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How to get up to Speed Fast – Some advice for New Homeschoolers.
One of the hurdles facing new homeschoolers s that prior to starting there has often been disruption to the schooling. For many reasons, the student may have missed a period of school or has been in and out of school. The big casualty in this case, is not the content missed but rather the confidence the child has in their own ability as a learner. Overcoming this feeling is vital in order for the child to begin to thrive in their education.
It is vital that the program be tailored to fit the child. Without the concern of other students comments, each child is free to work at a pace and level that is a great fit for them. When learning to walk, learning the piano or learning a new language we have some general guidelines of accomplishment goals but understand that each child will achieve at their own pace. The curriculum should be viewed no differently.
Choose a level that is right for your child’s understanding/comprehension level. This is important. If your child has a struggle with reading & writing never feel like the level of content should be lowered. In this case, very quickly the child loses interest in the learning material and without interest the struggle begins. It is preferable to choose a level that contains information and topics that fit where the child’s comprehension level is, and then support the reading and writing as necessary. There are many new tools out there to help with reading eg: Speechify that enable the child to listen to text and get on with the rest of the lesson.
Adjusting the program to add specific subjects at a level that requires mastery is vital. For example, if a child is comprehending at a Grade 8 level but reading at a Grade 6 level, using a Grade 8 program with the addition of Grade 6 English is the best choice. This allows the child’s confidence to remain intact with the Grade 8 material while also giving the child the chance to develop their reading skills.
Ensuring the child is not being constantly assessed in the area of difficulty is also the key. If your child is struggling with reading/writing it would be vital that every lesson, reading is not the focus. Using a tool as mentioned above and focussing on the hands-on aspect, replacing an activity sheet with a discussion and giving the child a variety of ways to express their learning will encourage them to thrive in their learning rather than focus on the challenge.
Mathematics is also an area where students can easily fall behind and quickly develop a poor self-image. How often do we hear “I’m hopeless at Maths” for children and parents alike? The fact is a missed lesson in Maths explaining a key concept, and the learner cannot “catch-up”. Maths builds on top of concepts. With each building block essential in order to build the next one. Adjusting the Maths level back to a level that allows mastery, the child can gain confidence, can fill in any gaps that have been missed. In this way, they often catch up quickly, by only doing lessons on topics they are unsure of.
Most importantly realise that the Euka teachers and support staff are here to help. If you find resistance to learning or you know your child is feeling overwhelmed, reach out to discuss how we can best tailor the program to fit your child. There is no one right way to learn, and we are here to help you deliver an education that gives your child a sense of enthusiasm about their learning and most importantly their own capability as a learner.
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