Four Keys to Homeschooling Success

One of the toughest parts of educating at home is deciding where to start. I think every parent has a moment when they are just overwhelmed and freeze at the idea of having to make so many decisions. Overwhelm can also keep parents who really want to homeschool from ever even trying.

If this is where you are, then I offer the four tools that have helped us in our homeschool journey. These tools not only helped when we were just getting started, but have been the backbone of our success with home education.

Manifesto
When we decided to pull C from public school, his dad and I knew very well what we didn't want. To effectively educate him at home, we had to decide what it was that we did want. Putting long term, specific goals in writing has helped me shape our learning environment, from the curriculum we use to how and where we implement our day. Having a document to reflect on also helps during times of challenge, to remind us all of where we're going, and that we're in this together.

Planning
My experience has been that a planned day is always more productive than an unplanned day. A daily plan for each subject helps me to schedule our time effectively and make sure that C's overall education is balanced. Chico's engagement is improved when he has a plan. I don't know if is a conscious thing on his part, but he seems better able to allocate his mental and energy resources if he knows what to expect from the day as a whole.

Flexibility
Having stated the importance of planning, I must now say this: You must be flexible. Sometimes a lesson will be harder to grasp than anticipated. Put in a little extra patience and effort, and realign the rest of the day or week as needed. I only write out lesson plans for a week at a time, so when the need for flexibility arises, I can roll with it. This flexibility is one of the blessings of homeschooling; if you can learn to embrace it, you and your kids will benefit.

Trust
Theology aside, homeschooling has been an act of faith. Before we could truly reap the benefits of educating at home, we had to build a solid foundation of trust. I had to learn to trust in my ability to teach (a fellow homeschooling mom helpfully pointed out that I'd been teaching C since he was born). I had to learn to trust in my own instincts for our school, especially when those instincts conflicted with the traditional classroom model and the ableist mindset towards Autism. I had to trust that Chico would put in his best effort and also to learn to trust him when he said he'd had enough for the day.

As you homeschool, you will find that it's an ever evolving process. With the amount of curriculum available, the number of methodologies to ponder, and opinions coming at you from every direction, it's easy to get locked into a constant questioning spiral. If you have the key elements I've described in place, it's easier to make decisions and just get started.

After eight years of learning at home,C has achieved an amazing amount of progress. It's such a privilege to work alongside him, and to be a firsthand witness to how he sees the world. He's young yet, and still has much to learn, and I'm so excited to see where the next few years will lead.

What are your tried and true keys to learning success? Do you use any of the tools I've mentioned, or have some to share? Share your thoughts in the comments!