Tips For Keeping Young Children Interested In Home School

As I have struggled through my first year as a home school parent, I have stumbled into a few great tips and tricks to help my young kiddos through subjects that aren’t very fun for them.

Writing:

• My kids keep a daily journal to help with their writing skills.  It’s nothing more than a 3 ring binder filled with lined paper, but it does the job.

• When they “don’t know” what to write about, I give them paper and some crayons to draw a picture.  Then they write the story behind it.

• I have a four year old who is still learning how to write.  Some days I have her dictate a story to me. I write her story with a yellow marker and she traces over my words. And some days she experiments in writing gibberish.

Reading

• You are never to old to be read to.  When I read from our current book for bedtime, even Dad comes in to listen.
• Several bookstores carry their own line of Children’s Classic Literature at a discounted price.  There you will find timeless stories, both in original and abridged versions.

• Don’t limit yourselves to other people’s book lists.  Did you love Nancy Drew?  Chances are your kids will too!

• Take a look at Grandma’s bookcase, chances are she and Grandpa have some great books that you and your children would love.

Math

• The book series “Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians” is a great resource for parents and teachers!  In this set, you will learn how Archimedes died doing a math problem, and how Sophie Germain studied math at night by candlelight against the orders of her parents.

General Tips for any subject

• Whenever you can, give them a subject appropriate activity where they can cut and paste.
• Paint makes everything more fun.

When all else fails, move on to something new!

• You may be able to spend a month on the Pilgrims, but your little ones may not.  Sometimes they can only take a day or two before they need a change

• Let your child pick what they want to learn about once in a while.  You’d be surprised how much there is to learn about tigers or motorcycles.

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