| You started the year off great. Both you and | | | | practice his math skills. You can visit a library, |
| your child were excited about another year of | | | | museum, aquarium or zoo and turn it into an |
| home schooling, then BAM!, you find yourselves | | | | educational experience (even if you just have |
| doing multiplication tables and spelling words over | | | | them come home and write about their |
| and over again. Boring! One of the biggest reasons | | | | experience). |
| children in schools don't learn is because they are | | | | Your most valuable resource to turn to, however, |
| b-o-r-e-d! Perhaps older teachers have lost their | | | | if your home schooling gets stale is your child. Sit |
| enthusiasm for teaching and are just going | | | | down with them and ask them what they are |
| through the motions. Perhaps, a class is covering a | | | | interested in or what they want to learn about. |
| topic that the child has no interest in. | | | | They may surprise you. My son and I hit a |
| This is not to say that it is your job as a home | | | | plateau about 2/3 of the way through the school |
| school parent to keep your child on the edge of | | | | year last year. One day I asked him what he |
| his or her seat every minute of every day you | | | | wanted to learn about and he replied - "The |
| teach. Sometimes they are just going to HAVE to | | | | ocean". I turned these two words into a three |
| practice their multiplication tables! But there are | | | | month end of the year project. He learned so |
| some things you can do to keep the excitement | | | | much and because it was something he was |
| and interest going for both you and your child. | | | | interested in the information really stuck. This past |
| First, try to do something fun every day. If you | | | | summer while swimming in the pool he would say, |
| child likes to draw. Have them draw something | | | | "look at me Mom, I'm a benthos" as he swam |
| that is related to an otherwise boring topic you | | | | along the bottom of the pool like a crab. |
| are covering. If they like to sing or dance, have | | | | Remember, as a home school parent, you have |
| them make up a routine or song about something | | | | the freedom, flexibility and responsibility to meet |
| you are teaching. My son lOVES computers, so I | | | | the needs of your child's education. Relax and |
| will often try to find a fun online game as an | | | | have fun. This will make the best environment for |
| alternative way to teach a concept. For example | | | | learning that will last a lifetime. |
| TimezAttack has been a great way to get him to | | | | |