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Greetings! Tuesdays and Thursdays on the blog you will most likely see tips and ideas about homeschooling, home life, or organization, as well as articles on classical education and SLOCA curriculum, fine arts and other enrichment info, and inspiration related to our character traits.
Back-to-School here at SLO Classical Academy also means Back-to-Homeschooling for many of us. If you are new to home education and wondering how to make the most of your home days, we have a few words of wisdom from veteran homeschoolers to share with you today. Even if you’ve been homeschooling for awhile, we hope these thoughts will resonate with you and help you start fresh.
As always, we encourage you to talk to fellow moms and dads about what’s working or not working for you, get ideas from each other, and share the joys and struggles along the way. But to get us started, here are a few nuggets to keep in mind:
1. Protect your homeschool time. Don't answer the phone, check email, or work while homeschooling. Try not to schedule doctor appointments or run errands during the time you’ve set aside to homeschool.
2. Rather than teach, learn with your children. This removes the pressure of feeling like you have to know it all, it models life-long learning to your kids, and it makes the process generally more enjoyable for everyone.
3. Don’t compare. Sometimes learning feels stagnant. Growth isn't always a steady progression that is easily measurable, and sometimes it comes in spurts and can surprise us. Each child has their own learning pace… honor it and don't compare it with anyone else.
4. Invest in a few simple, quality tools. On the practical side, the things you use everyday need to work well for you, and good products can make all the difference! One mom recommends investing in an electric pencil sharpener and a printer that you can use to make copies.
5. Finally, give yourself grace! The learning curve is big at SLOCA and we all miss things. So, deep breath… give yourself and your kids time to find your groove. It will all be okay!
In case you missed it, last week Down Home ran a post called “Get Your SLOCA Bearings” which would be helpful for new families adjusting to all of our acronyms and definitions.
Okay folks, let's try out the participation part of the blog – What is the best homeschooling advice you’ve ever received? Share your thoughts below and be entered into a drawing to win a Starbucks gift card! Last day to enter is next Friday, September 6th.
