Independent Learning In Homeschooling

Independent Learning in Homeschooling

Hey there, supermom! Homeschooling offers the unique opportunity to tailor your child’s education to their needs and interests. This helps them foster a love for learning and build essential life skills that they will use forever. One powerful approach that we’ve been using for over a year is encouraging your children to take charge of their education.

Here are the steps needed to get started:

1. Ask your child what they want to learn this year. 

   Before you dive into festive fun, try to finish up any ongoing projects. Not only will it give your children a satisfying sense of completion, but it will also free up your mental load. Because let’s face it, when you get back to your unfinished projects, you’re going to spend the day trying to remember where you left off. Your future, tired, unfocused self will thank you.

2. Teach the Topic and Gradually Teach them to Fly Solo

   Once you’ve identified their interests, provide them with the necessary resources and support to learn independently. There are many ways to do this. Personally, I found that the teach, support, solo method is what works best.

Four steps to implement the teach, support and solo method:

1. Teach the Topic:

   This is where you introduce the subject, explain the basics and give them all of the resources (books, websites, videos, tips, etc) that they might need to complete the work at hand.

2. Allow them to explore:

   This can be done in two different ways:

   1. Independent Exploration: They can work on projects, do experiments or conduct more research on the chosen topic.
   2. Supervised Independence: This is the step right before independent exploration. If you have just started teaching your children independence, you may have to approach the process in multiple steps.
      1. The first step is to sit with your child, go over the topic and help them find a solution.
      2. The next step will be to present the topic, empower your child to find the solution for themselves but remain seated next to them. This will allow your child to develop their independence skills while being comfortable with you being close by.
      3. The last step is where you go over the topic and allow your child to complete the assignment while you’re in the room but not right next to them. This is the step that will allow you to evaluate if your child is ready for independent learning sessions.

Remember that, it’s okay to step back and let them make mistakes. That’s where the real learning happens! We have to let them try to find the answers on their own.

3. Use a whiteboard:

   A whiteboard will be your bestie in this homeschooling world. It doesn’t have to be a giant sized whiteboard. It could be the size of a sheet of paper. Using a whiteboard, with a list of daily/weekly tasks, will help your child become more independent. It will be the visual cue that your child will need to start checking off their tasks. Seeing the list diminish will give them a sense of accomplishment. Cue the happy dance when all of the tasks are checked off for the day.

4. Correct their work:

   This is where you review the work that they have completed on their own. Although we want them to gain independence, we still need to ensure that they are completing their work accurately. This allows you the chance to validate their understanding, make sure that they stay on track and provide any constructive criticism needed. This balance of freedom and accountability helps maintain their high educational standards while promoting independence.

Why would you want to develop this habit for your children?

• Your children will develop their independence skills which is important for their future. By taking responsibility for their education, your children will learn how to take initiative and become more independent in life.
• It will encourage your children to think critically and solve their own problems. Thinking critically is a skill that will be very useful when your child is faced with a major life situation and they will need the ability to break it down into manageable pieces. 
• It will improve their time management skills because they will be required to balance multiple tasks at the same time. This will be valuable for them as they age and will need to balance their home life with outside obligations. 
• If you are in a similar situation as I am and you have multiple children to teach, this allows you the opportunity to teach one child while the other is focused on their school work. This has allowed me to provide my oldest with the attention that he needs while my youngest is completing her assigned work.

By fostering independent learning, you’re not only helping your child academically. You are also teaching them life skills that they will carry on the rest of their lives. This approach will build their confidence and allow them to embrace a love of continuous learning. As a reminder, this will be a learning and growing opportunity for you and your child. Embrace the journey and celebrate the victories along the way.

You may notice that your children won’t always want to do their assigned work. Or, they’ll lose focus from time to time. In that case, you’re going to want to use these tips to regain their focus. You can access them here: in this blog post. 

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Check out the entire video to learn how we homeschool through the holidays.

The topics covered in this video are: 

0:00 Independent Learning In Homeschooling
0:30 Teaching Independence with Projects
3:34 Teaching Independence with Core Subjects
3:56 Teach the Topic
4:09 Supervised Independence (3 steps)
5:11 Use a Whiteboard
6:07 Review Their Work
6:52 Benefits of Teaching Independence
7:27 Learning Independence Skills
7:33 Learning Critical Thinking Skills
8:02 Learning Time Management Skills
9:39 Provides The Opportunity To Teach Multiple Children at Once
10:20 5 Ways to Help Your Children Focus

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Links mentioned in this video:

• • Improve your child’s focus with this one simple habit

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