If at all possible, the homeschool education
classroom setting should be a specific room, or at least an area of the
home. And even better, this room or area should only be used for your
homeschool education organization. It’s important that your students
associate this room with that of focus and learning. If a separate area
for home study schooling is not possible then make sure the area you do
use is free from clutter and other non topical material that could be
distraction when the home school is in session.
Allowing for, and
keeping your homeschool classroom organized is also a key ingredient
for success. Not only should you provide for your organizational needs
but let’s not forget about the child’s homeschool supplies and
materials too! Be creative with the space you have. You don’t need a
big budget to get your classroom organized and setup. Use various sizes
of boxes for cubby holes. Even bigger boxes could serve as partitions
for the room! These boxes can even be painted (instead of your walls!)
and have educational accomplishments even stuck on them…. You get the
picture! And, if needed, at the end of each day they can be folded up
and put away!
Visual materials for the home education are a must.
If you don’t have a big chalkboard, invest in an easel and a big flip
chart type notepad. Always sitting next to the child or children isn’t
always the best way to illustrate instruction. For one, you hand will
generally always be in the way so the student can’t see your
visualizations as you speak. When this happens your verbal instruction
doesn’t match what the child is able to see. Kind of like watching one
of those foreign films where the English is dubbed in! The conversation
has already happened before you see their lips move!
Of course,
there are many aspects and pieces to a successful homeschool education.
The home school classroom is but one of them. With a little planning
and some attention to detail, as a homeschooler, you will create an
environment that is conducive to the child's learning.
Mary
Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and the
primary contributor to the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please
visit (http//:http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com)
for a complete list of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas,
and curriculum information. Also tips guides and how-to's to help you
successfully teach your child at home.
