Home education is a personal choice and everyone has different reasons, methods and resources. Each child is unique and so you just have to decide what feels best for them and you as a family. Being confident in your decision and choices from the beginning will help you find your way. Not every family has the opportunity to home educate, and for those that do, there is often a sacrifice - we live minimally, but it's worth it for the time we have together.
So why do people home educate? Here are a few reasons:
- Quality time and family lifestyle
- Best suits the child's needs and personality
- Tailored learning at the child's pace and teaching around their interests
- Focused one-on-one teaching and moving between subjects as suits
- Faith based learning
- Lots of learning opportunities in everyday life
- Lots of social opportunities to interact with people of all ages
- Access to numerous resources online and home education groups
- Flexibility
If you're thinking about home educating, it's good to think about your personal reasons and goals. Consider writing them down to look back over. Of course it's important to weigh up pros and cons, though most importantly to find peace in your decision and to keep a flexible mind.
Once you've decided, then it's time to think about what home education is going to look like for your family. Think about your child/children and their learning strengths, think about the time you have, the resources and then formulate a plan. Think outside the box. Some people 'un-school' (let children choose what they want to learn in life naturally without a formal curriculum), some people try to recreate school and follow a strict curriculum, and others find a balance somewhere in between. It's truly what feels right to you.
Personally, we love to remember that learning takes place all the time... counting cereal, measuring ingredients, paying for food at the till, checking the weather, reading a map... so enjoy those golden opportunities where learning comes to life. Also there are plenty of activities where you can learn together as a family - maybe a cooking or language course.
One last thing, there is a lot of information online, so try not to let it overwhelm you! And remember (like most things in life) it's normal to have challenges along the way. Most importantly, keep the joy of learning together at the forefront - it is truly a remarkable privilege and adventure, time that cannot be replaced.
Below are some general resources that we have found useful over these primary years, which you may like to use alongside a curriculum or activity workbooks.
Regarding curriculum subjects, we found the government online education policy documents a good starting point, as they outline a range of topics to consider.
Remember, if something doesn't seem to be working, then try other resources - sometimes it's simply finding the right learning material for your child.
Our best advice is to make everything as fun as possible, so look for opportunities to introduce and use resources in creative ways. For example, a magnetic fraction set can be used to 'share pizza slices' between teddies and a calculator can be a pretend shop till.
Number jigsaw
1-100 jigsaw
Times Table cubes
Times Table poster
Clock
Sand timer
Calculator
Weighing scales
Tape measure
Ruler
Protractor
Magnetic fractions
Selection of coins and notes
Number games
Maths books
Alphabet jigsaw
Story books
Fact books
Poems, rhymes and song books
Search and find books
Magnetic letters and words
Word games
Fun activity books
Learn to read books
Weather station
Prism
Thermometer
Microscope
Chemistry science sets - mixtures, volcanoes
Physics science sets - magnets, electric circuits, basic machines
Books on the human body
Books on animals, insects, birds, trees, wildflowers, nature
Flashcards on rocks and minerals
Science books
Globe
Flag placemat
World map placemat
Junior atlas (that covers maps, climate, landscapes, trade, land use)
Local maps
Mountain maps
Interactive maps
Compass
Books on different countries and cultures
Books on history of topics like technology
Old family photographs
Ball games
Football
Bike
Scooter
Go Kart
Kite
Slide
Paddling pool
Sandpit
Mud kitchen
Potting bench and gardening tools
Collection of stones, pinecones, shells
Lined paper and exercise books
Plain paper of various sizes
Square paper
Cardstock, tissue and envelopes
Pencils, colouring pencils, wax crayons, pens, chalks, pastels
Paints, watercolours and brushes
Play-doh and clay
Glue, safety scissors, pipe cleaners, beads, glitter and sequins
Origami sets
Wooden crafts
Musical instruments (e.g. keyboard, guitar, ukulele, drums, recorder, harmonica)
Camera for learning photography and recording creative stories and factual videos
Learn basic foreign language books
Flashcards
Fruit of the Spirit learning books
Nativity books
Nativity scene set with toy characters
Bible stories
Activity books
Teddies and toy characters (great for role-play)
Building and construction sets (great for fine motor skills, counting pieces, organisation, following instructions)
Wildlife park
Museum
Aquarium
Boat, train and bus rides
Swimming at the local leisure centre
Biking and scooting
Parks
Playgrounds
Castle gardens
Botanical gardens
Garden centres
Gardening (planting herbs, fruit, vegetables, flowers)
Soft-play
Library
Photography trips
Field study (e.g. count the fruit on the trees at a nearby orchard)
Fruit picking
Activity groups (e.g. dancing, football, music, gymnastics, forest)
Adventure parks
Forest walks
Road trips to see beaches, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and mountains
Visit a city and go sight-seeing
Visit a dam, reservoir, hydro-electric station
Visit the airport and watch planes take off and land
Meet up with family and friends
Home Education groups and events
Local church events and messy play