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Part 2 of 2
Homeschooling Is Especially Accommodating for Energetic Boys
The public education system is currently designed for passive learners. Males are more likely to be diagnosed with behavioral issues than female students in the system. About 12 percent of boys are highly intelligent but do not start talking until well after girls do, and because milestones are over-emphasized, many of those boys are put in speech therapy even though they often catch up without intervention.
Instead of accepting that boys and girls are different and have different educational needs, the public school system punishes them. Many encourage parents to medicate young males even though most just need more physical activity and better education methods.
Nearly every parent I’ve talked to recently (who isn’t already homeschooling) tells me, “We’re thinking about homeschooling.” I know it’s a leap of faith. I was terrified when our school district lost accreditation and I had to homeschool, but once you start it’s so easy. Kids learn faster, and they have fun doing it.
Get Started Here
Many people just need a little help. I can say that three amazing resources gifted me enough confidence in my teaching skills that my children enjoyed learning and craved more.
First, the Starfall.com website is amazing. It’s packed with fun learning games and free features as well as an affordable membership that covers preschool through fifth grade.
Then, there are the ALEX Toys for craft-loving kids and Kidz Labs for kids learning about science. Each of these kits comes with all or most of the items needed to create art and science projects. What pieces they lack are household items which are incorporated (like a tin can for robotics). These are such wonderful hands-on learning options. They get kids involved and excited to see what they can do.
Lastly, although they might seem old-fashioned, the School Zone workbooks host hundreds of pages of fun worksheets that teach children lessons through sixth-grade material. My children love sitting down to fill out the pages, which are full of word games and math puzzles. Even my high-energy 4-year-old son will sit and work on them because he enjoys it.
You Are Your Child’s Best Resource
There will be hard days. Everyone has struggles sometimes, but parents are already teachers. We offer lessons all the time, and we learn as we go.
Some people think homeschooling is expensive. They think a good education has to have a massive budget — because that’s what the public education system does — but in truth, throwing money at materials doesn’t get the job done. Giving children individualized learning experiences and the ability to grow and ask questions is more important.
All you need is a reasonable budget and the will. If you’re not already homeschooling and you can’t afford private school, this really is your year. You will not regret it. If you’re too afraid to fully commit, test out a few lessons this summer. See how it goes. Purposeful teaching is a learning experience itself.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/07/05/consider-this-your-sign-to-start-homeschooling-your-kids/
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1544311952348004352?s=20&t=yyNmYG8NUwUt8GamwlpoAg