MYTH #1
Children can only learn from credentialed teachers and professionally created materials.
You probably don’t believe this myth or you wouldn’t be homeschooling.
The truth is that the traditional school setting is limiting & does not provide your child with the the many varied learning opportunities and the deep learning opportunities that are available. Perhaps this is one reason why you homeschool. So your child is not stuck in the box all day.
Since you’ve already made the leap to homeschool, I want to make sure you know that you do not need to use the tools that were designed for the child warehouses (schools). Outside of the traditional classroom, you can use more dynamic and powerful learning tools. Let’s go over a few of them.
1. Children can learn through their own discoveries.
Once a child’s interest in piqued in a subject, they will want to know more. They will seek out answers and have a desire to work on suitable projects.
2. Children can learn a lot from their peers.
In school, taking answers from your friend is called cheating. In the real world, it’s called collaborating. Most children enjoy taking classes with other children with similar interests. These classes geared to homeschoolers tend to have a much lower teacher/student ration and many of them also provide opportunities for the students to collaborate and solve together.
3. Children can learn from their environment.
Let your child’s environment reflect the things being learned. If you’re studying geography, have a world map on the wall. Put up the periodic table if you’re studying chemistry. You get the idea. These could even be made by the children. Having these items in an area where the children will frequently view them will reinforce what has been learned and even teach things that weren’t covered.
4. Children can learn from mentors. A mentor can be any person who can help the learner gain knowledge. The first and most important mentor is you. If there is a loving and attentive parent involved in the process, it doesn’t matter as much what educational environment your child is in. The child is more likely to be successful. Other effective mentors include family members, enrichment class teachers, museum docents, people in the community, and even fiction and non-fiction persons in books.
To summarize, remember you don’t have to be stuck using the same tools designed for crowded classrooms. Be sure to take advantage of the many powerful learning experiences the world has to offer. Let your children do projects. Let them collaborate. Surround your child with learning tools. Get library books. Take them on field trips. Most importantly, continue to be an attentive, loving parent! Do what you know is right for your child!
Have a super day!
-Heather Martinson
OCH Team
