Some Teaching Tips for Homeschools

* Have a clear signal for stopping activities or when
you want your children to be quiet. Get silence and
wait for their full attention before you start speaking
and give clear instructions or demonstrations. Make
sure your children understand what they have to do.

* Avoid activities that over-excite: It is often
difficult to return to a calm and controlled learning
environment after a noisy game or activity. If there
is little space, avoid activities that require a lot
of movement. If it’s important to keep the house tidy
and clean today, avoid activities that require
considerable cutting and pasting, or painting and
sculpting, as these can create a great deal of mess.

* Make constructive comments about the quality of the
children's work and recognise their efforts: Let them
see that you value their work.

* When teaching siblings at home, or if you have younger
children, make sure you prepare additional material,
or to help cope with fast and not so fast learners’
needs and don't let activities go on too long. For
younger children five to ten minute lessons are often
more than enough to introduce or revise a concept
previously introduced.

© Beverley Paine

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