Tips for Keeping Your Homeschool Child Engaged in Learning

Education: the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. “a new system of public education”

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught. “these children experienced difficulties in learning”

School: an institution for educating children

My desire for my children is to have a lifelong love of learning.  Our “school” at home is really not a school at all. While we use the term homeschooling, what I am actually doing is home learning. Being engaged and active learners is different than just providing an education. In school settings, you teach the information, the student either master it or doesn’t and you move onto the next level. My hope for my children is that they worry less about retaining knowledge and focus on the excitement of learning. The question is, how does one keep a homeschooler engaged in learning? Here are some tips that I have picked up over the years to not only keep your child engaged, but also to have more joy in homeschooling.

Ask Your Homeschool Child What They Want to Learn or Master to Keep Them Engaged in Learning

Something I ask my child when we are planning our next year’s curriculum is what they want to be learning. There obviously are subjects that they have to learn, but even then we can take the approach of making it engaging and fun for the child. However, remember there is nothing wrong with asking your child what they want to learn. A child who is interested in what they’re learning is an engaged learner.

Make Sure You Understand Your Child’s Learning Styles

Every person learns at their own pace and no two children are alike. Keep this in mind when planning how and what you will teach your child. One of my children read more books than all the other children combined. One of my children is extremely visible and learns best with movies. Another one of my children needed to be all hands-on, all the time. Knowing how your children learn will help you keep them engaged and excited about the material.

Allow Your Child Time to Develop the Art of Exploration

I am so not a workbook mama, and when it comes to homeschooling, your child needs time to explore. Take them to museums, travel with them to places such as the beach, mountains, national parks, and history museums, and allow them to explore as much as possible. Ask them questions, but most importantly, let them ask questions. Allowing them to discover new things and places and ask as many questions as they need are great ways to keep them engaged in their learning as homeschoolers.

Check Out New Experiences to Keep Your Homeschool Learning Fun

One of the best parts of homeschooling is that you get to try new things. If something isn’t working, you can try something else. For example, if your child is bored with third-grade math, you can move them up to the next math level without hesitation. Maybe your child learns more by being hands-on, instead of being through “normal teacher dialogue.” Use the advantage of learning at home to allow your child to try new things!

Homeschool with Movies, Videos, and Nature

Try to think outside the box. Use movies, videos, and nature to teach your children. Mix up how you present material. When homeschooling with movies, use the movie to springboard teaching every other subject. In fact, check out my homeschooling with movies free download to outline the movie you want to begin teaching, or check out my free curriculum where I have already given you an outline to use with your children. Elements of Fun Learning uses movies to teach children on their level using the movies that they love (and the work is already down for you). 

 

Keeping your homeschool child engaged in learning is so important. Use these tips to keep your homeschooler engaged and learning as much as possible. However, if you find that what your curriculum isn’t working, check out this advice about changing the curriculum. Furthermore, I’d love to hear your tips!