Homeschooling Learning Modality – Choosing the Right One For Your Family!
The most important tip I have for you in homeschooling learning is to think about how you are going to get the most from it. You have to be willing to invest a lot of time and effort into it if you hope to get the most out of it. You also need to have a strong desire to succeed. If you don’t feel passionate about what you are doing, it’s hard to do well and make a solid impression on your students.
The best homeschooling learning modality combines both reading and presentation. It requires effort on your part to ensure that all of your lessons are engaging, relevant, and fun for you and your students. I’ll give you some tips on how to maximize your time while maximizing your learning results.
First of all, get started early. This means getting started even before you have the full idea of the subject you want to teach. It is often easier and more enjoyable to learn a subject when you are starting it. Even though the subject itself may still be fresh in your mind, the more you learn about it early on, the easier it becomes as a student. By the end of the first week, you should know what you need to know about the topic.
Get started with only one lesson at a time. I know this sounds counterproductive. But, as a homeschooling mom, you may find that learning just one thing at a time can be very helpful. Or, you may find that the one thing you are learning about is too much. In either case, try not to spread yourself too thin.
Take advantage of every opportunity to talk with other parents. I know this sounds simple enough but a lot of parents let their child’s education fade because they do not take advantage of the chance to talk with others. Keep in contact with friends and relatives. You never know when you will get a great tip or inspiration. And this is especially important if you are homeschooling your child.
Use any and all resources available to you. If you do not have internet access, use traditional textbooks and/or instructional videos. There are many sources for free resources. Also, be aware that you do not have to use all resources. Some of them are good, while others are of poor quality. Consider using just a few of them as a basis for your homeschooling learning modality.
Listen to other homeschooling parents and what they are saying. While you may be very confident in your homeschooling learning modality, that does not mean other parents are not. By listening to what they are saying, you can gain some insights that you would not have been able to get on your own. Also, keep an open mind and be willing to try new ideas. The best homeschooling learning modalities include trial and error.
There are many different homeschooling learning modalities. They all have something to offer. Just be sure that you do thorough research and listen to what others are saying. This is the only way that you will be able to choose the right homeschooling learning modality that is right for you and your family.
If you are at a point where you are considering homeschooling, make sure you research the different types of learning that your child might be interested in. For example, you may be interested in a Christian homeschooling program or a public school program. You need to know what type of program would best fit your child’s interests and learning style. While you may think that it would be great to send your child to a Christian school, you may not be able to afford it or believe that it would provide your child with true Christian-based education. On the other hand, sending your child to a public school may not be the right choice because public schools do not provide the type of religious-based curriculum that Christian homeschooling programs do.
Be creative and explore different types of learning opportunities. If your child has particular goals that he or she wants to meet, find a homeschooling learning modality that will help them achieve those goals. For example, if your child is interested in studying the Bible, a program that incorporates biblical study courses into his or her daily lessons may be more beneficial than a course that only introduces the basics of Biblical studies. If your child is looking to become a teacher of religion, a homeschooling learning program that allows him or her the flexibility to participate in electives and small group projects may be more beneficial than a program that requires him or her to attend semesters and complete degrees. Of course, you should consider your own goals and your child’s needs in choosing a homeschooling learning modality.
If you are considering homeschooling, you should keep in mind that the homeschooling learning modality that you choose should provide you with a curriculum that meets both your state’s requirements for public schooling as well as the needs of your particular family. There are a number of homeschooling curricula available on the market today. Many of them can be used successfully in public and private schools. Make sure that you research the homeschooling curriculum you are considering thoroughly before making a decision. It will help to determine which homeschooling programs will best suit the needs of your family.
Preschool Curriculum and Child Development
As your child reaches the age of four, you should begin considering the start of your child’s education. For some, this will begin with kindergarten at the age of five or six. However, it is recommended by most pediatric specialists in any field, that a child’s education begins earlier than that.
Preschool is a great introduction to this. It will give your child the opportunity to become comfortable with the structured environment of school before actually entering those twelve years of education. Providing your children with the social and learning stimulus, in and outside the home will help them to develop the needed skills in learning new and more complex ideas. It will help them to form individual concepts and thoughts and give them the confidence to begin growing on their own and seeking their own interests.
