will use as lens to pull up close and examine literature in high school.

Look at what you want to zero in on and use the free pages which explains a bit about each one and other literary elements.

Plot
Setting
Character
Theme
Style
Point of View

The point I’m making is although it’s important for them to read at this age, it’s equally important to delve deeply into a book and expose kids to a variety of genres.

How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course! Whether you're utterly excited or fear that you're woefully inadequate to homeschool middle school, one thing is for sure. Homeschooling middle school can be some of the best years to homeschool. Click here to read these tips!

Homeschool Middle School Writing

If you chose to teach cursive writing like I did, then you’ll want your child to practice daily.

Writing journals, hands-down has been the best tool I’ve used to encourage writing. The focus is on writing creatively and free from a judgmental eye.

Most of the time my sons chose to share their daily sentences or paragraphs with me, but I didn’t ask or didn’t grade them, only praise them.

Composition is quite a different thing. For example, although we may brainstorm one day and not do much handwriting on our current topic, writing in their journal each day ensured continued practice.

Again, the best way is to mix and match curriculum to suit your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Resources prepared and used by other homeschool teacher moms is another secret at this age.

If I’m going to start handing over the teaching reins to my child, I needed resources by homeschool families who understood my need.

We loved using WriteShop because it’s written specifically with homeschoolers in mind. But also we loved Essentials in Writing and Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Not only did it have lots of teaching background notes for me, but it was the first top notch writing curriculum my first middle school son used on his own.

Homeschool Middle School Arithmetic

Don’t get discouraged if your middle school kid is behind in math. I had one like this and two ahead at their grade level.

For the one son behind, I added in straightforward practice.

Although math apps can be helpful for drills, my struggling math guy needed to write and see the work.

The Key to . . . Math Series have been some of the best no fluff straight forward practice books I’ve ever used. They’re such timeless helps.

The books are a set of consumable non-overwhelming books on one math topic, like fractions, which progress from the easiest concept in Book 1 to the hardest concept in the last book.

Some packets have 10 books others are smaller.

Middle school was the year I switched from Teaching Textbooks, which I thought was ahead of Math U See, and back again to Math U See. Teaching textbooks was not ahead in my experience from K to 12th grade math.

Although Teaching Textbooks explained step by step, mastery is my goal and Math U See taught mastery. I guess the main difference is that Math U See does not go by grade level but by concept. That is my preferred way of teaching.

Choose what is best for your child at each grade. I didn’t use MUS or Teaching Textbooks at the lower grades.

Also, remember to add in fun hands-on math to teaching. Kids this age can still be cuddly and cute. (ha, ok.)

Look at Making Math Count for Middleschool When You’re Not the Math Mom and 25 Creative and Tasty Edible Math Activities that Keeps Learning Fun.

And then living math is one of the best ways to incorporate it into every day learning.

Kids want a reason for why they have to learn math. Don’t make it boring and humdrum.

Grab an idea from this living math book below from another talented homeschool mom which makes teaching middle school a cinch.

And one of the BEST parts of homeschooling middle school is the time to explore and even get credit in middle school. Yes electives are something fun and doable at this age, so explore them.

Middle school is also the time to narrow down what your middle school kids may want to jump into deeper in high school. The only way to do that is to do a wide range of fun and practical skills.

Give them time to explore while making it practical. For example, teach your child how to write out a check.

Yes, my young adult kids still need to use a check once and a while and remembering how to do it can be a struggle.

It’s easier to use a debit card, but that’s not always great for record keeping. How to change a tire and check a vehicle’s oil are important skills to teach them as they approach driving age.

We also love to explore different types of art. We love doing chalk art.

We’ve used another resource by a homeschool mom which is Chalk Pastel because of the variety of books and teaching helps she has on her site.

Even cooking has been added as part of our science and history.

It gives us a set of life skills from A to Z. Now is the time to learn this stuff before your kids tell you they know everything.

I wanted to give you this quick glance at the middle school years. Soon, I’ll be adding more specific posts to help you.

What are you wrestling with right now in middle school?

Other How to Homeschool Middle School Resources

Hugs and love ya,

8 Best Classical Style History Curriculum for a Classical Learning Style

January 29, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s important to know your choices for the best classical style history curriculum if you’re following a classical approach. You’ll love the other tips I have on my page Homeschool Learning Styles.

When I first started homeschooling, I followed a classical approach to all the subjects.

As my understanding of homeschool learning style differences grew, I adjusted my homeschool approach.

8 Best Classical Style History Curriculum for a Classical Learning Style

The one thing I did keep from the classical learning style when I switched to the unit study approach was a classical style history approach.

Out of all the learning styles, the classical style approach to history made the most sense to me.

What is the Classical Style History Approach?

First, it’s important to understand what is the classical style approach. I’ve heard many definitions through my numerous years of homeschooling.

