This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 8:27 pm and is filed under General Homeschool Posts, New to Homeschooling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Starting Homeschooling Step Four-Know Your Child
- Does your child love to get dirty and explore the world around him?
Is she a child who loves to sit down and listen as you read a story?
Is he an analytical thinker, who tends to question what is happening around him?
Is she one who can connect events and experiences to lessons in life?
Does he seem to thrive when able to create with his hands?
Does she naturally “get it” the first time she hears it?
These kinds of questions can help to define the best kind of learning approach for your child. A hands-on learner will not be content to sit and fill out worksheets or listen to you explain concepts. A student who has strong auditory skills will thrive with a curriculum that uses interesting stories to teach about history, science or literature.
A student who needs to hear or try something several times before she is able to grasp it will need a mastery curriculum with a lot of repetition and review, while a student who seems to “get it” right away should focus on a curriculum that provides ample opportunity for critical thinking.
Knowing your child’s academic level is also critical to a successful program.
Many parents make the mistake of simply purchasing curriculum that is aligned to their child’s chronological grade level. However, in many cases, that math course is too difficult because the right foundations have not been laid or that English course is too easy because your child is an accelerated learner.
Testing your child to determine his or her actual academic level will ensure that your program will be a successful one.
That is why Bridgeway Academy tests each student upon enrollment to determine the best academic level for that child. This information combined with a detailed survey and parent interview provide the basis for designing a program that will work effectively for each student.
If you prefer to design your own program, contact Curriculum Express (610-266-9148) to order a diagnostic placement test that will help you to identify your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses.
Additional homeschooling posts:
California Homeschoolers Fight for California Homeschool Law by Jessica Parnell
The on-going debate in California regarding homeschool rights took a positive turn on Tuesday of this week when nineteen members of the House of Representatives filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of homeschooling families.
Real Life Homeschooling by Jessica Parnell
In the state of Pennsylvania homeschoolers must maintain an education portfolio, which must be reviewed and approved each year by a certified teacher.
Starting Homeschooling-Step Six-Explore your Child’s Interests by Jessica Parnell
One of the greatest freedoms in homeschooling is the freedom to explore your child's interests.
101 Reasons to Homeschool by Jessica Parnell
Because of my role as a homeschool consultant and evaluator, I receive many calls for information about homeschooling.
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