The Preschool curriculum centers on basic skills and ideas. It is meant to introduce young children to concepts regarding personal, social, economic, and emotional development. Communication is introduced in a variety of forms including sign language and in specific programs a foreign language may even be touched upon. Knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and aesthetic concepts, Mathematical awareness and development, Physical health and growth, Teamwork, self-help, Scientific thinking, literacy, and other creative activities are some more subjects that will be introduced and expanded on through a child’s preschool years. One of the most important benefits of preschool education is the building of confidence in young children to seek their own interests, develop their own ideas, and learn to use the necessary skills to communicate that to the world.
If taken literally a child’s preschool education is simply the learning of basic concepts that occur before the structured curriculum of a classroom. In fact, a child can begin their preschool education at home while being taught by their parents. This should be done whether your child is in an outside preschool setting or not. In fact, parents and guardians because of their intimate knowledge of their child are better able to explain complex concepts to them in a way that they will understand. Every child is individual and because of this they will learn and comprehend things in different ways. A parent is able to dedicate one on one time with the child that a teacher may not be able to. This time dedicated can prove invaluable to the child not only in the present but in future education as well.
Developing an active interest in learning new things is essential for a child to have a successful education. The more they enjoy something the easier it will be for them to learn. Starting when they are young will help this active enjoyment grow and will put them a little ahead of the learning curve when they enter school. This is a great way to build confidence which will help a child focus more thoroughly on their studies and other such activities garnered in the public and private school sector. Preschool is just the start, but a varied curriculum in any education is key and active interest from all parties involved is also essential.
Curriculum For Emergent Readers
Consistent and sequential reading instruction significantly enhances a student’s ability to grasp the key components involved in this skill. Although the best way to teach the fundamental process of reading has been debated, several essential factors have been identified.
Phonemic awareness and phonics-based curriculum provide the student with essential decoding tools. This stage of pre-reading is achieved through progressive exercises whereby the student recognizes letters and their corresponding sounds and then blends those sounds to create words. While this type of instruction is unarguably at the core of the reading process, there is another component that generates a high level of fluency and comprehension.
Memorizing sight words has been shown to increase a student’s ability to read the text and understand the meaning. By definition, sight words are words that are used frequently. Books for beginner readers are created with a limited number and type of words, many of which are sight words. When a student memorizes these words, there is no need to decode them; they are automatically read and understood.
Since fluency and comprehension are linked, the single act of memorizing sight words lays a solid foundation for the emergent reader. The student’s confidence level is also increased when these sight words are quickly recognized and assimilated into the passage. The memorization process can be easily achieved through fun games and other activities, adding an additional dimension of enjoyment to the learning process.
Developing a student’s vocabulary is another important factor. This is often accomplished in the early stage by the use of phonics and the recognition of sight words. When the student’s vocabulary is increased through word study, word features are internalized, eliminating the need to be constantly alert to the rules of pronunciation and the definitions of these words. Since the goal of reading is to comprehend the words, and not just pronounce or recognize them, word study is essential to bring the reading process to the next level.
As the student is led through the stages of reading instruction, the educator needs to evaluate these key areas. Phonemic awareness, phonics, recognition of sight words, and vocabulary development are all integrated, yet they can be individually taught and reinforced. Studies have shown that a curriculum that offers the emerging reader lively and meaningful text produces a high level of interest. This allows the student to connect the words with ideas and situations that go beyond the classroom and touch upon their lives.
While fluency and comprehension are typically obtained at a later stage in the reading process, educators should have those objectives in mind during all phases of this process. As early phonics instruction is offered alongside the memorization of sight words, the student significantly increases the number and type of words that can be read. This, in turn, adds to the fluency of reading, which positively affects comprehension.
In a similar manner, word study not only improves fluency and comprehension but favorably affects spelling and writing. Although these skills are further developed in later grades, educators can pave the way for success in these skills at the early stages of reading through an emphasis on these core components.
The ability to read well while thoroughly comprehending the text is the ultimate goal of any reading program. When these key principles are put into practice, students gain a higher mastery of reading that contributes to overall academic success.