To help you understand it, look at these 5 features of a classical approach.

Classical education is based on liberal arts curriculum. Among other things it means information is presented in a sequential order.
One of the most significant features is reading and discussing real books. You’ll hear the term great books at times when you’re looking for history curriculum.
For years advocates of a classical approach focused on learning Latin and Greek roots.
And one more feature of this approach is the believe by Dorothy Sayers that children have the ability to memorize at an early age. This skill should be used as early as possible to prepare children for higher learning later.
Finally, for history you can see it would be important to cover history in a chronological order.

Because history was and still is important to me, I wanted my kids to not only understand history, but be able to recall events in order.

The only way for them to learn that was for me to teach them in chronological order.

I used Story of the World as my first curriculum and it gave my kids a strong foundation in history.

From there I created history unit studies on topics which interested us.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Childs Learning Personality.

YOU WILL LEARN:

How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.

Also, look at these other resources I have for understanding homeschool learning styles.

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

More Homeschool History Curriculum

Next, look at these different providers for best classical style history curriculum.

Best Classical Style History Curriculum

The advantage to using classical style history is that not only are you encouraged to use real books, but the history makes sense when it's covered in chronological order.

Story of the World, History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times through The Modern Age

Available in paperback, this four-volume narrative world history tells the story of the entire globe, from the earliest nomadic humans all the way to the Persian Gulf war at the end of the twentieth century. It now includes the Revised Edition of Volume 4. Told in an entertaining, engaging style, The Story of the World uses the stories of women and men, countries and empires, rebels and rulers, peasants and presidents, to walk young readers through a continuous, chronological account of human events.

The Story of the Middle Ages

About one hundred forty chapters tell the story of rulers, wars, society, faith, and legend in the Middle Ages from 476 A.D. to 1485 A.D. Tremendous detail is provided with many names, places, and battles presented. The book explores the role of the Church and the Christian influence upon the figures throughout history, and it shares legends that relate to history, positive qualities of personalities, and faith

The Classical Historian Modern American History Reading, Discussing, and Writing

The Take a Stand! series teaches students how to be historians. They learn not what to think or memorize, but how to analyze the events of the past. This unique approach makes the student an active participation in the analysis of the past. This is the best of critical thinking, Socratic discussion, and analytical writing in history

Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation : Teacher's Manual (Veritas Press History Series)

Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation

Biblioplan Companion Year Four Modern History

Teaching history to children at all grade levels together.

Ancients (History Odyssey, Level 2)

From first civilizations to the Fall of Rome, Ancients level two is a complete one-year curriculum guide that combines history with literature, world geography, and writing activities.

Photo Credit: nomadicprofessor.com

Home

Follow the Nomadic Professor to history’s actual settings–from the Appalachians to the Andes and from the swamps of Louisiana to the Gobi, Sahara, and Changtang. Engage with the settings and contexts behind today’s headlines. Learn to read and think with the critical judgement of a historian, and prepare to ace your college credit exams.

The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education

In the past, correct spelling, the multiplication tables, the names of the state capitals and the American presidents were basics that all children were taught in school. Today, many children graduate without this essential knowledge. Most curricula today follow a haphazard sampling of topics with a focus on political correctness instead of teaching students how to study. Leigh Bortins, a leading figure in the homeschooling community, is having none of it

How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

January 22, 2023 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

After homeschooling 20+ years, I’m sharing how to make a homeschool transcript. You’ll love the other forms I have on my homeschool planner and how to homeschool high school and homeschool middle school page.

Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve updated my original transcript.

In addition, this unique form I’ve updated today can be used beginning in middle school.

How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

Also, my homeschool high school transcript was created with much flexibility.

You can use this editable transcript for many different reasons.

If you want to track some courses starting in middle school.
Or you have a special needs child and want to take a bit longer time or need more flexibility with subjects.
Too, if your teen wants to graduate earlier, this form gives you much flexibility.
And if you want to follow a 4-year traditional high school course this form is perfect and finally
You may lean toward the unschool-ish side and want to track subjects instead of years or grades this form fits that need too.

As you can see it’s a unique form.

Homeschool High School Transcript

So, when I got his question from Carol, I was excited.

Hi, had a quick question do you know of any place we as homeschool parent can purchase,blank transcripts with a guide to teach you how to prepare them? Getting overwhelmed with our son now in high
school.Thanks again, your a God send.

