For some parents, the thought of homeschooling their children and being the sole individual responsible for their education can be a scary proposition but this is the path they choose for a variety of reasons.
One of the first steps is to find an accredited homeschool program that makes this process a little easier and offers a strong support system through administration and curriculum development.
It can be overwhelming to find and pick out each subject for every grade as well as making sure you’re meeting local standards through documentation and record-keeping. However, when you partner with an online homeschool program that is recognized and well-respected then you can focus on teaching the student and let the school handle the rest.
The best 1st-grade homeschool curriculum is in print form because this has been established as a good approach for younger children versus the online format. Textbooks allow children to hold the material in their hand and provide an easier way for parents to connect and instruct their students using the visuals incorporated into the curriculum.
Instructor guides are provided as part of the school’s package so parents have a manual with ideas and guidance about how to teach certain concepts as well as how much to teach each day. It is important to not overwhelm children with too much information but just enough to keep them thinking and engaged without tiring them out.
Lesson planners are a useful tool that lays out how many lessons in each subject should be done each day of the established school year so the students can finish on time and still have a summer and holidays.
When you purchase the best 1st-grade homeschool curriculum through an accredited program, the planner is provided with the books and filled out so parents can simply follow the guide.
This can always be adjusted as needed which brings in the flexibility aspect of homeschooling that many families enjoy and take advantage of when unexpected events come up or they need to take a day off for fun.
It’s also good to note that a typical school day may not be 8 hours like it would be in a traditional classroom because you are teaching one student instead of many and the information can be conveyed in a personal and direct manner where the child will understand it faster.
Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself especially if it is your first-year teaching at home. Trying to do everything at once and expecting to do it perfectly is a great way to set yourself up for failure because there are always bumps in the process when first starting out.
Take each day at a time and ask your child to do the same so they aren’t nervous and are more open and receptive to the learning experience.
The program should provide communication options with their teachers so parents have an expert resource to talk with when they have questions or need assistance.
As children progress through the elementary grades, parents can switch the main form of instruction over to the online teachers and give their student the independence to self-study and use them as support.
Remember that young children are like sponges so while they soak up everything given to them, they also are flexible enough to adjust when something needs correction.
Parents should take time to review the print material in advance of teaching it and look for creative ways to make the class fun while still getting the work done in the textbook. This can be personalized for each student based on their hobbies, likes and interests so that they see the connection between what they are studying and how it applies to the world around them.
The print curriculum can be carried in a backpack and brought outside for a different school environment or taken to a local park where parents can show science brought to life from the book to the plants and animals in the area. If you make a mistake and teach something wrong, talk with the student about it and detail out the correct method or concept.
It isn’t the end of the world and as a parent, you are often learning with them and that can be fun for them to know. At the end of the year, your first grader will be ready and prepared to move into the next grade because you took the time to walk through the curriculum with them until they understood the ideas presented in their own way.
This time commitment and dedication are one of the many reasons that parents choose to homeschool because they want the hands-on approach to their child’s education and while it takes hard work and communication skills, it does not require someone with a teaching degree.
It simply means you should invest in the best 1st-grade homeschool curriculum that set the foundation for the rest of their education so they can follow it through all the way to graduation.