It can be tricky if you’ve got a child and are trying to figure out how to get them through the educational challenges of the past few years. The good news is that you can do many things to help your child stay focused and motivated throughout their day. Homeschool and virtual learning doesn’t have to be boring!
1.) Make a Plan
Making a plan is essential in any endeavor, especially for homeschoolers. Planning helps you stay on track and focused, motivating your child to continue working hard. Plus, it can inspire you as a parent and teacher to forge on throughout the year.
There are two main types of plans that you can make: Master Plans and Daily Plans. Master Plans are for the long-term goals like grades or subjects you want your kids to learn by the end of the year or semester. Daily plans are smaller goals that help keep the student on track with their education each day (for example, reading at least 30 minutes per day).
2.) Create a Flexible Timetable
A flexible timetable is more likely to keep your child motivated. Some days, you might have a lot of activities planned for your child. Other days, you’ll be able to do things at a much slower pace. A flexible timetable will help avoid feeling overwhelmed or bored because it doesn’t have set times for every subject. Flexibility is also great for the days your child wakes up sick or “on the wrong side of the bed.” You can go lighter for school during these circumstances.
3.) Find a Quiet, Organized Space to Work
A quiet, organized space to work is essential for keeping your homeschooler motivated during the day. This is where you’ll spend most of your time, and it should be easy to find everything you need in a few seconds.
Here are some other things to consider when choosing a space:
- A good light source — natural light is best, but make sure you have plenty of overhead lighting.
- Good ventilation — choose an area with windows or fans that can be used on hot days or if dust starts to build up in the room.
- Comfortable furniture — pick something comfortable for long stretches at a desk or table, such as an ergonomic chair with armrests and lumbar support. Make sure it fits with the decor in your home!
It can also be nice to have some unique homeschooling furniture for your learning area. A small table, shelves for the many curriculum books you quickly acquire, and a whiteboard are great additions.
4.) Divide Time into Sections, With Breaks in Between
Dividing time into sections is a reasonably straightforward way to help students stay motivated during the day. Breaking the day into smaller tasks, with breaks in between, will allow your child to focus. Better focus will help your child to get her work done faster.
You and your child can use break time to reflect on what has been learned so far and plan for the next learning section. It can also be used as an opportunity to socialize with friends or take a quick break from the classroom environment. When it comes time for your children’s next lesson, they should feel ready and excited about what lies ahead!
5.) Make Sure Your Homeschooler is Challenged
Make sure that they are challenged and engaged by their work. However, don’t make them do too much at once. This could cause burnout.
Let them work independently, without a lot of supervision from you, while doing seatwork. If your child gets distracted easily, set a seat work timmer.
6.) Set Realistic Goals
What is a goal? A goal is an objective that you want to achieve. It’s a specific result you wish to accomplish and the steps needed to get there.
Setting goals helps keep your child motivated and focused on completing their school work during the day. When your child knows what needs to be done, they’re more likely to stay on task throughout the day instead of wasting time or getting distracted by other things that might pop up.
Setting goals with your homeschooler doesn’t have to be complicated. Goals can be anything from organizing their room, finishing homework assignments, making it through all of their lessons for the week, or completing classwork without interruptions from siblings. These goals must be specific, so there’s no confusion about how much progress has been made towards accomplishing them! You may also consider setting long-term homework assignments (ex: finish this assignment by next Wednesday). You can mix these with short-term ones (ex: complete this essay today). This will allow them flexibility while remaining focused on completing everything on time!
7.) Provide Your Child With Fun Healthy Snack Breaks
Provide your child with fun, healthy snack breaks. Snacks should be fun and healthy, but not too healthy—you don’t want to make it feel like a chore! Snack breaks can be a reward for hard work or good behavior. They are also an opportunity to relax and enjoy some time together.
Motivate Your Homeschooler
Homeschooling is an incredible and unique opportunity for children, but it requires a lot of organization and planning to keep them engaged all day long. By making sure you have a plan and create a flexible schedule that works for everyone involved in the process. You also have to find an organized space to work from, break up time into sections with breaks in between, keep your students excited about the subjects they are learning, and celebrate their small victories along the way. With these steps, you can help them stay motivated every day!
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