Homeschool High School Transcripts @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Sharing a few general tips to help you through the high school years and some specific tips for the transcript,

General High School Transcript Tips

Decide a grading scale and stick with it when you do decide. Here at my Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You, look at option 10 on that page where I give you a couple of options for grading scales.
About credits. Know that a very basic rule of thumb and easier to remember without all the educationalese is that one high school textbook or course equals to about 1 credit. Look here at Homeschool High School–How to Log Hours for High School for more tips. And if you’re tracking by hours another rule of thumb is that 1 credit equals about 120 hours.
And finally, you don’t produce a transcript immediately upon entering high school or even in 10th grade. I changed from how I thought I wanted it set up in 9th grade until his senior year. You have time to mull over what is needed for your child’s particular direction if he is in any grade other than a senior this year.
A high school transcript is a 1-page document. When and if a college asks for more, then second page which is a comprehensive course description. Your 1-page document should be clean, simple, and well articulated, not a diary of your whole homeschool journey.
Course Descriptions. You do not put course descriptions on the transcript. You put descriptions on a second page so they’re noted and you have them if asked by a college. Just put the name of the course.
One more thing I need to mention is plan for the 3 Rs in high school like you have all the other grades. Depending on what your child is doing will determine which one you may spend more time in. Each year cover 1 English, 1 Science, 1 Math and 1 History.

As I mentioned earlier, key to filling it out is charting your courses or subjects in middle and/or high school and then filling out the transcript, not the other way around.

What I’m saying is 1) Plan the courses 2) Change the courses as needed, 3) Redo courses 4) and LASTLY prepare the transcript.
You track most all work and courses by planning pages. My form is so flexible that is you want to use it for planning and tracking you can too.

Basics of High School Transcripts

Transcripts, like birth certificates are official documents and that means they need to look somewhat uniformed although we have unique journeys.

Use the forms below for planning while you look over the high school transcript.

I have had them for years before I produced my transcript because that is the part of the phase that takes longer.

Charting a course for 4 years or longer is not easy, but then again it too doesn’t have to be done all at once either.

You can find those forms on Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You.

Transcript Tina's Dynamic Homeschol Plus

My first transcript is above, and I left it here so you can see how things change.

And my newest high school transcript template has these features in each section. Look below as I explain each section.

How to Fill out the TOP SECTION of the High School Transcript Personal Basic Information

full student name
student address
date of birth and sex
phone number
email
parent/guardian name

school name
school address
phone number
email
date of graduation
signature of principal or administrator

How to Fill Out the Middle Part – Courses/Subjects of the High School Transcript

This section is where this template is different than most and that is you can use it just for high school or for middle, unschooling or modify for a child with special needs.

For example, look at sample 1 below.

This first sample is using my editable form for a traditional 4-year high school experience.
Note you can just put the grade level or
You can add a school year to it 202? – 202? after each grade if you want more specificity.
Under each grade level you would add the courses, the grade and the credit earned.
Too, there are 6 areas so you can separate the electives or specify other individual courses.

Furthermore, look at this sample 2.

Instead of tracking by grades, list by subjects or courses which can be good if you begin in middle school or have a special needs child. Use the main box for Subjects or Courses and not grade level.
Under each subject there are 6 lines to list courses. That is an additional 2 lines for courses instead of the traditional 4.
Also, another way to track is by combining courses AND the school year. This works best for a child that has a leaning toward one area or discipline over another. For example, if your child is science minded, he may take more courses in Math and Science. You can reflect that on this form.
Use ** asterisks to denote something unique about a course and then add to the key at the bottom of the transcript.

Lastly look at the bottom section of the transcript where you can note important details.

You have flexibility to add any notes or circumstances unique to your situation.

How to Fill Out Last Part – Grades/Making it Official/Noting Honors, Dual Enrollment, Etc.

Below I have explained each section and have even given you some wording for each section if you need it.

Grading Scale. Add the grading scale you’ve chosen to use through your journey.
Academic Summary. If you need to add test scores add them here. Too, if you need to distinguish between weighted and non-weighted grades or GPA. And to keep it simple, weighted means there was an overall grade for subjects. For example, honor and AP courses are normally weighted. Unweighted means course difficulty was considered. Also, you will notice that Total Credits Earned are put here and NOT tracked by courses or grade. If you want to track credits, be sure to use the planning pages I have.
Notes: There is plenty of room to explain either dual enrollment, honors courses or modifications because of special needs. For example for special needs add : Modifications for special needs was given for the American History Remedial Course. For Dual Enrollment: Dual Enrollment courses were taken by Lone Star Community College. For Honors Courses. Please note this area is subjective meaning no two schools even agree. So explain with detail how you determined this course as hnors. For example, Honor courses were determined by a faster pace, more in depth study, and special projects.
Sign, date it, and make official. You’ve got this.

How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript

Also, look at video on YouTube How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript.

Moreover, look at my other beautiful and detailed homeschool planner forms.

More Homeschool Planner Forms

Also, look at these posts for some detailed and practical help:

You have some time to investigate and learn.

Focus on keeping a well rounded out course in the 3 Rs and savor the treasured high school years.

Lastly, grab this free form below.

How to Get the Free Editable Highschool, Middle or Non Traditional Transcript

Finally, how to grab the free editable transcript printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access my subscribers library and this freebie.

