Cruising

Zatara - New to homeschooling?

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Who: Keith, Renee, Anna, Jack, Finn, Kate
Where: Australia
Multihull: Privilege 585
Blog: www.sailingzatara.com


The truth is, I don’t always have the patience. Some days are great. Some days are crap. But typically, it’s my favorite hat to wear as a mom (aside from the “Because I said so” hat). If you are new to the idea of home education, please read on. I’ve been teaching my kids for 15 years, am not a “certified teacher” and I did not get a college education. I am by no means an expert on homeschooling, but I do like to share some of my helpful hints to those just embarking on such an important and rewarding journey. In the United States, each state has different regulations for home education. Homeschooling can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re teaching multiples. I have four kids who I homeschool. My two youngest are a year apart, one boy and one girl and I chose to teach them at the same level. And they have someone to cheat from when it’s test time. At one point I had two 3rd graders, a 6th grader, and a 7th grader. I chose a fifth-grade level science course for all of us to do together. Yes it was pretty easy for my older kids, but they still learned a lot. When the teacher is happy, the students are usually happy, and that is when true learning comes! If you are preparing to set sail and have never homeschooled before, my advice to you wouldbe: stop with the school for a spell. Maybe six weeks, or six months. Your child is not going to “fall behind,” because education is not a race. Grab a few coffee table books for you to look through if you get bored. Read together, get exercise together, and if you are heading out on a boat, learn to sail together. Strengthen the bond between parent and child first, and it will make the road to learning together much smoother. I’ve realized that I don’t have to know calculus when my kids are just learning their times tables. All I have to know is what they are going to learn tomorrow, so I can teach it to them. Take it one day at a time. Grab the textbook (or log on) and see what they will be doing tomorrow, so as to stay one day ahead of the kids. If you’re like me you’ve probably forgotten much of what you learned in school, don’t fret, but let your kids know you aren’t a genius, and that you two are now learning together. Happy Learning!

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