Homeschool Teachers

If you’re new to homeschooling and feel overwhelmed by all the possible curriculum choices and lack confidence in what your child should be doing, you may consider using a computer based curriculum.

As a homeschool teacher you get to choose not only WHAT your kids will learn but also HOW they will learn. There are many options to choose from and I recommend you take your time in researching each program’s potential as well as possible problems.

Your first step should be determining whether or not your child is able to sit in front of a computer for a few hours per day and their preferred mode of learning will be the key factor. If your child learns best through kinesthetic methods, a computer based curriculum is not for you! A visual or auditory learner may find this useful if they are not “needy” in the social or relational area.

Alpha Omega produces a complete CD-ROM curriculum called “Switched on Schoolhouse.” This series is Christian and provides K-12 homeschool curriculum including electives for high school.

There are many online homeschool programs that offer classes with “live” teachers and provide grades and transcripts but you may find this outside of your budget. Most homeschool families live off one income and find it impossible to enroll multiple children in these programs. However, if you can afford it and you can still provide oversight to and require accountability from your students, this may answer the problem of a parent not being able to stay home, such as a single parent.

Homeschool teachers always have options. Computer based homeschool curriculum is just one of many possible options. Don’t forget that each child is unique. Even if this type of program works for one of your students, it it not for everyone. A good teacher recognizes each student’s learning style and provides the best possible means to educate to that particular student’s abilities.

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Scientific research has proven that studying spelling does not make you a better speller. If that’s the case, some of us will be good spellers and some won’t, regardless of studying. So should you include spelling in your curriculum?

Proper spelling is part of communication and the greatest need in our world is for clear communication. I’ll admit that spell checking programs on the computer are easy to use but relying solely on that will not help you communicate “which” child is the better speller if you are using the word “witch.”

I have two kids and both read and comprehend extremely well. One is a good speller, one not so good. My visual learner is the better speller. He can see images in his head, including images of how words are formed. That gives him an upper hand in spelling. My not so good speller is an auditory learner so finding a program to fit his learning style was important as well as an experimental journey for us.

In homeschooling, the goal of the parent is to teach their children skills to engage them in the world around them. That goal can best be met when we understand each child’s strengths and weaknesses and the method by which he learns best. We are not limited to a set curriculum and just because schools use methods that typically teach to one syle of learner does not mean that we should follow down that mistaken path.

There are numerous spelling programs available, but whichever one works for you is the best one. I have spent lots of money and five years working with different spelling curriculum but I think I’ve found the best one for our family: Sequential Spelling.

First of all, it teaches sound patterns. For a kid that can’t picture the word in his head this is important. We start with the word know, then knowing, knowledge, acknowledge, acknowledged, acknowledgment. Breaking words down by syllables and adding prefixes or suffixes is the key skill here. And you should realize that syllables coincide with sound, not pictures.

Second, your kids will become confident spellers because there is immediate feedback and results. Students don’t have to study more words or patterns or rules. They begin to recognize more and more patterns and start spelling words correctly that they’ve never seen before - this is a benefit to the visual learner as well.

Last, and most important for the teacher’s sake, you can use the same program with multiple children at the same time. You no longer have to do 5th and 3rd and 7th grade spelling separately in the same day. Because patterns are learned progressively, a third grader can spell the same words as a seventh grader.

If studying spelling does not make you a better speller than why should you try at all? I’m saying that we no longer “study” spelling. We look and listen for patterns in words and learn how to reproduce them on paper, whether we use visual or auditory skills to do it.

The reliance on technology for communication in the last 25 years has played a huge part in people constantly communicating, but decreasing the value of our communication. I may not have much to say, but I do want to be understood when I speak or write. If you can’t understand me then what I have to say is meaningless to you. No wonder people can’t get along with each other!

Whether at home or between warring countries, clear communication and understanding others is the key to better relationships. Proper spelling is just one of the factors necessary in the communication equation.

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There are times when you start feeling hemmed in when you stay home all day. But who says homeschooling should only take place in the home?

The world is your classroom. You don’t have to confine yourself to one place, including the home. There are educational opportunities everywhere you look. Do you have a zoo or museum nearby? How about a fish hatchery, dairy or factory? Whether you live in the city or country you can find places to visit and a variety of things to study.

Youth orchestras, county 4-H programs, volunteer activities, local theaters, the list goes on and on. Set the books aside one day and tour your own neck of the woods.

See what local resuorces this homeschool teacher has found by clicking on this link: Step from bedroom to classroom

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A friend of mine began homeschooling last year and plans to continue this year. When she asked me to help choose curriculum this year I was excited that she had gained enough confidence to continue homeschooling. As we began talking about goals and levels of math mastery it became clear to me she really had very little confidence in herself to continue as a homeschool teacher.

She was concerned that she needed to push her 7th grader in math but she felt inadequate to go beyond this grade. The root of her fear is that she will be putting her kids back into public school when they reach high school and so she must keep them on level with their peers.

Fear of the future will prevent you from doing what’s best for the present. You’ll end up accomplishing little towards your goals and actually sabotage your present efforts. Most parents new to being homeschool teachers fall into the trap of feeling inadequate to finish strong all the way through high school.

For encouragement to continue your homeschooling efforts, read this article about the stages of homeschool: Grace and the Homeschool

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