One of the advantages of homeschooling is that
you are not obligated to follow a strict lesson plan. The structure of
your schooling at home is totally up to you, and you are free to follow
the interests and learning style of your child. There are, however,
some very fun lesson plans that are designed to put your child at the
helm of their own educational experience.
One fabulous way to
bring learning to life is to visit your local, or even not so local,
museums. Start with the subjects that most interest your child, such as
science or history, and go to those museums. Suddenly, subjects that
were only known to your child in books are made more visually real,
stimulating your child's natural desire to learn. And exploring the
museum is an adventure that will not be forgotten quickly.
Nature
hikes are another way to broaden your child's experience with science
and nature, learning about the flora and fauna of your local area. Most
cities or towns have a nature trail that is typically free to visitors
and might even come with a guided hike at no extra cost.
Baking
at its best is another great lesson plan for kids to gain an awareness
of their creativity in the kitchen. They are encouraged to be creative
and if things do not taste so great, it teaches them how to solve the
problem of taste by experimenting with different spices or methods of
cooking. Baking also integrates math because measuring requires them to
get familiar with fraction adding, for doubling recipes, as well as
units of measure.
Art in free form is also another great tool to
help with just about any lesson or subject. It helps to take a trip to
the hobby store and load up on all kinds of different things that can
be made into an art project. Then, let your child select the things
they would like to use to create with. This assists with spatial
skills, hand-eye coordination, as well as giving them a hands-on
experience where they control the project outcome.
Going to the
library is a resource that should never be underestimated, especially
if you are homeschooling. you can, however, utilize your library's
resources even further. An example of this is to regularly attend
readings by authors. This is a wonderful way to show your child that
reading is very fundamental skill and can be extremely exciting. At
most libraries, when an author agrees to hold a reading, they make it
into an event, including refreshments. Also, who knows the author's
intent and expression better than the author themselves? It is very
worthwhile and entertaining to hear a book read by its own creator.
With
these ideas, you can both have lots of fun and be able to enjoy each
other all while learning in the process. And, who knows, you might also
learn a thing or two that you didn't know in the process!
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