1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Day 30 Homeschool Expectations and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

January 18, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Day 30 is homeschool expectations of the free 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.

Reflecting on what you have accomplished and your homeschool expectations your first year.

And reflecting on your first day of school will keep you planning forward.

Looking back is key to being able to plot your course the next year or even the next day.

Day 30 Homeschool Expectations and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Making mistakes is part of homeschooling, learning from them is key to making homeschool fit your family.

Though I want you to take many points away from this boot camp, one point that is especially important to remember is to adjust your expectations to survival mode the first year.

Homeschool Expectations

Goals kick start your journey and you want to see them as guideposts for the E N T I R E journey and not to be accomplish all in your first year.

If you have taken time to learn homeschool lingo, track your week, practice dividing out a book into manageable lesson plans each day and determine what home education will mean for your family, you have accomplished quite a bit.

The average new homeschooler who starts her school year only thinking about nothing else, but curriculum choices can be detrimental.

Now is the time to figure out where you will have time for yourself in the day, what kind of support you want from your husband and when you will take time for physical refreshment and spiritual nourishment.

Don’t start school and then just “plug in” everything else wherever.

Plan your day by “zones” in bigger chunks. For example, mark 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on your calendar as school.

That means no phone calls answered, no door answering and no cleaning.

As your children get older, they can do some school by themselves at the table or school room while you sneak away for 10 minutes to change out the wash. Many times now my morning is very free because my sons grow more and more independent.

Look at your progress as a journey, measuring year to year and not day to day.

For example, if one year you got caught up on science, then use the next year to bring history to the front burner and cover less science.

How to Measure Progress and Homeschool Expectations

One year you may add another family member to your family and feel you are behind. You are not, it is just life. Catch up the next year.

Measuring progress by longer periods and not just your 1st year is key to being successful.

If I could have this next point bleed through the pages of this post, I would. I have been called dramatic on a few occasions, but here is my pleading point: Do not measure progress by THIS year only.

It takes almost a year or more to finally pull away from the public school mentality.

Explaining this point, one remark I consistently get each year among my new homeschooling parents is: “I’ll give this a year”. Wow. What pressure a family has just put on itself.

Each family member feels pressure to perform successfully for the first year.

An example I like to use to illustrate how short sighted this statement could be is comparing it to your first year as a new parent of your first born.

(Mr. Senior 2013. Yes, then I was less “round” than I am today, but more exhausted.)

I know that over parenting was involved with me and hubby. We use to say that one small baby can wear out two parents and two sets of grandparents.

If I had judged having more children on what I did that first year of parenting by over rocking, over coddling and over worrying, I may not have had any more children.

The truth of it is that sleepless nights, extra reading about how to care for newborns and asking questions of veteran parents enabled me to join the ranks of millions of other capable parents.

Your first year homeschooling will be your certification to joining the thousands of successful homeschool parents.

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners

15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

22- 28 Homeschool Preschoolers, Highschoolers, Resistant Learners, Homeschool Mom Burnout

29-31 Homeschool Expectations, Free Resources and Tips

29 Free Useful Resources and Homeschooling Tips

Looking back to see what you did your first year will help you to look forward and to not measure success by only your first year.

Homeschooling truly begins when you stretch forward.

How To - - -

What Is a Learning Style

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

List of Learning Styles for Homeschool Parents

4 Major Learning Personality Types

What Are The 5 Learning Styles

1. Unit Study Approach for Families Who Want Free Exploration

2. Workbook Approach for Families Who Want Memory Work and Workbooks

3. Classical Approach for Families Who Put Emphasis on Learning from Ancient Minds of the Past

4. Charlotte Mason Approach for Families Who Nurture a Love of Nature and Living Books

5. Unschooling Approach for Families Who Want Child-Led Learning Without Bounds

3 VALUABLE TIPS WHEN TEACHING HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL

HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL SUBJECTS GUIDE

Other How to Homeschool Middle School Resources

What is the Classical Style History Approach?

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

More Homeschool History Curriculum

Homeschool High School Transcript

General High School Transcript Tips

Basics of High School Transcripts

How to Fill out the TOP SECTION of the High School Transcript Personal Basic Information

How to Fill Out the Middle Part – Courses/Subjects of the High School Transcript

How to Fill Out Last Part – Grades/Making it Official/Noting Honors, Dual Enrollment, Etc.

More Creative Solutions for High School Posts

How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript

More Homeschool Planner Forms

How to Get the Free Editable Highschool, Middle or Non Traditional Transcript

Homeschool Expectations

How to Measure Progress and Homeschool Expectations

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners

15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

22- 28 Homeschool Preschoolers, Highschoolers, Resistant Learners, Homeschool Mom Burnout

29-31 Homeschool Expectations, Free Resources and Tips

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