If you have the time and the inclination to home-school your kids, this is certainly going to be a challenge and the long and rewarding journey should lead to well-balanced young adults who will be productive members of society. Of course, you are not the first set of parents to home-school their offspring and most join local groups, where resources are shared and ideas exchanged.
Freedom to educate as you see fit
As far as the Australian government is concerned, they test home-schooled children to ensure they meet the standards set out by the Ministry of Education. Active learning strategies ensure a high level of student interest; if you are smart, you will base the content on topics your kids are interested in and have them work together on projects that are presented to you and your partner when complete. You can integrate all the major subjects into a project; search with Google for ‘project-based learning’ and you’ll find lots of valuable resources.
Create the ideal learning environment
Find a leading Australian school furniture suppliers, browse their catalog and you’ll find many items to create a suitable home classroom. One essential item is a whiteboard, with wheels for ease of movement, plus you need at least two laptops or tablets and a stable Internet connection if you are to access the web. Kids as young as 5 can learn about the Internet and for older students, Google is definitely their best friend when it comes to searching for knowledge.
Distance education Vs Home-schooling
It is very important to understand the difference between home-schooling and distance education; with distance learning, the school is responsible for curriculum content and teachers, much like at a regular school, the only difference being that the student is at home. Home-schooling, on the other hand, is when the parents are responsible for choosing and delivering the curriculum; you are not restricted in the way you teach your kids, as long as they meet government benchmarks. Click here for tips on educating children.
Apply to Homeschool
The government department is Homeschool and you need to register your children in order to educate them at home. This organisation offers support for parents and you will be submitting exam results from your children on a regular basis, while completing the required paperwork.
Choosing a curriculum
Of course, you could teach the Australian National Curriculum, or purchase one of the many structured curricula that you can find online. You can’t just start teaching, there needs to be a structure with academic education and each year would contain specific content that builds on the previous year.
Lesson planning
It is important to learn how to create a lesson plan, which contains the content, how it is delivered, the major learning outcomes and the materials required. We recommend you find a home-schooling guide online and download a copy, which will give you a clearer picture of what is involved with home-schooling.
There are many positives to home-schooling your kids and you will get a lot of pride and satisfaction by educating your offspring and preparing them for a long and successful life.
